ATX TV Festival Crowns First-Ever Indie TV Pilot Competition Winner

The ATX TV Festival announced the winner of its inaugural Indie TV Pilot Showcase, naming Connor Paolo’s “Savage” as the top scripted entry.

Written by Paolo and directed by Josh Bowman, “Savage” takes its name from the lead character, “a mother and private investigator desperate to fund her daughter’s cancer treatment, [who’s] offered a missing persons case near a swamp where something terrifyingly ancient lurks beneath every lie.”

Producers include Nicholas Logan, Brittany Fallow, and Bridget Regan, the latter of whom also stars alongside Paolo, Barbara Crampton, JR Bourne, Zach Roerig, Nicholas Logan, and Dylan Sprayberry.

“Having ‘Savage’ win at ATX TV Festival this year was an honour,” the team said in a joint statement. “A huge thank you to the entire staff. The community they’re creating around the Indie TV space is inspiring, and we’re excited to build on it. ‘Savage’ has been a labor of love and we’re so grateful for the wonderful work our cast and crew put into it. We can’t wait for what’s next as we bring this unique story to life.”

“It’s Not You, It’s Me: Chicago” also took home the prize for Best Indie TV Pilot – Unscripted, following a screening and Q&A. Anthony L. Williams created and directed the series, which follows “three bachelors who re-embark into the dating scene while receiving expert guidance on healthy relationships, sex, and vulnerability, the niches and experiences of modern queer dating.”

The ATX TV Festival announced its first-ever Indie Pilot Showcase in December 2025, which co-founders Caitlin McFarland and Emily Gipson, alongside a dedicated programming team, designed “to build community and increase marketplace opportunities for independently created series.” The final round of selections was featured in the Indie TV Showcase on May 30 during Season 15 of the festival.

“We have showcased Indie TV at the festival for over a decade, first with ‘Everyone is Doing Great’ during their crowdfunding stage, and last year expanding to showcase ‘You Belong Here’ and a panel of leading voices across producers, platforms and creatives,” co-founder and co-president of ATX TV Caitlin McFarland said. “This year we had to lean in further. With the shifting marketplace across traditional TV, and a rise in leaders turning to making TV before securing distribution, this felt like a natural next step. ‘Savage’ showcases everything independent TV can do without sacrificing any of what you see on screen.”

Additional scripted finalists included “Freelance,” written by Julien Turner, and “The Ladies,” written by Juliana Piscina. Jurors for the final round of competition were Joe Lewis, founder and CEO of Amplify Pictures; Aram Rappaport, founder of The Network; Alissa Bachner, EVP of development at Tomorrow Studios; Rick Gomez, founder of Macaroni Art Productions; and Daniel Fienberg, chief TV critic at The Hollywood Reporter.

The Indie TV Pilot Competition and Showcase is the latest addition to ATX TV’s open submission opportunities, joining the annual Pitch Competition & Mentorship Program, which aims to give burgeoning TV writers the community, support, and tools needed to take the next steps in their careers.

The ATX TV Festival Season 15 was held from May 28 – 31, 2026, in Austin, TX. Opening night featured a sneak peek at “House of the Dragon” Season 3, and panel highlights included the 20th-anniversary reunion of the “Friday Night Lights” cast and producers.