A Time for Burning
In 1966, a pastor tries to build a bridge between his church and a nearby black church.
MPT recognizes the importance of local and independent filmmakers and their unique ability to capture truths about the world with artistic integrity, intelligence, and balance. MPT supports these artists and gives viewers access to their voices and viewpoints. These producers' programs provide viewers with a better understanding of the world, an open door to the arts, and actionable information to improve their daily lives.
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Thursday, November 7th @ 9:00 PM (MPT2/Create)
"Anacostia Delta" refers to the music style unique to the Washington, D.C. area - a mixture of jazz, blues, country, swing, rock, and bluegrass - that was championed by the late guitarists, Danny Gatton and Roy Buchanan. This documentary looks at the music and influences of Gatton and Buchanan, as well as their enduring influence on musicians, both local and national. As a centerpiece, the film contains multiple performances from a 2015 tribute concert at the Birchmere Music Hall featuring friends and disciples of the two guitarists who keep the Anacostia Delta tradition alive.
Saturday, November 23rd @ 7:00 PM (MPT-HD premiere)
Grandma's hands - they hold the key to centuries of knowledge in a family, mainly centered around food. Host Craig Sewell explores Southern Maryland's agricultural and food heritage by sharing the power that comes from cooking with grandmothers. Follow Sewell as he visits three family kitchens and shares the history and traditions of recipes passed down through generations.
Sunday, October 13th @ 6:00 PM (MPT-HD premiere); Thursday, October 17th @ 10:00 PM (MPT2/Create)
Going back to the horse-and-buggy days, to becoming the leading industry in the state, agriculture has always been prominent in the Old Line State. "Food, Fiber, & the Female Farmer" is a documentary capturing the work of a group of six extraordinary women from Maryland, preserving and sustaining food sources and applying best agricultural practices.
Sunday, October 13th @ 6:30 PM (MPT-HD premiere); Thursday, October 17th @ 10:30 PM (MPT2/Create)
James Beard semi-finalist Chef Chris Amendola is a creative force in the Baltimore restaurant world, known for using foraging and seasonal-only items to create culinary brilliance. But in his teen years, he took a darker path which led to addiction and homelessness. Later, when he finally got his restaurant up and running, Covid-19 caused the mandatory shutdown. This documentary is a story of seeking, resolve, and how a true passion can save one's life.
Thursday, October 3rd @ 9:00 PM (MPT2/Create)
Working class twin brothers Tom and Frank Hoy hustled up copyboy jobs in 1953 and eventually became White House News Photographers for two major DC newspapers. Frank shot pictures for The Washington Post, and Tom did the same for The Evening Star. Their story is the story of American journalism when it mattered most. Tom and Frank's work was seen by hundreds of thousands of people daily, and as we rediscover their iconic photographs, "The Hoy Boys" provides a lens through which we can view both the complexities of the past and the chaos of today's media landscape.
Thursday, October 3rd @ 10:14 PM (MPT2/Create)
Akumal, a community on the Caribbean coast of Mexico, existed largely unnoticed in the shadows of neighboring tourist meccas such as Cancun and Tulum. It received sparse municipal resources, offered few enriching educational experiences, and the lack of light on the fast moving highway that splits the community in two was a persistent safety issue. One day, a restaurant owner sat down with the mayor to discuss the problem, and that conversation evolved into the annual Akumal Arts Festival, an open, global invitation for mural artists to paint the highway bridge.
Thursday, October 3rd @ 10:30 PM (MPT2/Create); Sunday, October 20th @ 4:30 PM (MPT-HD)
When has an individual convicted of a felony fully repaid their debt to society? When should they be welcomed back into the fabric of civic life as a contributing and engaged citizen? And what can society gain if, instead of pushing people away from the democratic process, the United States made the voting experience more inclusive? Set in Baltimore in the runup to the 2020 US Presidential Election, the documentary follows formerly incarcerated individuals who have become leaders for democracy and voting advocacy in their community. Nicole Hanson-Mundell and Bobby Perkins of Out for Justice, and Monica Cooper of the Maryland Justice Project are featured as they engage marginalized citizens who have been led to believe either that their vote doesn't matter, or that they would not be welcome at the polls.
Former incarcerated individuals from Baltimore advocate for ex-felons' rights to vote.
