MIPCOM 2011 NEWS 4

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WARNER AT MIPfoRMATs

Warner Bros. will deliver up to €25,000 to the production of the Fresh Talent Pitch winner at MIPFormats 2012. See page 3

MAlAysIA AT MIPCoM

Kamil Othman, executive producer, Saladin, the first ever Malaysian nomination for an Emmy. More on this, and Malaysia’s $70m MIPCOM. See page 19

NEXT GEN CoNTENT

Explore Next Generation Content at a showcase hosted by Jesse Cleverly at 11.30, Californie

RUssIA BREAKfAsT

Hear about monetising premium content in UGC environments at Russia House, in partnership with X-Media Digital, 08.45

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mipcom

Contents mipcom neWs 4 ®

The official MIPCOM daily newspaper Thursday 6 October 2011 Director of Publications Paul Zilk EDITOrIal DEParTMEnT Editor in Chief Julian Newby Technical Editor in Chief Herve Traisnel Deputy Technical Editor in Chief Frederic Beauseigneur Graphic Designers Carole Peres, Veronique Duthille, Muriel Betrancourt Deputy Editor Debbie Lincoln Sub Editors Sarah Kovandzich, Max Leonard reporters Marlene Edmunds, Andy Fry, Emelia Jones, Juliana Koranteng, Rachel Murrell, Gary Smith, Joanna Stephens, Chris White, Nigel Willmott Head of Photographers Yann Coatsaliou / 360 Media Photographers Christian Alminana, Georges Auclaire, Olivier Houeix, Michel Johner Editorial Management Boutique Editions.

PrODuCTIOn DEParTMEnT Content Director Jean-Marc Andre Publications Production and Development Manager Martin Screpel Publishing Product Manager Chealsy Choquette Publishing Co-ordinators Emilie Lambert, Amrane Lamiri, David Le Chapelain Productions assistant Veronica Pirim Production assistant, Cannes Office Eric Laurent Printer Riccobono Imprimeurs, Le Muy (France).

nEWS

+

e Schedulce

04 Market news

n Confere me m ra prog P5

Deals made in Cannes, market news and events

in pictures 6 Gala night

VIPs met at the Carlton to celebrate Anne Sweeney’s Personality Of The Year award

15 Stars in Cannes

22 Networking

Our photographers follow the stars, in Cannes for MIPCOM

Caught on camera: delegates meet at networking events during MIPCOM

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aDVErTISInG COnTaCT In CannES Christine Mendes 01 41 90 49 89 christine.mendes@reedmidem.com ManaGEMEnT, MarkETInG & SalES TEaM Director of the Entertainment Division Anne de Kerckhove Director of the Television Division Laurine Garaude Director of Market Development Ted Baracos Sales Director Sabine Chemaly Marketing Director Stephane Gambetta Programme Director Tania Dugaro Managing Director (uk / australia / new Zealand) Peter Rhodes OBE Sales Manager Elizabeth Delaney Vice President Sales and Business Development, americas Robert Marking Vice President Business Development, north america JP Bommel Executive Sales Director, north america MJ Sorenson Sales Executive Panayiota Pagoulatos regional Sales Director Fabienne Germond Sales Managers Paul Barbaro, Nathalie Gastone, Samira Haddi Sales Executives Liliane Dacruz, Cyril Szczerbakow Digital Media Sales Manager Nancy Denole australia and new Zealand representative Natalie Apostolou China representative Anke Redl CIS representative Alexandra Modestova English Speaking africa representative Arnaud de Nanteuil India representative Anil Wanvari Israel representative Guy Martinovsky Japan representative Lily Ono latin america representative Elisa Aquino Middle-East representative Bassil Hajjar Poland representative Monika Bednarek South korea representative Sunny Kim Taiwan representative Irene Liu Germany representative (Digital Media Sector) Renate Radke Adam.

Published by reed MIDEM, BP 572, 11 rue du Colonel Pierre Avia, 75726 Paris Cedex 15, France. Contents © 2011, Reed MIDEM Market Publications, Publication registered 4th quarter 2011. ISSN 1962-9974.

Printed on FSC certified paper The MIPCOM news team is located in the Press & news Hub next to the Palais des Festivals

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6 Warner partners with MIPTV for new-look Fresh Talent Pitch WARNER Bros. International TV Production (WBITP) has entered a partnership with MIPTV for the US major to be the exclusive sponsor of the MIPFormats 2012 Fresh Talent Pitch. Announcing the partnership, Andrew Zein, senior vice-president, creative format development and sales, WBITP, said his company would work with the MIPFormats team to commit up to €25,000 on developing the right project through one of its production companies. The competition is open to all-comers, and the new-look event will debut on March 31, 2012.

Zein told MIPCOM News that the net would be cast as wide as possible in search of strong ideas: “By the time of the event we’ll concentrate on six wellproduced, atmospheric presentations. But we’re not setting the bar high in terms of

the production of the pitch. This is about great ideas.”

In terms of his rationale, he says: “My brief is to establish WBITP as a key force in local production — and formats is a significant part of that. We’d expect the idea which wins

through this process to be developed with one of our production offices and then distributed by Warner Bros.”

Lucy Smith, conference director of Reed MIDEM’s TV division, is delighted with the deal: “A big part of our strategy for MIPFormats is to make it a platform for idea discovery and development. At the same time, WBITP’s support will transform this into an exciting stage event.”

Andrew Zein with Lucy Smith

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mipcom

neWs GOOD CALL! Members of the Acquisitions Super Panel were asked to name their most important decisions ever. Here’s how they replied:

Disney’s Sweeney says digital is evolution not revolution for TV ANNE Sweeney co-chair, Disney

Jeff Ford, director of programmes, Channel 5: CSI

“No one wanted it in the UK at that time. But it got us into one hour drama and was huge on Saturday nights”

Mike Consentino, senior vice-president programming, CTV Networks: The Sopranos

“We ran it against the Sydney Olympics. We won every night”

Media Networks, and president, Disney/ABC Television Group, was named MIPCOM Personality Of The Year for her fearless approach to digital media. So it was no surprise that she continued to expound her digital vision during her keynote speech on Wednesday in the Grand Auditorium.

When Sweeney took Disney down the digital road in 2005, some executives were “uneasy about risking the status quo for an uncertain future. Others realised there was no way to win in the 21st century with a 20th century model,” she said.

Sweeney was in the second camp.

Five years on, she’s convinced she made the right decision: “We’ve leveraged technology to create new ways to give viewers what they want, while protecting our content from piracy and generating additional revenue.

Today the Disney/ABC Television Group is evolving as a content creation engine and a technology innovator — with two

dozen patents in process for technology we’ve invented too.”

With digital technology, “we’re doing things none of us could imagine. We’re giving people more quality and options than ever before. They’re tuning in, logging on, downloading, streaming, buying, renting — devouring our content any way they can get it. Digital

technology didn’t disrupt our business — it transformed it.

Digital didn’t weaken the power of television — it unleashed it.”

So what next? “A tech-savvy, global, multi-generational audience is driving our business.

Today, TV is the most powerful medium in the world. Tomorrow it will also be the most personal,” she said.

Anne Sweeney

World Screen Content Trendsetter Award Carlos Sandoval: general manager of acquisitions, Televisa. Ice Age

“But not because I bought it.

Because I didn’t. Our rivals have been very successful with it”

Sarah Wright, Acquisitions controller, BSkyB: Modern Family

“People hadn’t been buying comedy, so it was risky. But it became the foundation of the Sky 1 Comedy slot for both acquired and now commissioned comedy”

With World Screen Content Trendsetter Award winners: Reed MIDEM’s Laurine Garaude (centre) with, from left,BSkyB’s Sarah Wright, Channel 5’s Jeff Ford, World Screen’s Anna Carugati, Televisa’s Carlos Sandoval, and CTV Network’s Mike Cosentino

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Thursday 6 October OFFICIAL CONFERENCES & EVENTS RUSSIA RUSSIA

RUSSIA NEXT GEN CONTENT SHOWCASE: THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME 11.30 – 12.30 Californie Theatre, Level 5

BREAKFAST SESSION FROM CONFRONTATION TO COOPERATION. MONETISING PREMIUM CONTENT IN UGC ENVIRONMENT ON EMERGING MARKETS 8.45 – 10.00 Russia House, Azur Hall

RUSSIA

RUSSIA RUSSIA

Moderator ■ Jesse Cleverly, CEO, Connective Media, UK Speakers ■ Anthony Lilley (photo 1), Chief Creative Officer and CEO, Magic Lantern Productions Ltd, UK ■ Alex Medeiros (photo 2), New Formats Manager & Head Transmedia Producer, TV Globo Comunicações e Participações SA, Brazil @amedeiros2000 ■ Laurant Weill (photo 3), Executive Chairman, Visiware, France

Sponsored by Moderator ■ Peter Lavelle, Presenter of CROSSTALK and ON THE MONEY (RT), Russia

Speakers ■ Youri Hazanov (photo 1), Strategic Partnerships, 1 YouTube Central and Eastern Europe, France ■ Vladimir Nabatov (photo 2), Projects Executive, X-Media Digital, LLC., Russia

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2

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12.30 - 13.00 Closing Focus on Russia and Russia House.

Moderator ■ Pat Quinn, Partner/Manager, Quinn Media Management, USA

RUSSIA

MIPCOM 2011 BLOGGERS ROUND UP 14.30 – 15.30 Californie Theatre, Level 5

Speakers ■ Nathalie Carpentier (photo 1), Agent in audio-visual rights, C.A.L, France ■ Rob Kaplan (photo 2), SVP, Alternative & International Television, APA, USA ■ Emiliano Saccone (photo 3), Executive Vice President, Fox International Channels, USA

3

OTHER EVENT TODAY MIPCOM 2011 Overview 10.30 – 11.30 Majestic hotel, Salon Martha

RUSSIA

Closing press-conference.

Moderator ■ Jesse Cleverly, CEO, Connective Media, UK Bloggers ■ Kate Bulkley (photo), Media Columnist and Commentator, UK ■ James Martin, Community Manager, MIP Markets, France ■ Simon Staffans, Format Developer, MediaCity Finland @simon_staffans

RUSSIA

2

From confrontation to cooperation. Monetising premium content in UGC environment on emerging markets.

Sponsored by X-Media Digital.

2

RE-MONETISE, RE-LOAD AND RE-MAKE YOUR CATALOGUE 10.00 – 11.00 Californie Theatre, Level 5

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8.45 - 10.00

RUSSIA

RUSSIA RUSSIA

MIPCOM

The world’s entertainment content market

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in pictures

Disney’s Anne Sweeney last night became MIPCOM Personality Of The Year, 2011. Friends and industry luminaries gathered at the Carlton to celebrate the award Reed MIDEM’s Paul Zilk and Anne Sweeney

From left: Mark Lolo, president, Central Partnership; Alexandre Fayfman, first deputy CEO and general producer, Channel One Russia; Konstantin Ernst, CEO, Channel One Russia; Margarita Simonyan, editor in chief, RT; Igor Shibanov, Russia, Ukraine and CIS representative, Reed MIDEM; Ida Lolo; Eduard Sagalaev, president, National Association of TV and Radio Broadcasters

Singer Vanessa Williams, special guest at the gala

From left: Barry Jossen, executive vice-president, ABC Studios; Kevin Brockman, executive vice-president, global communications, Disney/ABC Television Group; Anna Carugati, group editorial director, World Screen; Ricardo Seguin Guise, president and group publisher, WSN

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Singer Vanessa Williams with Anne Sweeney, who she introduced at the gala

From left: Gregory Poirier, writer, Missing; Cliff Curtis, actor, Missing; Grant Scharbo, executive producer, Missing; Gina Matthews, executive producer, Missing; Adriano Giannini, actor, Missing

From left: Jeff Pryor, chief executive of Priority PR; Joe Patrick, senior vice-president of worldwide television, Miramax; William D Myers, president and chief operating officer, Starz Entertainment; Simon Sutton, president, HBO International and content distribution From left: Leslie Gilliams and Paula Hart of Hartbreak Films; Michael Riley, president, ABC Family; Joe Tedesco, senior vicepresident and general manager, kids, Astral Television Networks

Roma Khanna, president, TV group and digital, MGM Studios, and Maria Hale, vice-president, television and head of programming and production, Corus Entertainment

From left: Christine Mitchell, head of video content, Vodafone; Steve Macallister, president and managing director, sales and distribution, BBC Worldwide; Robert Gilby, senior vice-president and managing director, media distribution, The Walt Disney Company (Asia Pacific)

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mipcom

neWs EARLY DAYS FOR ONLINE VIDEO

NHK drama pulls on heart strings of jury in MIPCOM Buyers’ Award

T YouTube’s Patrick Walker: “storytelling is developing to a whole new level”

ONLINE video today is where television was in the 1950s in terms of on-screen content evolution, declared Patrick Walker, senior director, partnerships EMEA, at YouTube, the pioneering video-sharing website.

He also dispelled doubts about online video growth by quoting the following YouTube statistics: three billion views-a-day compared with two billion one year ago; 600 million unique visitors worldwide a month; and 600 tweets about YouTube posted every minute of every day on social-media network Twitter.

HREADS Of Our Hearts, the NHK drama about the relationship between a young and talented pianist and his hearing-impaired mother, has won the third annual MIPCOM Buyers’ Award For Japanese Drama.

Yoshiaki Yamada, executive director of the International Drama Festival in Tokyo, which recommended the nominated dramas for the MIPCOM award, said the drama won because it had universal appeal.

“It is about a Japanese family that faces challenges but the theme has a universality to it that makes it extraordinarily appealing,” he said.

NHK’s head of international acquisition & co-production, Kazumasa Iida, with the 2011 Buyers’ Award for Japanese Drama

Buyers debate what West likes best A JURY panel of Western buyers

Speaking during his YouTube – The Next Generation presentation at MIPCOM, Walker was putting into context the soaring rate of online video consumption, which still has plenty of room for growth.

gave a behind-the-scenes look at how they make their decisions in reviewing the finalists for the International Drama Festival in Tokyo’s MIPCOM Buyers’ Award.

The award is an initiative by Reed MIDEM to help develop new markets for quality programming, said Ted Baracos, director of market development for Reed MIDEM and the person

responsible for creating the MIPCOM Buyers’ Award for Japanese Drama.

Comments made at the Asian Content Exchange, West Meets East conference talking about how the different titles in competition from seven different Japanese broadcasters were evaluated, gave an indication of why buyers were leaning towards the eventual winner.

Said Konstanze Welz, project

“Creativity in content and advertising is growing,” he said. “And [the art of] storytelling is developing to a whole new level.”

Walker demonstrated the point by screening Life In A Day, the Ridley Scott-produced cinema documentary about one day of life on earth, which was created from thousands of videos submitted by YouTube viewers. Walker has since learned that the BBC is planning a similar production based on one day of life in the UK.

German Films Service & Marketing’s Konstanze Welz: “strong emotional appeal”

MBC’s Badih Fattouh: ‘compelling content”

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International Drama Festival in Tokyo’s Yoshiaki Yamada announces the winner of the MIPCOM Buyers’ Award

co-ordinator, German Films Service & Marketing: “Thread Of Our Hearts is about a single mother raising her son but because of its very strong emotional appeal, I feel it can work in many countries.”

Alexandra But, formats acquisitions manager, CJSC Russian World Studios, said that the issue of disabled people was becoming an important one in Russia today: “This is a touching and emotional film and it is high time that people in Russia start speaking about this theme.”

Badih Fattouh, group director of content for MBC, agreed: “Thread Of Our Hearts is without a doubt, compelling content.”

Dragan Petrovic, managing director and partner, Visionary Thinking, Serbia, said the fact that it had already won awards internationally did put some pressure on the jury.

He added: “It had great emotional appeal but I would have liked to have seen a bit more local colour.”

311_RMMIPMARKETMEETUS_N1a4_COM__ 02/10/11 11:41 Page1

A full week of opportunities!

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M MIPTV: IPTV: 1 1-- 4 A April pril 2 2012 012 Accelerator Events: 30 31 March 2012 A ccelerator E vents: 3 0-3 1M arch 2 012 P Palais alais d des es F Festivals, estivals, C Cannes, annes, F France rance www.miptv.com w ww.miptv.com

neWs Crowd-funding conference

How to transform your funding bid into a real crowd pleaser

“F

ILMANTHROPY” may be the only way to survive for independent programme makers in a climate of declining public funding, Canadian film maker Peter Wintonick of Montreal’s Eyesteelfilm told the crowdfunding conference session.

“The old political economy of funding media is not working so well,” he said. “So we have to put our faith in the wisdom of the crowd, in bottom-up funding. I call it fair trade media.”

He gave the examples of Franny Armstrong raising

$1.5m for her environmental film Age Of Stupid and Robert Greenwald raising $150,000 in two weeks to make his Iraq war film, Iraq For Sale.

Slava Rubin of New Yorkbased funding aggregation site Indiegogo — one of around 200 such sites — offered some practical tips.

He explained that video appeals made 120% more than non-video, but they should be personal, about the film makers, and not a trailer.

When it came to communicating with potential donor-funders, he declared: “E-mail destroys Facebook, which destroys Twitter”. And,

Indiegogo’s Slava Rubin

finally, ask and ask again. “If you don’t ask seven times you won’t get it,” he explained.

Most people, he revealed, never even look at the first six e-mails.

Banks give programme makers due credit ING BANK’s landmark three year $43m loan to fund TV series production with Russian World Studios (RWS) was groundbreaking in that it was the first time that a Russian production company put up its own library content for security.

But there were a few hitches, noted David Grover, head of media finance for ING Bank in the Netherlands, speaking to

BNDES’ Luciane Gorgulho

delegates attending the Alternative Sources Of Financing Session: Banks And Venture Capitalists.

“We had to secure the library but the storage facility didn’t have proper insurance, so it’s been sitting in our offices in Russia in a secure room until we can sort this out.”

Robert Stapledon, senior commercial banker at Coutts &

ING Bank’s David Grover

Co, added that, traditionally, broadcasters would give out cash and banks would leverage against it. Broadcasters were now passing the risks on and a lot of creators were putting the finance together, he added.

Luciane Gorgulho, chief of culture and entertainment department, BNDES-Brazilian National Development Bank, said Brazil was an early adopter

culture, with everyone having at least two cell phones. She added that the bank lends to media on a number of levels, including gap financing, long-term credit lines, and grants but, she added: “We focus on the business plan rather than the project.” The bank has helped finance some 360 movies in the last 15 years to the tune of $65m directly, and $10m through investment.

Coutts & Co’s Robert Stapledon

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NPO’s Roek Lips, inventor of an “outrageous and unusual idea”

More countries are set to join ‘crazy’ TV Lab experiment NEDERLAND 3’s TV Lab — the audacious pilot experiment conceived

by NPO channel manager Roek Lips, in which the public is invited to participate in the commissioning process — is now in its third season.

And, as was revealed at yesterday’s Eurovision TV Lab Concept Case Study, it has now taken on international dimensions thanks to the involvement of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

This year, a total of 35 pilots were screened in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Slovenia, with viewers using social networks to choose which TV formats they would like to see developed into series. As a result, around six of these pilots are expected to make it on to European screens.

Moderator David Lyle, of National Geographic Channels, said: “It’s not

often that bold initiatives are undertaken by TV stations, which normally have a strong streak of protectionism and conservatism. But Roek Lips’ outrageous and unusual idea of letting the public help find new formats is one of most innovative I’ve ever been connected with.”

Lips said: “People said I was crazy when I came up with TV Lab in 2009.

But more and more countries are now joining our experiment, which aims to make public broadcast more public.”

The EBU’s Bettina Brinkmann said that many other public broadcasters had shown an interest in joining NPO, ZDF Germany, RTVE Slovenia and VRT Belgium in the 2012 Eurovision TV Lab. She added: “This is a great way of including younger audiences in public broadcasting, which is very important.”

Advertisers putting faith in content

A

DVERTISERS’ faith in the use of content and entertainment to sell their brands’ messages is rapidly growing, according to a panel of speakers at Alternative Sources Of Financing: Branded Entertainment & Sponsorship, on Tuesday.

As a case study, the panel examined DuPont, the highly diversified global chemical company.

DuPont wanted to inform the world about its positive work in agriculture, energy and environmental protection. Yet, it had not used traditional advertising for several years, and was sceptical about doing so.

Working with OgilvyEntertainment, the

BBC and the National Geographic Society, it produced original entertainment content, including a series of mini documentaries broadcast worldwide on the BBC World News channel. They also used photographs supplied by National Geographic in an exclusive five-year deal. Social media content and ‘thoughtleadership’ panels reinforced the DuPont message.

“This is not about selling DuPont products or services,” said Erich Parker, DuPont’s director of strategic corporate communications. “This is about aligning DuPont with people who are keen to solve problems.”

Otto Bell,

OgilvyEntertainment’s creative director, added: “With DuPont out of the advertising game for several years, we didn’t inherit any media baggage and were able to start with a blank slate.”

Panelist Peter Tortorici, CEO of GroupM Entertainment Worldwide, explained this new approach is changing media agencies’ roles: “We invest our own money to help content properties come into being and, as owners of intellectual property, we help create properties that can achieve global scale,” he said.

DuPont’s Erich Parker: “keen to solve problems”

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neWs Lionsgate pairs with TISA to take programming to Latin America LIONSGATE Television International and Maryann Pasante, former head of Latin American distribution for MGM Television International, are joining forces to launch LionsgateTISA Television International.

Lionsgate-TISA will focus on distributing Lionsgate’s TV series such as Mad Men, Weeds and Nurse Jackie, and its extensive feature film library, to all forms of television in Latin America.

It will also distribute feature films from the LionsgateTelevisa joint venture Pantelion Films, and represent third parties in the region, building on the independent studio TISA’s existing relationship with New Films International and others.

Peter Iacono, head of distribution at Lionsgate Television International, said: “Maryann Pasante is a highly accomplished and widely respected leader in Latin American Television distribution, with a track record of great success.”

Maryann pasante with Lionsgate president Jim packer (left) and peter Iacono

TV Lab spreads success across europe TV LAB, a concept launched in

2009 that involved broadcasting a huge array of new pilots over the course of a few days, proved so successful that it has now become a European Broadcasting Unionbacked initiative, Eurovision TV Lab, involving four countries.

Roek Lips, channel manager from Dutch public broadcaster NPO who launched TV Lab, said: “Channel managers need a playground for experimental ideas. We aired 19 pilots in 2009 and let the audience decide which they liked. Of 19, seven were commissioned as series.”

Lips also explained: “We gave it a social media element, so audiences could talk with each other about the formats as they aired and we could track preferences. And we introduced a competition for viewers to pitch their ideas, which resulted in a pilot.”

NPO’s success with TV Lab was the subject of a previous MIPTV discussion, which led Frank Zervos, head of development at ZDFneo, to try something similar. VRT Belgium and RTV Slovenia then expressed an interest and TV Lab was transformed into a pan-European project.

The first Eurovision TV Lab, involving the four broadcasters named above, was run in late August. Pilots from the four countries were pooled so that they could be used by all TV Lab participants.

“It is a great way to stimulate new producers as well as giving the audience greater involvement,” said ZDFneo’s Zervos.

