American Documentary

Overview

New York, N.Y. -- May 4th, 2021 -- POV, America’s longest-running independent documentary series, has received two Peabody nominations announced today by the Board of Jurors. The two films receiving nominations are In My Blood It Runs directed by Maya Newell and Softie directed by Sam Soko. This is the eighth year in a row POV films have been nominated for a Peabody. At the 2020 ceremony four POV films received recognition.

Both international titles, In My Blood It Runs and Softie broadcast as part of POV’s 33rd season, highlighting the series’ commitment to showcase the best in storytelling from all around the world. In My Blood It Runs, a co-presentation of Pacific Islanders in Communications, follows Dujuan an Arrernte Aborignal boy who, at age ten, is a child-healer, a hunter and can speak three languages. Yet Dujuan is failing in the Australian school system and facing increasing scrutiny from welfare authorities and the police. In tracing the ways Dujuan negotiates his Aborignal culture and education and the systems that stand in the way, the film confronts the suppression of Aboriginal ways of life and the harmful effects of colonial institutions. In My Blood It Runs broadcast on POV on September 21, 2020.

Softie, which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival where it won a special jury prize, is a Kenyan film based on the life and activism of photojournalist Boniface “Softie” Mwangi. Challenging his home country’s political corruption, Boniface makes a life-altering choice to run for office, trading the chaos-filled world of street protest for campaigning against a dynasty. Capturing both the political and personal tremors that result from his decision, Softie offers a nuanced and detailed portrait of what it looks like to be committed to one’s country and one’s family. Softie broadcast on POV on October 12th, 2020.

Winners will be announced in a virtual ceremony in late June.

In addition to its 26 George Foster Peabody Awards, the series has won 42 Emmy® Awards, 15 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, three Academy Awards®, the first-ever George Polk Documentary Film Award and the Prix Italia, since its launch in 1988. The POV series has been honored with a Special News & Documentary Emmy Award for Excellence in Television Documentary Filmmaking, three IDA Awards for Best Curated Series and the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) Award for Corporate Commitment to Diversity.

About POV

Produced by American Documentary, POV is the longest-running independent documentary showcase on American television. Since 1988, POV has presented films on PBS 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. It's on POV where American television audiences were introduced to groundbreaking works like Tongues Untied, The Act of Killing and American Promise and innovative filmmakers including Jonathan Demme, Nanfu Wang, and Laura Poitras. In 2018, POV Shorts launched as one of the first PBS series dedicated to bold and timely short-form documentaries.

Over a generation, POV has championed accessibility and innovation in nonfiction storytelling. POV Engage works with educators, community organizations and PBS stations to present hundreds of free screenings every year, inspiring dialogue around today's most pressing social issues. The series' interactive arm, POV Spark, creates and advances experiential forms of storytelling and programming, redefining U.S. public media to be more inclusive of emerging technologies and interactive makers.

POV films and projects have won 42 Emmy Awards, 25 George Foster Peabody Awards, 15 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, three Academy Awards and the first-ever George Polk Documentary Film Award. Learn more at pbs.org/pov and follow @povdocs on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

About American Documentary

American Documentary, Inc. (AmDoc) is a multimedia company dedicated to creating, identifying and presenting contemporary stories that express opinions and perspectives rarely featured in mainstream media outlets. AmDoc is a catalyst for public culture, developing collaborative strategic engagement activities around socially relevant content on television, online and in community settings. These activities are designed to trigger action, from dialogue and feedback to educational opportunities and community participation.

Major funding for POV is provided by PBS, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Wyncote Foundation, Reva & David Logan Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Perspective Fund and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding comes from Nancy Blachman and David desJardins, Bertha Foundation, The Hollywood Foreign Press Association's Charitable Trust, Park Foundation, Sage Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Chris and Nancy Plaut, Abby Pucker, Ann Tenenbaum and Thomas H. Lee 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.