Atomic Cafe
PBS Short Film Festival
Atomic Cafe
PBS Short Film Festival
Air Date: 07/12/21 | Expires: 07/12/23
In the late 1970s, when L.A.’s punk rock scene was exploding, an unlikely family-owned restaurant in Little Tokyo, started by Japanese Americans returning from America’s WWII concentration camps, became one its most popular hangouts. That’s when “Atomic Nancy,” with her “take-no-prisoners” punk makeup and demeanor, took over the café from her parents and cranked up the jukebox.
Last Call Baking
S2023 Ep1 | 6m 8s
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
Birmingham native Chanah Willis shares delicious works of art through Last Call Baking Co.
Be Heard: I Am Who I Say I Am
S2023 Ep2 | 7m 15s
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
This documentary series captures three personal stories about navigating gender identity.
A Little Off the Top
S2023 Ep3 | 5m 53s
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
Animated documentary where three black barbers provide words of wisdom to a teen customer.
Lucky Fish
S2023 Ep4 | 8m 36s
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
Two Asian-American teens meet in a Chinese restaurant's bathroom during family dinner.
Stories from St. Metz
S2023 Ep5 | 15m 34s
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
An eccentric upbringing shapes brothers' life lessons about hard work, humor and family.
Lucie and Annie
S2023 Ep6 | 6m 8s
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
Lucie and Annie discuss the history of their LGBTQ+ activism in Maine.
Kumu Niu
S2023 Ep8 | 15m
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
"Niu Now" revives coconut culture in O'ahu, spreading Indigenous wisdom of "aloha 'āina."
Miss Chelove
S2023 Ep9 | 15m 2s
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
Artist MISS CHELOVE shares stories from her life growing up in the D.C. punk scene.
WINN
S2023 Ep10 | 16m 53s
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
Pamela Winn fights to end the shackling of incarcerated pregnant people in Georgia.
New Beginnings
S2023 Ep11 | 7m 49s
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
Sofia bonds with her Italian grandmother by sharing stories and making biscotti.
Plum Town
S2023 Ep12 | 14m 31s
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
A young land developer returns home to the family plum orchard in the Chinese countryside.
The Funeral Band
S2023 Ep13 | 8m 50s
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
A new member of a dysfunctional brass band learns all about his unique community.
Brother
S2023 Ep14 | 14m 33s
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
A filmmaker's calls with her brother explore his fragile recovery from opioid addiction.
Everything Wrong and Nowhere to Go
S2023 Ep15 | 12m 4s
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
A comedic self-portrait delving into climate psychology and coping with climate anxiety.
Folk Frontera
S2023 Ep16 | 14m 20s
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
Fronteriza women navigate dual cultures while living in the Chihuahuan Desert.
DC’s Shoe: The Origin of New Balance in Washington DC
S2023 Ep17 | 10m 23s
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
A visual history of the New Balance shoe culture in Washington, DC.
Box: The Impossible Puzzle
S2023 Ep18 | 8m 14s
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
A simple box with an unusual locking mechanism challenges guests who attempt to solve it.
Under G-D
S2023 Ep19 | 23m 18s
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
Jewish community members challenge the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Monograph: Guadelupe Robinson
S2023 Ep20 | 4m 46s
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
Jackie Clay explores Alabama's rich tapestry of creative works and artistic endeavors.
Dream Carriers
S2023 Ep21 | 7m
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
A college-bound Chicana tells the story of the migration of monarch butterflies.
Bertie the Brilliant
S2023 Ep22 | 25m 20s
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
Raising money to see a magic show, a boy faces a choice when his grandma loses her job.
Cartoon Academy: Welcome to the Ocean Floor
S2023 Ep23 | 9m 26s
Air Date: 06/29/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
Joe Wos teaches the importance of depth and dimension by drawing ocean animals.
Two Bears
S2023 Ep24 | 18m 18s
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
Veteran janitor fights to prove himself as a warrior and a dependable family man.
Grilled Queso
S2022 Ep1 | 13m 8s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/11/24 | Rating: NR
A night in the life of a couple working in a food truck in the busiest areas in Austin.
Salvando A Salvador
S2022 Ep2 | 12m 1s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/11/24 | Rating: NR
A dark comedy about three sisters who seek to do right by their deceased father.
17 Year Locust
S2022 Ep4 | 21m 14s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/11/24 | Rating: NR
Haitian immigrant Rene moves to Louisiana with his wife in hopes of a new life.
Chilly and Milly
S2022 Ep5 | 9m 16s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/31/24 | Rating: NR
The story of a diabetic father with kidney failure and his child.
Wonderfully Made
S2022 Ep6 | 15m 18s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/11/24 | Rating: NR
A day in the life of Kash.
Kantan Hereru
S2022 Ep7 | 16m 19s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/11/24 | Rating: NR
A aging blacksmith tells stories from his past and shares the importance of his craft.
The Daily Aesthetics of Alexander Martin
S2022 Ep8 | 7m 48s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 12/11/24 | Rating: NR
A documentary about Alexander, a queer artist and drag queen living in Peoria, Illinois.
Seahorse
S2022 Ep9 | 16m 25s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/31/24 | Rating: NR
A young Yezidi girl wrestles quietly with her traumatic memories of the Mediterranean Sea.
