Lena Dunham and Rachel Dratch are a few of the stars attached to the 2016 New York Television Festival, which unveiled its lineup on Friday. The festival will take place Oct. 24 – 29 in Manhattan.
“The independent television movement continues to thrive as we prepare for our 12th annual Festival,” said founder Terence Gray. “At its core, the NYTVF is rooted in the celebration of great creators — whether they are established or just beginning their careers — and creating an environment that fosters talent development and relationship-building.”
This year’s public festival line-up includes final season send-offs for SundanceTV’s “Rectify” and HBO’s “Girls,” with an appearance with series creator and star Lena Dunham. Other events include panels hosted by MTV, Pop, Seeso, TNT and truTV. Highlights from the schedule include:
Monday, Oct. 24
- NBCUniversal’s EVP of digital enterprises Evan Shapiro and “How I Met Your Mother” creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas join NYTVF Founder Terence Gray for an interview and discussion entitled “Capitalizing on Comedy: A Creators Guide to the Evolving Content Landscape – Developing Formats and Scripted Projects for Success.”
- “The Politics of Funny” – NBCUniversal’s Seeso looks at the lighter side of the 2016 presidential race, featuring comedians Janeane Garofalo (“Wet Hot American Summer”) and Jena Friedman (“The Daily Show”).
Tuesday, Oct. 25
- “Prep Your Pitch with Mitch” – “Arrested Development” creator Mitchell Hurwitz offers independent creators guidance in a Q&A session and discussion.
- “Rectify”: The Final Season – The panel will feature a screening of the season four premiere and a discussion with series creator Ray McKinnon and Bloomberg News’ David Westin.
- Jon Glaser and Rachel Dratch – truTV will host a sneak peek of “Jon Glaser Loves Gear,” and a preview of the second season of “Rachel Dratch’s Late Night Snack.”
- “Good Behavior” – TNT will screen its new drama starring Michelle Dockery, followed by a panel featuring series creators Chad Hodge, Blake Crouch, and the network’s Sarah Aubrey.
Thursday, Oct. 27
- NYTVF Creative Keynote: A Conversation with “Girls” – As “Girls” enters its final season, creator and star Lena Dunham, executive producer and showrunner Jenni Konner, and Vice President of HBO Programming Kathleen McCaffrey sit for a Q&A.
- The Struggle is Real: Gender, Race, Entrepreneurship and the Women of MTV – The panel event will bring together the creators, writers, and stars of MTV’s newest series’ – “Loosely,” “Exactly Nicole,” “Mary + Jane” and “Sweet/Vicious”– to explore the creative opportunities in tackling heavy subjects through the lens of funny and empowered women.
- “Nightcap” at the New York Television Festival – This event will feature a sneak peek new satirical scripted comedy series “Nightcap,” with series star Ali Wentworth followed by a panel hosted by Wentworth and a slate of writers and producers.
