Aspiring TV writers might want to polish off their best pilot ideas — a development deal with Sundance Channel could be yours, the New York Television Festival announced Wednesday.
The festival, now in its seventh year, is launching "NYTVF Pitch," a new program offering a guaranteed deal for an outstanding pitch from entrants from one of the initiative's inaugural partners, Sundance Channel, MSN and SevenOne International.
NYTVF explained the competition parameters in a release sent out Wednesday:
Each Pitch Partner will provide the NYTVF with a creative brief, outlining development goals and the types of pitches they are interested in, which will in turn be distributed to all 2011 Official Artists – individuals that are named a finalist in any of the NYTVF's 2011 development initiatives or as an Official Selection in the Festival's Independent Pilot Competition (IPC). NYTVF Pitch semifinalists will be selected from the submitted pitches, and those individuals will meet with development executives from each of the partner companies on-site at the 2011 Festival.
NYTVF launched in 2005 with the idea that there should be an independent buzz event that brings budding creative types and TV executives together in the same way that Sundance and other festivals serve the film industry.
ABC Family, Hallmark Channel and United Talent Agency have also signed on as new partners for 2011, the festival announced. Fox, IFC, A&E and MTV have previously been announced as festival partners.
Additionally, Apostle — Denis Leary and Jim Serpico's production company — will offer a development deal in conjunction with FX to the most promising candidate to emerge at the festival.
The week-long event not only screens pilot hopefuls for industry reps and the general public, but it also features panels with established TV personalities and premieres of fall network pilots.
"Arrested Development" creator Mitch Hurwitz, "Lost" alum Michael Emerson and others spoke at the event in 2010.
Here's the NYTVF release:
NYTVF LAUNCHES PITCH PROGRAM
AND ANNOUNCES NEW PARTNERS FOR 7th ANNUAL NEW YORK TELEVISION FESTIVAL
***
Inaugural Partners for “NYTVF Pitch” – Sundance Channel, MSN and SevenOne International – Will Award Guaranteed Deals Based on Pitches from Festival's 2011 Class of Official Artists
ABC Studios, FX, Hallmark Channel and United Talent Agency Also Added as New Partners for Festival, Which Will Take Place September 19-24
NEW YORK – June 22, 2011 – The NYTVF (www.nytvf.com), an organization dedicated to identifying and nurturing top independent creative talent and connecting it with networks, studios and brands, today announced the launch of a new development initiative focused on television pitches, as well as the addition of several new partners for the 7th Annual New York Television Festival, taking place September 19-24, 2011, in Manhattan.
NYTVF Pitch is a new initiative launching at this year’s Festival, with Sundance Channel, MSN and SevenOne International signed on as inaugural Pitch Partners. Each will guarantee a development deal for an outstanding pitch from NYTVF's 2011 class of Official Artists.
“We're thrilled to launch NYTVF Pitch with such a terrific slate of partners, bringing additional development opportunities to both the industry and artists participating in the Festival,” said NYTVF founder Terence Gray. “These three partners represent a tremendous breadth of content needs and development goals and the Official Artists participating in the Festival are at the very top of the NYTVF creative community. We believe this program will provide yet another avenue for industry partners to engage the NYTVF’s artistic community to uncover great new ideas and talent and look forward to the inaugural program at this year's Fest.”
Each Pitch Partner will provide the NYTVF with a creative brief, outlining development goals and the types of pitches they are interested in, which will in turn be distributed to all 2011 Official Artists – individuals that are named a finalist in any of the NYTVF's 2011 development initiatives or as an Official Selection in the Festival's Independent Pilot Competition (IPC). NYTVF Pitch semifinalists will be selected from the submitted pitches, and those individuals will meet with development executives from each of the partner companies on-site at the 2011 Festival.
MSN, a longtime Festival partner and sponsor of its annual Digital Day, will join new development partners SevenOne International and Sundance Channel, all of which are seeking new show ideas for consideration. SevenOne International, the distribution house of Red Arrow Entertainment Group, is NYTVF’s first international development partner. Red Arrow combines a dynamic and growing group of international television production companies with powerful creative partnerships, alongside SevenOne International.
Jens Richter, Managing Director SevenOne International: “We are excited to collaborate with one of the greatest independent television festivals. It is part of Red Arrow’s strategy to actively seek partnerships with talent and the ‘NYTVF Pitch’ provides a fantastic opportunity to meet the industry’s most creative minds.”
In addition to the partnerships announced in conjunction with NYTVF Pitch, the NYTVF today announced that ABC Studios, Hallmark Channel and United Talent Agency will be first-time partners in 2011. Each of these partners will have access to all of the official selections from the IPC in the weeks leading up to the Festival, as well as the opportunity to participate in NYTVF Executive Access. Launched in 2010, Executive Access is a program designed to not only put the independent content showcased at the Festival in the hands of network, agency and studio executives with which the NYTVF partners, but also serve as a mechanism for those decision makers to interact with the creators during the event, in meetings facilitated by Festival organizers.
FX, announced as a first time NYTVF supporter and development partner earlier this year, is sponsoring the FX “There is No Box” Award and development deal inside the Festival's IPC, in association with New York-based Denis Leary and Jim Serpico helmed production company, Apostle.
“Apostle and FX are pleased to be involved with the NYTVF this year and to be a part of, for the first time, the 'There is No Box' Award,” said Serpico. “We look forward to creating a partnership between ourselves and the untapped talent that is sure to emerge from the festival; and to award a development deal to one of the many new and exciting creators entering the competition.”
Thus far in 2011, the NYTVF has also announced the continuation of partnerships with IFC and MTV, with each of the networks committing to award development deals to winners of the IPC. Additionally, the NYTVF has partnered with FOX for the fourth consecutive year to create a Comedy Script Contest, providing aspiring writers the opportunity to win $25,000 and a development deal with FOX; and launched an unscripted development pipeline with A&E Network, with the winning producer collecting a prize of $10,000 and the opportunity to participate in the production of the pilot, based on their concept, with the network.
About the NYTVF
Established in 2005, the NYTVF is a pioneer of the independent television movement, constructing new and innovative paths of development and talent identification, while simultaneously complementing the traditional television development model. Its annual New York Television Festival – held each fall in New York City – is recognized as the industry’s first independent television festival which provides a platform to elevate the work of artists creating for the small screen. Through the Festival and other year-round activities, the NYTVF’s mission is to connect its community of over 8,500 independent creative artists with leading networks, studios and brands by cultivating relationships that lead to new opportunities. For more information on the NYTVF, the annual Festival and these competitions, visit www.nytvf.com.
