[press release] Emmy-Nominated Non-Profit Partners with SeriesFest on 'Pitch, Please!' – a Pioneering, Artist-Driven Launch Pad for Intersectional Storytellers
CHICAGO, IL (MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2024) – Open Television (OTV), the Emmy-nominated non-profit streaming platform and media incubator for intersectional storytellers, is happy to announce the return of "Pitch, Please!" — an artist-driven initiative that serves as a launch pad for its annual fellowship of storytellers, called #OTVFellows, to elevate their creative projects to new heights with the support of SeriesFest.
The return of 'Pitch, Please!' is a major step in platforming opportunity challenge writers. After months of development sessions led by Jess King and Makiah Green, three of the ten fellows have been chosen to pitch their projects. Past OTV fellows have secured deals with Hulu and Netflix and joined writers' rooms for CBS, Netflix, and Showtime, amongst many other achievements. “It's an honor to be given the resources and opportunity to pitch my show in the safety of a platform that cares about stories like mine," says Céline Tshika, Pitch, Please! 2024 participant and creator of Surprise!. I hope sharing my story encourages underrepresented people to validate their own stories and keep working on them, knowing there are beautiful spaces being created for them,” Tshika explains.
"Pitch, Please!" is a groundbreaking opportunity for select participants from the 2024 #OTVFellows cohort to pitch their series, short films, and video art concepts. They will present to a panel of Creative Advisors and a LIVE audience for a chance to secure over $30,000 in resources, acknowledgments, and more. The event will be live-streamed on Friday, November 22nd at 12:00pm CST via the OTV App available on Apple, Android, Roku, and FireTV.
“We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with SeriesFest,” says Elijah McKinnon, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Open Television (OTV). “SeriesFest has been a huge champion of OTV’s work and we admire their unique, and deeply intentional approach to artist development and community engagement. Feedback is the ultimate gift and ‘Pitch, Please’ provides us with the opportunity to push these poignant stories closer to the finish line,” says McKinnon.
Among the #OTVFellow Participants are exceptional talents who have already made their mark in the world of creative storytelling and will be participating:
Celine Tshika (she/her)
Project Title: Surprise!
Logline: When Congolese immigrant Jenni accidentally kills the guests at her surprise party, she must convince her shell-shocked fiancé to go on the run with her.
Bio: Céline Tshika is a DRC-born, Joburg-raised actor, writer, and comedian based in Cape Town. Creator of the award-winning web series 'Jess Goes West,' her social commentary-based comedy has continued through her sketches 'Stank Like a Man,’ 'The Wapidemic' and ‘no, YOU’RE amazing!’ alongside her current gig co-hosting 'Politically Aweh.' On-screen, she co-starred with UK comedian Asim Chaudry on a sketch for BBC's Comic Relief, landed a featured role in the historical drama feature “Hammarskjold”, voiced a recurring role on Netflix’s Supa Team 4, as well as wrote and starred in the award-winning satirical short for the Girls in Film RSA x OTV film race #BraveFutures.
Dante Ureta (he / they)
Project Title: El Camino De Alex
Logline: In 2010 Sinaloa Mexico, a trans boy and his best friend struggle with the brutal demands of masculinity. When a post-game confrontation escalates, Alex must confront his best friend and decide who he really wants to be.
Bio: Dante Ureta is a transdisciplinary Mexican artist. His creations revolve around envisioning new worlds and writing alternative possibilities. Challenging capitalism, patriarchal structures, and gender binary from an antipatriarchal and anticolonial perspective are central themes in his work.
Laya Pellerin-Tate (she / they)
Project Title: Not Like Other Vampires
Logline: Just two good Catholic girls coming home for Christmas - at least, that’s what these two gay vampires are trying to evoke. Gwyn & Joyce are two cousins who both return home to their Filipino-American relatives for the first time, years after being turned into vampires. While attempting to keep their secret from their estranged and controlling mothers, they must reckon with the reminders of why they left home in the first place.
Bio: Laya Pellerin-Tate uses she/they pronouns and is a trans, bakla Filipina-American writer & filmmaker. She was born and raised on unceded Indigenous land stewarded by the Anishinaabe tribes (also known as Chicago). As a double-Gemini, their favorite pastimes include: rewatching the same vampire movies in bed, overthinking her social media presence, and considering quitting art to break into e-sports, just to be quirky.
“Having others recognize my hard work and the potential for my work motivates me further to realize that vision, no matter the outcome," says Laya Tate, Pitch, Please! 2024 Participant and creator of Not Like Other Vampires. The confirmed Creative Advisors for the program are renowned artists and industry influencers who share a passion for diverse and intersectional storytelling which includes Jen Loren, Senior Director at Cherokee Film; Chervine Naamani, Manager and Producer at ColorCreative; and Kiana Chambers, Creative Executive at Wondaland Pictures. The inaugural Pitch, Please was hosted last year in partnership with the Sundance Institute and streamed LIVE to OTV’s audience of 10,000 global subscribers. Recently the non-profit distribution platform announced the release of their 500th title with a commitment to expanding their distribution model during their 10th anniversary in 2025.
"Pitch, Please!" Creative Advisors
"We are thrilled to partner with OTV on the 'Pitch, Please' initiative,” said Randi Kleiner, SeriesFest co-Founder & CEO. “Elevating emerging talent is at the forefront of the SeriesFest mission and we are honored to support the incredible OTV Fellows as they embark on the road to getting their projects made.” As the organization closes out a banner year of programmatic growth, Open Television is dedicated to finding innovative solutions aimed at solving the distribution crisis that many independent storytellers find themselves in once their stories are ready to be shared with the world. “By focusing on artists and developing them as individuals through a network of people who genuinely care about mobilizing these stories, OTV is placing emphasis exactly where it needs to be as we seek meaningful changes in the industry,” says Jen Loren of Cherokee Films.
Pitch, Please! 2024 streams LIVE on via OTV App (available via Apple, Android, Roku, Amazon and or at watch.weareo.tv) on Friday, November 22, 2024 at 12:00pm CST. RSVP to receive a reminder when the Pitch, Please is LIVE: https://bit.ly/pitchpleaseotv.
About Open Television (OTV)
OTV | Open Television is a non-profit streaming platform and media incubator for intersectional storytelling, with artists and their creative visions at the center. Since launching in 2015 as a research project housed at Northwestern University, OTV has transformed the way the film and television industry supports independent artists and communities marginalized by their race, gender, sexuality, class, disability or nationality. Through intentional artistic development and holistic community development, the award-winning organization provides a network of care to identify, activate and mobilize the next generation of storytellers. Learn more about Open Television at www.weareo.tv and download the #OTVAPP on Apple, Android, Roku and FireTV. Tap into a new wave on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
About Series Fest
SeriesFest, a non-profit organization, champions and empowers artists at the forefront of episodic storytelling by providing year-round opportunities for creators and industry professionals to connect, collaborate, and share stories, which inspire and impact global audiences. Each May, SeriesFest culminates in a highly-curated and celebrated Denver-based festival and marketplace. Dedicated to showcasing innovative episodic content, the annual festival includes in-competition independent pilot screenings, panels, workshops, live reads, parties and network television premieres. Follow @SeriesFest on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.