Tony Winner Kelli O'Hara Joins Cast of Arian Moayed's THE ACCIDENTAL WOLF Pilot

The New York Television Festival, an organization dedicated to identifying and nurturing top independent creative talent and connecting it with networks, studios, digital media companies and brands, today announced the official selections for its flagship Independent Pilot Competition (IPC), including The Accidental Wolf, created by Arian Moayed of Waterwell Films. This explosive thriller, stars Kelli O'Hara (Tony Winner for The King & I), Mike Doyle (Clint Eastwood's Jersey Boys) and Sahr Ngaujah (Tony Nominee for Fela!), and is one of 50 original television and web series pilots that will be presented for industry executives and TV fans at the 11th Annual New York Television Festival.

"The Accidental Wolf is a compelling and meditative thriller that pumps on all cylinders. It was an amazing experience working with Arian Moayed and the production team to realize the first episode's vision," said Tony winner Kelli O'Hara and star of The Accidental Wolf. "Premiering this innovative story at New York Television Festival, while introducing an energized audience to the beginning of a unique and haunting journey, is the dream fit."

The NYTVF, which is considered by the industry as the preeminent independent television showcase in the world, was launched in 2005 as the first festival with a focus on independently-created television content. Each year the Festival produces dozens of events for artists, executives and fans, while facilitating hundreds of thousands of dollars in development and production funding from its industry partners, available to a select group of Official Artists. This year, the Festival will take place from October 19-24, 2015 at The Helen Mills Theater and Event Space, with additional Festival events at Tribeca Three Sixty° and SVA Theatre.

"It started with Kelli O'Hara - building a world around her immense talent, while exploring class, power, and the struggle between the two," said Arian Moayed, creator of the original series, The Accidental Wolf. "I've always been attracted to those type of stories, and was particularly excited to experiment within the thriller genre and innovative web-series format. It's only fitting to premiere the pilot episode at the groundbreaking New York Television Festival."

Winners will be chosen in a variety of categories (including "Best Comedy" and "Best Drama") by a jury comprised of the NYTVF screening committee and the NYTVF-HRTS Next Generation Committee, with awards being presented at a reception on the Festival's closing night. Additionally, as Official Artists, the creators of these pilots qualify for a chance to receive a development deal from one of the NYTVF's Development Partners - networks and studios which have guaranteed they will offer at least one deal to independent artists this year.

"We're thrilled to present these 50 exceptional projects as Official Selections in the 2015 Independent Pilot Competition," said NYTVF Founder Terence Gray. "With more submissions than ever before, the bar was raised across every category, and we're looking at a line-up full of emerging and established talent, outstanding production values, and truly original voices. 2015 is shaping up to be a banner year for the New York Television Festival, and we can't wait to share these projects in October."

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos