EXCLUSIVE: ATX TV Festival has revealed the 10 finalists for its annual Pitch Competition & Mentorship Program, as well as the new advisers who will be lending their expertise to these up-and-comers.
In alphabetical order by project title, here are the finalists:
- Divine Intervention, Zina Ellis (half-hour comedy)
- Friendliest, Drew Lausch & Jenny Leon (half-hour dark comedy)
- Generations, Darryl Mansel (hour-long science fiction)
- GFF: Ghost Friends Forever, Tyler Stuart (half-hour comedy)
- Habibi, Saleh Karaman (hour-long dramedy)
- King Senior High, Laila Wilson (half-hour comedy)
- Silver Spoon, Lucy Porter (half-hour comedy)
- The Townhomes, Ivan Rome (half-hour comedy)
- Thumpers, Dawn Kalani Cowle (hour-long drama)
- Wonder Child, Jessica Tolliver (half-hour comedy)
Each applicant was selected via a 90-second video pitch and a writing sample for a scripted series. Now, these 10 finalists will pitch live at the festival next month in front of a panel of industry judges including showrunners, producers and executives.
The winner will receive a script read and general meeting with at least three ATX TV pitch judges or ATX TV panelists for feedback, pitch mentorship with a showrunner or executive, and three general pitch meetings. A runner-up will get some feedback as well via two general meetings with ATX TV pitch judges or ATX TV panelists.
The Pitch Competition & Mentorship Program was designed to help emerging writers take meaningful steps toward building a career in television. Following the festival, the finalists will participate in a year-long program that provides individualized mentorship, industry access, and ongoing support.
The program also includes monthly virtual roundtables featuring industry leaders who can give career advice and insight, guidance on how to prepare for meetings with executives, producers, agents, and managers, and a look inside the inner workings of a writers’ room.
Here are this year’s mentors:
Molly Arkin, Creative Executive, Okay Goodnight
Rika Dharmesh Bhakta, Development Executive/Producer
Mitchell Bendersky, Manager & Owner, Expectation Management
Laura Johnson, Director of Development, Doozer Productions
Sara Karimipour, Emmy Nominated Writer
Logan Kovarick, VP, Good Karma Productions
Disha Manocha, Writer
Shruti Marathe, Director of Development, Unicorn Island
Ashley Mathew, Independent Producer and Consultant (Graphic India)
Emilio Mazariegos, Creative Executive, Yoruba Saxon
Lyra Tan, Manager/Producer
Aaron Van Pelt, Manager, Comedy Development, Sony Pictures Television
“The Pitch Competition & Mentorship Program remains a cornerstone of ATX TV’s commitment to discovering and supporting new voices,” Emily Gipson, Co-Founder and Co-President of ATX TV Festival said in a statement Friday. “We’re excited to work with this year’s finalists as they develop their projects and take the next steps in their careers. Discovering new writers and collaborating with them through this process is incredibly energizing, and we can’t wait to see them bring their pitches to life.”
Gipson co-facilitates the program alongside development executive and producer Rika Dharmesh Bhakta, who also leads a pitch workshop ahead of the festival to prepare finalists for the live competition and works closely with participants throughout the year to provide feedback on pitches and scripts.
“In this unpredictable industry, this program brings us back to what we love most—television—and grounds us in three simple things: creativity, collaboration, and community,” Bhakta added in a statement. “My hope is to help guide these writers into the next phase of their careers by fostering meaningful relationships and ensuring they leave the program with a strong, polished sample ready to share with the industry.”
ATX TV Festival Season 15, which will take place in Austin, Texas, from May 28 to 31, 2026.
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