Fifth Annual New York Television Festival Announces Awards

The fifth annual New York Television Festival (NYTVF) announced Festival honors tonight at the NYTVF Awards Ceremony, presented by Zune. The ceremony held at New World Stages in Midtown Manhattan featured the winners of the Festival's Independent Pilot Competition. Representatives from Festival partners also announced the winners of the second annual NYTVF People's Choice Award, the second FOX-PGP-NYTVF Comedy Script Contest and Fox TV Studios presented the "FtvS 15 Gigs of Fame" award.

Following the announcement of winners, NYTVF announced the launch of "Act I: The ION Television Movie Contest," offering drama screenwriters the chance to win a $40,000 development deal with the network. This unique contest offers screenwriters a chance to have their original drama script developed into a new TV movie to air on ION. The 2009 NYTVF launched on September 21st and ran through September 26th. All pilots will be available soon on MSN Video, Xbox Marketplace, and Zune Marketplace for free viewing.

"Congratulations to all of the talented artists whose work was showcased at the fifth annual New York Television Festival," said NYTVF founder Terence Gray. "With the generous support of our partners, sponsors, attendees and Mayor Bloomberg, who issued a proclamation declaring September 21-26 as the official 'New York Television Festival Week' in NYC, we are continuing to build an influential industry event poised to help launch a number of promising careers in television."

"We are excited to partner with NYTVF on this original film competition," said Leslie Chesloff, EVP, Programming, ION Media Networks. "ION Television is dedicated to building its original programming slate, and we are looking forward to producing a dozen films over the course of the next year. It's no secret that there are many talented screenwriters in the creative community with compelling screenplays who are looking for that 'one big break.' We are thrilled to give the winner the opportunity to show his or her work to the American television audience."

As announced at the NYTVF Awards Ceremony, following are the awards and their winners. All winners receive a free Microsoft Zune in addition to other stated prizes.

NYTVF Special Competition Winners

Voted by popular choice at Festival screenings to honor the audience's favorite submission in the Independent Pilot Competition, the 2009 NYTVF People's Choice Award for Best Pilot was presented to Al Thompson for "Johnny B. Homeless." The web comedy series featuring Saturday Night Live's Kenan Thompson, follows a professional couch surfer. Though not literally homeless, the hero constantly stays away from home to give his girlfriend some space and meets a host of new acquaintances in the process. Creator Al Thompson received the prized crystal statue awarded to winners at the nationally televised People's Choice Awards each January.

The comedy pilot "Liberal Arts" was named the winner of the FOX-PGP-NYTVF Comedy Script Contest. As part of this distinction, Adam Morgan will receive $25,000 and a development deal with Fox Broadcasting Company. Once in development, the script has the opportunity to be turned into a pilot presentation with the support of Procter & Gamble Productions. The script follows a college freshman's first experiences at a small rustic college.

Jeremy Redleaf, creator of the pilot "Odd Jobs" was named the recipient of the first annual Fox Television Studios "FtvS 15 Gigs of Fame" award in recognition of his effort to create a rich entertainment experience around his content. This prize entitles the winner to an opportunity to further develop a project for 15 Gigs, a division of Fox Television Studios. The pilot follows two unemployed roommates as they blaze a trail through a world in economic crisis, trying on new hats (and hamburger costumes) as they learn the rules of survival.

NYTVF Independent Pilot Competition Winners

The 2009 Independent Pilot Competition featured 37 pilots in a wide variety of television genres.

This year's "NYTVF Awards" were presented to pilots and pilot-makers in the following categories:

Best Comedy Pilot: "Blog of a Pool Boy"

Created by: Greg Burke, AJ Morales, and Lou Perez (New York, NY)

A young novelist falls flat on his face after college graduation and is forced to work for the family pool care business with his eccentric cousin Billy.

Best Drama Pilot: "Dog"

Created by: Barry Gribble (Washington, DC)

Outrageous radio shock-jock Dog Rollins struggles to share the airwaves with his new female co-host.

Best Nonscripted Pilot: "Monster Brothers"

Created by: Ryan Golembeske and Josh Golembeske (Santa Monica, CA)

Two rowdy country boys pursue their childhood dream of capturing the world's most famous monsters on camera.

