First International Emmy World Television Festival to launch in November

The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has announced that the first International Emmy World Television Festival will take place on November 19-20 2005, with a by invitation kick-off party hosted by Home Box Office on Friday November 18.
The International Emmy World Television Festival will be a one of a kind event: a showcase for the best in television from all over the world. It will incorporate the seven year old iEMMYs Festival, which traditionally offers festival goers an opportunity to screen the International Emmy Awards nominated programs and meet with their producers and directors.
“The International Emmy World Television Festival is a natural extension for our iEMMYs Festival, as the Academy continues to recognise the best in television worldwide,” said Bruce Paisner, President & CEO of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, also President of Hearst Entertainment. “This Festival is definitely a first for television, a forum for outstanding programming from around the world.”
The newly expanded Festival will feature screenings, panels and presentations from TV organizations in different countries, as well as breakfasts, lunches and cocktails hosted by international sponsors. Traditionally, over 600 participants attend the iEMMYs Festival each year The International Emmy World Television Festival will open its doors to a larger audience of both industry professionals and television enthusiasts.
Highlights will include a News Coverage Panel, where leading international television journalists debate on a critical news topic, and the presentation of two Academy Foundation fellowships: the Renato Pachetti Fellowship for News and the Sir Peter Ustinov Young Scriptwriter Award.
Partners to date include Sofitel, Hong Kong based Phoenix Television, Microsoft, Savvis, which is encoding the International Emmy Awards nominated programs and HBO.
The International Emmy World Television Festival has already inked deals to showcase the newly launched Ariana Television Network (ATN) from Kabul, Afghanistan, and the sub-Sahara African Broadcast Network (ABN). Discussions with several other networks from Europe and Asia are in advanced stages.
The Format Prize will be presented for the first time at the Festival. This new prize was launched by the Academy in April, to honour the special skills and unique talents of the companies which create and produce formats outside of the United States.
Deadline for entries is September 9, 2005.
(GB)