5 Reasons We're Excited About The Split Screens Festival

A new festival, Split Screens Festival, is set to premiere in New York City from June 2-8. Curated by author and critic Matt Zoller Seitz and taking place at New York's IFC Center, Split Screens will be a celebration of quality television programming with star-studded panels and screenings to take place. Though even more programming is set to be added, we're already eager to get in there and experience all the previews and conversations surrounding so many fan-favourite and premiere shows. Though we already have the current full schedule posted here, we thought it best to highlight a few that were particularly efficient in capturing our attention.

The Deuce

The Deuce is a highly anticipated HBO period drama produced by and starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, who will be attending the festival to promote the new series, had our curiosity piqued first by its exciting premise. A drama involving sex work, the emerging porn industry in the 1970s, organised crime, and HBO's high budgets conducive to upping the visuals and styling of period pieces? What's not to enjoy?! But Maggie Gyllenhaal's involvement and role as a producer proves particularly enticing, given the headlines she made for addressing the misogynistic treatment she faced in the industry when being told she was too old to play a love interest for a particular project. By assuming a more significant position of power, we hope that she will use this platform to push against long-standing problems in the industry with the portrayal of women.

The show will have a screening/panel on Friday June 2 at 7:00PM. Tickets are available for purchase here.

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Mr. Robot

Mr. Robot is a compelling drama on the USA Network surrounding a group of hacker vigilantes determined to undermine corporate corruption. Though the series has catapulted its star Rami Malek into stardom and an Emmy win, the first for a person of colour in the Best Actor in a Drama category in nearly two decades, it's also built a strong reputation for gripping writing and plots brimming with social commentary more relevant than ever in a world uneasy due to social and political tensions. Rami Malek will be in attendance for the Split Screens Festival as the panel dives deeply into the mechanisms of the enigmatic lead character, Elliot.

The show will have a screening/panel on Saturday June 3 at 4:30PM. Tickets are available for purchase here.

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The Get Down

The Get Down is a criminally under-appreciated Netflix series co-created by Baz Luhrmann and Stephen Adley Guirgis. With all the dazzle one would expect from a Baz Luhrmann project, this musical drama boasting a cast of talented actors of colour that excel in playing stories that are poignant in addressing social issues including race and sexuality. With strong visuals and lush colours, there's a bountiful array of content to discuss with series co-executive producer Stephen Adley Guirgis and supervising producer Nelson George, who will both be in attendance.

The show will have a screening/panel on Sunday June 4 at 2:30 PM. Tickets are available for purchase here.

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Orphan Black

Before we even get into all that is brilliant about Orphan Black, can we address how exciting it is that so much of the cast and crew will be attending the Split Screens Festival? Actors Tatiana Maslany, Jordan Gavials, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Kristian Bruun, Kevin Hanchard, Evelyne Brochu, Ari Millen, and executive producers Graeme Manson and John Fawcett will all come together in a send-off to the BBC America series that has captivated the hearts of the members of its dedicated, passionate fanbase. Tatiana Maslany in many ways has revolutionized the art form of acting with her many complex, multi-faceted portrayals of the many clones on the series. Maslany was at the center of a targeted campaign dedicated to gaining her a mainstream acting award, as genre series are often ignored by the larger critical award shows. Those efforts eventually paid off in 2016 when Maslany won the Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series. This panel is an absolute must for any members of the Clone Club in the New York area.

The show will have a screening/panel on Tuesday June 6 at 6:30PM. Tickets are available for purchase here.

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Underground

The WGN series is a period piece set during the 19th century and focuses on the Underground Railroad that worked tirelessly to help slaves escape to freedom. A recent episode "Minty" served a bottle episode focused entirely on a speech given by Harriet Tubman. Tubman was portrayed by activist/actress Aisha Hinds who will be in attendance with director Anthony Hemingway to discuss this powerful piece of television.

The show will have a screening/panel on Thursday June 8 at 7:00PM. Tickets are available for purchase here.