Bettina Brinkmann, head of entertainment, fiction and arts at Eurovision TV, said the project is “very exciting for us

because reaching out to younger audiences is a priority for public broadcasters. We have spoken to other EBU members who are watching how the 2011 TV Lab works before deciding whether to join the 2012 project.”

european Broadcasting Union’s Anne Brochot (left), npO’s roek Lips and Bettina Brinkmann

KILLIng LeAdS SALeS Spree MORE proof that Scandinavian crime is the hottest ticket in town comes from ZDF Enterprises, which reports a slew of MIPCOM deals for BAFTA Awardwinning The Killing.

Among the broadcasters to have taken either the first or second seasons of the critically acclaimed series are the BBC, SBS Australia, DirecTV Latin America, AXN Spain, Channel One Russia, KLB France, Ale Kino/Canal+ Poland, Mega Channel Greece/Cyprus and Lumiere Benelux.

The new Danish/Swedish thriller The Bridge and Sweden’s Sebastian Bergmann have also been generating interest, with both being sold to the BBC. Meanwhile, the free-to-air TV rights to Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy have been bought by ORF Austria and SF Switzerland.

In kids’ and youth programming, the mermaid super-series H2O: Just Add Water has been acquired by Disney Portugal, Antena 3 Spain, Nickelodeon France and HRT Croatia.

ZDF Enterprises’ new factual series have also been doing brisk business, with sales to DR Denmark, TV2 Norway, NRK Norway, NHK Japan, TF1 France, Kultura Russia and China, and France Televisions.

Italy’s Rai has taken 35 episodes of Stuttgart Homicide and 100 episodes of the telenovela Ways To Happiness. The daily soap Alisa has been sold to HRT Croatia.

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mipcom

At its MIPCOM conference session yesterday, YouTube used a video it made with young UK entrepreneur Jamal Edwards to show off the capabilities of Google’s browser, Chrome. Back in London, Edwards saw, via our liveblogging, what was happening: and immediately retweeted the information to his 40,000 followers!

mipblog

More information on: http://blog.mipworld.com

Small World does good business in musical and makeover formats sMaLL World IFT has sold 26 ready-made episodes of Asian scripted format The Kitchen Musical to the Norwegian channel Bliss, part of the TV2 group.

The Group Entertainment Singapore’s format was picked up in August by Ben Silverman’s Electus/Engine Distribution, which is remaking the musical drama set in the restaurant world for the US. The show — described by Tim Crescenti, president of Small World

IFT as “Ally McBeal meets Cheers meets Grease” — airs in 18 Asian countries this fall.

Small World has also sold the Romanian format Miss Country Girl to Viasat, to be reversioned for the Swedish-owned broadcaster’s channels in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Ghana.

The multi-territory deal, brokered

by Beata Hegedus, Viasat’s vice-

president of formats and entertainment, comes on the heels of deals in France and Ukraine for the cowgirl-to-cover-girl format that sees rural women transformed into catwalk queens.

Crescenti added: “This is the first format from Romania to be exported and we have been blown away by the market’s reaction to it.

It’s a heartfelt show — a real-life Cinderella story of finding beauty in the most unlikely places.”

THE HONG Kong pavilion saw the signing of a three-way co-marketing deal. Spain’s Neptuno Films will work with Hong Kong’s Agogo Entertainment to market animation series Mega Minimals (130 x 5 mins), produced by Alpha Animation of China. From left: Neptuno Films president, Josep Viciana; Vincent Hsieh, general manager of Alpha Animation; and Steven Ching president of Agogo.

Concrete Films’ Jayden Cummins

FINANCE FOR CLUB SANDWICH Jayden Cummins, CEO, of Concrete Films in Sydney this week signed a deal with investment house Kriya to invest in and help produce his new series Club Sandwich (13 x 11 mins).

“Club Sandwich is about an Irish potato who wants to be a rock star,” says Cummins.

“It’s privately financed, and we plan to bring it to MIPTV next year.”

Other characters include Leonardo de Capsicum, The Taste Buddies featuring Puff Pastry, and rival band The Sour Grapes.

Shemaroo’s superhero to North America Phase 4 Films, the Canada-

based kids, animation and live-action distributor, has bought Super K, a 95-minute animated comedy feature about a super hero who cannot control all his super powers.

Produced by Mumbai’s Shemaroo Entertainment, Super K is set in a fantasy world called Dreamzone where the world needs protection from evil forces. The film’s hero is constantly coming to the rescue while simultaneously dealing

with his personal issues.

Phase 4 Films has exclusive rights for the US and Canada, for all platforms.

“We’ve had a hard time finding high-quality films in HD featuring vibrant characters, but Super K fits the bill,” Phase 4 Films’ president and CEO Berry Meyerowitz said.

Smita Maroo, Shemaroo’s vice-president, said that the company has completed a pilot for a spin-off TV series that is currently in development.

Novavision’s Francois-Xavier Poirier

BLOOPERS TO CHINA

Celebrating a Super deal: Shemaroo’s Smita Maroo and Phase 4 Films’ Berry Meyerowitz

BLOOPER and hiddencamera specialist Novavision has sold its dialogue-free Pop Corn TV (650 x 26 mins) programming to the Shanghai Media Group.

“The deal is the first step in a relationship which will see The Prize Of Surprise, a locally produced format featuring local presenters, being produced for Chinese audiences,” Novavision CEO Francois-Xavier Poirier, said.

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Digital execs learn lessons at MIPCOM’s meeting of minds

August Media Holding’s Jyotirmoy Saha

FINDING ASIAN FINANCE STUDIOS must decide whether they are doing a project to bring work into their company or to develop intellectual property, “because the two rarely come together”, Jyotirmoy Saha, CEO of Singapore’s August Media Holdings, told the Meet The Asian Animation Financiers conference.

August bought established Scottish animator Red Kite in 2010. Saha said Red Kite’s model was to find at least 40-50% of the financing from a broadcaster before seeking the rest of the funding. “If you are taking a project out there, you need to have somebody who believes in it on board.”

By contrast, Taiwan animation has depended on public funds to underwrite projects, said Erica Lee, of Bright Ideas Design.

But she added that a new private capital fund had recently been set up to aid animators, “because bankers and investors have now seen that the industry can make profits”.

At the furthest extreme is Hong Kong’s Magic Storm Entertainment, set up to develop and produce a new franchise of Stan Lee’s comic superheroes, particularly for China.

CEO Erik Mika said only private equity raised in Hong Kong was involved in the funding of five live-action moves over 10 years.

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HE closed-door Digital Minds Summit held on Tuesday “opened more questions than it provided answers” in the words of one of the attendees, but in many ways that was the point.

Bringing together leading digital executives from media companies around the world, the summit aimed to raise the issues posed by digital developments, and find consensus as to how the industry will move forward.

Speaking after the event, John Honeycutt, executive vice-president and head of international business operations Discovery Networks International, said: “We’re a content company, we’re on all the platforms, we’re experimenting. Discovery Channel just passed, I think six million Facebook Likes in the US. We’re out there, but we’re worried about the business model.”

Ammar Bakkar, new media director, MBC Group, said: “It has been an educational session,” adding: “It’s clear from the discussions that there are a lot of risks, and there are a lot of possibilities — possibilities of interaction between the consumer, content, technology and media.”

Guy Gadney, director, The Digital Project Factory, said the summit confirmed his belief,

“which is that there’s a bit of revolution ahead, but that through events like MIPCOM we’re on the right track.” He added: “I think people are realising the importance of games in the TV experience, and realising the importance of digital business models in the TV experience.”

PwC’s Marcel Fenez summed up the message of the event: “It’s all about risk-taking and who takes it, and who pays for it — you can never prepare yourself better for risk, you just have to take it.

The Digital Game-Changers Networking Cocktail which followed the Digital Minds Summit

Rest of world thrills to Latin touch LATIN Americans have a way of doing things and that’s why their TV shows are not only growing in popularity in Latin America but also around the world.

That was the word from Leonardo Aranguibel, production director for Disney Media Networks, USA. Aranguibel has worked on several major remakes in which US programming has been given the Latin touch and subsequently taken off across Latin America, notably two separate reworkings of Grey’s Anatomy for Colombia and Mexico.

