ATX Television Festival 2021 News
ATX Television Festival has announced additional programming for Season 10, which will take place virtually over June 11-20, 2021.
The festival’s Opening Night events will include a 20th Anniversary panel for the hit Canadian series “Degrassi: The Next Generation” presented by Tubi. Marking 20 years since the series premiere, the panel will feature creatives and cast from across the show’s impressive 14-season run as they revisit iconic storylines and moments from the series, the show’s groundbreaking approach to young adult storytelling, behind-the-scenes stories, and more. Confirmed panelists include: co-creator / executive producer Linda Schuyler, executive producer Stephen Stohn, producer / director / actor Stefan Brogren, and cast members Aislinn Paul, Shane Kippel, Luke Bilyk, Lauren Collins, Munro Chambers, Jake Epstein, Daniel Clark, Andrea Lewis, and Christina Schmidt. Additional details will be announced soon. All episodes of “Degrassi: The Next Generation” are available to stream for free on Tubi.
The festival will also include “Channel Changers: A Conversation with TV’s Leaders,” an industry-forward conversation with top network, studio, and streamer executives about the state of the industry, the personal and professional philosophies they bring to their individual brands, and why inclusivity at all levels remains imperative to producing bigger and better storytelling. Participants include Jana Winograde, (President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks, Inc), Sarah Aubrey (Head of Original Content, HBO Max), Lisa Katz (President, Entertainment Scripted Content, NBCU Television and Streaming), Tina Perry (President, OWN), Karey Burke (President, 20th Television), Christina Davis (President, Original Programming, Starz). The panel will be moderated by Glamour’s West Coast Editor, Jessica Radloff.
The CW returns to the festival with two pieces of programming: a “Walker” Music Showcase live on June 20th, and a panel for the upcoming summer series “The Republic of Sarah,” including an early look at episode two. The “Walker” Music Showcase will be hosted by stars Odette Annable and Lindsey Morgan, with live performances by artists featured in the series and a celebration of filming in Austin. “The Republic of Sarah” focuses on rebellious high school history teacher Sarah Cooper (Stella Baker), who, when faced with the destruction of her town at the hands of a greedy mining company, utilizes an obscure cartographical loophole to declare independence. Now Sarah must lead a young group of misfits as they attempt to start their own country from scratch. Panelists include Jeffrey Paul King (Creator/Showrunner/Executive Producer), Kat Candler (Director) and cast members Stella Baker, Luke Mitchell, Hope Lauren, Nia Holloway, and Ian Duff. “The Republic of Sarah” is a production of CBS Studios in association with Fulwell 73 and Black Lamb, and premieres June 14 on The CW.
ATX is honored to present its very first “Breakthrough Award” to actor, writer, producer, and human rights advocate Angelica Ross (“Pose”). The inaugural award seeks to recognize a creative voice who has made a unique and substantial imprint on TV, and exemplifies not only the current moment in television, but the possibilities of its future. Ross will be joined by a special guest moderator for a one-on-one conversation about her multi-hyphenate career, her advocacy work, and her work in TV, which includes Emmy-nominated web series “Her Story,” “Danger and Eggs,” “Claws,” “Transparent,” and her breakthrough role on FX’s critically-acclaimed series “Pose” as “Candy Ferocity” from the House of Abundance. In 2019, Ross made history by becoming the first trans actress to secure two series regular roles with “Pose” and “American Horror Story: 1984.” She can next be seen in “American Horror Story: Double Feature,” premiering later this year on FX.
“Younger” will return to the festival for a conversation following its series finale on Paramount+ on June 10. The panel, featuring series costume designer Jackie Demeterio alongside to-be-announced cast members, will include a deep dive into the fashion featured on the series, and how the show’s style informed and evolved alongside its characters over the years. This panel will mark the series’ sixth appearance at ATX.
Freeform’s “The Bold Type,” another ATX fan-favorite, will feature a farewell panel with cast & creatives to mark the series’ final episodes, and reflect on the show’s’ five-season run. Confirmed panelists include Wendy Straker Hauser (Showrunner/Executive Producer), and series regulars Katie Stevens, Aisha Dee, Meghann Fahy, Melora Hardin, and Stephen Conrad Moore. The final season of “The Bold Type” premieres May 26th on Freeform.
Also returning to the festival is OWN’s original series, “David Makes Man,” which will host a panel with cast & creatives ahead of its season two premiere, which finds David (Kwame Patterson) in his 30s, a rising businessman facing an opportunity that will change him and his community forever. The conversation will include creator / executive producer Tarrell Alvin McCraney, showrunner / executive producer Dee Harris Lawrence, director Kiel Adrian Scott, and cast members Kwame Patterson and Akili McDowell. “David Makes Man” premieres June 22 on OWN. Season one is available to stream now on HBO Max.
The creator and cast of “We Are Lady Parts,” a new original comedy from Peacock and Channel 4, will join the festival for a conversation about the show’s first season. The series chronicles the highs and lows of a Muslim female punk band – “Lady Parts” – as seen through the eyes of Amina Hussain (Anjana Vasan), a geeky microbiology PhD student on the lookout for love who is recruited to be their unlikely lead guitarist. Joining the panel will be creator/writer/director Nida Manzoor, and stars Anjana Vasan, Sarah Kameela Impey, Juliette Motamed, Faith Omole, and Lucie Shorthouse. “We Are Lady Parts” is coming soon to Peacock.
Season 10 will also feature a panel for Netflix’s original “Selena: The Series,” which tells the story of Mexican-American singer, international star, and native Texan, Selena Quintanilla. Part 2 of the series, which premiered May 4 on Netflix, chronicles the years of hard work and sacrifice the Quintanilla family navigate together as she becomes the most successful female Latin artist of all time. The conversation will include Creator / Executive Producer Moisés Zamora, Executive Producer Jamie Dávila, and stars Christian Serratos (“Selena Quintanilla”) and Ricardo Chavira (“Abraham Quintanilla”), who will discuss the process of bringing the singer’s lesser-known years to life – as well as her iconic performances – and the ways in which her legacy endures for viewers of all ages.
Previously announced programming includes:
- “Ziwe” Marquee Conversation presented by SHOWTIME®
- “Small Axe” Conversation with Steve McQueen presented by Amazon Prime Video
- “HouseBroken” Screening and Q&A with Creatives & Cast
- A Conversation with “Achievement in Television eXcellence” Awardee Michael J. Fox
- “Faking It” 5 Year Reunion with Showrunner & Cast
- “Speech & Debate” Conversation with Creatives & Cast
- “Oz” Retrospective with Creator Tom Fontana and Cast
- “Beyond the Scares: Emotional Catharsis & Healing in Horror”
- “Growing Up Is Hard: A New Generation of YA Protagonists”
- “Mad as Hell: TV’s Dangerous Women”
- “The Queer Gaze”
- “Pandemic Proof: Adult Animation”
- “Showrunner State of the Union”
- “Buying & Selling with 20/20 Hindsight”
- “Housecall: A ‘Royal Pains’ Reunion” with Play-Per View on June 6th to benefit Feed America (Tickets on sale now!)
