“Arrested Development” creator Mitch Hurwitz and Pivot President Evan Shapiro have joined this year’s New York Television Festival, where both will take part in keynote talks.
Hurwitz will participate in the Creative Keynote conversation and Shapiro in the Executive Keynote, both being held on Monday, the first day of the ninth annual festival. The festival also announced that writers from “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “The Daily Show,” “The Colbert Report” and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” would take part in a late-night writers panel on Oct. 23.
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Founded by Terence Gray, the festival aims to bring together independent writers and producers with TV executives, and to help newcomers land development deals while celebrating fresh voices in TV.
“The New York Television Festival is as audaciously creative a venture as the works it showcases,” said Hurwitz. “Terence Gray and his team not only celebrate the idea of independent television, they kind of invented it. When the festival began the very notion of television production created outside the studio system was likely seen as an indulgence and a novelty, but like any sort of inspired innovation it preceded a movement that’s very much underway now. The Festival and its contributors, now find themselves at the forefront of a growing business that involves streaming, online, and a host of professional and creative opportunities. For me personally it’s both thrilling to see the creative efforts from these talented participants, but also to not have to read their ‘Modern Family’ specs.”
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Previously announced NYTVF events include a BAFTA Rocliffe New Writers Forum with feedback from “Parks and Recreation” creator Greg Daniels.