ITVFest (Independent Television Festival)
ITVFest (The Independent Television and Film Festival) is an annual festival gathering of fans, artists and executives from around the world to celebrate outstanding independent small-screen production. It was founded in 2006 by producer AJ Tesler, and was originally held in Los Angeles, California.[1]
The goal of the festival is to give independent television and web series[2] makers the opportunity to share their work with television professionals and a larger community of independent TV producers. In 2013, Philip Gilpin, Jr. took over as the festival's Executive Director and the 8th annual festival took place from September 25th to September 28th, 2013, at its new home in Dover, Vermont. As of 2014, ITVFest has signed a deal to keep the festival in Dover, Vermont through at least 2017. The 9th Annual ITVFest will be held September 26-28th, 2014.[1]
The festival has been in existence for nine years and it is one of only three independent television festivals in the country (the others being the New York Television Festival and The Los Angeles Television Festival). ITVFest is the first festival dedicated to independently produced pilots and webseries, with an emphasis on new media.[3]
Festival support has come from companies and media outlets including Sony, Fox TV Studios, RDF, Comedy Central, SyFy, FX (TV channel), GSN, HBO, Current TV, The Hollywood Reporter, Tubefilter, Stickam, B-Side and Comcast.[4]
Previous winners
2015 winners
- Best Visual Effects - Border Queen
- Best Reality - Kickin' it Caucasian
- Best Short Film - February
- Best Writing - The Wake
- Best Cinematography - Zero Point
- Best Acting Ensemble - Fu@K I Love U
- Best Actor - Darrell Lake, The Incredible Life of Darrell
- Best Actress - Alex Trow, Cooking for One
- Best Director - Kerry Valderrama, Sanitarium
- Best Documentary - Port of Indecision
- Web Web Series Comedy - The KATEering SHow
- Best Web Series Drama - Farr
- Best TV Drama - Trouble
- Best TV Comedy - Life Sucks
- Best of ITVFest - The Wake
2013 winners
- Best in Show - Old Souls
- Best Acting - Mythos
- Best Comedy - Preggers
- Best Drama - Event Zero
- Best Documentary - Comrade Sunshine
2012 winners
- Best Writer - Underwater, Nathan Marshall & Michael Traynor
- Best Actress in a Drama - Underwater, Rachel Nichols
2010 winners
- "Innovator" Award - Illeana Douglas
- Best Overall Web - Octane Pistols of Fury, Chris Prine, Greg Stees[5]
- Best Overall TV - Going to Pot, Leo Simone, Scott Perlman, Jamie Kennedy
- Best Documentary - Going to Pot, Leo Simone, Scott Perlman, Jamie Kennedy
- Best Animated Pilot- Time Traveling Finger, Stephen Leonard
- Best Drama - the_source, Marc D’Agostino[6]
- Best Comedy- Octane Pistols of Fury, Chris Prine, Greg Stees
- Mobifest Winner - Phobias, Kasi Brown and Brandon Walter
- Best Actor - La Manzana, Paula Roman
- Best Director - 15 Minutes, Bobby Salomon
- Best Writer - Odd Jobs, Jeremy Redleaf
- Best Cinematographer - Goodsam & Max, Gil Nievo
2009 winners
- "I Am Independent" Award - Kevin Pollak[7]
- Best Overall Web - OzGirl, Nicholas Carlton, Sophie Tilson[8]
- Best Overall TV - Dog, Barry Gribble[9]
- Best Documentary - Pushing The Limits, Javier Bermudez
- Best Animated Pilot- Wentworth & Buxbury, Lucas Crandles, Timothy Nash and Hayden Grubb[10]
- Best Drama - Urban Wolf, Napoleon Premiere,[11] Laurent Touil-Tartour[12]
- Best Comedy- MERRIme.com, Kaily Smith[13]
- Mobifest Winner - Chelsey & Kelsey, Claire Coffee, Ellie Knaus, Marie-Amelie Rechberg[14]
- Best Actor - OzGirl, Shanrah Wakefield, Sophie Tilson[15]
- Best Director - Dark Room Theater, Benjamin Pollack[16]
- Best Writer - Imaginary Bitches, Andrew Miller[17]
- Best Cinematographer - Goodsam & Max, Gil Nievo[18]
2008 winners
- Best Dramatic Program - Turnover, Michael Blieden
- Best Comedic Program - Small Bits of Happiness, Blake Barrie and Thiago Gadelha
- Best Documentary Program - Wal-Mart Nation - Andrew Munger
- Best Alternative Program - Welcome to Plainville - Jason Frederick, Anne Gregory, Kevin McShane, Opus Moreschi, Charlotte Newhouse
- Best Webseries - Violent Jake, Samuel Smith, Clint Gossett and Tansy Brook
- Audience Award - Small Town News - Sarah Babineau
- Best Director - Turnover, Michael Blieden
- Best Writer - Hit Factor, James Cromwell, Saba Homayoon, Neil Hopkins, Jamie Rosenblatt, Kerry Sullivan
- Best Ensemble Acting - Hit Factor, James Cromwell, Saba Homayoon, Neil Hopkins, Jamie Rosenblatt, Kerry Sullivan
2007 Winners
- Best Dramatic Program - The Collectors, Steve Alper
- Best Comedic Program - Partners - Seth Menachem, Avi Rothman
- Best Documentary Program - Gusto - Mike Maniglia, Subterra Films
- Best Alternative Program - King Kaiser - Steven Burrows, The Burrows of Hollywood
- Best Webseries - Trekant, Diaperdog Productions
- Audience Award - King Kaiser - Steven Burrows, The Burrows of Hollywood
- Webseries Audience Award - Flipper Nation, Space Shank Media
- Vuze Second Chance Competition - Adam Ray TV, Adam Ray
- Best Director - Mr. Jackson's Neighborhood, Nathan Marshall[19]
- Best Writer - Deal With It, Steven Muterspaugh, Michael Kary, Jamey Hood and Karin Kary
- Best Ensemble Acting - Grounds Zero, Alan Keller
2006 Winners
- Best Dramatic Program - "FBI Guys" - Paul Darrigo, 2 Wolves Production
- Best Comedic Program - "As Seen on TV" - Ryan Sage
- Best Variety Program - "Loading Zone" - Nick Barnes, Frog Island Films
- Best Reality Program - "Meet Tom Kramer" - Rachael Pihlaja
- Audience Award - "This is My Friend" - Jeremy Konner, Morning Knight Films
- Best Director - "The Perverts" - John Gegenhuber, The Perverts Pictures
- Best Writer - "As Seen on TV" - Ryan Sage
- Best Ensemble Acting - "Van Stone: Tour of Duty" - Tim Bennett, Dakota