From May 30-June 2, Austin hosted the 13th edition — or “season” of the ATX TV Festival, an annual event that brings together fans and industry to celebrate the television with Q&As, panel conversations, events as well as reunions of classic series and cult hits.
The fest opened with the world premiere of of Julio Torres‘s Fantasmas and closed with a live table read of historic episodes of the late, great Norman Lear‘s Maude and Good Times.
In addition, GLAAD presented a panel titled “Where We Are on TV and Where We Need to Be” moderated by Dino-Ray Ramos and featuring Raina Deerwater, GLAAD’s lead author on the study, delving into the findings of GLAAD’s 2023-2024 “Where We Are on TV” study and where Hollywood needs to move in terms of LGBTQ representation.
Chicago Fire actor Daniel Kyri and The Fall of the House of Usher showrunner and EP Mike Flanagan joined Ramos and Deerwater for an insightful conversation about the ongoing effort to movie the needle for LGBTQ representation on screen.
Deerwater broke down the data and facts for the audience while Kyri talked about his experiences in the industry as a queer Black man and the opportunities afforded to him. Flanagan talked about what he does to use his platform as an LGTBQ ally to bolster queer voices. He also talked about the importance of being an ally and doing actionable things to be more inclusive.
Kyri joined Ramos again for the “Queer Storytelling” panel hosted by the Universal Studios Group.
The panel included Kyri, The Irrational star Travina Springer, and Hacks star Mark Indelicato. The trio discussed groundbreaking LGBTQ series and moments that have opened new doors for queer storytelling.
Kyri went into how he helped sculpt his Chicago Fire to reflect his own life. Springer has a similar story as her character Kylie on The Irrational wasn’t originally queer. She pitched showrunner Arika Mittman the idea of Kylie being queer and she said yes. The character also reflected where Springer is on her identity journey right now.
Indelicato was celebrated by the room and his fellow panelists for his groundbreaking role as Justin in Ugly Betty. The ABC show had a reunion at ATX TV Festival in 2016 which Indelicato attended. The Hacks star spoke openly about being queer at a time when it wasn’t as mainstream and how it compares to the current landscape.
On the final day of the fest, Deerwater moderated a conversation with actor Devery Jacobs, who was honored with the 2024 Breakthrough Award.
The Breakthrough Award honors “an individual whose creative voice has made a substantial and unique impact on the current moment in TV, and whose work exemplifies the emotional, entertaining, and artistic possibilities of the medium”.
Jacobs talked to Deerwater about her multi-hyphenate role as actor, writer and director on FX’s critically acclaimed series Reservation Dogs, her recent role in Echo, and her role as star and producer of the recently released Backspot.
The fest also included Deerwater in conversation with Maureen Ryan, journalist and author of Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood. The pair talked about trends in LGBTQ+ representation TV over the past three decades and what the future holds.
Ramos also moderated a conversation called “Breaking the Mold” with Springer and Kyri as well as Lopez vs. Lopez showrunner/EP Debby Wolfe, Law & Order: SVU actor Octavio Pisano, and Expats actor Brian Tee. For decades, access to roles in front of and behind the camera was limited to select communities.
Talking from their experiences, Springer, Wolfe, Pisano, Kyri, and Tee discussed how the the “face” of Hollywood is changing and how it has impacted their careers. They spoke candidly about authenticity, the reality of working in entertainment, and how they are “breaking the mold” by using their platforms to shape the future of TV.