Martin Kweller, creative director of Endemol Latam and chairman of Endemol Argentina, said that more than 40 countries had used Endemol Argentina to produce their most important products.

Endemol’s Martin Kweller

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in pictures

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MIPCOM 2011 has recorded nearly double the number of photo-calls of a typical year, including a host of famous faces from Hollywood as the worlds of feature film and TV draw ever closer Following the recent success of his 3D feature-length documentary Cave Of Forgotten Dreams, veteran German filmmaker Werner Herzog (Nosferatu The Vampyre, Fitzcarraldo) is at MIPCOM to present his latest documentary Into The Abyss – A Tale Of Death, A Tale Of Life, an in-depth examination of the personalities of American convicts awaiting the death penalty. The film was commissioned by German state broadcaster ZDF

Les Sampson (left) of Nine Network with Sir Tom Stoppard, BBC Worldwide’s Steve Macallister and producer David Parfitt.

Stoppard, who adapted Parade’s End for television, was in Cannes with series producer Parfitt, to unveil the new drama

Where there are celebrities, there are always Paparazzi. Global Agency’s Paparazzi Academy format features a pool of aspiring snappers judged on the quality of their celebrity video-clip submissions. They go head-to-head in a series of themed weekly challenges to test every aspect of their ability as budding paparazzi

Tamara Ecclestone was at MIPCOM to promote the Channel 5 reality series, Tamara Ecclestone: Billion $$ Girl which focuses on the life of the socialite as she embarks on her own business ventures.

The 6 x 30 mins series from Twofour Broadcast follows Ecclestone — daughter of model Slavica Ecclestone and Formula 1 racing CEO Bernie Ecclestone — as she begins to launch her retail company of hair care products

At MIPCOM with writer Tim Kring for the international launch of new Fox drama Touch, Kiefer Sutherland also revealed that a script for a movie of 24 is almost written. Touch revolves around a father whose autistic son seems to be able to predict the future

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neWs The Russian Talk Show

Come Dine With Me (ITV Studios)

FORMAT SUCCESS FOR ITV STUDIOS ITV STUDIOS formats that have been picked up for local versioning at MIPCOM include Come Dine With Me, Dancing On Ice and Four Weddings.

Nelonen Media Finland, BTV Lithuania, TV3 Latvia and IBA Channel 1 Israel have all commissioned Come Dine With Me. With these latest deals, the award-winning show is now being produced in 34 countries.

The unscripted factual entertainment format follows amateur chefs competing against each other by hosting a dinner party for the other contestants.

Come Dine With Me has also been licensed by Gil Productions in Israel, who will produce it locally. Big Adventure, meanwhile, will produce the format in Lithuania, and Santa TV in Latvia. Nelonen and Fremantle have entered into a co-production to produce the format in Finland.

Antenna TV in Greece has commissioned Dancing On Ice, taking the total number of territories in which the hit format has been produced to 14.

Four Weddings, which follows four competing brides and their different nuptials, is headed for Pro TV in Romania, where it will air next summer.

Kelvin MacKenzie: Sports Tonight Live to VisionIPTV

MACKENZIE BACK TO BROADCASTING RUSSIAN media executives have been busy this week, explaining the way their industry works across a range of panels and sessions. On Wednesday, they took to the stage to be grilled by Vladimir Pozner, author and host of The Pozner Show. In a session entitled The Russian Talk Show, they covered a wide range of topics including the impact of state ownership of the media, how to boost Russian content exports, the obstacles to working in Russia and the impact of digital disruption on young audiences. Pictured here are Pozner (left) Channel One’s Konstantin Ernst and Alexander Fayfman, CTC Media’s Anton Kudryashov, Red Square Group’s Ilya Krivitsky, Central Partnership’s Mark Lolo, Sony Pictures’ Maria Smirnova, RT’s Margarita Simonyan, Video International’s Maxim Osipov and media consultant Alexander Kostyuk.

Scrawl in co-pro with Cyber Group SINGAPORE animation company Scrawl Studios has announced a

co-production deal with France’s Cyber Group Studios for its preschool CGI series Zou (52 x 11 mins).

The series has been pre-sold in 50 countries and has been picked up by

broadcasters including France 5, TeleQuebec and Disney EMEA. Zou is a TV adaptation of the popular children’s book series by Michael Gay that tells the stories of a five-year-old zebra and his extended family as he goes about earning his stripes.

Channels urged to look small

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HERE’s a gap in the market, according to Jean-Marie Delmotte, head of research and development at Belgian publishing group Averbode Publishers.

“Here at MIPCOM are at least five really high-quality animated series in development, but the broadcasters just don’t get to see them because the producers don’t have distribution,” he said.

Averbode is a sizeable European publishing group with titles such as Nelly & Cesar, Hopla and Missy Mila on their list, so Delmotte gets to see many of the best children’s properties in development. He claims to have seen five exceptional children’s properties this week that the broadcasters have missed.

He added: “The problem is that these producers are too small to interest the big distributors like Cake and FME and, by themselves, they can’t get meetings with the broadcasters. Broadcasters often say that they have all the shows they need but, in my experience, if they see something they really like, they will always find a way. The problem is, they have to see it first.”

Averbode Publishers’ Jean-Marie Delmotte: “helping producers make the necessary connections”

KELVIN MacKenzie, once considered the scourge of celebrities in his former role as editor of the UK’s biggest selling daily tabloid The Sun, is now mixing with celebrities in Cannes to promote Sports Tonight Live.

It is the first internetdelivered channel to be available on the UK’s Freeview HD digital terrestrial broadcast platform. Its transmission is being handled by UK-based VisionIPTV. The move represents the return of MacKenzie to the broadcasting business, after he left his position as CEO of TalkSport Radio, the UK’s national sports radio station, following its sale in 2005.

RUSSIAN SALES FOR PLUS LICENS SWEDISH licensing and merchandising agent Plus Licens has added to its success in Russia with the acquisition by TNT of 104 x 30 mins of Jewelpet.

Produced by Fuji TV, the animated series is based on a Sanrio/Sega Toys property.

Plus Licens’ other recent deals in the competitive Russian TV animation market include 26 episodes of Dragon Ball Z to air on 2x2; two seasons of Gormiti, placed with TV3 and 2x2; and all 228 episodes of Naruto Shippuden to 2x2 and QTV.

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Nordisk deal sees talent show DCH Capital invests in success set to perform across region

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ORDISK Film TV, a Banijay Group company, has secured a significant commission for talent search show The Voice Of... with TV2 in Norway.

Due to launch in the next six months, the Norwegian version will feature coaches including Magne ‘Mags’ Furuholmen from 1980s pop sensation A-ha.

The Norwegian edition is the latest Nordisk Film TV commission for the Talpadistributed format in the Nordic territory, with local teams set to produce over the coming months in Denmark for TV2, Sweden for TV4 and Finland for Nelonen, where the show is produced

DCH’s Karuna Muthu: investing throughout the value chain

by Solar Television, a Nordisk Film TV affiliate.

“Being awarded the complete set of Nordic commissions is a great example of how our group structure can be exploited to deliver highquality productions across the region as standard, working as an integrated team,” said Jacob Houlind, Nordic CEO, Banijay Group.

The Danish version will be the first to launch, in the fourth quarter of this year.

The show is already generating enormous buzz following the unveiling of the Danish judging panel, which includes Sharin Foo, lead singer of the Raveonettes and Lene Nystrom, lead singer of the international pop act Aqua.

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KARUNA Muthu, director of investments at New Zealand investment group DCH Capital,

has been at his first MIPCOM, looking for investment opportunities for his $100m DCH Media Fund.

“We aim to identify the successful companies of the future,” he said. “We’re a growth fund, so we won’t invest in start-ups, but if a company has a proven track record and is looking to grow, we’d like to talk — especially if they want to be part of the ecosystem we’re

trying to create.”

