THE NEW YORK TELEVISION FESTIVAL

2008 FESTIVAL

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In September 2008, the New York Television Festival opened its doors to thousands of independent TV creators, industry figures, and TV fans at the fourth annual NYTVF. The Festival’s Independent Pilot Competition (IPC) featured 36 independently produced television pilots of all categories and genres. In addition, the Festival launched a number of new initiatives, including Industry Day, Digital Day, and an expanded Premiere Week screening series, aimed at expanding the reach of the independent television movement. The NYTVF thanks all the artists and attendees who helped make the 2008 NYTVF our best yet.

Explore the full schedule here.

NYTVF 2008 - THE NYTVF AWARDS

Several pilots and pilot-makers in the 2008 Independent Pilot Competition received recognition for outstanding achievement in the following categories:

People's Choice Award: Teachers (Workplace Comedy)
Created by: Jim Garvey—New York City, NY

Voted by popular choice at Festival screenings, the 2008 NYTVF People’s Choice Award for Best Pilot was presented to New York City-based pilot-maker Jim Garvey for “Teachers.”

Featuring American Idol finalist Constantine Maroulis, Broadway stars Katherine Holland (Wicked) and Sarah Litzinger (Beauty and the Beast), and The Food Network’s Noah Starr, “Teachers” is a sitcom detailing the experiences of a fresh-faced teacher getting an education of his own from jaded colleagues and eccentric supervisors at a suburban public school. For the first time in the 35 year history of the People's Choice Awards, one of the prestigious crystal statue awards was handed out in a venue other than the annual January awards show.

Replacing the Audience Award at this year's New York Television Festival, the signature award honored the favorite submission in the Independent Pilot Competition.

	Best Comedy Pilot: "Below the Law" Created by: Dan Levy and Steve Basilone (Los Angeles, CA) Two brothers turn to vigilante justice when they are informed that they have to wait a year for their acceptance to the police academy to take effect.
	Best Drama Pilot: "Hit Factor" Created by: Jamie Rosenblatt and Neil Hopkins (Los Angeles, CA) Three struggling actors moonlight as industry hit men in the hopes of boosting their stagnant careers.
	Best Family Pilot: "The Kitty Landers Show" Created by: Chris Potocki, Regina Taufen, and Anna Christopher (Venice Beach, CA) Kitty and her eclectic band of friends teach each other lessons about life and have lots of fun doing it.
	Best Nonscripted Pilot: "The Road" Created by: Frank Mosca and Mike DeStefano (Bronx, NY) Stand-up comedian Mike DeStefano travels the road to recovery from his personal demons and shares his insight and wit with others who have had similar experiences.
	Best Animated Pilot: "Tickle Me Silly" Created by: Miguel Martinez-Joffre (Jersey City, NJ) The young raccoon sheriff, Raul Rattatan, and his lovable sidekick, Deputy Pancho the Warthog, quest to stop the notorious El Pinto and his tickling crime spree.
	Best Web Series Pilot: "The Prisoner" Created by: Karin Williams (New York City, NY) A dramatic microseries, designed for the web and mobile devices, exploring the limits of personal freedom in the context of a global war on terror.
	Best Writing: Timothy Nash, Hayden Grubb and Lucas Crandles "Wentworth and Buxbury" (Melbourne, Victoria-Australia) Wentworth and Buxbury are two young, charismatic, but nonetheless unfathomably evil supervillains-in-training with a healthy mutual disdain for one another.
	Best Directing: Jon Pivko "The Triboro" (Haskell, NJ) The lives of two suburban teens are changed forever during a routine cup run in the middle of a huge house party.
	Best Actor: Nick Offerman "The Department" (Joliet, IL) The Psychology Department at the University of Chicago is turned upside down after a series of violent patient outbursts causes the dean to bring in a violence expert.
	Best Actress: Regina Taufen "The Kitty Landers Show" (Venice Beach, CA) Kitty and her eclectic band of friends teach each other lessons about life and have lots of fun doing it.
	Best Nonscripted Host or Star: Bill Rampley "Bill Rampley’s Southern Comfort" (Atlanta, GA) Host Bill Rampley takes to the road and uncovers a real south that isn’t lacking in history or southern hospitality.
	Outside the Box Award: "Food Party" Created by: Thu Tran (Brooklyn, NY) The Outside the Box Award is a new award given to the most innovative or genre-expanding pilot in competition. “Food Party” is a cooking show featuring a spicy Saigon kitchen-witch as the hostess, a cast of unruly puppets as culinary advisors, and a cavalcade of surprise dinner guests.

