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Welcome to the inside of the iTV Fest for those of you who were not able to attend in person or via live stream from Stickam.com July 31-August 6 at Laemmle’s Sunset 5.

You might be saying … iTV Fest? What is an iTV Fest? And the “i” that must stand for Internet, right? Wrong! Or, you might be saying, “Wow! This sounds very cutting edge, like very futuristic TV.” Yes. No. Yes.

The “i” in iTV stands for “independent” not Internet. You know, quirky, original and edgy content – like independent films but mostly for TV. And believe me, most of the people who submitted for the festival hope their projects will end up on HBO, NBC … etc.

ITV fest has all of the things that other festivals have i.e. panels, screenings, coffee talks, food donated by Trader Joe’s (not always), ending night galas and festivities but then something new and different. Mobi fest day featured special screenings fit for your mobile device (i.e. cell phone) and a multi platform panel. Web TV day featured digital agents (talent agents in the Digital World) and the screenings of webisodes including the beloved OZ Girl (a country girl moves to the big city to live with her bitchy cousin) where the creator and actors flew in all the way from Australia and did a Q & A. 

But here’s where the festival is different, and very cutting edge. Two of the days are devoted to new media. There was web TV day and mobi fest day within the actual festival which explores and defines where content is heading. Where is TV heading? Well, most of the panelists say that no one really knows, it’s up-in-the –air and changing everyday -- so “you” be the pioneer of where content is heading, with 20th Century Fox and most other major studios developing a web arm.  

Some of the standard format, episodic submissions from producers, writers and directors that I had the opportunity to see were “Dog” which features a filthy-mouthed trash talking Howard Stern wanna be with brain cancer who thinks he may be falling in love with a lesbian. “Red State Blues” about a semi hypocritical leftwing pundit who’s searching for romance in the Mid-west. “Living in Captivity“ is a “Scrubs-style” workplace comedy that takes place in the NY City Zoo. Lastly, “Blog of a Pool Boy” where a horny employed pool boy tries to help out his unemployed Ivy League cousin.

Visit www.iTVfest.org for more information.

Ta!

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