The North Fork Television Festival has announced that actor Richard Schiff of “The West Wing” will be honored as an Ambassador for the Arts. The organization also revealed the full list of winners of its Independent Pilot Competition, including Sue Zarco Kramer’s comedy “Swipe NYC,” which Schiff co-starred in. The festival will take place in Greenport, New York, on August 27 and 28.
The drama “The Sessions” by Al Julian and Vince Eisenson, the comedy “The Ladies” by Juliana Pessina, and the experimental play “Typical Things by Dan Peterson” by Scott Cross, Josh Long, and Curt Quinn were selected as the winners of the competition.
“This year’s winners include a brilliant treatment of convicted murderers, a coming-of-age comedy set in a hilarious Brooklyn online dating setting, a quirky slapstick comedy, and a lighthearted story about a high school girls’ basketball team,” said Mike Stern, the festival’s artistic director and a film and television writer and producer. “The eclectic creativity on display in this year’s winners once again underscores the North Fork’s position as a premier destination for independent television.”
Actors John Turturro (“Severance”) and Marcia Gay Harden (“The Morning Show”) will also be at the festival, with Turturro leading a conversation about the evolution of television and Harden receiving the Canopy Award. Other panelists include Bridget Moynahan (“Blue Bloods”) and Kelsey Grammer (“Frasier, Cheers”).
Additionally, a panel discussion with veteran TV producers Kevin Wade (Blue Bloods) and Chris Brancato (Hotel Cocaine) will take place during the festival. Moderated by Roy Ashton, the discussion will explore the creative and organizational process involved in developing and producing network and live content.
The festival also announced the winners of the Experimental Screenplay Competition, including Gregory Abbey for the coming-of-age drama “Shark,” as well as Heidi Marie Ferrin for the Cherokee detective drama “Backwoods Chief.”