He added: “We’re looking to invest throughout the value chain, in pre-production, production, post-production and distribution. We’re seeking co-production opportunities, especially gap-funding opportunities where we can take advantage of the relevant treaties.”

DCH will be setting up offshore facilities in low-cost countries like Singapore, and is interested in emerging media, and educational product as well.

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Malaysia makes its mark with big deals and major presence SPEAKING at the Creative Malaysia cocktail reception on Tuesday, His Excellency Dato’ Sri Kamaruddin Siaraf, secretary general of the Malaysian Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture, revealed that Malaysian companies had closed 16 co-production and distribution deals, worth, in total, more than $70m.

“I am proud that Malaysia has achieved a major breakthrough this year,” he said, adding that doubling the number of Malaysian participants and properties, and announcing more than $70m in deals, was a “testament to the strength of the Malaysian

entertainment and media industry.”

The Malaysian government is aggressively targeting a significant share of the Asia-Pacific media market, estimated at $470bn.

Among the Malaysian companies attending are RTM, Animasia Studio, Infinite Motion, Inspidia, Tulus Fikir, and Worldwide Rights Corporation, with the support of The National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS), who have joined forces with the Malaysian Communications & Multimedia Commission (SKMM) and Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC).

Partners in telenovela Only You…Sofea Han” (26 x 60 mins) are (from left); Jose Escalante, president, Latin Media Corporation; Dato’ Mahyidin Mustakim, managing director, Escalade, His Excellency Dato’ Sri Kamaruddin Siaraf, and Farid K. Ahmad, executive director, Latin Media Corporation

Funcel of Malaysia and August Media of Singapore are to make three new animated series. Pictured (from left), Zulkifli Wahab, deputy director general of FINAS; Azrul H Baharom, CEO/ producer, Funcel; Jyotirmoy Saha, CEO, August Media; Ken Anderson, executive director and chief creative officer, August Media, and Regis Brown of Taffy

Lemon Sky Animation of Malaysia, Lion Rock Ventures of NZ & Media Tropics are to co-produce a pre-school animation series called Buzzy Bee & Friends (52 x 7 mins). Pictured (left) is William McKegg, director Lion Rock Ventures, with His Excellency Dato’ Sri Kamaruddin Siaraf; Wong Cheng Fei, CEO Lemon Sky Animation, and Zulkifli Wahab, deputy director general of FINAS

Saladin (MDeC/JCCTV)

Saladin aims to conquer Emmys SALADIN (26 x 26 mins) has been nominated for an Emmy. This dramatic tale of heroes, villains and vendettas represents the first time a Malaysian programme has been accorded such an honour.

The series was made by Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), and Al Jazeera Children’s Channel (JCCTV), and was written and directed by Choong Chi Ren with Nazih Hatem. It is targeted at 10- to 14-year-olds.

Kamil Othman, vice-president of Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), said “The nomination is a testimony to the many talents of MDeC and Al Jazeera Children’s Channel. The good relations between Malaysia and Qatar are very conducive to world-class co-production, and produce world-class animation programming for children and young adults. We look forward to this strategic relationship to continue to grow tremendously.”

Vision Plus Entertainment has reached an agreement to work with Sesame Workshop. Pictured (left) is Renee Mascara, vicepresident , international distribution, Sesame Workshop, with Vision Plus Entertainment president, Ho Poh Lin

Vision Animation of Malaysia and Moody Street Kids of Australia have announced the global product launch of their co-produced animation series Flea Bitten. Pictured are Roberta di Vito (left) of the Australian Children’s Television Foundation, His Excellency Dato’ Sri Kamaruddin Siaraf, and Low Huoi Seong, managing director, Vision Animation

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neWs LISTENER HITS THE uS wITH ION US ENTERTAINMENT network Ion Television has bought the first two seasons of The Listener for broadcast in 2012, with the option for future series.

The deal comes on the back of news that production has started on season three (13 x 60 mins) of the original drama, which is broadcast on CTV and Bravo! in Canada and by Fox International Channels in 120 countries and 33 languages.

Produced by Shaftesbury in association with CTV and Fox International Channels, The Listener stars Craig Olejnik as the mind-reading paramedic Toby Logan. Guest stars for The Listener’s third incarnation include Fefe Dobson, Rossif Sutherland, Kristin Lehman, Ian Tracey and Wes Williams.

The new series picks up from season two’s dramatic finale, which saw Logan renounce his paranormal gift. When he finds himself caught in a bank heist, he needs all his skills, both medical and mystical, to keep himself and his fellow hostages alive.

“With its blend of drama, investigation, action and humour, The Listener offers a fresh take on the one-hour procedural,” said Christina Jennings, chairman and CEO of Shaftesbury.

America In Primetime

Stars gather to appear in films examining power of primetime

Dick Van Dyke, one of the stars in America In Primetime

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WITZERLAND-based distributor First Hand Films has reported strong buyer interest in its headline show, America In Primetime (4 x 52 mins).

Straight off the plane from New York, Tom Yellin, the feted producer of the series, told MIPCOM News more about the project: “It looks at US primetime series through the eyes of the actors and writers who created memorable characters. Each episode explores an archetype: man of the house; crusader; independent woman; and misfit.”

Yellin said there were two big challenges bringing his vision to the screen: “The first was persuading the talent and their handlers that this was a serious attempt to explore their art, not just a request for an EPK. Once people understood that, we got some great interviews. The other challenge was clearing rights to clips.”

He has secured the likes of David Lynch, Alec Baldwin, Sandra Oh, James L Brooks, Sarah Jessica Parker, Elisabeth Moss and Dick Van Dyke. But does he think it translates internationally? “A lot of the shows we cover are internationally known,” he said.

“In addition, the series is really about character types, and that travels.”

Produced by The Documentary Group in partnership with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation and WETA Television, the series had a strong run-up to MIPCOM, pulling in the BBC and ZDF arte as co-producers and pre-sales to DR Denmark, DTS Spain and Noga Israel.

Now, First Hand CEO Esther Van Messel reports advanced discussions with other large markets: “We’re getting excellent feedback,” she said.

“Buyers love the production quality.”

Pokemon prime on ITV’s VOD Player

Craig Olejnik, star of The Listener

ACCORDING to ITV, Pokemon is the most popular children’s show on the ITV Player, the VOD/catch-up service the UK broadcaster launched this summer. Pokemon was chosen as one of the first children’s shows to test out VOD for kids. Since then, 117,000 episodes of

Pokemon Black And White have been streamed since June.

“Since working with Pokemon, ratings have grown year-on-year and children especially love the new Black And White series,” Jamila Metran, programme manager at Children’s ITV (CiTV), said. “The new episodes

have a 10.9% share, putting them ahead of all other children’s channels on that day.”

Pokemon is also to be relaunched in Russia, involving a co-ordinated brand campaign across all supports including toys and licensed products from Bandai.

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RADIO-CANADA SELLING WELL

FROM THE UK TO JAPAN

Content’s natural histories are going all around the world

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ONTENT Television, a division of the Content Media Corporation, has sold its natural history series Wild Wales to Japan. The series (3 x 60 mins) aired in the UK on BBC2, and will debut to Japanese audiences later this year through a deal with national public broadcaster NHK. Made by Aden Productions, it was filmed over a year using aerial and wildlife photography, offering a unique insight into some of the natural world’s most diverse landscapes and wildlife.

High Fidelity HDTV, Canada’s leading all-HD broadcaster has also acquired rights to Wild Wales alongside the natural

The Secret Life Of Birds (Content Television)

history series The Secret Life Of Birds, also from Aden Productions. Viasat has signed three Content Television titles for broadcast throughout Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, including Wild Wales, The Secret Life Of Birds and

Anna’s Wild Life, the fly-onthe-wall series by Barefoot Rascals following the adventures of Anna Ryder Richardson and her restaurateur husband, Colin McDougall, as they run the Manor House Wildlife Park.

