Beyond the Screen: A Living Archive of Unfiltered Storytelling
To mark a decade of Open Television (OTV), Beyond the Screen emerges as a vibrant multimedia publication chronicling the evolution of intersectional storytelling and the radical infrastructures that make it possible. At its heart is a stunning coffee table book—published by For the Birds Trapped in Airports—featuring essays, archival ephemera, and visual interventions that trace OTV’s legacy across screens, stages, and communities.
Complementing the book is a limited audio series co-produced by Ask Tribble, Inc. and Repair Media, inviting listeners into intimate conversations with artists, cultural workers, and organizers who’ve shaped and been shaped by OTV’s multiverse. Together, these offerings are an invitation to remember, reflect, and reimagine what becomes possible when we center care, culture, and creativity.
This is more than a retrospective—Beyond the Screen is a love letter to the future.
Publication
Publication
Beyond the Screen by Elijah McKinnon +
Dr. Aymar Jean Escoffery
In Beyond the Screen, we invite readers to journey through the transformative decade of Open Television (OTV), where the intersection of art, storytelling, and community has shaped the very fabric of the media landscape. This 100+ page, photo-forward book reflects on the bold, foundational pillars that have helped cultivate an organization grounded in sustainable, intersectional storytelling.
OTV’s mission is rooted in the belief that before we can build an ecosystem, we must first tend the land, create the shelter, and nourish the space where growth can happen. It is in the cultivation of brave platforms that artists find the freedom to express, experiment, and evolve. Through this book, we shine a light on how OTV’s past decade has been dedicated to nurturing these early seeds—tiny gardens of creativity, solidarity, and connection—that are now blooming into thriving ecosystems of bold, uncompromising art.
Edited by Rasheed Peters
Design by Jessy V. Castillo (Rara Matter) + Matthew Austin
published by For the Birds Trapped in Airports
Paperbacks ship in September.
Pre-orders for Hardcover / Special Edition ship in October / November.
Limited Audio Series
Limited Audio Series
Each episode unpacks one of OTV’s “10 Lessons Learned,” weaving together intimate interviews, archival audio, and unscripted commentary from the people who helped build the platform from the ground up.
From artists and collaborators to cultural organizers and curators, Beyond the Screen offers a behind-the-scenes look at how OTV redefined indie media—and what’s next for intersectional storytelling.
Beyond the Screen: Pushing Media, Imagination, and Legacy Forward is a 10-episode limited audio series celebrating a decade of intersectional media with Open Television (OTV) co-produced by Ask Tribble, Inc. and ReSpair Media
Hosted by Elijah McKinnon and Dr. AJ Escoffery, the series reflects on the creative risks, community lessons, and radical care that shaped OTV’s journey over the past 10 years.
COMING TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts!
“Over the past ten years, we’ve learned ten powerful lessons — not just about storytelling, but about the ecosystems that make storytelling possible. Beyond the Screen is a celebration of that learning: of building slow and deep, choosing people over profit, and insisting that joy, care, and complexity belong at the center of media.” — Elijah mckinnon, co-founder, OTv