The IFC Center’s Split Screens Festival marks the rare occasion when TV lovers ditch the comfort of their couches to take in live screenings on the big screen.
Back again for its second year after a successful inaugural fest, Split Screen hosts five days of premiere events, finale viewings and chats with the casts and crews behind shows like “The Americans,” “Billions” and “Westworld.”
“This festival is people who don’t just watch TV, but live TV,” says author and critic Matt Zoller Seitz, the event’s programmer.
“It’s for people for whom television is an emotional experience,” he adds. “The people who come to this festival tend to be the people who really obsess over TV. They’re the ones who describe a life choice they’ve made in relation to Peggy from ‘Mad Men.’ ”
Sound like you? The festival spans Wednesday, May 30 through Sunday, June 3 at the Sixth Avenue IFC Center in Greenwich Village. Tickets are $10-$15 ($8-$12 for IFC Center members). For the full schedule, go to splitscreensfestival.com.
Wednesday, May 30
“The Americans” finale viewing party (9:30 p.m)
View the ending of the FX spy drama in a room of nearly 200 other fans of “The Americans.” Following the episode, screening live on the theater screen, New York magazine TV critic Matt Zoller Seitz and Vulture TV columnist Jen Chaney will lead an audience chat about the sure-to-be-epic series closure.
Friday, June 1
“The Americans” final debriefing (1 p.m.)
Per Seitz, this just might be the last time “Americans” showrunners Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields sit down together to chat about the series, with the exception of future throwback screenings. “The showrunners will talk about the entire series, from start to finish. We’re calling it the final debriefing, and I expect it to be very well attended,” Seitz says.
Money in the Bank: David Costabile (6 p.m.)
“Billions” actor David Costabile will sit down to delve into the evolution of his on-screen career, from his breakout role as Detective Rick Messer on “Damages” to that “Breaking Bad” gig as Gale Boetticher.
Acting machine: Jeffrey Wright (7:30 p.m.)
Spend an hour of your evening with “Westworld” actor Jeffrey Wright. He’ll discuss the upcoming second season of the HBO series and delve a bit into the several varying roles he’s held in the past, including playing Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in “Boycott.”
Saturday, June 2
Mr. Authenticity: Thomas Haden Church (5 p.m.)
Thomas Haden Church, of NBC’s “Wings” fame, will examine the path of a career that’s led him to star alongside Sarah Jessica Parker in the New York-set HBO comedy “Divorce.”
Sunday, June 3
Vanguard Award with Sandra Oh (3 p.m.)
Golden Globe- and SAG Award-winning actress Sandra Oh — who you may know best as Cristina Yang on “Grey’s Anatomy” — is the recipient of this year’s Vanguard Award. Currently, Oh stars in the BBC America drama “Killing Eve.”
“She’s played a wide variety of roles over the years and she’s really versatile and charismatic,” Seitz explains as to the Vanguard decision. “I think she’s being recognized as a star now after being thought of more as a character person, so it’s a very exciting time in her career.”
“Younger” premiere (6:45 p.m.)
This is your chance to actually watch the season 5 premiere episode of TV Land’s “Younger” with some of your favorite cast members. Actors Debi Mazar (Maggie), Nico Tortorella (Josh) and Charles Michael Davis (Zane), will join the series’ producers for a post-screening Q&A.