Mother and daughter turning acquisition into child’s play TURKISH film producer/ distributor Selay Tozkoparan has been seeking children’s

content with her nine-year-old daughter Maya Oguz, officially MIPCOM’s only child delegate.

MIPCOM’s youngest delegate Maya Oguz and producer/distributor Selay Tozkoparan

Maya has been advising her mother on the best international kids programmes to take back home.

Tozkoparan has sold the theatrical rights to Americans At The Black Sea 2, a two-hour feature comedy made by Energy Productions, at MIPCOM. Tozkoparan, who distributes international content in Turkey and sells Turkish shows to foreign distributors, said the Middle East was a significant market for her Turkish-language portfolio.

Moreover, the large Russian contingency celebrating MIPCOM 2011’s Focus On Russia theme gave her the chance to meet a potential Russian co-investor in one of Turkey’s biggest movie lots.

CANADA’s French language public broadcaster RadioCanada, a regular attendee at MIPCOM, has reported strong sales for series, specials and documentaries made in recent years by the broadcaster and its production partners. Sales chalked up include a deal with ArtMedia Russia for Meltdown and Behind The Miracle (the latter also acquired by SIC Portugal).

Other deals clinched include the sale of Blue Gold to ORF (Austria) and Rwanda: A Horror Without End to Canal Historia (Spain).

Robert Trempe, senior executive director of the CBC/Radio-Canada French Services Revenue Group, said: “For Radio-Canada and our partners alike, it’s one more feather in our cap and an encouragement to keep on producing original programmes that stand out in every field.”

NFK’S HEROES OF WARSAW NFK DISTRIBUTION is presenting Poland’s first 3D feature for sale at MIPCOM. Battle Of Warsaw 1920 depicts a key event in Polish history — when the new Polish state defeated the Russian Bolshevik army.

The film is produced by Zodiak Jerzy Film Hoffman Production and directed by Academy Award-winner Jerzy Hoffman, with cinematography by Slawomir Idziak, nominated for an Oscar for Black Hawk Down.

The premiere in Warsaw was a major event, attended by the president, and the film is being showcased in London tomorrow.

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neWs MIPCOM dealmakers get it signed, sealed and delivered The ink has been flowing for a flurry of deals at Cannes. MIPCOM News has been meeting the dealmakers

CHANNEL One Russia has acquired the historical documentary series Making Of A Leader from France’s Doc En Stock. Pictured here celebrating the deal are Tatiana Klintsova (left), head of acquisitions for Channel One, and Betty Nocella, international sales manager for Doc En Stock.

CINEFLIX Studios has inked a distribution deal for its 10-hour crime series Copper with Germany’s Beta Film. The series was co-commissioned with BBC America. Beta Film will distribute the title in Germany, France, Southern and Eastern Europe, and Asia. Pictured are Cineflix’s Glen Salzman (left), Beta Film’s Eric Welbers, Cineflix’s Nicholas Witkowski, and Beta Film’s Oliver Bachert.

IN ONE of the Austrian broadcaster’s most important fiction deals of the year so far, ORF has sold its hit series Fast Forward to Telecom Italia, La7d. The programme has already been sold to Germany, France and Denmark.

Marking the deal in Cannes are Filmedia’s managing director, Filippo Mori Ubaldini (left), La7d’s Alfredo Moroni, and ORF-Enterprise’s Marion Camus-Oberdorfer.

POP TWIST Entertainment has signed worldwide deals at MIPCOM for Michael Forever – The Tribute Concert which takes place on Saturday in Cardiff.

Names lined up to appear include Beyonce, Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson, Christine Aguilera and LaToya Jackson.

IMC VISION has agreed a licensing deal with Mexico’s On Screen Films (OSF), for another six hours of yoga and Pilates shows. OSF’s CEO Rodrigo Ruiz Sotelo and vicepresident of acquisitions, Julio Ruiz Sotelo are pictured sealing the deal at Cannes, with IMC’s international sales manager, Rod Rodrigo.

Pop Twist president Doug Zwick has closed several deals for live broadcast and live PPV including with France 4 and Foxtel Australia. Other MIPCOM territory sales for the Jackson tribute event include Slovakia, Latin America, and Asia (Star Movies).

Pop Twist has also finalised a deal for live broadcast in the Netherlands with VPRO’s Nathalie Windhorst.

Zwick (left) and Windhorst are pictured with NPO’s Roek Lips and BNN’s Pim Casteijn.

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China’s Versatile in search for partner in 3D film project

JAMIE ARRIVES IN DUTCH KITCHEN

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HINA’s children’s entertainment producer Zhejiang Versatile Media is at MIPCOM on the back of a recent co-production deal with One Animation in Singapore to develop and produce multiple titles of animated content.

It is looking to find a strong partner and distributor for its 3D film Kunta Legend and for TV series Secret Y. Both projects are in production and set for release in 2012.

The feature film Kunta Legend is a 90-minute animation in which the main character Buko, who lives on the planet Kulaso, dreams of becoming a hero and sets off in search of a legendary figure called Kunta. Secret Y is a 52 x 11 mins series with a storyline stressing growing, struggle and self-improvement.

CEO Li Lian said that Versatile

Jamie Oliver: new for 24Kitchen

Versatile Media’s Li Lian: providing applied solutions

is everything its name implies, when it comes to working in China: “From movie/TV and online to presentation of toy merchandise to retailing, Versatile Media provides applied solutions for every stage of children’s brand marketing in

one of the world’s most promising marketplaces.”

Based in Hangzhou, Versatile’s operations include hezi.com, an online community aimed at kids aged six to 14 with a registered user base of 30 million.

Channels team up to tackle poverty WHY POVERTY?, a series offering a global media response to the greatest question of our time: why, in the 21st century, do a billion people still live in dire poverty?, is now on target for 500 million viewers for its global broadcasting launch scheduled for November 25, 2012.

Initially supported by the EBU’s Eurovision TV, public broadcasters involved in developing Why Poverty? include the BBC, DR, YLE, VPRO, SVT, NRK and NHK. Executiveproduced by Don Edkins, chairman of Steps International, the series consists of eight onehour documentaries by awardwinning directors; 30 shorts; a comprehensive online and mobile offer; and an international outreach programme.

“Nobody until now has tried to address the subject of global poverty in this way,” said one of the series editors, Nick Fraser of the BBC. “This is an effort to make the most of the resources of public TV stations and we are

working with 40 partners.” Series editor Mette Hoffmann said: “Why Poverty? is now sold to MBC in the Middle East, as well as Brazil, Mexico, Taiwan and China, and next I’m going to India on a sales mission.”

Why Poverty? film Solar Grandmothers, directed by Jehane Noujaim

FREMANTLEMEDIA Enterprises (FME) has sealed significant deals for programmes fronted by UK TV chef Jamie Oliver.

In a new five-year agreement with Fox International Channels, Jamie Oliver titles will be transmitted on 24Kitchen, the new Dutch digital basic channel.

24Kitchen, a joint venture between Fox Channels Benelux and Dutch food and cosmetics firm Jan Dekker Holding, reaches three million-plus Dutch subscribers.

The titles included in the deal include the new six-part one-hour series Jamie’s Great Britain, which celebrates the best in British cuisine and its association with UK culture.

Richard Tulk-Hart, FME’s vice-president, sales, home entertainment (EMEA), and distribution (Benelux, Malta, Sub Saharan Africa and Cyprus), said: “Jamie Oliver has a huge following in the Netherlands and 24Kitchen is the perfect new home for his titles.”

Additionally, FME has sold Jamie titles, including Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals, Jamie’s Food Escapes and Jamie’s American Road Trip to sixx, the free-to-air channel owned by German media group ProSiebenSat1 and targeted at female viewers.

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neWs BANIJAY DRIVES CAR FORMAT INTO CHINA BANIJAY International has sold its branded entertainment format Date My Car to China’s first online TV portal, Qiyi, which will produce 20 x 30 mins episodes of the show for a sponsorship partner.

