American Documentary

American Documentary is the nonprofit behind your favorite nonfiction programs. Based in Brooklyn, our small-but-mighty team is dedicated to supporting independent artists and presenting authentic, diverse stories—making them accessible to all.

We elevate bold and innovative documentaries for the public good. By supporting us, you also uplift:

• Artful, human-centered stories brought to American viewers on air through public television, online and in communities
• Diverse independent storytellers; for POV's 37th season, over half of our films are directed by women, and two thirds by filmmakers of color. In addition, half come from filmmakers of Asian descent, and several titles are by and about people with disabilities
• Educators, artists and community organizers with free resources for using documentary as a learning tool through POV Engage
• Innovation in public media through initiatives like Otherly

Make a one-time or monthly gift to our annual fund to support the independent, change-making documentaries you love, and the passionate team that brings those documentaries to a public audience.

American Documentary is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization (EIN: 13-3447752)

On June 16, we gathered our beloved documentary community (in person!) to toast our 35th anniversary with the return of our launch party.