Thursday, October 10th @ 9:00 PM (MPT2/Create)
John Smith, a 53-year-old Elkton man, lives with schizophrenia and uses rapping and entertainment to cope with his mental illness. Via John's story, the film sheds light on the realities of living with mental illness and the importance of supporting and understanding those who are struggling. The complexities of schizophrenia and the various ways in which it can impact a person's life, as well as the various treatments and approaches to managing this condition, are explored, as is the importance of understanding and acceptance in supporting those living with mental illness.
The journey of John Smith, a 53-year-old man with schizophrenia in Elkton, Maryland.
Thursday, October 10th @ 10:00 PM (MPT2/Create)
Fifty years after the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the constitutionality of busing children to achieve racial integration in schools, The Tower Road Bus revives the unresolved stories of African-American students and educators thrust into all-white schools during the 1970s. Against the backdrop of violent anti-busing protests across the nation, Dotson Burns, Jr, a child of the Jim Crow South, lands on the frontlines of school integration, first as a teacher and then as the first Black principal of a majority-white school in Prince George's County, Maryland. Mindful of the eyes of white parents and the suspicions of Black students and families, he must oversee the busing of frustrated Black students from the historically-Black community of Tower Road to the mostly white Crestview Elementary School.
Forced busing and racial integration in the 1970's create tension at one elementary school
Sunday, October 13th @ 6:00 PM (MPT-HD premiere); Thursday, October 17th @ 10:00 PM (MPT2/Create)
Even more than 50 years since the band broke up, The Beatles' influence endures, thanks to songs and records that continue to captivate audiences of all ages. As with all classic works of art, these masterpieces keep revealing new and surprising elements the closer we look. Producer/composer/entrepreneur/educator Scott Freiman dives deeply into the creative process behind these timeless records, taking us on an educational, entertaining journey through the development of the Beatles' classic songs and records, and of the band itself.
Airdate(s):
Thursday, October 24th @ 10:00 PM (MPT2/Create)
Hazel Dickens, along with her musical partner Alice Gerard, became the first women to front a bluegrass band and reflects on the role of women in bluegrass today. The film covers Hazel’s migration to Baltimore from coal country West Virginia, her activism for coal miners and working people, and the impact her upbringing had on her songwriting. Lifelong collaborators and up-and-coming musicians share what it means to have bluegrass songs written from a woman’s point of view and keep Hazel’s memory alive.
"Don't Put Her Down" is the story of Hazel Dickens, a female pioneer in bluegrass music.
Thursday, October 24th @ 10:30 PM (MPT2/Create)
Welcome to Pop's Old Place on Maryland's Eastern Shore, where Darlene Goehringer, on the land her family has farmed since 1909, affords a glimpse into the possibilities of eating well while restoring the planet. Follow Darlene and her animals through the cycle of the year as they illustrate the importance of pasture-grazing to improve the soil, raising healthy animals, and reducing runoff.
A family-owned farm on the Eastern Shore utilizes regenerative faming to raise livestock.
Thursday, October 31st @ 10:00 PM (MPT2/Create)
"Searching for Shaniqua" examines the impact that unique, cultural and so-called "ghetto" names have on people's lives. The film addresses the personal, professional and social complexities of navigating name bias. Working from the question, "What's in a name?", the film centers the stories of six African-American women who have all faced stereotyping, because of their names. Their personal stories, along with the voices of professors, community members and other experts, illuminate the destabilizing power of structural and internalized racism, pressed up against classism. The right to name ourselves and our offspring is part of the basic fabric of family tradition. For some, the privilege to name is constricted by fears of how society will place value on an individual.
What's in a name? Six African American women with unique names share their stories.
In 1966, a pastor tries to build a bridge between his church and a nearby black church.
The revitalization of Cambridge's Philips Packing House, once an economic powerhouse.
Virginia Artist-blacksmith Nol Putnam talks art, mythology and forging metal.
Do you have a completed program/series or a project in production that you would like to see aired on MPT? Or maybe you have a program concept that you are looking for MPT to produce or co-produce? MPT welcomes the opportunityto review your program or idea for consideration as a local broadcast, digital presentation or national public television presentation. Please complete our online submission form here, and our team will review your project to see if it is a fit for our distribution. Not sure if your project is suitable for MPT? Please review our acquisitions primer to learn about MPT's mission, programming objectives, submissions process, and local and national acquisition initiatives. You can also find information about MPT and public television editorial, technical and funding guidelines at the links below: |