Local, USA

Indie Films Series / 8 Seasons

Culled from public television stations and independent producers from across the country, LOCAL, USA is a half-hour series featuring fascinating stories of diverse people, curated around a single theme.

26m 49s / TV-PG

American Problems, Trans Solutions | The Meaning of Home

47s / TV-PG

What does home mean to you? Kayla Gore, the founder and executive director of My Sistah's House, shares her own story of homelessness and home ownership. Gore also talks about housing for Memphis, Tennessee's Black transgender people, and what she hopes her organization accomplishes today and in the future.

American Problems, Trans Solutions | Trailer

1m 10s / TV-PG

In the U.S., Black trans people are among the most marginalized of marginalized Americans.  Award-winning journalist Imara Jones shares the stories of trans leaders Kayla Gore, Breonna McCree, and Oluchi Omeoga who, despite the record-breaking number of anti-trans bills passed in 2023, are addressing critical issues surrounding economic empowerment and human dignity with heart and vision.

American Problems, Trans Solutions | Preview

30s / TV-PG

In the U.S., Black trans people are among the most marginalized of marginalized Americans.  Award-winning journalist Imara Jones shares the stories of trans leaders Kayla Gore, Breonna McCree, and Oluchi Omeoga who, despite the record-breaking number of anti-trans bills passed in 2023, are addressing critical issues surrounding economic empowerment and human dignity with heart and vision.

American Problems, Trans Solutions | Believing in You

55s / TV-PG

Breonna McCree, the co-executive director of The Transgender District in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood, shares her own personal story of being told no and how it affected her for years. McCree's mindset changed when she met someone that believed in her and life would never be the same from that point on.

American Problems, Trans Solutions | Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project

25s / TV-PG

Oluchi Omeoga, the co-director of the Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project (BLMP) talks about the origins of the Minneapolis, MN organization. They center their work at the intersection of race, gender identity and immigration which Omeoga understands as a Black trans leader/activist whose family is Igbo of Nigeria.

Chinatown Auxiliary | Running from War

41s / TV-PG

David, a member of the NYPD volunteer police in Manhattan's Chinatown, shares the story of his father's escape from China and immigration to the United States. His father endured war and advised his son to do as he did. But he questions whether America is safe for him in a time of hate.

Chinatown Auxiliary | Protecting the Community

47s / TV-PG

The auxiliary police of New York City's Chinatown is made up of Chinese seniors who volunteer their time to patrol the neighborhood. Auxiliary Chiu shares his own story as to why he joined and the need for him and his fellow members to keep connecting with the community - to protect and serve the Asian and Asian American residents from hate, especially in the time of the pandemic.

Chinatown Auxiliary | New York City's Chinatown

1m / TV-PG

In New York City's Chinatown, senior residents have weathered change in their Manhattan neighborhood. These immigrants, and members of the auxiliary police, have seen waves of crime and prosperity over the years that put them and their fellow neighbors at risk. But police presence during that time also caused unease as they did not have a relationship of trust with law enforcement.

Chinatown Auxiliary | Trailer

1m 14s / TV-PG

For decades, Chinese residents have patrolled Manhattan's Chinatown as NYPD volunteer police to protect the few blocks they call home while finding belonging in a foreign, unwelcoming country. From the savage tribulation in the '70s to “Asian Hate” during the pandemic, these stories remind us of the hope the U.S. represented to the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses yearning to belong.

Chinatown Auxiliary | Preview

30s / TV-PG

For decades, Chinese residents have patrolled Manhattan's Chinatown as NYPD volunteer police to protect the few blocks they call home while finding belonging in a foreign, unwelcoming country. From the savage tribulation in the '70s to “Asian Hate” during the pandemic, these stories remind us of the hope the U.S. represented to the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses yearning to belong.

Against the Current: Life on the Eastern Shore | Organic Farming

58s / TV-PG

Thelonius Cook, who owns and manages an organic farm on Virginia's Eastern Shore, talks about the challenges of farming with climate change affecting agriculture. Cook shares how water in the form of heavy rains, run off and flooding has destroyed his crops, and why this may be the future.

Against the Current: Life on the Eastern Shore | Oysters

59s / TV-PG

Kellen Singleton is passionate about oysters. The aquafarmer, who works in the waters of Virginia's Eastern Shore, talks about why he loves what he does and the magic of the oysters that he harvests. But the waters are warming which will affect both wildlife and human life as migration isn't always an option.

Against the Current: Life on the Eastern Shore | Preview

30s / TV-PG

AGAINST THE CURRENT provides a powerful look at how residents of Virginia’s Eastern Shore, like many coastal towns, are subject to rising sea waters and the challenges it has on their lives and livelihood. Through resilience and perseverance, they learn to co-exist and celebrate their rural home. How can this community shed light on conversations happening around these issues of climate change?

Against the Current: Life on the Eastern Shore | Trailer

1m / TV-PG

AGAINST THE CURRENT provides a powerful look at how residents of Virginia’s Eastern Shore, like many coastal towns, are subject to rising sea waters and the challenges it has on their lives and livelihood. Through resilience and perseverance, they learn to co-exist and celebrate their rural home. How can this community shed light on conversations happening around these issues of climate change?

Against the Current: Life on the Eastern Shore | Barrier Islands

50s / TV-PG

The barrier islands of Virginia's Eastern Shore are more than just places to visit - they have helped create the dynamic environments of land and water around them. But with rising sea levels, the islands are vulnerable to the tides that are reshaping them and the community nearby.

Fire Tender | Restorative Fire

1m 44s / TV-PG

In the U.S., fire is seen as destructive. But for Native tribes like the Yurok, it is essential to life. Margo Robbins explains how reclaiming fire and bringing it back to the land is a method of fire suppression known as controlled burning and also reignites the growth of plants that are used to create everyday items like baskets.

Fire Tender | The Native Practice of Controlled Burns

1m / TV-PG

The Weeks Act of 1911 was signed into law for the creation of national forests, protecting millions of acres of land and water. The Act set up a foundation for fighting forest fires but this meant Native tribes could no longer put fire to land to prevent wildfires and ensure plant growth. Now, the federal government is turning to people like Margo Robbins and their knowledge of controlled burns.

Fire Tender | Trailer

1m 10s / TV-PG

Yurok people have been putting fire on the land since time immemorial...but this practice has been disrupted by California settlers. Catastrophic fires in the West, however, has policymakers rethinking their commitment to fire suppression. FIRE TENDER shares the work of Margo Robbins, a Yurok knowledge keeper, seeking to return practices to Yurok territory, and to restore the land and its people.

Fire Tender | Preview

30s / TV-PG

Yurok people have been putting fire on the land since time immemorial...but this practice has been disrupted by California settlers. Catastrophic fires in the West, however, has policymakers rethinking their commitment to fire suppression. FIRE TENDER shares the work of Margo Robbins, a Yurok knowledge keeper, seeking to return practices to Yurok territory, and to restore the land and its people.

Minnesota's Alt-Meat Revolution | Burger Taste Test: Beef or Plant?

1m 14s / TV-PG

At The Rusty Duck Bar & Grill in Dawson, MN - the home of PURIS which processes yellow pea protein, they cater to hamburger lovers of both the meat and veggie kind. Co-owner Tom Beals and Mayor Randy Tensen are put to the test by host Amanda Anderson to see if these plant-based rookies can tell the difference between the two.

Supported by