ATX TV Festival 2025 to Include ‘The Leftovers’ and ‘UnREAL’ Reunions

The ATX TV Festival has revealed the initial lineup for 2025. The festival’s 14th season will take place from May 29 – June 1, 2025 in Austin, Texas. As always, the festival will feature a range of retrospectives, panels, and script readings, with special highlights this year including reunions for The Leftovers and UnREAL.

The Leftovers reunion will include co-creators Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta, director and executive producer Mimi Leder, and cast members Justin Theroux, Carrie Coon, Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston, Ann Dowd, and Kevin Carroll. Sarah Aubrey, Head of Max Original Programming and an executive producer on the series, will moderate the conversation.

A+E Studios will host a reunion for UnREAL, marking the 10th anniversary of the hit Lifetime drama. Co-creator Sarah Gertrude Shapiro, along with cast members Shiri Appleby, Constance Zimmer, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, and Craig Bierko, will reflect on the show’s dark take on reality TV and its resurgence on Netflix.

Festival co-founders Caitlin McFarland and Emily Gipson expressed their excitement about the lineup, saying, “We are beyond proud to share our first programming for 2025 with our community of fans and industry. This is the first time since pre-pandemic that we have been able to share this much with you this early, and our mighty team worked extremely hard to have it represent who we are as a festival – reunions, retrospectives, craft and industry conversations, beloved cast and creators discussing current and upcoming projects.”

The co-founders also acknowledged the challenges facing the TV industry, from strikes to mergers, noting, “While it remains difficult and constantly evolving, we are excited for what is to come and stand with our creative partners in collaboration to continue telling entertaining stories through thought-provoking conversations.”

In addition to the Leftovers and UnREAL reunions, other key programming highlights include:

Bill Lawrence & Friends: Creator and showrunner Bill Lawrence will host a discussion featuring writers, actors, and collaborators from his hit shows, including Bad Monkey, Shrinking, Ted Lasso, Scrubs, Cougar Town, and more. Special guests will be announced later.

Mike Flanagan’s Live Table Read: Director Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House) will present a live reading of one of his unproduced scripts, joined by a special guest cast. His production company, Red Room Pictures, will also lead a conversation about storytelling in horror, with panelists to be confirmed.

Casting a Spotlight: Unsung Actors: For the first time, casting directors Sherry Thomas (Breaking Bad), Jeanie Bacharach (The Bear), Bonnie Zane (Suits), and Felicia Fasano (Better Things) will lead a panel celebrating emerging talent in TV. Each will highlight an actor they believe deserves greater recognition, with names to be revealed soon.

Henry Winkler Live Acting Class: Emmy Award-winning actor Henry Winkler (Barry, Happy Days) will return to the Festival to teach a live acting class, focusing on performance techniques and character development. Winkler, who was the first-ever recipient of the Festival’s Achievement in Television eXcellence Award in 2014, will also participate in a Q&A session covering his career and creative process.

Head to the ATX Television Festival’s official site for more information on the event. You can also take a look at our coverage of last year’s festival right here.

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