POV and Kanopy Partner to Launch “The Road to 40 - A Journey into POV’s Documentary Legacy”
Press Release
Co-curated collections celebrate nearly four decades of independent documentary storytelling through landmark films from the POV and POV Shorts catalogues.
Brooklyn, N.Y. — July 29, 2026 — American Documentary announced today a new partnership with Kanopy—the leading streaming platform for public libraries and universities—as the organization prepares to celebrate its 40th season. In their first-ever collaboration, Kanopy will showcase works from POV, American Documentary's multi-Emmy® Award-winning series. Titled "The Road to 40 - A Journey into POV’s Documentary Legacy," the co-curated collections commemorate nearly four decades of fearless storytelling and honor the filmmakers who shaped the landscape. Drawing from the POV and POV Shorts catalogs, the collections invite audiences to revisit influential films, discover enduring works, and explore how documentary storytelling—and the world it chronicles—has evolved since POV premiered on PBS in 1988.
Beginning August 14, 2026, “The Road to 40 - A Journey into POV’s Documentary Legacy” joins Kanopy's fall programming to create complementary collections that together trace the evolution of documentary filmmaking through America’s longest-running nonfiction series. The collections will stream free on POV's and Kanopy’s digital platforms respectively through September 30, 2026, with companion titles available on Kanopy through participating public libraries and universities.
Explore the collection at: https://www.kanopy.com/category/91939.
POV and Kanopy have long been committed to making exceptional independent documentary films accessible to audiences everywhere. With a broad selection of POV titles, from the series’ earliest seasons to today and already available on Kanopy, the collaboration builds on a longstanding relationship and a shared belief that high-quality storytelling informs, inspires, and sparks conversations. Together, the organizations recognize documentary film as a powerful tool for fostering curiosity, deepening understanding, preserving diverse perspectives and strengthening informed communities.
"The films in this collection prove that great documentaries don't lose their relevance with time — they keep finding new audiences and new meaning," said Chris White, Executive Producer, POV. "As we approach POV's 40th season, this collaboration with Kanopy honors the filmmakers who've defined the series while opening new paths for audiences to experience these stories and the conversations they continue to inspire."
“As POV celebrates its 40th season, Kanopy is proud to partner with an organization that has consistently championed bold, award-winning documentary filmmakers and powerful storytelling,” said Jason Tyrrell, General Manager of Kanopy. “We deeply value POV’s impact on independent film and public media, and this collaboration reflects our shared commitment to connecting audiences with stories that inspire understanding and dialogue. Through our mission to democratize access to exceptional film and television via public and academic libraries, we’re honored to help bring POV’s remarkable legacy to viewers everywhere.”
The retrospective showcases landmark works by Academy Award®, Emmy® and Peabody Award-winning influential filmmakers alongside emerging documentary voices including Marshall Curry, Frederick Wiseman, Agnes Varda, Joshua Oppenheimer, Marlon Riggs, Lourdes Portillo, Ross McElwee, Judith Helfand, Mabel Valdiviezo, Violet Du Feng and many others. Their films explore identity, justice, family, community, politics and the human experience with artistry, compassion and urgency. Highlights from the collection include notable legacy titles such as Tongues Untied, Street Fight, The Act of Killing, and The Beaches of Agnes.
Beyond the streaming collections, the partnership includes curated editorial features and audience engagement activities celebrating the filmmakers, stories and cultural impact that have made POV America's longest-running independent documentary series. Together, these efforts deepen audiences' connection to the films while highlighting POV's enduring contribution to the documentary field.
About
About POV
Building on five 2026 News & Documentary Emmy® nominations, POV remains one of the most highly-acclaimed documentary series in broadcast and streaming. Recent honors include a 2026 Emmy® win for The Ride Ahead (POV Season 38), a 2024 Emmy® win for Eat Your Catfish (POV Season 37), a 2023 Emmy® win for The Last Out (POV Season 36), and a Peabody Award for While We Watched (POV Season 36), marking the eleventh consecutive year a POV film has been nominated for a Peabody and its 28th win. Additional recognition includes an IDA Documentary Award win for Best Curated Series in 2022 and nominations in that category for three consecutive years (2023, 2024, 2025) and the inclusion of seven POV films in Indiewire’s “The 50 Best Documentaries of the 21st Century”: Faya Dayi (2021), The Mole Agent (2020), Minding The Gap (2018), Cameraperson (2016), The Look of Silence (2015), The Act of Killing (2013) and After Tiller (2013). Across its history, POV films and projects have garnered more than 108 News & Documentary Emmy® nominations and won 53 Emmy Awards®, 29 Peabody Awards, 17 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, three Academy Awards® and the first-ever George Polk Documentary Film.
