New ATX Festival will focus on TV industry

Austin's getting yet another festival — and this one will focus exclusively on television.

The three-day ATX Festival, set to kick off June 1, will include screenings of shows already on the air, programs that are still in development and an assortment of cult favorites.

Special attention will also be paid to unaired pilots and series that were "canceled before their time," the event's founders say.

And, like many film festivals, panels and question-and-answer sessions featuring industry executives are planned, according to co-founders Emily Gipson and Caitlin McFarland.

"At the heart of it, we are both fans of TV," said Gipson, who has worked on projects for Fox, TLC and Discovery.

"We have created an event for fans like ourselves and are giving them a chance to engage in water-cooler conversations on a larger level with the people that bring their favorite shows to life."

McFarland, who has experience working with well-known directors Nora Ephron, Mira Nair and Betty Thomas, said the founders want the event to be "a place for the industry to discuss where the medium is headed and explore innovative outlets for production in a medium that is changing."

"We're both Texans and love Austin, so what better place than there to host it?"

A campaign to raise $25,000 to help fund the event kicked off this week, with donors eligible to receive gifts that include festival badges and autographed DVDs.

For more details on ATX Festival, visit atxfestival.com.

gdinges@statesman.com; 912-5987