Pilot Light TV Festival Season 5

Tom Grieve, Contributing Writer

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Pilot Light TV Festival Season 5

15-16 August 2020

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

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We were gutted when Pilot Light TV Festival was postponed back in March. The annual television festival has become a much-loved fixture in our calendars thanks to eclectic, inclusive programming that brings fans and industry together. While the traditional festival format is still a no-go, the folks at Pilot Light have organised a pay-what-you-can digital edition which enables you to explore some of the best in new TV pilots and web series streamed straight into your home.

There are still some surprises to be revealed, but there’s plenty of fun to be had from what we’ve seen of the curated line up. With 23 new independent series in total, ranging from mockumentaries, to conspiracy thrillers, to tales of  modern dating, there’s something to suit most tastes. We like the sound of vampires on Tinder in Brett Boon’s Sucker, an intriguing-sounding London-set detective joint called The Solution, and Wienerland — billed as “fantasy/western genre-mix.”

Where to go near Pilot Light TV Festival Season 5

City Centre
Restaurant
Portfolio

Portfolio is a Champagne boutique on Manchester’s Bridge Street, offering a set menu of fine-dining small bites.

Manchester
Gallery
Bridge 5 Mill

Bridge 5 Mill is a sustainable event space and community hub on Beswick Street in Ancoats, hosting independent cultural projects and ethical supper clubs.

1853 gallery 1
Manchester
Gallery
1853 Studios

1853 Studios and Gallery is a Creative Studios and community of creative professionals occupying the 3rd floors of Osborne Mill, Oldham.

Deansgate
Restaurant
Podium

Podium delivers high-end, seasonal dishes, largely geared around produce and ideas from the British Isles, but with a few deft twists and turns.

Tai Wu
Manchester
Restaurant
Tai Wu

Long-standing, trend-swerving Chinese restaurant on Manchester’s Upper Brook Street, with a reputation for authentic dim sum and traditional Cantonese cuisine.

Manchester
Food hall
BAB Korean Food

A highlight of Manchester’s K-Food space, Bab Korean Food serves up authentic, well-made dishes at the Kargo MKT food hall in MediaCity.

Dimitri's
Castlefield
Restaurant
Dimitri’s

Longstanding Greek taverna Dimtri’s delivers traditional, fuss-free Greek food, aimed at everyone from courting couples to multi-generational families in Manchester.

Kong's NQ
Manchester
Restaurant
Kong’s NQ

Kong’s isn’t like other chicken shops. This much-loved Northern Quarter restaurant is all about high-grade ingredients and expert preparation.

Castlefield
Restaurant
Trading Route

Trading Route serves up time-honoured Sunday grub, in a modern Manchester setting. Worth a visit for the expertly-curated soundtrack alone.

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