50 States, 50 Stories: Short Films Profile One Person From Each State to Spotlight How Living There Shapes Identity, Connection, and Belonging
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Continuing America’s 250th anniversary commemoration, the documentary shorts series States of America will begin airing on public television stations nationwide starting in November, with KQED serving as the presenting station. All of the short films in the series will also be available to stream free on the PBS App and PBS.org.
Filmed over the past sixteen years, this series of short but profound documentaries features one person from each of the fifty United States, exploring how living there affects their sense of identity. In an era of increased isolation and suspicion, these intimate, lyrical portraits add to an evolving mosaic of community, connection and belonging in America. The series was created by award-winning filmmaker Brad Barber (Peace Officer, 21).
Exploring Identity, Place, and Belonging
At a time dominated by polarized national narratives and fracturing ideological tribes, States of America turns the lens inward toward the deeply personal, yet universal stories of self-discovery we share. Each episode focuses on one person describing how their identity is tied to their state’s physical and cultural landscapes and what it means to be “from” there—on their own terms and in their own words.
Rather than centering interrogations of citizenship or regional authenticity, the series explores the quiet beauty of feeling at home by asking simple questions:
- What does it mean to belong to a place?
- How does the state where you live shape who you are?
- How do our distinct identities, drawn from these 50 unique places, form a collective national fabric?
Inspired by Mister Rogers’ Philosophy
Inspired by the empathetic philosophy of public television icon Fred Rogers, States of America approaches every participant with curiosity, radical inclusion and care, bridging cultural divides across state lines. Barber adopted Mister Rogers’ guiding ethos—rooted in a quotation by peace activist and Benedictine nun Mary Lou Kownacki—as the series’ core principle: “There is not anyone you could not love once you have heard their story.”
“I approach my documentary participants as people I want to learn as much as I can from and share the best, most wise things they say,” says Barber. “It is a privilege to bear witness to somebody’s life.”
Behind the Series: 16 Years in the Making
Driven by this idea, Barber spent more than a decade and a half gathering intimate, gently rendered portraits from all 50 states. A film professor at Brigham Young University, he then mentored students on editing the footage into 5-minute documentaries that function as standalone episodes in this ambitious, high-concept project. The shorts also feature original music by Micah Dahl Anderson that organically taps into local traditions and sounds as experienced through each episode’s participant.
Born on the Fourth of July, Barber will tell you he’s “from” three states (California, Tennessee, and Utah) and has long felt motivated by an intuitive desire to better know the vast expanse of the nation whose birthday he shares. As he finished film school at USC in the mid-2000s, his vision became clear: sketch something of the United States’ richly diverse, ever-emerging identity through self-contained snapshot documentaries that combine into a larger whole.
The stories he gathered across the country since then delivered on that hope, representing a remarkable array of lives—including many not typically associated with their states. Subjects range from a former Peace Corps volunteer who disavowed the use of money to live in a sandstone cave in Southern Utah, to a pioneering Sikh berry farmer cultivating crops and new traditions in Washington state. Barber says the project reflects documentarian Ken Burns’ observation that the United States’ abbreviation has always also spelled “us.”
“There is no ‘them,’ only ‘us,’” Barber said, quoting Burns. “I keep thinking of that aspirational idea for our country—it’s an American tenet worth reaching for. We all want to belong.”
Broadcast, Streaming, and Community Screenings
States of America is produced by Brad Barber in association with the Brigham Young University Film Program, presented by KQED, and distributed by American Public Television.
- National Broadcast & Streaming: Launches November 1, 2026 on public television stations nationwide and streaming on the free PBS App and PBS.org.
- Public Screening Series: The series kicked off a yearlong public screening and community discussion program on September 9, 2026 in the cinema of BYU’s new Arts Building in Provo, Utah, co-sponsored by the BYU Film Program and American Studies Program. These events take place Wednesdays at 5:00 PM local time through April 14, 2027, featuring monthly thematic episodes followed by conversations between faculty, film students, and audience members.
Follow @StatesFilms on Instagram and @StatesofAmerica on Facebook, or visit StatesFilms.com for more.
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Press Inquiries:
Brad Barber | [email protected] | 801-422-2890
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Frequently Asked Questions About ‘States of America’
Q: What is the States of America documentary series about?
A: States of America is a documentary series of 50 short films—one for each U.S. state—created by filmmaker Brad Barber. Each short presents a 5-minute personal portrait exploring how living in a specific state shapes identity, belonging, and connection.
Q: Where can I watch or stream the States of America short films?
A: States of America premieres on public television stations nationwide beginning November 1, 2026, and is available to stream free on the PBS App and PBS.org.
Q: Who created States of America?
A: The series was created by award-winning documentary filmmaker and BYU film professor Brad Barber (Peace Officer, 21), in association with the Brigham Young University Film Program, presented by KQED, and distributed by American Public Television (APT).
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About APT
American Public Television (APT) is the leading syndicator of high-quality, top-rated programming to the nation’s public television stations. Founded in 1961, APT distributes 250 new program titles per year and nearly one-half of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles in the U.S. APT’s diverse catalog includes prominent documentaries, performance, dramas, how-to programs, classic movies, children’s series and news and current affairs programs. America’s Test Kitchen, The Best of the Joy of Painting with Bob Ross, The Chavis Chronicles, Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television, Doc Martin, Hope Street, Lidia’s Kitchen, Midsomer Murders, Miriam and Alan Lost in Scotland, Pati’s Mexican Table, Rick Steves’ Europe, Samantha Brown’s Places to Love, Table for All with Buki Elegbede, Willie Nelson’s 90th Birthday Celebration and NHK Newsline are a sampling of APT’s programs, considered some of the most popular on public television. APT also licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service and distributes Create®TV — featuring the best of public television’s lifestyle programming — and WORLD™, public television’s premier news, science and documentary channel. More information at APTonline.org.
About KQED Presents
KQED Presents is the national television distribution service of KQED, the San Francisco-based PBS and NPR member station. Since 1987, KQED Presents has worked with independent producers to bring the highest-quality documentary films and series to public television stations across the country. KQED Presents guides producers through the complexities of public media distribution, ensuring their programs meet all technical, editorial, and funding standards necessary for national broadcast. kqed.org/about/kqed-presents