Highlights Archive

Independent Lens “Flood” • WXXI-TV

A filmmaker revisits her evangelical roots to find connection with her estranged father.

Independent Lens “Flood” airsMonday, July 13th at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps.

Returning home to California’s Inland Empire, filmmaker Katy Scoggin seeks to reconnect with her estranged father, who works as an elementary science teacher. He is the only evangelical left in the family, and as they face their differences on faith, family, and belonging, their journey becomes a portrait of empathy and resilience. Together, they find new ways to listen and bridge divides.

Credit: Spencer Worthley

Independent Lens “True North: Canadian Myths and Black Power” • WXXI-TV

How 1960s Montreal helped shape the global movement for Black liberation.

Independent Lens “True North: Canadian Myths and Black Power” airs Monday, July 6th at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps.

Through rare archival footage and firsthand accounts, True North revisits 1968 Montreal, where Black liberation movements converged at the Congress of Black Writers. As student protests ignited the Sir George Williams Affair, Black youth faced violent repression, unfolding a powerful chapter of the global Black Power era.

Credit: La Presse

Robert Duvall: Star of the Silver Screen • WXXI-TV

This documentary looks back at the remarkable career of Oscar-winning actor Robert Duvall (1931-2026).

Robert Duvall: Star of the Silver Screen airs Thursday, July 9th at 8pm on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps.

Clips are shown from his most well-known productions, including the films The Godfather, The Great Santini, Tender Mercies, and the television miniseries Lonesome Dove.

Photo Credit: APT

Nature “Niagara Falls” • WXXI-TV

Embark to Niagara Falls and witness its stunning beauty and a wide variety of wildlife—mammals, birds, and reptiles— that call it home.

Nature “Niagara Falls” airs Wednesday July 8th at 8pm on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps.

Witness the story of an extraordinary ecosystem – larger than the state of Texas, and more precious than oil. The heartbeat of this remarkable water world is Niagara Falls. Through the eyes of passionate scientists and naturalists, uncover a complex world forged by stone and powered by water. In this realm, tiny shrews hunt in freezing cold rivers, spectacular shorebird migration unfolds over thundering falls, snowy owls stalk their prey from ice flows, and prehistoric snapping turtles brave a perilous overland journey. All these creatures and many more are part of a remarkable narrative unfolding in one of the most unique ecosystems in North America – Niagara.

Photo credit: Nature

The Gas Station Attendant • WXXI-TV

Using intimately recorded phone calls and home movies, a daughter reflects on her father’s life and their complex relationship — weaving the story of his miraculous journey from the streets of India with the realities of life in America.

“The Gas Station Attendant” airs Monday, August 3rd at 10pm on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps.

Karla’s sensitive portrait of her Indian migrant father, HN Shantha Murthy, and his lifelong chase of the American dream, arrives at a time when the immigrant issue has turned extremely fractious and distressing in the USA, threatening to rip apart the social fabric, making the film gain relevance (…) The migrant experience is central to Karla’s film but she frames it within the context of a family saga, more so a father-daughter dialogue of sorts. (…) Karla’s is a compassionate, caring and intimate look back at him, in which Shantha comes across as an extremely affectionate, warm, understanding and loving father. An admirable man that few in the wide world would have known but for his daughter’s film on him.

Photo Credit: POV Magazine

People of The American Revolution & Women’s Rights Screening • The Central Library

Join WXXI & Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County for a 250th short 30 minute open captioned film screening about everyday people living at the time of the American Revolution from the PBS American Revolution series. The short screening will be followed by a discussion of the rights that women did NOT receive at the end of the American Revolution and their fight for suffrage and equality over the years that followed. Participants will also have an opportunity to explore the Exhibit: Sketching Rochester’s Revolutionary Roots Exhibit.

The event is free but registration is required.

Details:

Thursday, July 9, 2026 from 4pm-5:30pm (Doors open at 3:30pm)
Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County 115 South Avenue, Rochester, NY 14604
The event will be held in the Bausch & Lomb Public Library Building in the 1st floor in the Kate Gleason Auditorium

Parking Information:

Parking Information for Central Library Parking At Central: The most convenient parking is in the Court Street Garage, which is adjacent to the Bausch & Lomb Public Library Building at 194 Court St. South Avenue Garage located at 39 Stone St. is the next closest. For photos of garages and rate information go here

Discussion

The screening will be followed by a discussion with the following guests:

Allison Hinman, President & CEO, National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House

Taylor Phillips, Director of Education, National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House

Molly Jessup, Acting Interpretation and Education Manager, Women’s Rights National Historical Park and Harriet Tubman National Historical Park

Explore the Exhibit: Sketching Rochester’s Revolutionary Roots

Following the discussion, there will be an opportunity to explore the Sketching Rochester’s Revolutionary Roots 250th Exhibit located at Central Library. Curators and costumed interpreters will be stationed throughout the exhibit to interact with visitors and answer questions. They will available for an hour after the program ends.

About the exhibit: An exhibit exploring Rochester’s connections to the American Revolution and its legacy featuring original artwork by J. Erwin Porter on loan from the New York State Museum and artifacts from local collections. Presented by the Office of Rochester & Monroe County History, the Irondequoit Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Rochester Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Note:

ASL interpretation will be provided for opening remarks and post-screening panel discussion. This film is presented with open captions. If needed, we plan to have interpreters available during the exhibit part of the program as well. Additional accommodations may be requested during the registration process. Please contact Sarah Murphy Abbamonte, Project Manager for Move to Include, at sabbamonte@wxxi.org with any questions.

Facing the Wind • WXXI-TV + The PBS app

Two women are irrevocably changed when their spouses are diagnosed with Lewy body dementia.

Facing the Wind airs Saturday, June 20 at 5 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams live on the WXXI and PBS apps.

To improve awareness about LBD, Linda Szypula helps start a podcast and online support community, where she bonds with Carla Preyer. As their husbands succumb to dementia, their friendship and support group help them cope with grief, rise to the demands of care giving, and emerge whole on the other side.

This film is presented as part of Move to Include^TM, an award-winning national initiative to promote disability inclusion, representation, and accessibility in public media.