ATX TV Festival Announces First Programming for Season 16, including Revenge Reunion, Retrospectives for Oz and Band of Brothers, and More
ATX TV Festival Announces First Programming for Season 16,
including Revenge Reunion with Creator and Cast,
Retrospectives for Groundbreaking Series Oz and Band of Brothers,
and a Freaks and Geeks Script Reading
Emmy-Winning Casting Director
Allison Jones joins for Career Retrospective
Second Annual Indie TV Pilot Competition Opens for Submissions,
adds Strategic Partner Macaroni Art Productions
October 7, 2026 – ATX TV Festival announces a first look at its 2027 festival line-up, taking place June 3 - 6, 2027 in Austin, TX. Heading into its 16th Season, the festival will include a “Sweet 16” theme showcasing 16 year anniversaries, as well as topics and series that highlight coming-of-age stories and teen/young adult storytelling, among a wide range of past, current, and premiere TV.
Revenge 16th Anniversary Reunion with Creator & Cast – ATX TV Festival Season 16 will mark the 16th anniversary of the series premiere of Revenge. The propulsive, Hamptons-set thriller became a primetime hit upon its debut in 2011, and has continued to find success on streaming. Creator/executive producer Mike Kelley and cast members Emily VanCamp, Josh Bowman, Henry Czerny, Ashley Madekwe, Gabriel Mann, Connor Paolo, and Nick Wechsler will reunite for a look back at the twists, turns, and iconic character moments that continue to draw in viewers more than a decade after the series finale. Additional panelists will be announced at a later date.
“How stoked am I for a Sweet 16 ATX TV Revenge party? Infinity x Infinity! Still amazed at how fiercely our show's fans continue to love these diabolically messy characters after all these years. Can't wait to reunite with the incredible actors who brought them to life and share a few stories from behind the red Sharpie! See you in Austin!” – Mike Kelley (Creator / Writer / Executive Producer, Revenge)
Freaks and Geeks: The Script Reading - The Festival will revisit the coming-of-age teen dramedy with a live script reading featuring a special one-time-only cast. Created by Paul Feig and executive produced by Judd Apatow, the beloved, cancelled-too-soon series follows high school mathlete Lindsay Weir (Linda Cardellini) and younger brother Sam Weir (John Francis Daley) as they navigate friendship, crushes, bullies, burnouts, and the general awkwardness of surviving high school. The reading will be followed by a conversation touching on the enduring influence and impact of the series, shifting formats of TV, and the importance of young adult/teen stories, with participants to be announced soon.
ATX TV’s script readings have become a Festival staple, with previous readings featuring episodes and special guests from Dawson’s Creek, The O.C., Suits, Cheers, Maude, Good Times, The Golden Girls, I Love Lucy, and more.
Oz 30th Anniversary Retrospective - 30 years after the premiere of Oz, creator Tom Fontana and cast members Rita Moreno, Lee Tergesen, and Dean Winters will look back at the series, which followed the daily activities of the inmates in an experimental unit at Oswald Maximum Security Correctional Facility. As HBO’s first-ever hour-long drama, the series broke ground narratively and paved the way for future prestige TV, earning the Special Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America and critical acclaim throughout its six-season run. Additional panelists will be announced at a later date.
“I’m excited about celebrating the 30th anniversary of OZ at the ATX TV Festival. I’m always thrilled to be involved in the Festival, but the chance to be reunited with a number of the OZ cast members makes this visit to Austin extra special. We will cause some fun trouble, I’m sure!” - Tom Fontana (Creator / Writer, Executive Producer, Oz)
Band of Brothers: 25 Year Legacy - The festival will revisit Band of Brothers, the 10-part HBO limited series set during WWII that chronicles the real-life heroes of “Easy” Company. Following its premiere on September 9, 2001, the Emmy-winning series from co-creators Tom Hanks and Stephen Spielberg not only garnered acclaim from critics and viewers alike, but set a new standard for the scope and depth of storytelling that was possible on TV.
More than twenty-five years later, revisit the series through the artistry, performances, technical craft, and gripping storytelling that made Band of Brothers a one-of-a-kind creative achievement – and bonded its cast & crew together for life. Panelists will be announced soon.
A Career Conversation with Casting Director Allison Jones - Legendary casting director Allison Jones joins the festival as a first-time panelist, providing an inside look into the process of casting some of TV’s most iconic series and ensembles, including Freaks and Geeks, Parks and Recreation, The Office, Veep, Arrested Development, The Good Place, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Widow’s Bay, among many others. From her early days on The Golden Girls, to the Emmy-winning hit Widow’s Bay, this one-of-a-kind look at Jones’ career will delve into the creative and technical process of casting, discovering breakthrough talent, setting performers up for success, building chemistry amongst an ensemble, and more.
Indie TV Pilot Competition Opens for Submissions, with Macaroni Art Productions as Strategic Partners - The festival’s “Indie TV Pilot Competition” returns for its second year, giving TV creators the opportunity to screen their pilot and be named “Best Indie TV Pilot” at the 2027 ATX TV Festival. The competition is designed to showcase independently-produced pilots without worldwide distribution, and provide industry visibility, guidance, and resources to help creators reach the next step in their process.
Macaroni Art Productions, the film & TV production company from founders, Rick Gomez & Steve Zahn, will join as Strategic Partners and Advisors for this year’s competition and the festival’s overall Indie TV track. This new role will expand on Macaroni Art’s presence at the festival’s last two seasons, from screening their unscripted indie series You Belong Here, to broader conversations on the indie TV process as writers, directors, producers, and actors.
“When we created You Belong Here as an independent TV show, ATX TV Festival was the first to welcome us and give us a platform. Being able to help the next group of indie creators get that same shot is exactly why we wanted to be part of this.” - Rick Gomez and Steve Zahn (Founders, Macaroni Art Productions)
To enter the competition, creators may submit completed Pilot episodes between 20-65 mins in length, across all genres. From the submitted entries, a minimum of two (2) Pilot episodes will be selected by the festival’s Programming team to be screened at ATX TV Festival 2027. From the selected pilots, up to two (2) winners across Scripted and Unscripted categories will be selected by a final panel of Jurors and announced as "Best Indie TV Pilot - Scripted” and/or “Best Indie TV Pilot - Unscripted.”
Out of hundreds of submissions, the 2026 Competition produced two winners: “Savage” from writer Connor Paolo, director Josh Bowman, and producers Nicholas Logan, Brittany Fallow, and Bridget Regan, which won the title of “Best Indie TV Pilot - Scripted”; and “It’s Not You, It’s Me: Chicago” from creator/director Anthony L. Williams, which took home the title of “Best Indie TV Pilot - Unscripted.”
Industry judges for the final round of the competition included: Joe Lewis (Founder & CEO, Amplify Pictures), Aram Rappaport (Creator/Writer/Director; Founder, The Network), Alissa Bachner (EVP, Development, Tomorrow Studios), Rick Gomez (Writer/Director/Actor; Founder, Macaroni Art Productions) and Daniel Fienberg (Chief TV Critic, The Hollywood Reporter). Mark Duplass (Duplass Brothers Production) will continue to serve as a strategic advisor for the competition.
The competition is part of the festival’s growing Indie TV track, featuring screenings, conversations, and events for Indie TV creators and supporters designed to highlight projects at all stages of the creative process, and to build resources and community for creators to get their independent projects funded and distributed to audiences.
The “Indie TV Pilot Competition” is the newest addition to ATX TV’s open submission opportunities, alongside the annual Pitch Competition & Mentorship Program which aims to give burgeoning TV writers the community, support, and tools needed to take the next steps in their careers.
Submissions are now open for both the Indie TV Pilot Competition and ATX TV’s ongoing program, the Pitch Competition & Mentorship Program.
All Programming and Panelists are subject to change.
Badges and TV Passes for ATX TV Festival are on sale now: atxfestival.com/attend
Apply for Media Credentials: atxfestival.com/media
ABOUT ATX TV FESTIVAL
ATX TV Festival is an annual event produced by ATX TV, taking place each summer in Austin, TX. As the leading television festival, it brings together fans and industry to celebrate the television medium by looking at its history, where it is now, and where it is headed. The festival consists of screenings followed by Q&As, panel conversations, and events (parties, live music, happy hours, hosted receptions, etc) and is known for reunions of classic series and cult hits. Screenings include never-aired pilots, canceled-too-soon series, current favorites, and world premieres. Panels conversations range from industry deep-dives to fan-focused conversations, along with discussions on representation (in front of and behind the camera) and responsibility in storytelling. The ATX TV audience is comprised equally of consumers and industry professionals, and ATX TV Festival is the only place they come together as one community to discuss and celebrate all aspects of #TVTogether.
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Lauren Kelcher Stevenson // atxtv@ssmandl.com