Fall is for Film Enthusiasts

From scripted shorts to documentaries, we love how filmmakers connect us to different people and places

Published on October 24, 2024 by PBS

Films open our eyes and hearts to different experiences. They can offer a voice to people who have often been hidden in our society or a lens into communities we might not have noticed before. Sometimes they uncover a history we hadn't learned in school, giving us a chance to see the impact of past events on our day-to-day lives.

In each of these independent film series, you'll find stories featuring diverse walks of life, places, and moments in history. Find your favorite spot on the couch and press play.

PBS Short Film Festival

The PBS Short Film Festival continues to elevate the reach and visibility of independent films and filmmakers from across the country. For thirteen years, the festival has showcased films about love, acceptance, family, strength, equality, friendship, loyalty and much more. The 2024 festival highlights “Story Time” as we celebrate the art of short form storytelling.

This year's Juried Prize Winner was the film "Eid Mubarak," a story of love and sacrifice.

POV

Since 1988, POV has been the home for the world’s boldest contemporary filmmakers, celebrating intriguing personal stories that spark conversation and inspire action.

Through POV's documentaries, we have met Aaju Peter is a renowned Inuit lawyer and activist who defends the human rights of Indigenous peoples, followed a volunteer aid van helping people of all ages during the ongoing war in Ukraine, and run alongside high school track stars from the Navajo reservation. That's just a small sample of the worlds POV films have introduced us to.

In this short film titled "a film is a goodbye that never ends," a woman waits for a visa with a dog that she grows to adore. They walk, cuddle, watch TV and play together. As time passes she has to grapple with their imminent separation. With the film, she attempts to recreate a less painful goodbye.

Independent Lens

The award-winning independent film series, Independent Lens, continues to amaze year after year. In recent films we've watched, we learned the complexities of the electoral college, met a young Alaska Native boy who was bullied for carrying on his Indigenous family's tradition of whale hunting, and navigated the mental health needs of deployed NASA astronauts trying to stay connected to loved ones at home on Earth.

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One Person, One Vote?

At a time when many Americans question democratic institutions, One Person, One Vote? unveils the complexities of the Electoral College, the uniquely American and often misunderstood mechanism for electing a president. The documentary follows four presidential electors representing different parties in Colorado during the intense 2020 election.

Streaming now

One With the Whale

Hunting whales is a matter of life or death for the residents of St. Lawrence. When a shy Alaska Native teen becomes the youngest person ever to harpoon a whale for his village, his family is blindsided by thousands of keyboard activists brutally attacking him online—without full perspective on the importance of the hunt to his community's well-being.

Streaming now

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Space: The Longest Goodbye

NASA's goal to send astronauts to Mars would require a three-year absence from Earth, during which communication in real time would be impossible due to the immense distance. Meet the psychologists whose job is to keep astronauts mentally stable in outer space, as they are caught between their dream of reaching new frontiers and the basic human need to stay connected to home.

Streaming now

American Masters

The Emmy-winning series, American Masters, produces film biographies about artists and prominent figures who make an impact on the culture at large: people like actors, writers, playwrights, dancers, singers, painters, sculptors, filmmakers, and political leaders. The films give incredible insight into people's inspirations and dedication to their craft.

We love the way each episode of this series gets into the inspiration, craft, and lasting legacy of the work of remarkable people. And because episode is in itself a beautiful film we get to appreciate the different viewpoints of the filmmakers who are telling another artist's story. If you're not an American Masters fan already, you can start watching now on the PBS app. There are long-form films and shorts to stream, including this portrait of Judy Lynn Del-Rey, an editor/publisher who revolutionized the world of science fiction.

America ReFramed

America ReFramed brings to life compelling stories, personal voices and experiences that illuminate the contours of our ever-changing country. Since 2012, the series has premiered 170 films - more than half helmed by female makers and a third credited to BIPOC makers - centering stories of the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities, the formerly incarcerated, veterans, immigrants and more.

Here are just two of the library of streaming films available: The Cost of Inheritance and Far East Deep South. Both are fascinating stories that connect hidden histories to the present.

