Here Are the Independent Pilot Competition Winners from SeriesFest Season 8

On May 10, SeriesFest, the international television festival and non-profit organization, announced the winners of this year's independent pilot competition at an awards presentation at the Cable Center in Denver, CO. Jurors screened 56 pilots from all over the world, and selected winners in various categories including "Best Independent Pilot, "Best Digital Short Series," "Late Night," "Audience Award" and "Pitch-A-Thon." 

"The independent pilot competitions are at the heart of our mission. It is why we founded SeriesFest," Randi Kleiner, CEO and Co-Founder of SeriesFest, said in a statement. "It was to be a discovery platform for independent artists and give them the opportunity to get their voices heard and their projects seen by an audience and executives. Anyone who has made a pilot, especially during a pandemic, deserves to be honored."

Full disclosure: I was a juror for the Independent Pilot - Drama competition. I was tremendously impressed by the talent I saw on display in each of the pilots, and would like to congratulate all of the participants. 

Winners 

INDEPENDENT PILOT - DRAMA

Jury: Mikael Moore (Managing Partner, Wondaland), C. Brett Marottoli (Head of Program Acquisitions, Starz), Patrick Macmanus (Showrunner, Dr. Death, Co-Showrunner, The Girl From Plainville), and Liam Mathews (Reviews & Recommendations Writer, TV Guide)

Best Pilot: Awayy
Writers/Directors: Aqsa Altaf, John X. Carey
Executive Producer: Jeff Taylor
Producers: Aqsa Altaf, John X. Carey, Amina Nada
Cast: Annelise Cepero, Denny Love

"On the eve of a small-town waitress moving to New York City, a solar flare disrupts her plans. A proof of concept for a longer story."

Jury Statement: "Awayy is a gorgeous sci-fi exploration of fate that's grounded in reality. With an impeccable lead performance by Annelise Cepero and an impactful story that leaves you wanting more, Awayy is bound for greatness."

Best Pilot, Honorable Mention: 5150
Best Director: Carlos Cardona, Chiqui (Honorable Mention: Elaine Del Valle, Brownsville Bred)
Best Writer: Andrea Metz, How Not To Be A Junkie 
Best Performance: Brigitte Silva, Chiqui (Honorable Mention: Jenna Sutch, Death Doula)
Best International Drama: Hacked

INDEPENDENT PILOT - COMEDY

Jury: Jim O'Heir (Actor), Angie Han (TV Critic, The Hollywood Reporter), and Alec Ring (Manager, Cinetic Media)

Best Pilot: Mt. Mystic Rangers
Creator/Director: Jeremiah Dunlap
Executive Producers: Jeremiah Dunlap, Mindy Lopez Dunlap, Seth Dunlap, Cory Quintard
Producers: Jeremiah Dunlap, Mindy Lopez Dunlap, Seth Dunlap, Cory Quintard, Robyn Quintard, Beta Angarole, John David Harris
Cast: Jeremiah Dunlap, Cory Quintard, Joshua Black, Tenea Intriago, Moiba Mustapha, Robyn Quintard, Beta Angarole, Sally Harvey Anderson, Silva Riganelli, Martin Visser, Haven Greene, Mindy Lopez Dunlap, Jasper D. Platt

"A mockumentary series that follows a unit of misfit Park Rangers who watch over the unpredictable and often mysterious Mt. Mystic State Park."

Jury Statement: "This pilot was smart and truly laugh-out-loud funny. There is so much room for this comedy that we are excited to watch seasons 4, 5, and 6. We quickly understood the premise and the tone presented by a wonderful ensemble." 

Best Director: Kourtney Bell, Camp Greenwood
Best Writer: Aizzah Fatima, Atheer Yacoub, Negin Farsad, Rokhsane Zadeh and Zainab Johnson, Muslim Girls: DTF
Best Performance: Melanie Mahanna, Camp Greenwood
Best International Comedy: Tasteless

INDEPENDENT PILOT - UNSCRIPTED

Jury: Travis Tammero (Independent FIlm Group Agent, UTA), Britta Erickson (Producer, Listen Productions), and Stephanie Rance (Deputy Director, Youth on Record)

Best Pilot: Cycles
Directors/Writers/Producers: Mari Kussman, Mitchell Hart
Executive Producers: Trevite Willis, Jared P. Scott
Cast: Eiji Nakatsu, Osamu Nakamura, Terumi Azuma, Sonoe Fujii, Daisuke Ishizu

"Cycles is a journey around the world to uncover everyday activists leading a quiet fight against the economic growth that is destroying the planet."

Jury Statement: "Beautifully shot, Cycles takes viewers on a journey of the quiet bite of everyday activists searching for ways to live in sync with nature."

Best Director: Cameron Yates, Quitting Time

DIGITAL SHORTS SERIES (DRAMA, COMEDY)

Jury: Dino-Ray Ramos (Founder and Editor in Chief of Diaspora), Geneva Wasserman (EVP, Head of Scripted Development & Production, Dentsu-Story Lab), Elle Roth-Brunet (Executive Producer, Head of Content & Entertainment Partnerships at Google), and Milan Chakraborty (Producer, Head of Film Marginal MediaWorks)

Best Drama Pilot: Hello (Again)
Director: Melanie Chung
Executive Producers: Simu Liu, Nathalie Younglai, Teresa M. Ho, Alex Mallari Jr.
Producer: Teresa M. Ho
Writers: Simu Liu, Nathalie Younglai, Lief Ramsaran, Leonard Chan
Cast: Alex Mallari Jr., Rong Fu, Araya Mengesha, Grace Armas, Rebecca Chan, Fuad Ahmed, Larry Vang 

"Boy meets girl. Boy gets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy meets creepy, mischievous, mysterious child. She gives him a second chance at love... by sending him back in time. Again and again and again." 

Jury Statement: "Hello (Again) is as painful as it is joyful, as devastating as it is inspirational. Its exploration of love, relationships, family, and second chances within the framework of time travel is vibrant and emotional."

Best Comedy Pilot: American Dreamers: The Other Hemsworth
Director/Writer: Greg Ash
Producers: Greg Ash, Jaime Rae Kasztelan
Cast: Greg Ash, Sasha Feldman

"The untold story of Chip Hemsworth - Hollywood actor, Thor impersonator, and the youngest of the four Hemsworth brothers."

Jury Statement: "We were hooked on The Other Hemsworth within the first minute. Greg Ash's
hysterical performance as Chip Hemsworth is a highly entertaining and promising start to this
anthology of dreamers trying to make it in America."

Best Comedy Pilot, Honorable Mention: Where Are You Going?
Best Director: Erich Rettstadt, Tank Fairy
Best Writer: Stef Smith, Float
Best Performance: Emily Pendergast, We're Doing Good
Best International Digital Short: Tank Fairy

LATE NIGHT

Jury: Steve Greene (Associate TV Editor, IndieWire), David Griffin (TV Editor, IGN), and Tara Westwood (Actor/Director)

Best Pilot: Olympus: A Retrospective
Director/Executive Producer/Writer: Will Jacobs
Producers: Will Jacobs, Matt Antonucci
Cast: Will Jacobs, Corin Wells, Matthew Edward Matney, Ashley Glicken, Louis Kornfeld, David Dotterer 

"Olympus: A Retrospective is a comedic docuseries that tells the behind-the-scenes story of the 70s Sci-fi TV sensation The Olympus Chronicles"

Jury Statement: "Olympus: A Retrospective proves that some of the best storytelling comes from being as specific as possible, especially when that means quadrupling down on the oddities of '70s-era British TV sci-fi. With impeccable comic timing, a loving attention to visual detail, and a few well-placed ninjas, this is a densely layered faux-documentary delight that we're excited to get the chance to see more of in the near future."


Best Pilot, Honorable Mention: Feel Better and The Whippersnappers

PITCH-A-THON

In partnership with the Royal Bank of Canada, UnReal Media, Dilettante Productions, Working Artists Group.
Jury: Lu Law (Producer, Founder) Dilettante Productions), Jon Vandergriff, (Writer), and Aaliyah Williams (Producer, Founder, Just a Rebel Productions).

Best Pilot: Grave Affairs
Writer: Harold Abrams

"A disgraced funeral planner returns home to redeem her tarnished reputation and reclaim her dominance in the serious and sometimes funny death business."

Jury Statement: "The jury loved all the very specific worlds that each of the contestants brought to the competition, but the possibilities of the dark comedy world of Grave Affairs was particularly appealing to us. The quirky behind-the-scenes look at a Black mortuary as seen from the point of view of a middle-aged woman trying to reconstruct a satisfying life? Yes, please!"

AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS - INDEPENDENT PILOT (COMEDY, LATE NIGHT, UNSCRIPTED, DRAMA, DIGITAL SHORTS, INTERNATIONAL)

Best Comedy Pilot: Mt. Mystic Rangers
Best Late Night Pilot: Syd & Mike
Best Unscripted Pilot: Cycles
Best Drama Pilot: 5150
Best Digital Shorts Pilot: Hotter Up Close
Best International Spotlight: The Art Dispute and Audrey's Back

Level Forward Impact Award, given to the episodic pilot and team who demonstrate, on top of their commitment to creative excellence, a thoughtful, thorough and deliberate approach to using storytelling as a means of leveling the playing field for underrepresented people including women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA and alternatively abled voices: Jordan, Ebony Blanding

Caz Matthews Fund Recipients: Brownsville Bred, We're Doing Good, Chiqui, Muslim Girls: DTF, and Dot

Spotlight Your Town finalists: South Shore Drill Team by Carlos Javier Ortiz (Chicago); Southmont Drive by Ashley O'Shay (Chicago); Revolutionary Hearts by A.K. Sandhu (Oakland, CA).