The New York Television Festival is expanding its 13th year, adding a sixth day of events to its October schedule and launching a two-day event in Chicago.
The festival offers a competition for independently produced pilots, giving participants the chance to network with TV industry executives and agents. Winners receive development deals and mentoring opportunities with fest sponsors. The coming edition will also feature a separate competition for comedy and drama scripts.
The New York fest runs Oct. 23-28, with the extra day of programming to focus on the writing process. The Chicago gathering is set for April 4-5 and will include panels and pitch-meeting opportunities.
“The New York Television Festival has been a great vehicle for us to find new voices outside of Los Angeles, and we are excited to be pitched by independent creators and storytellers at the Chicago and New York events,” said Scott Greenberg, CEO and co-founder of Bento Box Entertainment, a fest development sponsor along with Comedy Central, One X Studios, Red Arrow Entertainment Group, Seeso, and We TV.
The fest is accepting submissions to its pilot competition and will open up submissions for its script competition on April 11.
“The NYTVF has evolved a lot in its first dozen years, but the central goal has always been two-fold: provide a platform for storytellers across the episodic spectrum to showcase their work and simultaneously serve as a filter and curator of independent work for the greater industry,” said NYTVF founder Terence Gray. “More opportunities for more creators is always a good thing, and we’re thrilled to see what the creative community has to offer.”