Independent Lens

Independent Lens is a weekly television series airing on PBS presenting documentary films made by independent filmmakers. Past seasons of Independent Lens were presented by hosts Angela Bassett, Don Cheadle, Susan Sarandon, Edie Falco, Terrence Howard, Maggie Gyllenhaal, America Ferrera, Mary-Louise Parker,[1] and Stanley Tucci, who served two stints as host from 2012-2014.[2]

Independent Lens
GenreDocumentary, Drama
Country of origin United States
No. of seasons18
No. of episodes405 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersSally Jo Fifer, Lois Vossen
Running time60-120 minutes or multi-part docuseries
Production companyIndependent Television Service
Release
Original networkPBS
Original releaseAugust 9, 1999 (1999-08-09) –
present
External links
Website
Production website

The series began in 1999 and for three years aired 10 episodes each fall season. In 2002, PBS announced that in 2003 the series would relaunch with ITVS as the production company, under the leadership of Sally Jo Fifer and Lois Vossen, and would expand to 29 primetime episodes a year.[3] The 2019-20 season is regarded as the 18th season for the series.

Independent Lens has won six Primetime Emmy Awards and 20 films have won News & Documentary Emmy Awards. In 2012, "Have You Heard From Johannesburg?" won for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking; in 2007, A Lion in the House won for Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking; and A Lion's Trail won in 2006 for Outstanding Cultural and Artistic Programming. Three other films won for Best Documentary: Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life in 2008, Be Good, Smile Pretty in 2004, and Sing Faster: The Stagehands' Ring Cycle in 2000. Four Independent Lens films won News & Documentary Emmys in 2017 alone: The Armor of Light; (T)error; Best of Enemies; and In Football We Trust.[4] As well, seven Independent Lens films garnered Academy Award nominations for Best Documentary: Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2006), The Weather Underground (2004), Waste Land (2010), Hell and Back Again (2011), How to Survive a Plague (2012), I Am Not Your Negro (2016), and Hale County This Morning, This Evening (2018). Other awards conferred upon Independent Lens films include the George Foster Peabody Award,[5] International Documentary Association Documentary Awards, Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award, and Sundance Film Festival Awards.

Episodes
Main article: List of Independent Lens films

Audience Award

Independent Lens gives out an annual Audience Award. The TV viewing audience is invited to rate each episode of the series (through online voting), and an award is given to each season's winner. Winners of the Audience Award have included:[6]

See also

References
  1. "Introducing Our Illustrious New Host, Mary-Louise Parker!" (on September 20, 2011)
  2. “Independent Lens Announces New Season Lineup” (on September 4, 2013)
  3. "'Independent Lens' From ITVS Re-Launches; Expands to 29 Weeks". 2002-07-26. Archived from the original on 2002-08-03.
  4. “National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences News & Documentary Emmys Winners List” (on October 5, 2017)
  5. "Peabody Awards for Independent Lens". peabodyawards.com. Peabody Award.
  6. Independent Lens - About the Audience Award (retrieved June 3, 2009).
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