When I’m Her
S2022 Ep10 | 14m 43s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/19/24 | Rating: NR
Michael, once a ballet prodigy, finds refuge and liberation as his alter ego, Madame Olga.
The Piñata
S2022 Ep11 | 13m 34s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/11/24 | Rating: NR
Mia finds it difficult to keep up appearances for her friends and family.
The Dig: Bmore Club
S2022 Ep12 | 4m 59s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/11/24 | Rating: NR
Baltimore's unique music and dance genre is poised for a post-pandemic comeback.
Monograph: Lo Harris
S2022 Ep13 | 7m 29s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/11/24 | Rating: NR
Self taught illustrator has transformed her practice into a full time art career.
Road to Step
S2022 Ep14 | 13m 31s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/11/24 | Rating: NR
A fraternity’s step team vies for the annual crown on campus.
You Can’t Stop Spirit
S2022 Ep15 | 16m 35s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/11/24 | Rating: NR
The New Orleans Baby Doll maskers are a pivotal tradition of Black Mardi Gras.
Senior Prom
S2022 Ep16 | 14m 16s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/11/24 | Rating: NR
For Triangle Square retirement home residents, “senior” prom takes on a whole new meaning.
My Chinatown, With Aloha
S2022 Ep17 | 10m 5s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/11/24 | Rating: NR
Fourth-generation Chinese American explores family relationship to Honolulu's Chinatown.
83 and Alone
S2022 Ep18 | 12m 42s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/11/24 | Rating: NR
83 AND ALONE explores a community made empty because of water.
Ala Moana Boys
S2022 Ep19 | 20m 42s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/11/24 | Rating: NR
Five young men consider their futures and their families as they weigh the consequences.
Ka Ho’i
S2022 Ep20 | 20m 22s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/11/24 | Rating: NR
A Hawaiian War Veteran grapples with the struggles of growing older.
Disrupted Borders
S2022 Ep21 | 19m 13s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/11/24 | Rating: NR
A coming-of-age story about two best friends living on the US-Mexico border.
I’m Free, Now You Are Free
S2022 Ep22 | 15m 9s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/11/24 | Rating: NR
A story about the reunion and repair between a formerly incarcerated political prisoner.
Osage Murders
S2022 Ep23 | 13m 22s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/11/24 | Rating: NR
A documentary focusing on the events that occurred on the Osage reservation in the 1920s.
The First Monument
S2022 Ep24 | 15m 7s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/11/24 | Rating: NR
The First Monument explores the commission of a bust of Mr. Newton.
Amplified Voices
S2022 Ep25 | 5m 34s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/11/24 | Rating: NR
A community public mural project amplifies the voices of local artists.
Twice as Likely
S2022 Ep26 | 6m 18s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/11/24 | Rating: NR
Why are Black infants twice as likely as White infants to die before their first birthday?
On All Fronts
S2022 Ep27 | 10m 40s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Expires: 07/11/24 | Rating: NR
Family member reveals personal experiences never shared before with their loved ones.
Official Trailer
1m
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Rating: NR
Featuring “Stories in bloom” in 2023 to represent growing and changing narratives.
2023 PBS Short Film Festival Winner
30s
Air Date: 07/24/23 | Expires: 07/09/25
The votes are in! Congrats to our 2023 winners: WINN and Under G-d win the Juried Prize.
Director Ursula Ulmi On Her Film ‘IDODO’
S2023 Ep7 | 2m 21s
Air Date: 07/10/23 | Rating: NR
Director Ursula Ulmi shares her inspiration behind her film "IDODO."
Official Trailer
1m 4s
Air Date: 07/11/22 | Rating: NR
Featuring “Stories that Stick” in 2022 to highlight the impact of powerful storytelling.
2022 PBS Short Film Festival Winner
30s
Air Date: 07/25/22 | Rating: NR
The votes are in! Congrats to our 2022 winner: Chilly and Milly wins the Juried Prize.
Official Trailer
1m
Air Date: 07/12/21
Follow the PBS Short Film Festival today and celebrate 10 years of powerful storytelling.
2020 PBS Short Film Festival Winners
30s
Air Date: 07/27/20
Joyride win Most Popular; In This Family wins the Juried Prize.
2016 | Film Festival Extended Trailer
1m 4s
Air Date: 07/10/16 | Rating: NR
From the home of indie films: 25 short films in one exciting showcase.
2015 | Film Festival Trailer
1m 5s
Air Date: 06/14/15 | Rating: NR
From the home of indie films: 25 short films in one exciting showcase.
2014 | Film Festival Extended Trailer
1m 20s
Air Date: 08/05/14 | Rating: NR
This summer, watch 25 films guaranteed to amaze, move and excite you.
2013 | Film Festival Trailer
1m 5s
Air Date: 01/29/13 | Rating: NR
The Online Film Festival returns with 25 surprising stories that only PBS can tell.
2012 | Film Festival Trailer
1m 9s
Air Date: 02/27/12 | Rating: NR
From fact to fiction, these 20 films offer surprising stories only PBS can tell.
Become a PBS KVIE member and watch your favorite PBS programs from any device.
We get support from:
We get support from: