North Fork TV Festival Returns to Greenport September 6–8

The North Fork TV Festival (NFTF), returning to Greenport for its third year, is a three-day celebration of independent scripted television. Centered in the historic Greenport Theatre, this year’s festival runs from Thursday, September 6–Saturday, September 8.

Get your tickets now for exclusive screenings of the industry’s unique, deeply personal and independently produced pilots. Sit in on one (or all!) of the panels featuring TV’s top actors, creators and working professionals, and immerse yourself fully in a weekend of entertainment and local flavor.

Enjoy a craft beer and local dishes from Greenport’s up-and-coming food scene, followed by access to exclusive cocktail parties, screening events and panels.

Comedy at the Gallery Hotel
The festival kicks off Thursday evening with a night of cocktails, appetizers and comedy at Kon-Tiki at the Gallery Hotel at 441 Main Street. The event will feature comedians Michelle Slonim, Ben Rosenfeld and Sandip Sen, as well as cocktails by Campari and beer from Greenport Harbor Brewing Co.

Showrunners Brunch
This industry brunch panel, taking place on Friday, will feature top TV showrunners, moderated by Variety, at The Halyard Restaurant at Sound View Greenport at 58775 County Road 48 outside Greenport. Doors open at 11 a.m. and brunch begins at 11:30.

Opening Night Party
Friday night’s opening night party will be held at 9 p.m. at Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. (239 Carpenter Street) and will feature more craft beer (of course) and a night under the stars with live music by the HooDoo Loungers.

Special Family Programming
What’s it like making cartoons for a living? Who gets to do the voices? Did you draw all the characters yourself? How long does it take to make an episode? At this event, on Saturday at 11 a.m., curated and moderated by Sara Berliner, kids and parents can ask Emmy Award-winning writer, director, author and illustrator, Jennifer Oxley, all their burning questions about making children’s television. Attendees will be treated to an episode of Oxley’s hit show on PBS Kids, Peg + Cat, plus other short film highlights from her wildly creative career.

Actors Panel
Rebecca Dealy, from Chrystie Street Casting, will moderate an in-depth conversation about working in today’s TV industry, featuring panelists Italia Ricci (Designated Survivor), Eka Darville (Jessica Jones), and Brian J. Smith (Sense8) at the Greenport Theatre on Saturday, September 8 at 1:30 p.m.

Official Pilot Selections
The curated list of pilots only showcase the best, in which creators use their independent spirit and resourcefulness to tell groundbreaking stories.

In America (Friday, September 7, 3 p.m.), a group of Israeli immigrants new to Los Angeles learn the harsh challenges of pursuing the American Dream.

The Russian Cousin (Friday, September 7, 7 p.m.) is a comedy featuring a young Brooklynite who is fully unprepared to host her quirky, sultry and slightly suspicious cousin visiting from Russia. Following the screening, is a featured conversation with The Sopranos star Aida Turturro, moderated by Elisa DiStefano.

Struggling to remain on the right side of the law, a Russian-Jewish immigrant family flees the U.S.S.R. to seek sanctuary in the United States in the 1980s in Russian Room (Saturday, September 8, 4 p.m.), a drama that ties together the past and present hopes and dreams of the family as they navigate their newfound lives.

In Alive in Denver (Saturday, September 8, 7 p.m.), a meteor fails to wipe out all life on Earth, and a group of young twenty-somethings cope with surviving the end of the world.

Each screening is at the Greenport Theatre (211 Front Street, Greenport. 631-477-8600, greenporttheater.com) and will be followed by a Q+A with the creators.

For more info on the North Fork TV Festival visit northfork.tv.