2008 INDEPENDENT PILOT COMPETITION OFFICIAL SELECTIONS:

“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, GA

“The Department”(Workplace Sitcom)
Created by: Christina Gausas and Don P. Hooper—Brooklyn, NY

“Everyday Athlete”(Reality Competition)
Created by: Tomas Anthony—Brooklyn, NY

“Food Chain” (Comedy)
Created by: Erik Moe and Ivo Knezevic—Los Angeles, CA

“Food Party” (Fantasy Cooking Comedy)
Created by: Thu Tran—Brooklyn, NY

“Hit Factor” (Action-Adventure)
Created by: Jamie Rosenblatt and Neil Hopkins—Los Angeles, CA

“Improv City” ((Mockumentary Sitcom)
Created by: Kyle More and Grant Weiss—Chicago, IL

“Jet-Set-Go” (Adventure Bachelor Travel Show)
Created by: Warner Bonner and Gene Strocco—San Diego, CA

“The Kitty Landers Show” (Children’s Show)
Created by: Chris Potocki, Regina Taufen, and Anna Christopher —Venice Beach, CA

“Lifeless” (Horror)
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 Rezaei, Aly Jetha, Dustin Ellis, and Mastaneh Moghadam—New York City, NY

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

"Point View Terrace” (Situation Comedy)
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” (Hip-Hop Psychological Horror)
Created by: Aaron Schnore, Billy Fox, and 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” (Teen Suspense)
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

NYTVF 2008 – INDUSTRY DAY (Monday, September 15)
Presented in association with The Hollywood Reporter

The overall theme of Industry Day was “The Future of Television Development.” A collection of industry leaders examined the current state of TV development and where it is headed in the future.

The Current State of TV Development
Presented by: The William Morris Agency
Panelists:
Donny Deutsch (Moderator) - Chairman, Deutsch Inc.; Host of “The Big Idea,” CNBC
Ben Silverman - Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios

The Future of Nonscripted Development
Presented by: AETN
Panelists:
Matthew Belloni (Moderator) – Managing Editor, Features, The Hollywood Reporter
Tony DiSanto - Executive Vice President of Series Development and Programming, MTV
Nancy Dubuc - Executive Vice President and General Manager, History
Marc Juris – General Manager, truTV
Robert Sharenow - SVP of Non-Fiction and Alternative Programming, A&E

The Future of Drama Development
Panelists:
Paul Gough (Moderator) – Television/Media Reporter, The Hollywood Reporter
Ed Carroll – President, Rainbow Entertainment Services (AMC, WEtv, IFCtv)
Katie O'Connell - EVP of Drama Programming, NBC
Peter Tolan - Co-Creator and Executive Producer, “Rescue Me

The Future of Comedy Development
Panelists:
Matthew Belloni (Moderator) – Managing Editor, Features, The Hollywood Reporter
Jennifer Howell - SVP of Animation, Twentieth Century Fox Television
Lou Wallach - SVP of Original Programming and Television & Digital Development, Comedy Central
Kara Welker - Founding Partner, Generate

NYTVF 2008 – DIGITAL DAY (Tuesday, September 16)
Presented in association with MSN

This day was dedicated to exploring the creative side of the digital frontier and what opportunities are being created for producers exploring this space.

PANELS

Writing for Video Games and Comics
Panelists:
Evan Narcisse (Moderator) - Writer, Crispy Gamer
Rich Bryant - Writer, Microsoft Game Studios ("Fable II")
Todd Fixman - Writer, "Resistance 2" & "Ratchet and Clank"
Larry Lieberman - CMO, Virgin Animation
Joshua Ortega - Writer, Microsoft Game Studios (Gears of War 2 and the Gears of War comic)

Reaching Women on the Web
Presented with: NY:MIEG
Panelists:
Denise Oliver - Owner, Oliver Media
Brian T. Cahill - SVP, Managing Director, TeleNext Media, Inc.
Rebecca Raphael - Managing Editor, RachaelRayShow.com at CBS Television Distribution
Mindy Spire - Director Sales Development, World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE)
Dan Surratt - EVP Digital Media, Lifetime Networks

