North Fork TV Festival Returns to Soundview Greenport June 17 for 10th Year

The North Fork TV Festival will return to Greenport on June 17 and 18 to celebrate its 10th anniversary, with a lineup that includes industry panels, screenings, and special honors for actors and writers in television.

This year’s festival will recognize actor Tramell Tillman with the 2025 Breakout Performance Award. Tillman, who portrays Seth Milchick in the Apple TV+ series Severance, has received nominations for both SAG and Independent Spirit Awards. His upcoming appearance in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival later this spring.

“We are honored to present Tramell Tillman with this year’s Breakout Performance Award,” said founder Noah Doyle. “The Breakout Performance Award was created to honor those rare performances that not only showcase exceptional talent but also shift the way we experience television.

“Tramell Tillman embodies that spirit completely — his portrayal of Milchick in Severance is a masterclass in nuance, intensity, and innovation. We look forward to celebrating him at the 2025 festival,” Doyle said.

In addition to the award presentation, the festival will debut a reimagined version of Inside the Actors Studio, featuring a new “piano-bar-style” setting.

The series will include back-to-back conversations with a lineup of television actors, including Anna Chlumsky (Veep), Richard Kind (Only Murders in the Building), Susan Kelechi Watson (This Is Us, The Residence), Chris Briney (The Summer I Turned Pretty), and Jenn Lyon (Claws).

Christopher Meloni, best known for his roles in Law & Order: Organized Crime and Oz, will receive the 2025 Canopy Award.

The honor recognizes a career marked by innovation and enduring influence in television.

This year’s festival will also showcase the winners of its Independent Pilot and Script Competitions, which highlight original work from emerging writers and directors.

According to artistic director Mike Stern, the festival received a record number of submissions.

“This year’s Script and Pilot Competitions were our most competitive yet, with dozens of exceptional submissions from around the world,” Stern said. “Among the standouts: a psychic shop hiding criminal secrets, a cyber thriller during a global blackout, a Cold War-era drama about truth and censorship, and the inspiring true story of Weight Watchers founder Jean Nidetch.”

Stern added that the pilot competition featured “rebellious civil rights activists, climate survivors, psychic detectives, and more,” calling the selections a testament to the creativity and originality the festival aims to support.

Founded in 2015, the North Fork TV Festival is a nonprofit organization that celebrates both mainstream and independent television. The annual event brings together actors, writers, directors, and industry executives in the Village of Greenport.

In addition to screenings and panel discussions, the festival provides mentorship opportunities for creators and supports the development of independent television pilots.

Events for the 10th anniversary edition will take place at the Sound View in Greenport. Festival passes and individual tickets will be available at northfork.tv. Further programming details and guest announcements are expected throughout the next few weeks.