PBS Teams With Indie Film Producer ITVS for Independent Lens Creator Lab, Inaugural Lineup Revealed (EXCLUSIVE)

PBS and ITVS announced the inaugural lineup for their Independent Lens Creator Lab, a six-month program supporting independent filmmakers. The initiative provides up to $36,000 in funding, mentorship, and production support to six creators, who will produce 12 vertical videos for PBS social media and the PBS Documentaries YouTube Channel, debuting in June. Selected creators include Rida Ali, a storyteller focused on South Asia and decolonized history, based in Mountain View, California; Gracie J, a celebrity nail artist from Brooklyn; and Jason Chu, a Los Angeles-based Asian American historian and poet. Mark Kendall, co-founder of CoolCoolCool Productions in Atlanta, uses comedy for civic engagement, while Fernando Hurtado, a West Hollywood journalist, covers U.S. Latinos through his YouTube channel. Kyle Offutt, a travel creator, will also participate. The program includes virtual workshops for script development, feedback, and post-production support, with ITVS overseeing distribution and community management. ITVS, which manages over 80 active documentary projects, launched the PBS Documentaries YouTube Channel in March to expand accessibility. Royd Chung, ITVS senior vice president of programming, emphasized the initiative’s goal to amplify diverse voices in nonfiction storytelling. The creators’ work will appear on platforms where Gen Z and millennials increasingly consume media. Participants bring varied expertise: Ali studied global studies and South Asian history, while Hurtado previously managed digital video at NBCUniversal and teaches at USC. Chu’s viral content on history and racial justice aligns with his role as the 2025-2026 curator at the Chinese American Museum.