The Cost of Inheritance

THE COST OF INHERITANCE, an America ReFramed special, explores the complex issue of reparations in the U.S. using a thoughtful approach to history, historical injustices, systemic inequities, and critical dialogue on racial conciliation. Through personal narratives, community inquiries, and scholarly insights, it aims to inspire understanding of the scope and rationale of the reparations debate.

Stream now

Far East Deep South

Charles Chiu and his family’s search for their roots takes them on an eye-opening journey through the Mississippi Delta, uncovering otherwise unknown stories and the racially complex history of Chinese immigrants in the segregated South. This Chinese American family’s unforgettable story offers a poignant and important perspective on race relations, immigration and American identity.

Stream now

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REEL SOUTH

REEL SOUTH is a PBS documentary series that showcases authentic stories which unearth the spirit of the South today. The series explores layers of Southern life across themes of social justice, cultural experience, environmental challenges, and more. REEL SOUTH aims to leverage our region’s rich storytelling tradition as a catalyst for positive change — in the American South and beyond.

A must-watch film series, period. Here, start with Mothertown.

VOCES

Produced by Latino Public Broadcasting, the acclaimed PBS documentary series VOCES features the best of Latino arts, culture and history and shines a light on current issues that impact Latino Americans. Devoted to exploring the rich diversity of the Latino experience, VOCES presents new and established filmmakers and brings their powerful and illuminating stories to a national audience.

Start with these two films to get a sense of how diverse the VOCES film offerings are: "Mambo Legends: The Music Never Ends" and "Sabor Ártico: Latinos En Alaska." The first is about artists carrying the musical legacy of iconic Afro-Cuban bandleaders Machito, Tito Puente, and Tito Rodriguez. While the second is about how food connects Latino communities, no matter how far from home people find themselves. They're both worth a watch.

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Mambo Legends: The Music Never Ends

Streaming now

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Sabor Ártico: Latinos En Alaska

Streaming now

AfroPop: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange

Many complicated, opposing and controversial viewpoints are often presented about Africans, African Americans and people of the African diaspora. AfroPoP: THE ULTIMATE CULTURAL EXCHANGE is at the forefront in bringing informative and entertaining films about modern life in the African Diaspora to television audiences in the U.S.

We're kind of obsessed with the film Supa Modo from season 16:

Jo, a witty 9-year-old terminally ill girl, is taken back to her rural village of Maweni to live out the rest of her short life. Her only comfort during these dull times are her dreams of being a superhero, which prove to be something her rebellious teenage sister Mwix, overprotective mother Kathryn and entire community believe they can fulfill.

Pacific Heartbeat

Pacific Heartbeat is a documentary anthology series now in its twelfth season showcases the beauty and diversity of the Pacific Islander experience through rich and artistically told stories about the indigenous people, cultures and places from Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Australia.

Start with this documentary about Hawaiian fashion designer Sharayah Chun-Lai going to New York Fashion Week to show off her brand Ola Hou Designs. It's a beautiful story of going from the Big Island to the Big Apple.

Local, USA

Culled from public television stations and independent producers from across the country, LOCAL, USA is a half-hour series featuring fascinating stories of diverse people, curated around a single theme.

Every time we watch Local, USA, we learn something new about how we connect with different communities. The series is heartwarming and eye-opening.

Entangled

There are fewer than 400 North Atlantic right whales in the world, making them among the most endangered species. Threatening their survival are vessel strikes and millions of lobster lines. ENTANGLED chronicles the efforts to protect the whales, the impacts of those efforts on the lobster industry, and how the National Marine Fisheries Service has struggled to balance the vying interests.

Streaming now

Public Enemies, Private Friends

On December 30, 1994, a man entered two abortion clinics in Brookline, MA. By day's end, two women were dead, five wounded, and a community was left mourning. Thus began a clandestine dialogue between leaders of the pro-choice and pro-life movements and the beginning of the most unlikely friendship.

Streaming now

Ken Burns Collection

We can't talk to film enthusiasts without discussing the incredible body of work from Ken Burns. In his lifelong quest to find out "who are we" he has made documentaries about pivotal moments and people in U.S. history. This Novemmber, he'll be going international, so to speak, with an upcoming documentary about the Renaissance artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci. We're excited.