(New York – April 3, 2017) IFC Center, home to the country's largest independent documentary film festival DOC NYC, today announced the first edition of the Split Screens Festival, a new, annual event celebrating the art and cultural impact of television, taking place June 2-8, 2017 in New York City.
Reflecting a renaissance moment when content on all screens has never been more innovative or accomplished, the Split Screens Festival will showcase the best of the year’s scripted originals, with directors, producers, showrunners and cast appearing in person for in-depth conversations about the art of making great TV. Split Screens will also premiere episodes of eagerly anticipated new pilots, as well as spotlight the next generation of talented DIY creators whose work is pushing the form and content of episodic shows in bold new directions.
The festival’s programming team is headed by Matt Zoller Seitz, the Editor-in-Chief of RogerEbert.com, the TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism, and the author of TV (The Book) and studies on Wes Anderson, Oliver Stone and Mad Men. "There is no better time to take a close look at television as an art form," said Seitz. "Split Screens Festival will offer an intimate venue to examine the medium's Platinum Age, which has perfected new storytelling techniques and created characters that seem as vivid to viewers as the flesh-and-blood people they know and love. It's an honor to chronicle this amazing time as a critic, and I'm pleased to be spearheading this amazing festival with IFC Center."
The curated lineup will feature series from linear, broadcast, cable and streaming platforms with the entire roster to be unveiled in late April.
Commenting on the decision to move into the television space, John Vanco, General Manager and Senior Vice President of IFC Center, said: "The accomplishments of artists working in television have long been undervalued and that's why Split Screens couldn't be better timed or more relevant. Our mission for this festival, very much like our fall film festival, DOC NYC, will be to provide a destination for audiences not only to consume but to connect with and celebrate brilliant work—but in the field of television instead of cinema.” He added: “Given the vitality, ambition and cultural reach of today’s TV, we’re sure that the discerning NYC audiences that already support IFC Center will also have an appetite for a robust TV showcase that not only spotlights the best contemporary episodic programs, but also features new voices who will be setting television trends in the years to come.”
Split Screens Festival is produced and presented by IFC Center, one of New York’s leading independent cinemas, and is organized by the core team of its successful DOC NYC documentary film festival, including Executive Director Raphaela Neihausen, Partnerships Director Deborah Rudolph and Operations Director Dana Krieger. Collaborating with broadcasters, cable networks and streaming services, the festival will highlight great content from a range of platforms to bring together the creative talent behind TV’s most acclaimed shows and sophisticated New York audiences.
Tickets will go on sale in early May. Additional announcements about the festival’s advisory board and sponsors are also forthcoming.
