TV Groups Join to Launch LATV Festival

By Chris Pursell

The National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) and the Independent Television Festival presented by Comcast (ITVFest) have announced they will jointly host the gala opening-night celebration of the LATV Festival on Tuesday, July 24.

NATPE's LATV Festival will run July 25-27 at various locations around Los Angeles, including the House of Blues West Hollywood, the Comedy Store, the Pacific Design Center and the Highlands at Hollywood & Highland. ITVFest, meanwhile, will run July 27-29 at Raleigh Studios.

"We couldn't be more excited and pleased to co-host this evening with NATPE," said A.J. Tesler, executive director and founder of ITVFest. "Both festivals speak to the importance of providing more outlets for the discovery of new talent, especially in relation to emerging media."

The LATV Festival is designed to be an extension of NATPE's annual TV Producers' Boot Camp. The event will offer a citywide, video content festival including workshops, screenings, clinics and demos showcasing the work of the city's multiplatform TV producers and production community.

"With NATPE's LATV Festival running back-to-back with ITVFest, A.J. and I see this opening-night party as an excellent networking opportunity for participants in both events," said Rick Feldman, NATPE's president-CEO. "These are very exciting times for the new and emerging generations of independent content producers who can come together for a night of valuable interaction and fun."

(Editor: Horowitz)