Audience Award-Wining Pilot Off the Hook is Purchased As a Series by OLN after Premiering at the First-Ever Indie TV Fest.

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[NEW YORK, NY, June 19, 2006] - The New York Television Festival (NYTVF) announced today that a second pilot which debuted at its 2005 Independent Pilot Competition has been sold to a cable network.  The fishing-themed reality pilot Off the Hook was purchased and immediately put into development as a multi-episode series by the sports network, OLN.  The announcement comes just weeks after the Festival announced its first sale, involving the purchase of the comedy pilot Criss-Cross by the A&E network.  The NYTVF, the first industry-recognized showcase for independent television, launched in 2005 in Manhattan with the intent of uniting television executives and independent artists in one forum to help shape the future of television.

“I am very excited for all of the artists who contributed to Off the Hook,” said NYTVF executive director Terence Gray.  “The show’s success demonstrates that a pilot proving very popular with screening audiences stands a very realistic chance of being purchased at the Festival.  Now that a second independent pilot has sold to a cable network, an encouraging trend has been established.  The NYTVF is a viable platform for getting pilot-makers’ ideas recognized and bought by networks and production companies.”

In June 2006, the Festival announced an exclusive sponsorship agreement with online sponsor MSN to enable webcasts of pilots entered in the 2006 Independent Pilot Competition and to support the NYTVF’s Online Community.  As part of the agreement, Official Selections to the 2006 Festival will be streamed over the Internet for audiences around the world, giving artists an unprecedented potential for showcasing their projects to industry and general public viewers.

"Off the Hook definitely stood out at the festival as a show that would work for the network," said Marc Fein, OLN Senior Vice President of Programming and Production. "Between the personalities of the guys and their expertise on the water, it's an entertaining way to frame an informative fishing show.  The Festival was an integral part of the process to get these guys on the network."

The reality program Off the Hook was one of four reality pilots showcased in the 2005 competition.  The series follows the engaging and often hilarious exploits of four lifelong friends from Brooklyn as they pursue their passion for fishing.  The pilot earned considerable acclaim at the 2005 NYTVF, winning the TV Land Audience Award as well as the prize for Best Reality Pilot.  A deal to purchase the show was recently finalized with OLN, and multiple episodes of the series have already been ordered.  The pilot was submitted by executive producers Brian D'Antoni and Michael Morrissey.

“The New York Television Festival opened a lot of doors for me and gave me great contacts in the film and television world,” said Off the Hook producer Brian D’Antoni. “Since then, the pilot I debuted at the festival has been picked up by a major cable channel”

"Winning the New York Television Festival was a high point in my directing career,” said Michael Morrissey, writer and director of Off the Hook.  “It gave me the freedom to show the world what I had in my mind instead of trying to pitch it to a room full of executives and hoping that they get it.”

The comedy pilot Criss-Cross was one of seven comedy pilots to screen in the Festival competition last fall.  The show is currently on the network’s development slate under the revamped title, I Never Said That.  The pilot, submitted by executive producer James Murray, was the first to be sold after debuting at the NYTVF.  In April 2006, the NYTVF also announced that The Back Brace, winner of the prize for Best Animation Pilot, had reached a distribution deal with a French production company to show the program in six European countries.

In its inaugural year, the 2005 New York Television Festival received over 230 original independent pilots produced by artists from 24 states and 7 foreign countries.   The 2005 NYTVF was presented in association with TV Guide, worked in partnership with the William Morris Agency, and worked in conjunction with the Mayor’s Office of New York City. Official Network Sponsors included NBC Universal, FOX, Comedy Central, VH1, VH1 Classic, Spike TV, A&E Networks, Rainbow Media, TV Land, & Court TV.

The submission period for the 2006 independent pilot competition began Feb. 1, and will end at midnight July 7. There is no fee for students with a valid ID.

Officially selected pilots featured at the 2006 NYTVF will be placed in one of five categories: Comedy, Drama, Reality, Educational, and Animation.  To be considered for competition, pilots in all categories except Animation must have a running time of 15 to 22 minutes.  Animated pilots may have a running time of 2 to 20 minutes.  Click here for official rules and eligibility requirements.

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About the New York Television Festival
The NYTVF was founded in 2005 as the industry’s first recognized platform for independent television.  Held annually in the 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, premiere screenings, and other special events designed to honor television as an institution and as an art form. The 2006 NYTVF will be held in Midtown Manhattan from September 12 through September 17.



Contact: Press inquiries may be sent to Eben Russell at: eben@nytvf.com