SeriesFest, the award-winning television festival and non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the art of episodic storytelling, announced today the official selections for this year’s Independent Pilot Competition for season six, taking place Thursday, June 18 through Wednesday, June 24. The prestigious international pilot competition continues with 60 titles from creative voices from all over the world, vying for the top prize in the categories of “Independent Pilot: Drama,” “Independent Pilot: Comedy,” “Independent Pilot: Unscripted,” “Digital Short Series” presented by Fullscreen, “Late Night,” “Pitch-A-Thon” and “Collegiate Creator Spotlight.” Many of these original pieces feature award-winning talent, including: Adrian Grenier, Chiké Okonkwo, Chris Parnell, Dylan Baker, Ilana Glazer, Joel McHale, Kel Mitchell, Michael Michelle, Adam Ray, Mindy Sterling, Paul Scheer, Thomas Lennon, Rhea Seehorn, Rick Overton, and more. Pilot details are listed below.
Randi Kleiner, Founder and CEO of SeriesFest, notes: “It’s incredible to see how the Pilot Competition has grown over the years. It is the heart and soul of the festival. We are thrilled and inspired with the quality of work and imaginative voices in this year’s captivating selections.”
An esteemed assortment of jurors from various sectors of the entertainment industry, including award-winning actors, producers, production executives, and media are tasked with determining the best of the best. The Independent Pilot Competition jury members include:
- Unscripted: Ryan Harrington (VP of Documentary Films, National Geographic), Andy Singer (EVP TV & Digital Content, Alkemy X), Lynn Sadofsky (SVP, Programming and Development, Food Network),Travis Tammero (Agent, Media Finance, Creative Artists Agency), and Katie Neff (SVP of Development, High Noon Entertainment).
- Drama: Riva Marker (President, Nine Stories), Susan Lewis (Senior Vice President of Original Programming, Starz), Ben Travers (Deputy Editor & TV Critic, IndieWire), Miriam Mintz (VP of TV, Likely Story), Beau Swayze (Manager, Management 360), Michael Callas (Creative Executive, Fuqua Films) Isabel San Vargas (President of Production & Operations, Propagate Content), and Katie Cates (TV Literary Agent, ICM Partners).
- Comedy: Katie Lowes (actress), Adam Shapiro (actor), Evan Shapiro (President, National Lampoon), Garret Martin (Senior Editor, Paste Magazine), Allison Wasserman (Manager in Original Programming, HBO), Jackie Sosa (VP of Development, Chelsea Handler Productions), Dade Hayes (New York Business Editor, Deadline), and Tamir Muhammad (CEO, Populace Productions).
- Late Night: Anna Roberts (SVP Distributions & Acquisitions, Nacelle Company), Sam Zimmerman (Director of Programming, Shudder), Laura Prudom (Editorial Manager, IGN), and Danielle Kreinik (Director of Television Development, Ubisoft).
- Digital Short Series (presented by Fullscreen): Brian Newman (Founder, Sub-Genre), Daryn Carp (Host, PeopleTVs Reality Check), Rob Yang (actor), Kuye Youngblood (Head of Development and Production, BRIC TV), Krystal Hauserman (VP, Marketing & Communications, Fullscreen) and Liz Shannon Miller (Senior TV Editor, Collider).
SeriesFest is reimagining the festival experience this year with ‘Fest / Differently,’ a virtual celebration of episodic storytelling. The six day must-stream virtual event lineup includes competition screenings, engaging panel discussions, one-of-a-kind workshops, as well as never-before-seen sneak peeks and television premieres. ‘Fest / Differently’ speaks to the influx of virtual content, and the importance of honoring creators together in this new age. The full slate will be announced in the coming weeks.
Find all the info and the full list of pilots at SeriesFest.