Produced by American Documentary, POV is the longest-running independent documentary showcase on American television presenting films on PBS since 1988 that capture the full spectrum of the human experience, with a long commitment to centering women and people of color in front of and behind the camera. The series has introduced generations of viewers to groundbreaking work from filmmakers including Laura Poitras, Jonathan Demme, Nanfu Wang, Frederick Wiseman, Emiko Omori, Janus Metz Pedersen and Ava DuVernay, and to landmark films such as Tongues Untied (1989), Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1992), Rabbit in the Room (1999), Of Civil Wrongs & Rights: The Fred Korematsu Story (2001), Made in L.A. (2007), American Promise (2013), Not Going Quietly (2021), A House Made of Splinters (2022) and the mini-series And She Could be Next (2020). Since its launch in 2018, POV Shorts has expanded the series’ commitment to short-form storytelling, with films including A Broken House recognized on the Academy Award® shortlist. Extending beyond broadcast, POV engages audiences through streaming on PBS platforms, free educational resources and a nationwide community network that sparks dialogue around urgent social issues. Award. Learn more at pbs.org/pov and follow @povdocs on social media.
About Kanopy
Kanopy is the leading video streaming service that allows everyone to Stream Smarter with access to thousands of films for free, thanks to the generous support of public libraries or universities. Kanopy has 30,000+ films in its catalog. Partnering with filmmakers, film and video distributors, Kanopy offers access to a wide range of engaging narratives, insightful documentaries, and riveting television and instructional content. Suppliers include BBC Studios, the Criterion Collection, NEON, Samuel Goldwyn Films, HISTORY, A&E, The Great Courses, Kino Lorber, A24, and IFC Films. Kanopy’s ad-free platform is available via browser and on iOS, Android, and all major streaming devices, including Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Samsung Smart TV. OverDrive’s acquisition of Kanopy in 2021 brought together the largest catalog of premium eBooks, audiobooks, and streaming video content for thousands of public libraries, colleges, and universities. www.kanopy.com
About PBS
PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 36 million adults on linear primetime television, 16 million users on PBS-owned streaming platforms, 56 million viewers on YouTube, and 10 million followers on social media, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature, and public affairs and to take front-row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’s broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. As the number one educational media brand, PBS KIDS helps children 2-8 build critical skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality content on TV — including a PBS KIDS channel — and streaming free on pbskids.org and the PBS KIDS Video app, games on the PBS KIDS Games app, and in communities across America. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS LearningMedia for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. More information about PBS is available at PBS.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, Facebook, Instagram, or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Communications on X.
About American Documentary, Inc.
American Documentary, Inc. (AmDoc) is a multimedia organization dedicated to creating, identifying and presenting contemporary stories that express opinions and perspectives rarely featured in mainstream media outlets. A catalyst for public culture, AmDoc develops collaborative strategic engagement initiatives around socially relevant content across television, digital platforms and in community settings, from dialogue and feedback to educational opportunities and civic participation. AmDoc’s programming includes its multi–Emmy®, Oscar®, and Peabody Award–winning flagship series POV, the Oscar® and Emmy® winning POV Shorts, and America ReFramed. As part of its ongoing digital expansion, AmDoc is extending the reach of its work through expanded documentary programming on YouTube, connecting independent documentary storytelling with broader audiences and evolving how public media reaches viewers today. Follow @americandocumentary on social media.
Major funding for POV is provided by the Open Society Foundations, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Wyncote Foundation, Park Foundation, and Perspective Fund. Additional funding comes from PBS, the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Acton Family Giving, and public television viewers. POV is presented by a consortium of public television stations, including KQED San Francisco, WGBH Boston and THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG.