Fourth Annual New York Television Festival Announces Independent Pilot Competition Selections and Industry Day Panel Series

Fourth Annual New York Television Festival Announces Independent Pilot Competition Selections and Industry Day Panel Series

Ben Silverman, Jim Wiatt, Donny Deutsch, and Keith Samples to Headline Industry Panels on the Future of TV Development

NEW YORK, Aug. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The Fourth Annual New York Television Festival (NYTVF) today announced the 36 official selections for its Independent Pilot Competition and the first ever Industry Day panel discussion series, featuring some of the biggest names in the television business. Tickets are now on sale for the NYTVF, taking place Friday, September 12th through Wednesday, September 17th at New World Stages in Midtown Manhattan.

"The television industry stands at a crossroads, and the development of new programming will continue to undergo vast changes in the coming months," said NYTVF founder Terence Gray. "The NYTVF is fortunate to be able to screen new work by innovative creators, while bringing together the foremost experts in the field to discuss the future of TV development as well as the impact new methodologies and resources will have on the upcoming television landscape."

The 36 original, independently produced television pilots selected for the Independent Pilot Competition come from all over the U.S., Canada, and Australia. An eclectic array of stars, such as Sarah Paulson ("Studio 60"), James Cromwell ("24"), Constantine Maroulis ("American Idol"), Richard Moll ("Night Court"), and Michael Gladis ("Mad Men") all make appearances in scripted pilots, and Dustin Diamond ("Saved By the Bell") and Gary Coleman ("Diff'rent Strokes") appear as themselves in a reality competition pilot. The full list of official selections is included below.

This year's Festival also brings the first-ever Industry Day panel discussion series on Monday, September 15th. During the series, attendees will hear from industry leaders, such as NBC head Ben Silverman, WMA CEO Jim Wiatt, CNBC star Donny Deutsch, Media Rights Capital President of Television Keith Samples, Rainbow Entertainment President Ed Carroll, History General Manager Nancy Dubuc, truTV General Manager Marc Juris, Comedy Central's development head Lou Wallach, and MTV Executive Vice President of Series Development and Programming Tony DiSanto. Panelists will discuss "The Future of TV Development" in a series of discussions addressing different genres of television, including drama, comedy, and unscripted.

"The NYTVF offers the ideal forum for addressing the future of television development," said William Morris Agency Chairman and CEO Jim Wiatt. "Creative solutions are needed for the rapidly evolving state of TV programming, and the William Morris Agency is proud to support the NYTVF as an incubator for creative ideas."

Industry Day - Monday, September 15

The Current State of Television Development

Ben Silverman, Jim Wiatt, and Donny Deutsch will speak about how digital platforms, the writers' strike, and branded entertainment have affected development methods at the network level.

Nonscripted Programming and Drama Development

A&E will sponsor this panel, featuring The History Channel's Executive Vice President and General Manager, Nancy Dubuc; A&E head of nonscripted programming, Rob Sharenow; truTV's General Manager, Marc Juris; and MTV's Executive Vice President of Series Development and Programming, Tony DiSanto. Panelists will discuss developing nonscripted, original programming.

The Future of Drama Development

Keith Samples, President of Television for Media Rights Capital, and Ed Carroll, President of Rainbow Entertainment Services will talk about the new models for drama development, and how new players such as Media Rights Capital and cable networks are affecting the landscape.

The Future of Comedy Development

A panel including Lou Wallach, Senior Vice President of Original Programming and Television & Digital Development at Comedy Central, and Jennifer Howell, Senior Vice President of Animation for Twentieth Century Fox Television, will examine the future of comedy development both at broadcast and cable networks.

Industry Day will conclude with a cocktail reception hosted by A&E and The History Channel.

The Official Selections to the 2008 NYTVF Independent Pilot Competition

"The Average American" (Political Satire)
Created by: Jonah Sachs, Mike Million, and Bruce Hurwit -- Los Angeles, CA

"Below the Law" (Action-Adventure Comedy)
Created by: Dan Levy and Steve Basilone -- Los Angeles, CA

"Bill Rampley's Southern Comfort" (Southern Lifestyle)
Created by: Jennifer Spell -- Atlanta and Decatur, GA

"The Department" (Workplace Sitcom)
Created by: Christina Gausas and Don P. Hooper -- New York City, NY

"Everyday Athlete" (Reality Competition)
Created by: Tomas Anthony -- Brooklyn, NY

"Food Chain" (Comedy)
Created by: Eric Moe and Ivo Knezevic -- Los Angeles, CA

"Food Party" (Fantasy Cooking Comedy)
Created by: Thu Tran -- Brooklyn, NY

"Hit Factor" (Action-Adventure Dramedy)
Created by: James Rosenblatt and Neil Hopkins -- Los Angeles, CA

"Improv City" (Mockumentary Sitcom)
Created by: Kyle More and Grant Weiss -- Chicago, IL

