The Austin Film Society Announces Inaugural Participant for the Houston Television Lab at ATX TV Festival
May 29, AUSTIN, TX— The Austin Film Society announced the launch of its new television grant program with the Houston Television Lab at the ATX TV Festival, kicking off today and running through June 1.
The new program gives $15,000 to an emerging writer from the Houston area to develop a pitch for a Houston-based series over the course of a year. The program’s inaugural writer is Li Lu (the AFS-Grant supported filmmaker behind A Town Called Victoria). Lu spent nine months developing a Houston-set series called Sugar Land, which she will pitch live at the 2025 ATX TV Festival.
To learn more about the Houston Television Lab, click here or visit houstontelevisionlab.org.
Li Lu was mentored by Kat Candler (former showrunner of O Network’s Queen Sugar, Hellion, 13 Reasons Why), Lindsey Villareal (co-executive producer of La Máquina) and Houston native Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour (dir. Black Box) during the research and development phases of her project.
The Houston Television Lab’s co-founder Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour said of the project, “Television has the power to define how a city lives in people’s minds. As someone from Houston, I’ve always found it curious how little most people know about the city — or how often it’s misrepresented. But anyone who’s lived here knows it’s one of the most culturally dynamic, globally diverse cities in the country. With this Lab, we’re hoping to help local writers tell the stories that actually reflect the Houston we know — and finally get those stories on screen.”
Galen Hines-Pierce, fellow co-founder of the Houston Television Lab, added, “Houston is the most important city in America that no one can quite picture. It’s wildly diverse, culturally rich, economically vital — and still too often overlooked. The future runs through Texas, and Houston is its true beating heart. We are proud to back storytellers like Li Lu, whose work channels the raw dynamism of a city that’s constantly reinventing itself.”
The Austin Film Society’s Head of Film and Creative Media Holly Herrick remarked, “As part of our mission to empower Texas-based filmmakers, AFS is proud to administer this impactful new program, which has the capacity to broadly contribute to the growth of the Texas film and television landscape by advancing Houston storytellers. Li Lu is a remarkable Texas talent, and we can’t wait to see her take her next big leap with the creation of Sugar Land.”
The Houston Television Lab program is managed by the Austin Film Society with the goal of supporting an emerging writer from the Houston area with a project that amplifies both the city and its stories. The program consists of an immersion and research phase in Houston as well as a development phase, including mentorship with a working television writer. The final phase of the program includes coaching on pitching as well as sessions with a studio development executive mentor and a producer mentor. The program culminates in a live pitch at the ATX TV Festival followed by a one-on-one meeting with a development executive to give the writer a real opportunity to pitch their show.
ATX TV Festival celebrates its 14th “season” this year with an incredible lineup of unmissable premieres, programming and panels featuring TV luminaries including David E. Kelley, Jon Hamm, John Slattery, Mike Judge, Greg Daniels, Seth Meyers, Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, Bill Lawrence, Damon Lindeloff, Noah Hawley, Brett Goldstein, Billy Bob Thorton, Ashley Nicole Black, Debora Cahn, Pamela Adlon and many more.
About the Houston Television Lab
The Houston Television Lab is a year-long program supporting an emerging writer from the Houston area in developing a compelling pitch and pitch bible for a Houston-based television series — one that amplifies both the city and its stories. The selected writer receives $15,000 to dedicate the year to developing their series.
This pilot program is managed by the Austin Film Society in partnership with Houston Television Lab founders Galen Hines-Pierce and Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour, Jr., along with the Moody Center for the Arts at Rice University.
About Li Lu
Li Lu is an award-winning director born in Suzhou, China, and raised in Sugar Land, TX. A USC School of Cinematic Arts graduate, she directed the feature There is a New World Somewhere (three Best Feature awards, theatrical & VOD release) and the PBS docuseries A Town Called Victoria, which premiered on Independent Lens and won best IDA’s Best Limited Series award in 2024.
Her television work includes The Resident (FOX/DISNEY) and Netflix’s Echoes, which held the #1 TV spot globally for three weeks. She was part of the DGA Women’s Steering Committee mentorship program and, most recently, DOC NYC’s esteemed “40 Under 40” list.
About Sugar Land
Sugar Land is a half-hour episodic dramedy based on creator Li Lu’s high school years in Greater Houston. Set in 2001, 14-year-old Wei Zhou is caught between the suburban void of Sugar Land, TX, and the eccentric chaos of Houston’s Chinatown. As she tries to detangle her clashing worlds, she must cling to the one thing she loves — performing badass Chinese dance.
About Austin Film Society
Founded in 1985 by filmmaker Richard Linklater, AFS creates life-changing opportunities for filmmakers, catalyzes Austin and Texas as a creative hub, and brings the community together around great film. AFS supports filmmakers from all backgrounds towards career leaps, encouraging exceptional artistic projects with grants and support services. AFS operates Austin Studios, a 20-acre production facility, to attract and grow the creative media ecosystem. Austin Public, a space for our city’s diverse mediamakers to train and collaborate, provides many points of access to filmmaking and film careers. The AFS Cinema is an ambitiously programmed repertory and first run arthouse with broad community engagement. By hosting premieres, local and international industry events, and the Texas Film Awards, AFS shines the national spotlight on Texas filmmakers while connecting Austin and Texas to the wider film community. AFS is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. More at austinfilm.org.
About ATX TV Festival
ATX TV Festival is an annual event produced by ATX TV, taking place each summer in Austin, TX. As the leading television festival, it brings together fans and industry to celebrate the television medium by looking at its history, where it is now, and where it is headed. The festival consists of screenings followed by Q&As, panel conversations, and events (parties, live music, happy hours, hosted receptions, etc.) and is known for reunions of classic series and cult hits. Screenings include never-aired pilots, canceled-too-soon series, current favorites, and world premieres. Panel conversations range from industry deep-dives to fan-focused conversations, along with discussions on representation (in front of and behind the camera) and responsibility in storytelling. The ATX TV audience is comprised equally of consumers and industry professionals, and ATX TV Festival is the only place they come together as one community to discuss and celebrate all aspects of #TVTogether.
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MEDIA CONTACT
Will Stefanski
Will@austinfilm.org