Promoting Your Web Series
Presented with: Promax/BDA
Panelists:
Paul Kontonis (Moderator) - CEO, For Your Imagination
Christopher Barry – SVP Digital Media, Sundance
Blake Calloway - VP of Marketing, SciFi
Dina Kaplan - Co-founder and COO, blip.tv
Kathleen Grace - Co-creator, "The Burg" and "The All-For-Nots"
Thom Woodley - Co-creator, "The Burg" and "The All-For-Nots"

The Web Effect: How the Internet Has Shaped Television
Panelists:
Dan Manu (Moderator) - Director, Television Without Pity
Craig Engler – Senior Vice President, SCIFI.com and SCIFI Magazine
Joe Michaels - Senior Director of Business Development, MSN Entertainment, Video & Sports
Dalton Ross – Editor-at-Large, Entertainment Weekly
Douglas Rushkoff - Author, "Cyberia"; Founder, NYU Narrative Lab

Sponsorship and Monetization of Digital Content
Panelists:
Shelly Palmer (Moderator) – President, National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, NY
Peter Hoskins – CEO, maniaTV
Jim Louderback - CEO, Revision3
Timothy Shey - Head of Entertainment Programming, Next New Networks
Kevin Wassong – President, Minyanville

The New Storytellers: What Works on the Web
Panelists:
Marc Chamlin (Moderator) – Partner, Loeb & Loeb, PC
Rob Bennett - General Manager, Entertainment & Video Services, MSN
Craig Parks - Vice President of Digital Media, IFC
Fred Seibert - Creative Director and Co-founder, Next New Networks
Quinn Taylor - Executive Vice President of Motion Pictures for Television and Miniseries, ABC Entertainment; EVP of Creative, Stage 9

SCREENINGS

MSN Originals Specialty Screening
Digital Day sponsor MSN presents a special screening of “The Republicrats.”

blip.tv Showcase
Creators of some of the most popular serialized programs on blip.tv share their experiences and secrets for creating successful Web series.

EQAL Premiere and Discussion
Miles Beckett and Greg Goodfried, founders of EQAL and creators of lonelygirl15 and KateModern,speak about the creation of their newest highly anticipated online series “The Resistance,” which makes its world debut live for the Festival audience.

Mania TV Showcase
Mania TV presents a selection of some of its best online content for NYTVF audiences.

Channel 101 Screening
The NYTVF hosts the monthly screening of Channel 101, a popular independent screening event for original short video series.

Digital Day Triple Play Showcase
A triple feature presenting a trio of leading digital companies introducing some of their newest projects. Featuring Hungry Man TV, For Your Imagination, and the Independent Comedy Network

Wine Library TV Recording
A live recording of the popular Web-based daily talk show about all things wine. Hosted by Gary Vaynerchuk, the show features a spirited discussion of Gary’s favorite wines with special guests, Jim Louderback of Revision3.

Sony Pictures Television Premiere
Sony Pictures Television is presenting a look at the new online series, “Michael Stahl-David: Behind the Star (A Video Biography).” The mockumentary follows Mr. Stahl-David in his quest to become an A-list movie star following his leading role in the hit movie, “Cloverfield.”

NYTVF 2008 – PRODUCTION DAY (Sunday, September 14)

A Long Day’s Journey into Late Night
Panelists:
Jason Sudeikis - Writer/performer, “Saturday Night Live”
Richard Dahm – Co-Executive Producer, “The Colbert Report”
Dave Javerbaum – Executive Producer, “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”
Erik Kenward – Writer supervisor, “Saturday Night Live”
Eric Stangel – Co-head writer/Producer, “The Late Show with David Letterman”
Justin Stangel – Co-head writer/Producer, “The Late Show with David Letterman”
Mike Sweeney – Head writer, “Late Night with Conan O’Brien”

The Web Series Producer's Guide
Presented by: AETN
Panelists:
Paul Kontonis (Moderator) - CEO, For Your Imagination
Bill Cammack - Video Editor and Consultant
Kirby Ferguson - Writer/Director/Producer, GoodieBag.tv
Brett Wilson - Co-founder and CEO, TubeMogul
Marc Hustvedt - Editor-in-Chief, Tubefilter News

