BBC America chief Sarah Barnett and “Saturday Night Live” alums Sarah Schneider and Chris Kelly are among the speakers lined up for the 14th annual New York Television Festival.
The festival showcases independently produced TV pilots and projects in an effort to bring aspiring TV creators together with TV industry executives, talent agents, and other movers and shakers. The fest is moving from its longtime spot in October to July 14-20 in a bid to allow projects selected for screening at the festival to be on the front end of TV’s traditional pilot development cycle.
“We’re very excited for our first summer installment and a festival line-up that is truly focused on the core mission of the NYTVF – to showcase, foster, and cultivate the best and boldest indie creators and provide a viable marketplace for our industry participants,” said festival founder Terence Gray. “As the festival landscape continues to embrace episodic and television is featured at events across the country and around the world, the New York Television Festival remains a destination for those truly invested in the discovery and celebration of great talent.”
The fest features a range of pilot screenings, panel sessions, keynote addresses and seminars and workshops for emerging talent. The fest has partnered CBS’ diversity and inclusion initiative for the July 14 “Creator Bootcamp” sessions designed to give aspiring series creators a sense of the process for bringing an idea from page to screen.
Popular on Variety
Schneider and Kelly will spearhead the July 15 “Writers Room” session which will also feature other writers and producers from the late-night realm.
Barnett will be the featured keynote speaker on July 16. McCaffrey, HBO’s senior VP of programming, will speak on July 17.
Festival partner TruTV will showcase two new series with advance screenings on July 17: “Bobcat Goldthwait’s Misfits and Monsters” and “Paid Off with Michael Torpey.”
The full NYTVF lineup can be found here.
(Pictured: Chris Kelly, Sarah Schneider)
