SCAD TVfest Returns to In-Person Event With Packed Schedule: Full Lineup

One of the pleasures of a TV festival is bringing people who love television — and work in it — together in one place. After two years of holding a virtual event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Atlanta-based festival is back in person to connect students and fans with talent from both above- and below the line. The 2023 festival will take place Feb. 9-11.

“We are so excited to be back on the ground in Atlanta for this year’s SCAD TVfest, offering our students and patrons the opportunity to engage with some of the most creative and successful people in the television industry through screenings, master classes, panels and more. We are proud to premiere some amazing new TV shows and, of course, shows shot in Georgia,” says Christina Routhier, executive director.

With the number of projects filming in Atlanta — especially TV shows — the hub has morphed into the perfect place for SCAD TVfest, which focuses on creating an intimate environment for people in all areas of the industry.

“SCAD TVfest brings together some of the greatest talent in television in an intimate, personal setting where our students and fans of our featured shows are able to see their favorite casts and hear from the people behind the scenes of their favorite shows,” she says. “The actors, showrunners, executives and more love the chance to act as mentors to our performing arts and film and television students, who are truly invested in their craft and are making an impact on film and TV productions at home and around the globe.”

This year will feature “The Bachelor” and its “Click Bait With Bachelor Nation” podcast hosted by Joe Amabile, Natasha Parker and Tia Booth; Paramount+’s “Wolf Pack”; ABC’s “Not Dead Yet” and “Will Trent”; the CW’s “Gotham Knights” and “All American: Homecoming”; Hulu’s “Wu Tang: An American Saga”; National Geographic’s “Trafficked”; Freeform’s “The Watchful Eye”; HBO Max’s “Harley Quinn”; Fox’s “Accused”; and Prime Video’s “Harlem” and “The Legend of Vox Machina.”

FX’s “Reservation Dogs” will be honored with co-creator Sterlin Harjo receiving Variety’s inaugural Showrunner Award. During the weekend, Harjo will participate in a conversation with Variety’s TV editor Michael Schneider.

“Buffy” alum Sarah Michelle Gellar will receive the Icon Award as she attends as a star and executive producer of “Wolf Pack.”

“One recurring theme for all of our festival programming is featuring the strong, trailblazing women of their respective industries. Sarah Michelle Gellar epitomizes this as a TV icon with an incredible television lineage,” says Routhier. “We are thrilled to celebrate her return to television in ‘Wolf Pack’ as not only an actress, but also a producer.”

“The Office” alum Craig Robinson will receive the Spotlight Award, since he’s been “beloved by fans” for many years and is now leading and executive producing Peacock’s “Killing It.”

“In ‘Killing It,’ we see Craig break out as a leading man that truly showcases his comedic craft as an actor,” says Routhier. “We couldn’t be more excited to have the opportunity to honor him for this role.”

One of the key panels of the weekend is the Wonder Women Television Marketing Panel, focusing on the contributions of women across many different avenues of entertainment. The chat includes people from artisans to showrunners reflecting on their experience in the business. Ultimately, that’s the whole point of the festival, says Routhier: “From costume design to interactive design, we strive to include panels that showcase all of the impactful careers our students are prepared for in the entertainment industry.”

SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace adds, “This year, Buffy, Darryl, and Jamie Dutton star in the greatest show about television: SCAD TVfest! That’s right, America’s teenage scream-queen of the 90’s (THE Sarah Michelle Gellar!), everyone’s favorite warehouse manager (THE Craig Robinson!), and star of TV’s steamiest series (THE Wes Bentley of ‘Yellowstone!’) will appear live and in person to share their TV secrets with SCAD students. We’ve planned truly the most epic TVfest in SCAD history for our Bees: pitches, panels, and premieres galore, where SCAD students’ TV dreams become professional realities.”

TIPSHEET
WHAT: SCAD TVfest
WHEN: Feb. 9-11
WHERE: Atlanta
WEB: scadtvfest.com