Independent TV Pilot Program
Discover new pilots from indie talent.
Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.
Program Includes:
While awaiting her college decision, Nora sees Ali outside a gas station asking for cigarettes and impulsively buys him a pack. What starts as a small gesture quickly escalates when she decides to spend the day helping him settle a pressing debt.
"R&R" is a comedic pilot following Robbie and Rachel, codependent twins trying to “make it” in LA. Rachel (a sarcastic, raunchy, gay mess) brings the chaos, and Robbie (a neurotically organized, hopeless romantic with Down syndrome) cleans up the pieces. In a typical, yet chaotic, day in their lives, the twins do all the quintessential 20-something things: work horrible service industry jobs, accidentally take laxatives, fill up their gas tank in $10 increments, and of course, start a podcast. Offering audiences the chance to laugh with the leads instead of at them, "R&R" takes your preconceptions about queer and disability representation and gives it the big middle finger.
Having pushed his mother to the point of last resort, rebellious teenager Joe is abducted from his bed and delivered to a therapeutic boarding school with controversial methods. Now in the unenviable position of being the new kid on his first day, he witnesses a vicious public dressing down of a fellow student at the hands of both staff and students. Joe is forced to come to an understanding of both why he's here and what he can expect from the new set of rules that are thrust upon him. Based on writer/producer Joe Tierney's own personal experience.
In 2012, China launched its massive anti-corruption campaign, Cai is one of the many Chinese businessmen that fled to the US. A post plastic surgery Cai meets his estranged son James at a burger joint in Ojai. With a poorly drawn map, the duo begins their journey into the mountains to find the buried 3 million dollar cash, for Cai to escape and for James to pay his debts. Yet, someone is already tracking them down.
In this pilot episode of "Denim", we explore the powerful journeys of three LGBTQIA+ creatives who are shape shifting their industries through fearless self-expression. Kidd Kenn, carving out his own path as a queer rapper in hip hop, speaks boldly about transforming the music scene. Bishme Cromartie, winner of Project Runway All Stars Season 20, opens up for the first time about being a gay designer from Baltimore and navigating the fashion world. We also introduce Deniim, a Baltimore creative who shares her story of sexual reassignment surgery through a beautiful fusion of animation and music. Each of these trailblazers is pushing boundaries, driving the change the creative world needs.
Between threats of foreclosure, complete incompetence, and angry customers, Wendy and her ragtag staff struggle to keep their beloved Stars Diner afloat. And to make things worse - a geologically improbable volcano threatens to end all life in Fresno, California. Can Wendy find inner strength and use the power of friendship to save the diner from pyroclastic pandemonium and the mediocre forces of regional banking?
Jo's life takes a dramatic turn when she learns her boyfriend has been cheating. In a desperate bid to regain his attention, she threatens suicide, but this backfires when she is taken away on a 5150. Four months later, Jo is trying to move on and find a new relationship. However, her ongoing unexplained health issues complicate her search for love. When Jo meets Greg, a charming man whose mother is a renowned doctor, she sees a potential solution to both her romantic and medical dilemmas. But when Greg's mom gives Jo a false diagnosis and no apology, Jo retaliates. Greg’s mom uncovers what Jo has done and in a very awkward confrontation, Jo’s entire relationship with Greg blows up.