"Jet-Set-Go" (Adventure Travel)
Created by: Warner Bonner, Bill Strocco, and Gene Strocco -- San Diego, CA

"The Kitty Landers Show" (Children's Show)
Created by: Chris Potocki and Regina Taufen -- Venice Beach, CA

"Lifeless" (Episodic Drama)
Created by: David Sasich -- Salt Lake City, UT

"Living in Captivity" (Nature Comedy)
Created by: Uma Incrocci, Erica Jensen, and Nicole Greevy -- Sunnyside, NY

"Mixed Nutz" (Children's Animation)

Created by: Shabnam Rezeaei, Aly Jetha, Dustin Ellis, and Mastaneh Moghadam -- New York City, NY

"The Other High School" (Mockumentary Comedy)
Created by: Adam Goodman and Alex Ricciardi -- New York City, NY

"Point View Terrace" (Sitcom)

Created by: Jeff Drake, Wendy Molyneux, Brooke Dillman, and Tuc Watkins -- Los Angeles, CA

"The Prisoner" (Alternative Sci-Fi Action Thriller)
Created by: Karin Williams -- New York City, NY

"Project Ghostlight" (Docu-reality)
Created by: Steve Maihack and Michael Todd Cohen -- New York City, NY

"Red Hook High" (Teen Drama)
Created by: Trac Minh Vu -- Brooklyn, NY

"Rhyme Animal" (Urban Drama)
Created by: Jorge Rivera -- Brooklyn, NY

"The Road" (Reality Drama)
Created by: Frank Mosca and Mike DeStefano -- Bronx, NY

"Road to Rhythm" (Reality Music)
Created by: Omar Mortaza -- Beverly Hills, CA

"Sex Culture" (Travel Show)

Created by: Amardeep Kaleka, Heather Howard, and Angela Maynard -- Atlanta, GA

"Sexual Intercourse: American Style" (Short-form Comedy)
Created by: Mitch Magee -- Brooklyn, NY

"Small Town News" (Workplace Sitcom)
Created by: Holt Bailey and Brian Steele -- Los Angeles, CA

"Sundance Celebrity Swag Hunt" (Reality Competition)
Created by: Poull Brien -- Park City, UT

"Super Slice" (Action-Adventure Comedy)
Created by: Frank Mosca -- Bronx, NY

"The Surf" (Web Highlights Parody)

Created by: Jeremy Beiler, Paul Dorfman, Jared Gramstrup, Gabe Gronli, Anne Johnson, and Dieter Klipstein -- New York City, NY

"Teachers" (Workplace Comedy)
Created by: Jim Garvey -- New York City, NY

"Tickle Me Silly" (Family Comedy Animation)
Created by: Miguel Martinez-Joffre -- Jersey City, NJ

"Tix and Tox" (Children's Animation)

Created by: Jason Toliopoulos and Emilio Incerto -- Toronto, Ontario -- Canada

"Today's Special" (Sitcom)

Created by: Jennifer Cobb, Leah Gotcsik, Marty Johnson, and Michael Kuell -- Boston, MA

"The Travelling Twins" (Travel Documentary)
Created by: Sunny Setton and Joy Setton -- Brooklyn, NY

"The Triboro" (Suburban Dramedy)
Created by: Jon Pivko -- Haskell, NJ

"Wentworth & Buxbury" (Animated Sitcom)

Created by: Tim Nash, Hayden Grubb, and Lucas Crandles -- Melbourne, Victoria -- Australia

"Wired City" (Buddy Dramedy)
Created by: Howard Reichman -- New York City, NY

The New York Television Festival will take place Sept. 12-17, 2008 at New World Stages in Midtown Manhattan. All Access Passes and Industry Packages are currently available at www.newyorktelevisionfestival.com by selecting "Box Office."

The NYTVF is supported by sponsors such as Procter & Gamble Productions, People's Choice, MSN, and the William Morris Agency. Official Network Sponsors for the 2008 NYTVF include NBC Universal, FOX, ABC, A&E, Bravo, Lifetime, and E!. The NYTVF works in conjunction with the Mayor's Office of New York City.

For tickets or more information on the NYTVF, please visit www.newyorktelevisionfestival.com.

About the New York Television Festival

The NYTVF was founded in 2005 as the industry's first recognized independent television festival, providing a platform to elevate the work of artists creating for the small screen. Held annually each fall in New York City, the birthplace of modern television, the Festival unites artists, executives, industry figures, and fans together in one forum to celebrate the medium and to help shape its future. Along with the Independent Pilot Competition, the Festival features panel discussions, network premiere screenings, and other special events designed to honor television as an institution and as an art form.

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Source: New York Television Festival

CONTACT: Jodi Sevin, of Rubenstein Associates, +1-212-843-8393

Web site: http://www.newyorktelevisionfestival.com/

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