''POV'' (also written ''P.O.V.'') is a
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia
Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a County (United States), county in the ...
(PBS)
public television
Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive f ...
series which features independent nonfiction films. ''POV'' is an initialism for ''point of view''.
''POV'' is the longest-running showcase on television for independent
documentary film
A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...
s. PBS presents 14–16 ''POV'' programs each year, and the series has premiered over 400 films to U.S. television audiences since 1988.
''POV''s films have a strong first-person, social-issue focus. Many established directors, including
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and author. Moore's work frequently addresses various Social issue, social, political, and economic topics. He first became publicly known for his award-winning debut ...
,
Jonathan Demme
Robert Jonathan Demme ( ; February 22, 1944 – April 26, 2017) was an American filmmaker, whose career directing, producing, and screenwriting spanned more than 30 years and 70 feature films, documentaries, and television productions. He was an ...
,
Terry Zwigoff,
Errol Morris,
Albert and
David Maysles,
Michael Apted
Michael David Apted (10 February 1941 – 7 January 2021) was an English television and film director and producer.
Apted began working in television and directed the ''Up (film series), Up'' documentary series from 1970 to 2019). He later di ...
,
Frederick Wiseman,
Marlon Riggs
Marlon Troy Riggs (February 3, 1957 – April 5, 1994) was a Black gay filmmaker, educator, poet, and activist. He produced, wrote, and directed several documentary films, including '' Ethnic Notions'', '' Tongues Untied'', '' Color Adjustment'' ...
,
Ross McElwee,
Liu Bing, and
Laura Poitras have had work screened as part of the ''POV'' series.
The series has garnered both critical and industry acclaim over its 30+ years on television. ''POV'' films have won every major film and broadcasting award including 45
Emmys, 26
George Foster Peabody Awards, 15
duPont-Columbia Awards, three
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
, three
George Polk Documentary Film Awards and the
Prix Italia
The Prix Italia is an international television, radio-broadcasting and web award. It was established in 1948 by RAI – Radiotelevisione Italiana (in 1948, RAI had the denomination RAI – Radio Audizioni Italiane) in Capri and is honoured with th ...
. ''POV'' and ''
America ReFramed'' are projects of the independent non-profit,
American Documentary, Inc.
Episodes
Reception
Richard Roeper of ''
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...
'' wrote for the episode, 'And She Could Be Next', "Powerful and absolutely vital."
See also
* ''
Independent Lens'' (PBS series)
References
External links
''POV'' official site*
American Documentary, Inc.(series production company)
{{PBSTV
1988 American television series debuts
1980s American documentary television series
1990s American documentary television series
2000s American documentary television series
2010s American documentary television series
2020s American documentary television series
PBS original programming
Peabody Award–winning television programs