Throughout the month, join WORLD as we showcase the our changing world with films, features, on-air, streaming and on-demand collections for Earth Month in April 2025.
Independent Lens “Home Court” • On-Demand
This film traces the ascent of Cambodian American teenager Ashley Chea, a basketball prodigy whose life intensifies amid college recruitment, injury, and triumph.
Independent Lens “Home Court” is available on-demand above through 6/22/25 and on the PBS App.
Filmed over three years of Ashley’s high school career, ”Home Court” is a coming-of-age story that relays the highs and lows of her immigrant family, surmounting racial and class differences, and personal trials that include a devastating knee injury.
The film opens in Ashley’s sophomore year of high school. She shuttles between her home in a lower-income neighborhood in Los Angeles and her private school, Flintridge Prep, while traveling to youth basketball tournaments and visiting colleges around the country. Ashley’s parents work long hours at their donut shop, so her coach, Jayme Kiyomura Chan, steps in where they cannot.
With the pressure of being one of the top basketball recruits in the country, tensions rise as Ashley navigates college offers and her family’s input. Meanwhile, she grapples with the task of leading her high school team, as well as being a leader in her community and the mounting responsibility to represent her culture. The film culminates in the bittersweet moments of Ashley leaving for college with her family.
Mystery League Videos, Games & Activities
Watch a new mystery series for 3-5 graders from PBS KIDS and Arkansas PBS: Mystery League
Mystery League” is a new live-action series that teaches kids in kindergarten through second grades about friendship and community. This series features three fifth-grade detectives – Millie, Mike and Marta – as they solve the never-ending mysteries of the fictional small Arkansas town of Mulberry Springs. Each episode features relevant storylines that encourage Arkansas kids to problem solve and build relationships. To play games, download learning resources and learn more, visit https://myarpbs.org/mysteryleague.
Where to Watch:
- PBSKIDS.org and the PBS KIDS free Video App. (Download)
- PBS KIDS YouTube channel
American Experience “Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disability Act” • On-Demand
Tells the emotional and dramatic story of the decades-long push for equality and accessibility that culminated in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990.
American Experience “Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disability Act” on the PBS app. The on-demand film is available with Audio Description, Closed-Captioning and ASL versions. The film is available on-demand through 8/1/25
While curb cuts, ramps at building entrances, and braille on elevator buttons seem commonplace today, they were once the subject of a pitched battle that landed on the steps of Congress. Told through the voices of key participants and witnesses, the film highlights the determined people who literally put their bodies on the line to achieve their goal and change the lives of all Americans. A story of courage and perseverance, the film brings to life one of the great civil rights movements in American history, where ordinary people made their voices heard and Congress responded. A testament to the power of coalition building and bipartisan compromise, the passage of the ADA is a shining example of democracy in action.
This film is presented as part of Move to IncludeTM, an award-winning national initiative to promote disability inclusion, representation, and accessibility in public media.
WXXI belongs to this community – A message from WXXI President & CEO Chris Hastings
Dear Friends,
WXXI belongs to this community — not to shareholders, not to advertisers, but to you.
As the country faces growing polarization and public institutions are increasingly under attack, public media is once again being targeted.
As the hearings in Washington DC demonstrated, federal funding for public broadcasting is at risk, and efforts to defund our work are gaining momentum. These threats are not theoretical — they are strategic, coordinated, and real.
This is not the first time we’ve faced this kind of pressure. But this time, the stakes feel higher.
I joined WXXI six months ago because I believe in the power of public media to inform, educate, and reflect the full diversity of American life. That belief has only deepened since arriving in Rochester. I’ve met students who rely on our PBS educational programming, listeners who count on WXXI News for trusted local reporting, and artists who see and hear their work and culture reflected in our storytelling and live concerts.
None of that happens without public investment — and without you.
When federal support is threatened, it puts everything we do at risk: our journalism, our arts and culture coverage, our educational outreach, and our ability to serve every household, regardless of zip code or income level.
So I’m asking you to do what our community has always done: stand up for WXXI.
