PBS Arts returns to the stage Fridays at 8 p.m. with an exciting line up of new programs that celebrate the contributions of independent filmmakers and expand the scope and diversity of the arts on television. With a multi-part weekly series and new original online content, PBS Arts Summer Festival 2012 takes viewers across the country and around the world. Award-winning television, film and stage star Anna Deavere Smith will serve as weekly host.

The Summer Arts Festival line-up kicks off on June 29 with Mariachi High, a film that chronicles a year in the life of talented teenage Mariachi musicians.

On July 6, Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World —narrated by Susan Sarandon—takes viewers to nine countries and across 1,400 years of cultural history to explore the astonishing artistic and architectural riches of this ancient religion.

John Leguizamo’s Tales from a Ghetto Clown, airing July 13, features a behind-the-scenes profile of the actor/playwright and his unorthodox rise to success while capturing his struggles to mount his latest one-man show.

On July 20, the concert documentary Homecoming: The Kansas City Symphony Presents Joyce DiDonato profiles these Grammy Award-winning musicians, their vibrant artistic director and conductor Michael Stern, and the radiant, internationally celebrated mezzo-soprano DiDonato.

Havana, Havana! on July 27 features a historic concert by four Cuban music greats and highlights how the country’s musical expression is evolving in the 21st century.

The festival continues in August with a look at priceless museum collections and a trip to Tanglewood for their 75th Anniversary Celebration on GREAT PERFORMANCES.