Stareable Fest 2020 Web Series Submission Deadline Quickly Approaching

Stareable Fest 2020, the third annual premier web series and indie TV festival, today announced its final submission deadline is May 31st.

Talented creators are invited to submit their work to the three-day celebration hosted by the largest community of web series creators and fans, where Official Selections are considered for meetings with industry executives as part of the Stareable Fest Marketplace. Over the last two years of the festival, Official Selections had one-on-one meetings with HBO, Comedy Central, PBS, NBC Universal and more, resulting in acquisitions by the major networks. Organizers are planning an innovative festival this year and adapting the format of the event to address all safety precautions and adjust to the new normal. Stareable Fest 2020 takes place October 16th-18th at New York City's Public Hotel.

Several hundred creators, content buyers and senior television industry executives attended Stareable Fest 2019 and there were 45 Official Selections representing the new generation of television talent. The diverse creators who submit to Stareable Fest represent a growing counter-culture of often under-voiced or marginalized talent. Shows like Girls, Broad City and High Maintenance are just a few of the binge-worthy television hits that started as web series, and these shows are prime examples of the talent pipeline Hollywood is in search of to diversify and provide the trending content that viewers consume today.

2019 Official Selections received high praises paired with massive viewership thanks to the attendance and promotion the festival provides. Finalists were even given the chance to reach the world, with Stareable Fest 2019's "Best Comedy" 26 Words receiving an acquisition offer in the room at the festival marketplace, and King Ester which took home "Best Cinematography" was bought by Issa Rae, creator and star of HBO's Insecure.

"The creators that attend Stareable Fest are the future of the television and streaming industries. They are in high-demand by mainstream platforms and our purpose is to provide a space where their talent gets discovered and shared with the world," said Ajay Kishore, founder of Stareable. "We welcome everyone to submit for the variety of categories offered at Stareable Fest 2020, the festival becomes larger every year and we look forward to being matchmakers for creators and senior industry executives."

This year, AMC Networks is sponsoring a competition at Stareable Fest 2020 to recognize the best female creators and award those finalists meetings with AMC executives for consideration to be acquired by the major network. The festival celebrates those who are often under-represented, including women, people of color, and the LGBT+ community, giving these gifted artists the tools to engage, grow, and monetize their audiences.

Stareable Fest 2020 includes a 90-second pitch competition, where 1-2 Stareable creators pitch their concept directly into the camera in one continuous shot. Finalists will recreate their pitch live on-stage at Stareable Fest 2020 to a panel of industry executives (last year, this included Vice, Avalon, and Comedy Central). Entrants will be judged on the originality of their show concepts and why they are the right person(s) to execute this vision. The categories at this year's festival include: Comedy (10 minutes +), Drama (10 minutes +), short form comedy (under 10 minute episodes), short form drama (under 10 minute episodes), unscripted/non-fiction, 90 second pitch, and student submissions. Awards will be given for: Best Of, Writing, Acting, Editing, Cinematography, Directing, and Innovation in storytelling (i.e. new media interactive/transmedia elements).

View the official rules and details and submit your project to Stareable Fest here before the May 31st deadline.

To learn more about Stareable Fest, visit festival.stareable.com. You can also find @stareable on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.