T²: Successfully Shifting between Theater and Television
Panelists:
Amy Handelsman (Moderator) - Director, Writer & Creative Development, TeleNext Media
Kristen Johnston - Actor (“3rd Rock from the Sun,” Lincoln Center Theatre)
Brian Mertes - Director (“Guiding Light,” Circle Rep)
Theresa Rebeck - Writer (“Law and Order: Criminal Intent,” Mauritius)
Blair Singer - Writer (“Weeds,” Placement, lonelygirl15)

Breaking into Daytime
Panelists:
Brian T. Cahill (Moderator) - SVP, Managing Director, TeleNext Media, Inc.
Mary Clay Boland - Casting Director, “As The World Turns”
Amy Handelsman - Director, Writer & Creative Development, TeleNext Media, Inc.
Eve Luzzi - Director, Production Services, “As The World Turns” & TeleNext Media, Inc.
Maria Macina - Producer, “Guiding Light”
Ro Southworth - VP, Director, HR and Administration, TeleNext Media, Inc.

Writing Sketch Comedy with The P.I.T.
Panelists:
Ali Farahnakian - Owner, The Peoples Improv Theater; Former Writer, “Saturday Night Live”; Professional Sketch Writing Instructor
Kevin Allison - Member, The State; Professional Sketch Writing Instructor
Joe Schiappa - Member of Project: Projekt; Sketch Writing Instructor and Director

Writers Boot Camp Primer
Hosted by:
Jeffrey Gordon - Founder, Writers Boot Camp

Legal Frontiers of Content on Digital Platforms
Panelists:
Jamela Debelak (Moderator) - CLIP Leitner Fellow, Center on Law and Information Policy, Fordham Law School
Susan Scafidi - Visiting Professor of Law, Fordham Law School
Mark Biegelman - Partner, Beigelman, Feldman & Associates, P.C.

NYTVF 2008 - PREMIERE WEEK SCREENING SERIES

Entering its third year, the NYTVF Premiere Week screening series offers industry, press, and fans a sneak preview of the most anticipated network shows of the new TV season. The 2008 series featured the following events:

	Friday, Sept. 12, 8:00 PM ABC Celebrates Fall ABC Celebrates the new Fall TV season. Join the producers of ABC’s hottest new and returning shows, including Marc Cherry of Desperate Housewives, Joel Fields of Ugly Betty, Donald Todd of Samantha Who?, and Andre Nemec of Life on Mars for an exclusive sneak peek at the Net’s fall schedule and inside scoops on your favorite characters.
	Saturday, Sept. 13, 8:00 PM FOX’s “Fringe” The NYTVF and FOX present a special screening event featuring “Fringe,” the anticipated new hour-long thriller from J.J. Abrams (“Lost”), Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, the team behind “Star Trek,” “Mission: Impossible III” and “Alias.” The event begins with red-carpet arrivals of the stars and producers of the new series followed by a screening.
	Sunday, Sept. 14, 4:30 PM CBS’s “Worst Week” The NYTVF and CBS join to present the new comedy series “Worst Week.” The “Worst Week” event begins with a debut screening of the pilot for the new comedy series. After the screening, star Kyle Bornheimer and creator Matt Tarses will be on hand to engage in a brief discussion about the show’s creation and production.
	Sunday, Sept. 14, 7:30 PM Media Rights Capital & The CW’s “Easy Money” The NYTVF and Media Rights Capital present a world premiere screening event of the new drama series “Easy Money,” an original one-hour drama about a family that runs a high interest loan business. The new series stars Emmy Award-winning actress Laurie Metcalf (“Desperate Housewives,” “Roseanne”), Nick Searcy (“Rodney”), Jay Ferguson (“Sleeper Cell”), and Katie Lowes (“The Ghost Whisperer”) will appear, along with executive producers Diane Frolov and Andy Schneider (“Northern Exposure,” “The Chris Isaak Show,” “The Sopranos”).
	Monday, Sept. 15, 8:00 PM NBC’s “Life” The NYTVF and NBC offer a special sneak-peek fan screening of the premiere episode of the sophomore police drama, “Life.”
	Wednesday, Sept. 17, 7:00 PM HBO’s “The Life and Times of Tim” The NYTVF and HBO offer a sneak preview of the new half-hour animated comedy series, “The Life and Times of Tim.” The event will consist of a debut screening followed by a conversation with the show’s creator and executive producer, Steven Dildarian.