Waterwell Films' original series is written and directed by Arian Moayed. Production notes describe it thus: "One evening, Katie [O'Hara) , a Manhattan-rich mother and wife, receives a desperate, wrong call from a stranger named Zuhair, half across the world, pleading for her to save him and his pregnant wife. Zuhair’s final words to Katie are a plea that Tala, his pregnant and wounded wife, is alive. This one phone call emboldens Katie to continue her search and claim ownership for Tala, the person that she feels connected to, but more importantly, for herself."
The festival will be held Oct. 19-24 at The Helen Mills Theater and Event Space, with additional festival events at Tribeca Three Sixty° and SVA Theatre. No airdate for the pilot or the series has been announced.
The New York Television Festival is dedicated to "identifying and nurturing top independent creative talent and connecting it with networks, studios, digital media companies and brands."
This explosive thriller stars Kelli O’Hara (Tony Award winner for The King & I), Mike Doyle (Clint Eastwood’s Jersey Boys) and Sahr Ngaujah (Tony Nominee for Fela!). It is one of 50 original television and web series pilots that will be presented for industry executives and TV fans at the 11th Annual New York Television Festival.
Winners will be chosen in a variety of categories (including “Best Comedy” and “Best Drama”) by a jury comprised of the NYTVF screening committee and the NYTVF-HRTS Next Generation Committee, with awards being presented at a reception on the Festival's closing night. Additionally, as Official Artists, the creators of these pilots qualify for a chance to receive a development deal from one of the NYTVF’s Development Partners--networks and studios which have guaranteed they will offer at least one deal to independent artists this year. “We're thrilled to present these 50 exceptional projects as Official Selections in the 2015 Independent Pilot Competition,” said NYTVF Founder Terence Gray. “With more submissions than ever before, the bar was raised across every category, and we're looking at a line-up full of emerging and established talent, outstanding production values, and truly original voices. 2015 is shaping up to be a banner year for the New York Television Festival, and we can't wait to share these projects in October.”
Descriptions and trailers for each of this year’s Official Selections can be found online at: Nytvf.com/2015
O'Hara appears momentarily in this trailer:
