New York Television Festival Announces ’07 Slate
28 independent pilots to be screened at yearly festival
by Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 8/14/2007 9:41:00 AM
The New York Television Festival (NYTVF) has unveiled the 28 official selections to debut at this year’s festival, being held in New York September 5th through September 9th.
The festival features original pilots produced by independent producers and production companies. Many of the pilots feature actors from programs such as The Sopranos and Saturday Night Live, as well as films such as Office Space and Ghostbusters.
Among this year’s selections are:
-Strange Faculty, a comedy which follows three teachers who get superpowers, albeit limited ones, after their carpool gets struck by lightning.
-Codeword Secret, an action/comedy that follows the adventures of Johnny Newman, who gets drafted into the CIA.
-Ex-Pats: Bangalore, a comedy which features four American and British ex pats living and working in India as part of the outsourcing boom.
-The Gauntlet, a reality competition that lets people with workplace scores to settle “throw down,” reality show style.
-Dear Harvard, a drama following a young girl who has to adjust from a wealthy lifestyle to more modest means, all while navigating the elite private high school she attends.
"We received a record number of submissions this year, proving that the independent television movement continues to expand," said NYTVF founder Terence Gray in a statement announcing the slate. "The quality and imagination of the pilots as a whole improves every year, and we expect tremendous things from the artists being showcased at the 2007 NYTVF."
The sponsors for this year's festival include NBC-Universal, Fox, ABC, A&E, E! and the William Morris Agency.
Information about the 28 finalists are available at the NYTVF website. The pilots will be available for viewing starting September 5th on MSN Video.