• Contact your elected representatives and tell them public media matters.
• Spread the word about what WXXI means to you. Share your story with us here, or share it on social media using #protectWXXI.
• And if you’re able, make a contribution to help sustain our work here in this region.
At a time when facts are under attack and division is used as a political tool, public media continues to hold the line. We’re here to inform, not inflame. To reflect, not reduce. To connect, not divide.
Let’s keep it that way — together.
With resolve
Chris Hastings
President & CEO
WXXI Public Media
Independent Lens “WE WANT THE FUNK!” • WXXI-TV
Take a syncopated voyage through the history of funk music, spanning from African, soul, and early jazz roots, to its rise into the public consciousness.
Independent Lens “WE WANT THE FUNK!” airs Thursday, June 5 at 8 p.m. and streaming live and on the PBS App & WXXI app (iOS & Android) The program is also available on the PBS App and https://video.wxxi.org
Featuring James Brown’s dynamism, the extraterrestrial funk of George Clinton’s Parliament Funkadelic, transformed girl group Labelle, and Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat. The story also traces funk’s influences on both new wave and hip-hop.
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Austin City Limits Celebrates 50 Years • WXXI-TV
All-Star Special Featuring Chris Stapleton, Gary Clark Jr., Billy Strings, Leon Bridges, Lyle Lovett, Shawn Colvin, Indigo Girls, Brandy Clark, Cam, Rufus Wainwright, The Mavericks, Ángela Aguilar, Eve Monsees & Sierra Hull.
Austin City Limits Celebrates 50 Years airs Friday, April 4 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams live on the WXXI app.
This special commemorates half a century of unforgettable performances and iconic moments with music luminaries and some of the brightest stars in the iconic live music television series five-decade history.
The capstone of the groundbreaking series golden jubilee celebrations pays tribute to this historic milestone and features dazzling new performances, heartfelt artist interviews, legendary artists and exclusive rarely-seen vintage footage from ACL’s extensive archives, highlighting iconic moments that have defined the show and shaped culture.
The program features themed highlights from ACL’s expansive show archives, each culminating with an original performance or artist interview. Segments will look back on defining moments and appearances in the show’s storied history, as well as performance milestones.
Relive unforgettable moments in ACL history through a time capsule of clips featuring Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Tom Waits, Ray Charles, Nancy Griffith, Emmylou Harris, Townes Van Zandt, The Chicks, Tracy Chapman and Lauryn Hill; forecast ACL’s future via recent appearances including Kacey Musgraves, Foo Fighters, Olivia Rodrigo, Jon Batiste, Brandi Carlile, Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Noah Kahan and Jelly Roll.
American Masters “LIZA: A Truly Terrific Absolutely” • WXXI-WORLD
Take an intimate look into the life of Liza Minnelli, best known for her Oscar-winning role in Cabaret. Following in the footsteps of her mother Judy Garland, Minnelli used her boundless raw talent to build her own legacy in showbiz.
American Masters “LIZA: A Truly Terrific Absolutely” airs Sunday, April 6 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-WORLD and streams live on the WXXI app.
American Masters dives into the star’s life and career with interviews with interviews with Michael Feinstein, Ben Vereen, Mia Farrow, Darren Criss, and more.
Liza Minnelli was born in the spotlight and has spent her life entertaining audiences with her magnetic charm and formidable talents as an actress, singer and dancer. The daughter of the legendary Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli, Liza made a name for herself as an influential performer and celebrated EGOT winner, having received an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and four Tony Awards. Learn how Minnelli became the star she is today, navigating professional and personal challenges with the help of extraordinary mentors in American Masters – LIZA: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story.
Featuring archival footage and stills, performance clips and new interviews with Minnelli, LIZA: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story is an intimate look into her dynamic life, from her complex relationship with her mother to her skyrocketing stardom after her Academy Award-winning role in Cabaret. The film dives into her relationships with her most trusted mentors, like Kay Thompson, Fred Ebb, Charles Aznavour, Halston and Bob Fosse, and their profound influence on Minnelli throughout her decades-long career.