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.

Welcome, producers! Please scroll to the bottom of this page for special information about submitting your work or program ideas to MPT.

A Sacred Piece of Home: Washington, D.C.

Airdate(s):  
Ep. 103 -  Mid-Century Transformations - Saturday, January 3rd @ 7:30 PM
Ep. 104 - Expanding to the Suburbs - Saturday, January 17th @ 7:30 PM

Americans have come from everywhere, and they have brought to this new home their faiths and architectural traditions. Georgetown University professor Dr. Ori Soltes takes viewers on a visual tour of the iconic places of worship and distinctive international architectural styles that have found a home in the Washington area, making the capital region a Noah's Ark of sacred buildings. 

Happy Campers

Sunday, January 4th @ 10:00 PM (MPT2/Create)

In a waterfront campground off the coast of Virginia, tenants live spitting-distance apart in rows of rust-bitten RVs. And while blue collar Inlet View is nothing like The Hamptons, beneath a few trailer park stereotypes lies an improbable utopia where anyone who makes it past the gate is welcome. Sadly, their self-created paradise has been sold to a developer, destined to become part of a portfolio of luxury getaways for "nice" families.

Chaplains

Airdate(s):
Ep. 101 -Monday, January 5th @ 10:00 PM (MPT2/Create)
Ep. 102 - Monday, January 12th @ 10:00 PM (MPT2/Create)

A two-part look into the dynamic world of chaplains - men and women who represent their own particular faith tradition, but are trained to be of comfort and support to everyone-religious or not. Through personal profiles, the documentary explores the daily life of chaplains throughout society, from their role in the military and the workplace to their work in prisons and behind-the-scenes of NASCAR.

Keeper of the Flame

Saturday, January  17th @ 9:00 PM; Sunday, January 18th @ 1:00 AM

KEEPER OF THE FLAME follows the life and work of human rights activist Jack Healey. Working for a decade as the director of Amnesty International USA, Healey played a major role in bringing human rights awareness to a televised national and international audience through the fusing of popular music and activism, collaborating with the likes of Peter Gabriel, Sting, and Wynton Marsalis. Tracking Healey's activism back to the civil rights movement, the film lays the groundwork for his lifelong commitment to advocating for human rights. Learning from and working with mentors Dick Gregory, Fannie Lou Hamer, Father James Groppi, and John Lewis, Healey's activist spirit has continued and strengthened through the decades.

The Last Independent Automaker

Ep. 106 - The Betrayal -  January 3rd @ 10:30 AM

At half the size of its Big Three competitors, American Motors Corporation had to innovate throughout its 30-year history to survive. AMC factories provided new opportunities and a pathway to the middle class for thousands of minorities, women and immigrants. However, the perfect storm of economics, mismanagement, and betrayal would eventually bring everything crashing down.

Spiritual Audacity: The Abraham Joshua Heschel Story

Monday, January 26th @ 9:00 PM; Tuesday, January 26th @ 1:30 AM

A chronicle of the life and legacy of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, one of the 20th century's most prominent Jewish theologians and philosophers. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called Heschel a "great prophet" and their social justice views aligned; noted theologian Reinhold Niebuhr also spoke of his friend Heschel as "an authoritative voice not only in the Jewish community but in the religious life of America."

Truth Tellers

Saturday, January 17th @ 8:00 PM; Sunday, January 18th @ 12:00 & 3:00 AM

For more than 20 years, artist and activist Robert Shetterly has painted a collection of more than 250 portraits entitled "Americans Who Tell the Truth." From contemporary activists for racial justice such as Zyahna Bryant and Rev. Lennox Yearwood to climate activists like Bill McKibben and Kelsey Juliana to great civil rights leaders like John Lewis and Fannie Lou Hamer, Shetterly has captured great Americans and etched their inspiring quotes into the backgrounds of each painting. From the fight to remove symbols of hate to sustainability and climate activism, from whistle-blowing to the rights of Indigenous people, Shetterly uses his art to explore these activists' responses to some of the most pressing issues of our time.

Allergic to Failure: The Robert Covington Story

Monday, February 2nd @ 9:00 PM (premiere); Tuesday, February 3rd @ 1:00 and 4:00 AM; Saturday, February 21st @ 8:00 PM; Sunday, February 22nd @ 12:00 and 3:00 AM

The powerful story of former NBA player Robert Covington, who, rooted in grit, faith, and self-belief, defied the odds by transitioning from HBCU student to a decade-long career in the highest level of professional basketball. Finding his footing at Tennessee State University, he discovered not just his basketball potential but embraced the excellence and rich legacy of HBCUs.

Lithium Rising: The Race for Critical Minerals

Wednesday, February 11th @ 10:00 PM (premiere); Thursday, February 12th @ 2:00 AM; Saturday, February 21st @ 9:00 PM; Sunday, February 22nd @ 1:00 AM; Monday, February 23rd @ 9:00 PM (MPT2/Create)

A journey through the global race for critical minerals—the metals powering our green transition – and asking who benefits and who gets left behind. Filmed across five continents, the documentary explores how the drive to decarbonize has sparked fierce geopolitical competition, while also imposing steep costs on vulnerable communities at the frontlines of extraction.  

More Deconstructing the Beatles

Saturday, February 28th @ 9:00 PM (premiere)

Acclaimed "Beatle-ologist" Scott Freiman guides you, step by step, on an educational journey through several of The Beatles’ milestone albums and the fascinating stories that accompanied them. No matter how much you know about the Beatles, there's something new here for you. Three new segments cover the creation of the A Hard Day's Night film/soundtrack; the writing and recording of the song “Penny Lane"; and the musical evolution and influence of George Harrison.

Barry Farm:  Community, Land & Justice in Washington DC

Saturday, February 21st @ 10:00 PM; Sunday, February 22nd @ 2:00 AM

During Reconstruction, free Blacks purchased land once worked on by the enslaved and built Barry Farm, one of DC's first thriving Black communities. It would become home to a sprawling public housing complex, the launching grounds for the Welfare Rights movement, and one of the birthplaces of the city's Go-Go music scene. Now, its once-again empty fields are a gold mine for developers.

The Five Demands

Sunday, February 22nd @ 6:00 PM

In April 1969, a small group of Black and Puerto Rican students shut down the City College of New York, an elite public university located in the heart of Harlem.  The CCNY strikers were the vanguard of a national Black student movement that transformed the culture, mission, and curriculum of American higher education.  For many, it was the first time they ever stepped foot on the neo-Gothic campus on a hill overlooking their neighborhood. Told through the participants' point of view, the film follows the students' struggle against the institutional racism that, for over a century, had shut out people of color from this institution and other public universities.

The Historic HBCU Photograph

Thursday, February 26th @ 10:30 PM; Friday, February 27th @ 2:30 AM

In 2021, the approval of a vaccine by the CDC marked a turning point in the battle against COVID-19, allowing the gradual resumption of social activities. Against this backdrop, alumni from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the country gathered for a momentous event on the steps of Morningside Park in Harlem. Inspired by the iconic 1958 photograph "A Great Day in Harlem," they came together for a historic photograph, symbolizing unity, resilience, and the enduring spirit of community. The gathering not only celebrated the resilience of HBCU alumni but also served as a powerful reminder of their historical role in advancing social justice and equality.