FYC Independents Provide Platform For Talent During Awards Season Voting

Born out of the need to give undiscovered actors a platform to showcase their work during the competitive Emmy awards season, actress/producer Meredith Thomas is once again hosting the FYC Independents Screenings, formerly FYC US Independents on Friday, May 31 at the Van Nuys/Reseda Elks Lodge in Van Nuys, California. The event benefits the Elks' local charity initiatives.

Last year's inaugural event screened 35 clips to an audience of over 150 attendees and two months later, on nomination morning, four of them received some very exciting news as Emmy nominees. This year, Thomas anticipates at least 200 attendees as the event's popularity and credibility have grown.

"I'm driven to help independent talent and creators get much needed attention of TV Academy voters during a time when studios are spending millions on FYC mailers and hosting extravagant events," said Meredith Thomas, founder of FYC Independents. "I want to level the playing field so great work can be seen and recognized."

The first FYC Independents Screenings resulted in the following nominations:

• Kelly Jenrette - Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
• Melvin Jackson Jr.- Outstanding Actor in A Short Form Comedy or Drama Series, This Eddie Murphy Role Is Mine, Not Yours (YouTube)

*Jenrette and Jackson made history for being the first African American married couple to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy at the same time.

• Naomi Grossman- Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series, ctrl alt delete (Digital Series)
• Miles Tagtmeyer- Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy of Drama Series, Broken

*Miles not only served as lead actor in Broken, but also as Executive Producer and co-creator of the series, which had no studio or network backing.

Last year's screenings included 20 projects produced and/or starring women, 13 shows starring minorities, 2 projects starring disabled actresses, and one 9-year-old actor. This year's line-up promises an intriguing mix of talent such as:

• Kim Estes - Dicks (Vimeo), past Emmy winner for same show
• Karimah Westbrook- All American (CW Network)
• Kat Kramer- Turnover (Runaway Productions/ Sea Sand Ent.), acclaimed filmmaker and daughter of legendary producer/director Stanley Earl Kramer
• Wendy Braun- Atypical (Netflix)
• Kristos Andrews - Class Act (Amazon Prime), past Emmy winner for The Bay
• Ren Hanami- 13 Reasons Why (Netflix); Santa Clarita Diet (Netflix); Shameless (Showtime); Glow (Netflix)
• Kate Linder- Young and the Restless (CBS); Mother's Day (Open Road Films)
• Meredith Thomas- A Christmas in Royal Fashion (ION Television); Disconnected (Web Series), written and directed by rising Latina filmmaker Jeannette Godoy
• Ray Proscia - Suits (USA Network)
• Elena Campbell-Martinez - Vida (Starz)
• Michael Campion- Fuller House (Netflix)

FYC Independents' organizer Thomas is a distinguished actress known for her work in A Christmas in Royal Fashion (ION Television); A Christmas in Vermont with Chevy Chase, Howard Hesseman and Abigail Hawk (ION Television); and The Ugly Christmas Sweater (Lifetime). Other starring roles include, The Wrong Crush, Fiancé Killer and The Wrong Boy Next Door with Vivica A. Fox (Lifetime).

Tickets are available for a $10 donation to support Van Nuys/Reseda Elks Lodge and include dinner before the screenings. To purchase, visit https://fycindependents.bpt.me.