Workshop: The Public Television Puzzle Member Only

National PBS is not the whole story. Despite reports to the contrary, public television in the U.S. remains a vital pathway for documentary distribution. But it's a vast, decentralized system of national strands, local stations, regional funders, open calls, commissioned series, and syndicators—and most independent filmmakers only ever knock on one door. But the pathway that didn't work for one film may be exactly right for another. Knowing how the pieces fit together can mean the difference between a broadcast and a dead end.

In this session, Emily Abi-Kheirs (Programming Manager at GBH and PTPA board member) and Nicole Tsien (independent producer and former POV staff) untangle the full public media ecosystem, tracing the real trajectories of real films to map the multiple entry points that exist. Attendees will leave with a practical mapping of how national PBS isn’t the only gatekeeper and confidence to find our own paths.

Facilitators: Emily Abi-Kheirs (GBH, PTPA), Nicole Tsien (producer)