Kansas City PBS Community Impact Report - Report - Page 7
ORGANIZATIONAL UPDATES
A New Generation
of Storytelling
Recognizing the importance of creating opportunities for emerging storytellers, Kansas City PBS
launched its 昀椀rst-ever Non-Fiction Film Fellowship to help local 昀椀lmmakers develop their talents
and bring new perspectives to audiences throughout the region.
Inaugural fellows Savana “SJ” Johnson and Collin Riggins were selected to participate in the
immersive year-long experience. Through mentorship and access to production resources, the
fellows experienced every stage of the documentary 昀椀lmmaking process. Kansas City PBS will
continue the fellowship for a second year, building on its early success and expanding opportunities
for emerging 昀椀lmmakers in our region.
Collin Riggins
Savana “SJ” Johnson
Riggins’ debut documentary, The Copper Boyz: Sharing the
Saddle, premiered in August 2025 and follows a community
of cowboys empowering youth through horsemanship. The
昀椀lm’s successful community screening and broadcast capped
a year of signi昀椀cant professional growth. Along the way, his
work gained national attention through screenings and panel
discussions at MoCADA in Brooklyn and the Barack Obama
Presidential Center in Chicago. He also earned the Audience
Choice Award in the NAACP Cinematic Shorts Competition.
Set to premiere in early 2027, Johnson’s 昀椀rst feature documentary,
Play On, tells the story of girls and women in soccer, celebrating
the resilience of athletes while exploring the challenges and
opportunities shaping women’s sports. The 昀椀lm features
perspectives from young players and Kansas City Current players
who compete in the nation’s 昀椀rst stadium built speci昀椀cally for a
women’s professional sports team.
Images | Collin Riggins outside of the Barack Obama Presidential Center, SJ Johnson on a location shoot for her upcoming
documentary Play On
The Kansas City PBS Film Fellowship is supported by the Health Forward Foundation.
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