North Fork TV Festival Championing CAST Through Independent Pilot Submissions

The North Fork TV Festival is officially accepting entries for the fifth annual Independent Pilot Competition - which is expected to take place in fall 2020.

To honor a local organization that has played a vital role over the last 50 plus years, but especially over the last couple of months as food insecurity has reached an unprecedented high, the Festival is donating 100 percent of the proceeds from this year's Independent Pilot submissions to Community Action Southold Town (CAST).

The mission of CAST, which was established in 1965, is to "promote self-sufficiency and provide a safety net for Southold Town residents in need." The organization provides a safety net for those in need by ensuring they have access to basic needs, such as nutritious meals, clothing, energy, employment, and education.

"The North Fork has always been good to the festival, and we want to help the community in a time of need," explained festival Founder Noah Doyle. "CAST has done critical work in the community for years and will be doing this work for years to come."

CAST has experienced a 25 percent increase in new clients seeking services since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic. The organization's food expense has gone from approximately $1,200 weekly to approximately $7,000 weekly. Each week they provide about 5,000 meals from CAST's Greenport office, as well as new satellite locations established in partnership with First Presbyterian Church in Southold and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Greenport. CAST has increased its food pantry and mobile pantry distribution and also established an emergency feed-a-kid bag, which is distributed three times a week. CAST's Food Pantry went from operating bi-monthly to weekly distribution for households and the Mobile Food Pantry has expanded delivery to include quarantined or homebound families. CAST is also providing gift cards to the IGA and local restaurants to families in need.

Local restaurants, including American Beech, CJ's American Grill, Touch of Venice, Wayside Market, 1943 Pizza, Maroni's, and Green Hill Kitchen, have also stepped in to support CAST's mission by providing regular take-out meals to CAST clients. CAST, along with North Fork Episcopal Ministries and Breaking Bread Outreach, have been providing take-out Sunday Suppers at Holy Trinity in Greenport, while First Presbyterian Church Southold and MQV Church (Iglesia Mas Que Vencedores) are providing prepared meals during the week at CAST.

"Other Festival partners are also helping," Doyle noted. "For example, American Beech donates meals. We want to do our part, too."

"We want to thank our community, including the North Fork TV Festival, for the overwhelming support and generosity," CAST executive director Cathy Demeroto expressed. "The need is tremendous and ongoing, and our food costs have increased six-fold. Our efforts will continue throughout this challenging time."

The 2020 North Fork TV Festival judges include producer and Amazon Studios Executive Christina Wayne, showrunner Rockne S. O'Bannon, and actress Abigail Hawk.

For more information about North Fork TV Festival, visit www.northfork.tv. To submit an entry, visit filmfreeway.com. For more information about Community Action Southold Town, visit castsoutholdtown.org.

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Nicole is the Editor-in-Chief of Hamptons.com where she focuses on lifestyle, nightlife, and mixology. She grew up in the Hamptons and currently resides in Water Mill. www.hamptons.com NicoleBarylski NicoleBarylski