The PBS Short Film Festival continues to elevate the reach and visibility of independent films and filmmakers from across the country. For 13 years, the festival has showcased films about love, acceptance, family, strength, equality, friendship, loyalty, and much more. The 2024 PBS Short Film Festival selections include a musical, an animated short, documentaries on sexual assault and missing persons, and stories that explore American families, environmental conservation, and history.

Films featured in the PBS Short Film Festival have been selected and provided by 12 public media partners and PBS member stations. This year’s lineup includes films from Black Public Media, Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), Independent Television Service (ITVS), Latino Public Broadcasting, Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC) and Reel South, as well as PBS local member stations, Alabama Public Television (APTV), KLRU-TV Austin PBS (Texas), Illinois Public Media, Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB), WMHT Public Media (New York’s Capital Region) and WQED (Pittsburgh, Pa.).

Taryn Jackson, Director, Editorial and Brand Engagement at PBS, is dedicated to amplifying the voice of PBS.org in many ways, speaking directly to audiences via the PBS.org homepage, key PBS e-newsletters, and other PBS.org content projects. She also spearheads the annual PBS Short Film Festival, which highlights short-form independent films from across public media. Taryn started her career in multimedia journalism after graduating from Howard University in 2003. Before joining PBS in 2008, she worked for both C-SPAN (Book TV) and TV One.