Oscar Contender ‘The Librarians’ Booked To Anchor Winter Season Of PBS Series ‘Independent Lens’

EXCLUSIVE: Independent Lensthe Emmy-winning PBS documentary series presented by ITVS, announced its winter slate of films today, a lineup headlined by Oscar contender The Librarians.

Kim A Snyder’s film, “an unflinching look at the escalating fight over book bans sweeping the United States,” will premiere on Independent Lens February 9. Actress Sarah Jessica Parker executive produces the film which premiered last January at the Sundance Film Festival. It features librarians at public schools and libraries in the U.S. who in many cases have found themselves cast as villains by groups like Moms for Liberty that want to police what books children can and cannot access.

“Told through the eyes of women on the frontlines,” a release about the Independent Lens winter season notes, “the film captures what’s at stake when the freedom to read becomes a battleground.”

The Librarians and the other films announced today — Vivien’s Wild Ride, The Inquisitorand Keep Quiet and Forgive – share a thematic unity: “women-led stories of resilience, resistance, and revelation.” Scroll for more information on each film and their premiere dates.

“Independent Lens documentaries dig a bit deeper to find the complex story beneath,” observed Lois Vossen, a founding executive producer of Independent Lens. “They investigate the intersection of our past to help us understand the present. Intimate, personal journeys like Vivien’s Wild Ride and The Inquisitorand national stories like Keep Quiet and Forgive and The Librariansprovide audiences with nuanced, empathetic stories that reflect the vision, resilience, and independence of the ordinary, yet also extraordinary Americans they profile.”

The four films that make up the IL winter season will also be featured in the long-running community screening series Indie Lens Pop-Up, “which has brought together nearly half a million people for conversations inspired by thought-provoking documentaries.” In-person and virtual events in more than 200 communities across nearly all 50 states are planned as part of the 20^th season of Indie Lens Pop-Up.

All films announced today will be available for streaming on the PBS app and PBS YouTube channel on the day of their premieres. Previous documentaries showcased on Independent Lens including the Oscar-nominated I Am Not Your NegroPeabody-winning docuseries Philly D.A.and the Emmy winner The Invisible War. ITVS, producer of the series, is supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (the entity recently defunded by Congress under pressure from the Trump administration), as well as Acton Family Giving, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, Park Foundation, and Wyncote Foundation.

INDEPENDENT LENS WINTER 2026:

• VIVIEN’S WILD RIDE – January 26 – Directed by Vivien Hillgrove – When legendary film editor Vivien Hillgrove begins losing her sight, she confronts memories of loss and resilience while reinventing herself as an artist with a disability. From her groundbreaking career in cinema to her life on a small farm with her partner, Karen, Vivien’s story reveals how creativity, care, and connection can reshape what it means to see and belong.

• THE LIBRARIANS – February 9 – Directed by Kim A. Snyder – When Texas lawmakers seek to review a list of books, librarians find themselves on the frontlines of a national battle. Across the U.S., librarians face the impact of uniting against library collection standards that include restrictions on race-related and LGBTQIA+ content. Drawing on historical context, The Librarians explores the broader implications for education and public life.

• THE INQUISITOR – February 23 – Directed by Angela Tucker – Explore the life and legacy of Barbara Jordan in “The Inquisitor.” Jordan was a groundbreaking Texas congresswoman whose sharp intellect and moral clarity transformed U.S. politics. From Nixon’s impeachment to civil rights battles, her voice demanded accountability, while she privately faced struggles few ever knew of.

• KEEP QUIET AND FORGIVE – March 23 – Directed by Sarah McClure – Fed up with the credo “forgive and forget,” an Amish child sexual assault survivor breaks her silence, igniting a nationwide movement of Amish survivors seeking justice and reform.