Last Thursday the International Television Festival’s opening gala event took place in the courtyard of the Laemmle Sunset 5, marking the beginning of a week of independent television screenings, talks, and mixers.

Honored at the event was Illeana Douglas for her long career in independent television as an Emmy-nominated actress, executive producer, writer, director, and now web series creator.

Illeana Douglas and ITVFest director, AJ Tesler. (Photo courtesy of ITVFest).

ITVFest formed five years ago as a way of giving independent television makers a podium to tout their wares. As Festival Director AJ Tesler put it, ITVFest “will allow people who have previously had little or no access to television decision makers the forum for which they have tirelessly strived.”

This year’s event is billed as the broadest and most diverse in terms of programming, with shows ranging from “La Manzana”, about the struggles of five Latin women in Spanish Harlem to “Rhyme Animal” about a young hip-hop DJ who suspects his mentor might also be a cannibalistic serial killer. And though comedy still dominates all categories, more than in other years, there is  greater representation of other genres.

Jamie Kennedy at the ITVFest Gala. Photo courtesy of MingleMediaTv.

Screenings range from offerings by first-time pilot-makers to work by industry professionals, and feature unknown talent as well as such well-known names as John Schneider, Jaime Kennedy, John Larroquette, Jeffrey Tambor, Jere Burns, Sam Page, George Segal and Billy Dee Williams.

Still from “Olga Kay’s Circus”.

Shows are divided into three categories generally based on length but other structural elements might also come into play. The categories are Pilots, Web Series, and Web/Mobile and with 53 selections total, all of which I won’t list, just the ones  I’m most excited about. (For a full list of screenings check out the ITVFest website’s schedule page.)

Still from “Odd Jobs”

Granted I only saw the trailer to the aforementioned, “La Manzana” but the acting (among other things) looks top-notch so I can’t wait to see it. Then there’s “Odd Jobs” with its characters that seem straight out of “School of Rock” (even down to the Jack Black characterization). As well as “Concierge: The Series” and “Octane Pistols of Fury” about the whacky interactions of gangsters of New York’s underworld.

Still from “Time Traveling Finger”.

The ingenious “Time Traveling Finger”, an animated series about a guy who’s girlfriend’s finger has the power to send whatever she touches back in time, changing the present in unexpected ways. Erin Brown’s great comedy timing in “Hot on the Red Carpet” where she interviews everyday people on her towel/”red carpet”. “Duncan & Me” about Steve and his talking dog, Duncan. “Mother Approved – Phobias” which tackles a different little known phobia in each episode and “Permanent Stakeout” about the weird ramblings of two cops on boring stakeouts.

Still from “Rhyme Animal”.

In the non-comedic category of shows some of the most interesting are “Rhyme Animal” which cuts to sequences of motion graphics for scenes of high emotion and violence. “Hamilton Carver: Zombie PI” shot in a moody black and white noir style, but who’s annoying Devil is my one gripe. And “Olga Kay’s Circus” which boasts some impressive set and costume design as well as an interesting visual style that reminds me of the theatre.

Still from “Hamilton Carver: Zombie PI”.

There seemed to be a lot more reality pilots this year and some interesting ones  include, “Going to Pot” about a guy working in California’s medical marijuana industry. “Treasure Coast” about the search for sunken treasure, and “The Wine Guy Unplugged with Anthony Gilardi” which takes you through the wine regions of the world so you’ll sound sophisticated at your next wine tasting event.

Still from “Finding my Magic”.

Others that I’m excited to see are “Axis” an action-adventure about the aftermath once the Earth’s thrown off its axis. “Illuminati Brothers” about brothers who inherit the leadership of the Illuminati. “A Good Knight’s Quest” about a video game princess who crosses into the real world. “Passenger” a “Supernatural”-esque story about demoted archangel, Michael, who now spends his time destroying demons on Earth. And “Quick Tip Couple”, at last a comedy about the trials of eco-living.

Interestingly a whopping seventy percent of this year’s selections are in the Web Series category, a huge growth from last year which points definitively to the growing importance of this medium.

All regular screenings are eligible to win prizes in several different categories eg. Best animation. But besides the regular screenings there are special screenings of exceptional work like “Callbacks” created by Guy Shalem and Michael McDonald, starring Michael McDonald, Jane Lynch, and Eric McCormack. Or Mike Rotman’s, “Stupid for Movies” series, a weekly look at the best and worst movies with a “buy, rent or burn” rating scale.

Seminars take place every day on topics such as casting, writing, development pitching, representation and web distribution as well as making the transition from Web to TV. They feature professionals in the field; working directors, producers, writers, casting directors, and development executives from companies such as FOX, Babelgum, Mosaic, New Wave Entertainment, PB Management, SAG, and Atom.com. (Seminars also stream live via the internet.)

Besides Thursday’s Red Carpet Gala the festival boasts mixers at the end of the day’s screenings which allow people to network and meet interesting people in the independent television scene. Some organizations involved with these mixers are The Hair and Makeup Artist network, Tubefilter, and Digital LA.

August 5^th, the festival’s final day, is Pitch Day when all pilot-makers get a chance to pitch their shows to industry executives. The day and festival then ends with the Awards Ceremony.

Its at an event like this those interested in the field get a chance to see what’s being made, to not only gauge the production standard to shoot for but also which themes have done so often they are worn thin. Then there is the sense of community, fertile ground for networking, and which can result in collaborations. Looking to increase your talent pool beyond just your circle of friends? This would be the ideal place to do it. Finally nothing inspires like amazing work. A few days of screenings and hanging out with pilot-makers and you’ll be all pumped up to get your next project rolling – probably with talent you met at ITVFest – maybe to screen at next year’s event.

The ITVFest runs from July 30^th to August 5^th at the Laemmle Sunset 5.