Best Animation Pilot: "God & Co."

Created by: Stephen Levinson and Joel Levinson (Brooklyn, NY)

An animated, irreverent and totally original take on the Bible featuring the guest voices of today's hottest comics including Jonathan Katz (Comedy Central's "Dr. Katz").

Best Web Series Pilot: "My Pal Satan"

Created by: Dennis Heaton (Toronto, Ontario)

Donna is a 26-year-old mortal experiencing ups-and-downs while cohabitating with the Prince of Darkness.

Best Actor: Greg Burke for "Blog of a Pool Boy" (New York, NY)

A young novelist falls flat on his face after college graduation and is forced to work for the family pool care business with his eccentric cousin Billy.

Best Actress: Kaily Smith for "MERRIme.com" (Los Angeles, CA)

After a broken engagement and her father's ultimatum to find a job, Merri realizes that the key to her survival is not a career, but a man.

Best Nonscripted Host or Star: Lea Michele for "Around the Block" (New York, NY)

Our host Lea escapes the daily human grind and travels to "other countries and exotic destinations" without ever hopping on a plane.

Best Writing: Matt Fisher, Alden Ford, and Justin Tyler for "HomeSchooled" (New York, NY)

Three highly intelligent but socially inept home-schooled brothers try to make their way in New York City.

Best Directing: Nick Armstrong for "Team A.P.O.C.A.L.Y.P.S.E." (Los Angeles, CA)

In a post-apocalyptic future, three strangers are kidnapped by a cocky-yet-lonely former millionaire and forced on a mission to stop the extinction of the human race.

Best Theme Song: "My Pal Satan"

Created by: Dennis Heaton (Toronto, Ontario)

Donna is a 26-year-old mortal experiencing ups-and-downs while cohabitating with the Prince of Darkness.

Outside the Box Award: "Hell Froze Over"

Created by: Misplaced Planet Productions: J Wilder Konschak, Michael Benni Pierce, Shaun Boyle, and Alli Hartley (Brooklyn, NY)

The Outside the Box Award is given to the most innovative or genre-expanding pilot in competition. This year's winner "Hell Froze Over" features Jody who decides to go on a date with every man she's ever turned down in order to prove a point to her roommate, Brooke. The 2008 Outside the Box Award winner, "Food Party," aired as a series in 2009 on IFC.

Full descriptions of all pilots are available online at website.

The NYTVF is supported by sponsors including Procter & Gamble Productions, People's Choice, MSN, and WME Entertainment. Official Network Sponsors for the 2009 NYTVF include ABC, FOX, NBC, CBS and ION Television. The NYTVF works in conjunction with the Mayor's Office of New York City. For tickets or more information on the NYTVF, please visit website.

About "Act I: The ION Television Movie Contest"

The NYTVF contest offers drama screenwriters the chance to win a $40,000 development deal with ION Television. To enter, writers must submit a movie treatment (5-10 pages) and the first act of their screenplay (20-40 pages). The deadline for entry is November 30, 2009.

About ION Television

ION Television is a general entertainment network which reaches over 96 million U.S. television households via its nationwide broadcast television, cable and satellite distribution systems. Launched in 2006, ION Television features popular TV series and movies from the award-winning libraries of RHI Entertainment, CBS Television, NBC Universal, Sony Pictures Television, Twentieth Television and Warner Bros. Parent company, ION Media Networks, Inc., owns and operates the nation's largest broadcast television station group. Using its digital multicasting capability, ION Media Networks has launched the digital TV brands Qubo, a channel for children focusing on literacy and values, and ION Life, a channel dedicated to active living and personal growth. It also has launched Open Mobile Ventures Corporation (OMVION), a business unit focused on the research and development of portable, mobile and out-of-home transmission technology using over-the-air digital television spectrum.

About the New York Television Festival

The NYTVF was founded in 2005 as the industry's first recognized independent television festival, providing a platform to elevate the work of artists creating for the small screen. Held annually each fall in New York City, the birthplace of modern television, the Festival unites artists, executives, industry figures, and fans together in one forum to celebrate the medium and to help shape its future. Along with the Independent Pilot Competition, the Festival features panel discussions, network premiere screenings, and other special events designed to honor television as an institution and as an art form.