MIPCOM launch

TOEI serves up manga muncher

The Banijay Creative Factory concept first aired on automobile giant Renault’s branded TV network, broadcast via satellite and Renault.tv.

Toriko: serving up delicacies

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OEI Animation is

launching the global distribution of its latest animated series, Toriko, at MIPCOM. Based on the manga by Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro, Toriko follows the adventures of the Gourmet Hunter, as he tracks

down the world’s rarest animals and puts them on a plate.

“Toriko has gained an impressive loyal following in Japan since its launch in April and we believe it will follow Dragon Ball Z and One Piece as a global hit series,” said Kanji Kazahaya, director of global licensing for Toei.

Telepool hunt is on in Spain and Italy

Hunt For The Amber Room (Telepool)

MOTORVISION TV, the pay-TV HD channel focused on all things automobile, will launch in the Middle East next month, coinciding with the prestigious Dubai Motor Show.

Viewers across the Middle East and Africa will be able to watch the programming of Motorvision via Orbit Showtime Network (OSN), the region’s leading pay-TV network.

Broadcasting will be in English, with some content subtitled in Arabic.

The deal marks the second adaptation of the dating format-with-a-twist, in which one girl must choose between four potential dates based only on the car each of them drives.

“Online and branded content is becoming so important within content distribution, and we’re pleased that Banijay International is able to deliver to our clients’ demand with this great Banijay format,” said Karoline Spodsberg, managing director of Banijay International.

“We are very keen to increase our presence in Asia, and this deal is an indication of the interest in our properties in the region.”

PAY-TV MOTORS INTO DUBAI FOR CAR SHOW

MUNICH-based distributor Telepool has signed a raft of deals this week, including pre-sales of treasure-hunt drama Hunt For The Amber Room to Rai Cinema (Italy) and Telecinco (Spain). The Dreamtool production stars wellknown German actors Kai Weisinger and Bettina Zimmerman.

Meanwhile, the show’s prequels — The Charlemagne Code and The Spear Of Destiny — have been sold to French Canadian channel Historia.

In addition, action series Alarm For Cobra 11 celebrates 15 years of high-speed action this year, and seasons nine to 14 were sold to China’s CCTV. The third season of award-winning medical comedy Doctor’s Diary was acquired by Telecinco, and UFA’s thriller The Golgotha Files went to France’s M6, while TV documentary Faces Of Islam, an exploration of various aspects of Muslim life, found buyers at Indonesia’s Metro TV News.

Motorvision TV is part of the Motorvision Media Group in Germany, which has forged close links with the automobile industry there in recent years.

“Viewers in the Middle East share with those in Germany a common passion for elegant and fast cars,” said Jochen Kroehne, head of Motorvision TV. “Now, thanks to OSN, we have the opportunity to deliver hugely attractive programming to the Middle East.”

FRESH BAND CARTOON FRESH TV has started production on a new animated musical series, Grojband, aimed at six- to 11-year-olds.

FremantleMedia Enterprises will handle the worldwide distribution for TV, brand licensing and home entertainment rights of the Teletoon original production.

The series follows cool-as-a-cucumber 12-year-old Corey and his three best friends, bass player Laney and brothers Kin and Kon, as they struggle to hit the big time with their garage band.

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in pictures

mipcom

MIPCOM 2011 has been a dynamic market, packed with networking opportunities and bridge-building events that have helped companies from every region of the world to expand their business. Here are some of the highlights

Offering some of the best views of the Croisette, the terrace of the Californie played host to the Producers’ Networking Drinks on Tuesday evening. The event was aimed at encouraging producers to meet and network over a glass of wine

The annual Cannes TV Cup was won by the ZDF squad, who narrowly beat the BBC & Friends team by four goals to two at the AS Cannes sports complex in Cannes La Bocca last Sunday The Brazilian party saw the BTVP (Brazilian TV Producers Association) stand packed with delegates. Producers, journalists and distributors from more than 30 countries attended

UK Indies association PACT and the Brazilian TV Producers Association (BTVP) held a joint networking breakfast yesterday on the BTVP stand. Representatives of more than 70 UK and Brazilian production companies and distributors attended

The Asian Content Exchange Networking Breakfast at the Majestic attracted representatives from European and US companies eager to learn more about the flourishing Asian market

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05/10/11 19:34

mipcom

neWs BASE IN DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS

Mandel teams with Insight for stand-up comic format

T

PBS UK PARTNERS WITH RED BEE PBS, THE US service broadcaster that launches as a channel in the UK on November 1, has signed a MIPCOM deal with media management company Red Bee Media.

Halfens developed the show in response to the fact that more than 50% of marriages worldwide end in divorce and most divorces drag on for months or even years of bitterness and legal fees.

ORONTO’s Insight Productions and Canadianborn comic, host, actor and judge on America’s Got Talent, Howie Mandel, have partnered to produce a new original format that pits stand-up comics against each other in a no-holdsbarred battle to get the most laughs on topics given to them only weeks before. “This format is brilliant,” said Mandel. “It puts comedians through their paces in a really high-pressure, entertaining way. If you’re not funny and quick on your feet, you won’t survive and that’s what I love about it.”

“We’re looking forward to continuing our amazing relationship with Howie,” said John Brunton, Insight’s president and CEO. “We did Deal Or No Deal Canada and Canada’s Walk Of Fame together.

At the same time, we’ve been looking for the perfect project to formally partner on and we’ve hit it with this one. It’s comedy and that makes it a passion project for both of us.”

Created by Toronto comedian and performer Craig Brown, a live version of the show tested the

Divorce Hotel profiles couples as they check into their five-star accommodation as a married couple and check out as divorcees, all in a single weekend.

Tfou and Alphanim deal with CGI chick

Couples therapy: Divorce Hotel’s Jim Halfens: overnight solution

TEN-TIME Emmy-award winning television production company Base Productions has secured worldwide rights at MIPCOM to develop television series and other properties based on the Divorce Hotel concept with Dutch entrepreneur and Divorce Hotel CEO Jim Halfens.

Red Bee will provide media management, playout and continuity services for the channel.

Howie Mandel: putting comedians through their paces

Red Bee will also provide EPG listing services to PBS and write and produce programme information provided to the Sky platform.

Insight’s John Brunton: “perfect project to partner on”

format in comedy clubs across the city. Mandel and Insight will coventure and co-executive produce the project, which they plan to produce in Canada and the US.

Halfens said: “Our experts help divorcees avoid years of costs and misery. We enable them to get on with their lives literally overnight.”

“We’ve been incredibly interested in the concept and we look forward to beginning production immediately,” said Base co-CEO Mickey Stern.

“The business model is incredibly unique, with stories that are compelling and surprisingly dramatic,” co-CEO John Brenkus added.

Divorce Hotel is a brand of A2 Legal, a Dutch legal services and legal product development company.

Under the terms of the MIPCOM agreement, Red Bee will provide various broadcast services for PBS, which will be available initially in nearly 10 million UK homes via the Sky Digital platform.

Calimero’s coming: Heath Kenny (left) of Alphanim with TF1’s Rachel Siegenthaler, Yann Labasque, and Nathalie Pinguet, Alphanim’s Pierre Belaisch, and TF1’s Ambroise Delorme and Hubert Taieb

Bill Patrizio, Red Bee Media CEO, said: “This really demonstrates our ability to deliver first-rate innovative media solutions that continually evolve to meet our partner’s needs.”

TF1’S YOUTH programming block Tfou is partnering with Alphanim (Gaumont Group) on the development of the new 104 x 11 mins CGI version of Calimero, based on the character created in 1963 by Pagot. The little black chick Calimero — with his catchphrase “It’s just not fair!”

— will be introduced to a new generation of four- to seven-yearolds, together with his friends Priscilla and Valeriano. Delivery is scheduled for 2013 — Calimero’s 50th anniversary — and the show will be distributed by Alphanim on behalf of Calidra, the rights owner. TF1 Licences was appointed agent for France while TF1 Video acquired video rights to the future series.

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