We are pleased to announce a new season of Indie Lens Pop-Up free documentary screenings hosted by NPT. Culled from the 2015-2016 season of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning PBS and NPT series Independent Lens, the 2015-2016 lineup includes six new documentaries exploring issues from race to gun violence, from veterans’ issues to autism.
The screenings and post-film discussions featuring local representatives will take place Saturdays at 2 p.m. from October 2015 to May 2016, at the main branch of the Nashville Public Library (615 Church St., Nashville 37219). Formerly known as Community Cinema, the long-running screening series has been renamed Indie Lens Pop-Up to strengthen the bond between the Independent Lens television series and local communities. Over the past decade, screenings of Independent Lens films across the nation have brought more than 331,000 participants together at more than 5,700 events to discuss issues that affect local communities.
Our first event of the new season is Oct. 31 and features Stray Dog, a documentary about a Vietnam veteran whose gruff appearance belies his deep concern for his family and fellow combat veterans.
NPT Presents Indie Lens Pop-Up 2015-2016:
Click here to see the film trailer.
Stray Dog by Debra Granik
Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015 at 2 p.m.
Nashville Public Library, Main Branch
From the director of the Oscar-nominated Winter’s Bone comes this portrait of a motorcycle-riding Vietnam veteran. There’s much more to Ronnie “Stray Dog” Hall than meets the eye; behind the tattoos and leather vest is a man dedicated to helping his fellow vets and immigrant family as he also comes to terms with his combat experience.
Autism in Love by Matt Fuller
Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015 at 2 p.m.
Nashville Public Library, Main Branch
We will partner with Autism Tennessee for this event.
Four adults at different places on the autism spectrum open up their personal lives as they navigate dating and romantic relationships. Eye-opening, first-person portrayals show that despite many challenges faced by those with autism, love can find a way.
In Football We Trust by Tony Vainuku and Erika Cohn
Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016 at 2 p.m. Canceled due to weather conditions.
Nashville Public Library, Main Branch
We will partner with Backfield in Motion for this event.
In Football We Trust intimately follows four Polynesian high school football players in Utah struggling to overcome gang violence, family pressures, and poverty as they enter the high stakes world of college recruiting and the promise of pro sports. The odds may be stacked against them, but they’ll never stop fighting for a better future.
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution by Stanley Nelson
Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016 at 2 p.m.
Nashville Public Library, Main Branch
NPT’s Black History Month Programming is sponsored by Baker Donelson.
A new revolutionary culture emerged in the turbulent 1960s, and the Black Panther Party was at the vanguard. Weaving together a treasure trove of rare footage with the voices of a diverse group of people who were there, Stanley Nelson tells the vibrant story of a pivotal movement that feels timely all over again.
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by NPT producer LaTonya Turner and featuring Fisk University’s Dr. Reavis L. Mitchell Jr., Professor of History, Dean of the School of Humanities Social and Behavioral Sciences; and Linda T. Wynn, Lecturer, Department of History and Political Science.
The Armor of Light by Abigail Disney
Saturday, April 16, 2016 at 2 p.m.
Nashville Public Library, Main Branch
Lucy McBath, film subject and national spokeswoman for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, will join us for this event.
Two people of faith come together to explore the contradictions of a nation rife with gun violence: a famously anti-abortion evangelical minister risks losing followers when he questions the morality of gun ownership, while a grieving mother dedicates herself to creating change after the shooting of her unarmed teenage son.
Peace Officer by Scott Christopherson and Brad Barber
Saturday, May 7, 2016 at 2 p.m.
Nashville Public Library, Main Branch
Filmmaker Brad Barber will attend this event.
The increasingly tense relationship between law enforcement and the public is seen through the eyes of someone who’s been on both sides: a former sheriff who established Utah’s first SWAT team, only to see the same unit kill his son-in-law in a controversial standoff 30 years later. Now a private investigator, Dub seeks the truth in this case and other officer-involved shootings.
For more information about the new season of Indie Lens Pop-Up screenings, go to pbs.org/independentlens.
