The PBS Short Film Festival will return for a ninth year to all PBS and Arkansas PBS digital platforms, including pbs.org/filmfestival, youtube.com/pbs and facebook.com/pbs. The festival runs July 13-24 and features 25 short-form independent films presented in five categories: culture, environment, family, humanity and race.

The PBS Short Film Festival is part of a multi-platform initiative to increase the reach and visibility of independent filmmakers and to provide a showcase for diverse storytelling that both inspires and engages. A free viewing party kit is available at pbs.org/filmfestival.

Starting at midnight on Monday, July 13, audiences can watch, share and vote for their favorite film to win the “Most Popular” award. In addition, a panel of seven jury members will select their favorite film of the festival for the Juried Prize.

This year’s jury members include: Simon Kilmurry, executive director, International Documentary Association; Mike Sargent, founder, Black Film Critics Circle; Eric Gulliver, producer, “American Experience”; Chloe Walters-Wallace, documentary lab manager, Firelight Media & Films; Adnaan Wassey, digital media executive, formerly of “POV”; Pamela A. Aguilar, senior director, General Audience Programming and Development, PBS; and Judith Vecchione, executive producer, WGBH Educational Foundation.

Films featured in the PBS Short Film Festival have been selected and provided by 18 public media partners and PBS member stations. This year’s lineup includes films from Black Public Media, Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), Independent Television Service (ITVS), Latino Public Broadcasting, National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC), “POV,” “Reel South,” Vision Maker Media and WORLD Channel, as well as PBS local member stations Alabama Public Television (APTV), Illinois Public Media, KQED, KLRU-TV Austin PBS, Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB), MPT Digital Studios, WNET (New York) and WSIU (Illinois).

Generating more than 9 million streams over the course of the festival’s history, the PBS Short Film Festival continues to be an engaging annual digital event. The festival also received a 2015 Webby Awards nomination for Online Film & Video: Variety (Channel).

Additional information and updates on the PBS Short Film Festival are available at pbs.org/filmfestival. Viewers are also encouraged to engage in online conversation by tagging @PBS and using #PBSFilmFest on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Since its inception in 2012, the PBS Short Film Festival (pbs.org/filmfestival), formerly called the PBS Online Film Festival, has showcased independent films of all genres. The festival, now in its ninth year, features short films created by PBS member stations, ITVS, “POV” and a wide variety of public television producers. Each year the films highlight topics like social injustice, religion, addiction, public policy, love and other subjects inspiring to the filmmakers. Throughout the festival, viewers can watch, love and share their favorite films on a variety of platforms. At the close of the festival, a prize is awarded to the film chosen by the hand-picked jury. The 2020 PBS Short Film Festival represents a celebration of independent films and filmmaking, and a love for the craft.

Arkansas PBS is Arkansas’s only statewide public media network, which enhances lives by providing lifelong learning opportunities for people from all walks of life. Arkansas PBS delivers daily, essential, local, award-winning productions and classic, trusted PBS programs aimed at sharing Arkansas and the world with viewers through multiple digital platforms, including on-demand services and YouTube TV, and the distinct channels Arkansas PBS, Arkansas PBS Create, Arkansas PBS KIDS, Arkansas PBS WORLD and Arkansas PBS AIRS on SAP. Members with Arkansas PBS Passport have extended on-demand access to a rich library of public television programming. Arkansas PBS depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering quality programming. Additional information is available at myarkansaspbs.org. Arkansas PBS is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro) and KETZ (El Dorado).