Mipcom 2013 news 4

mipcom nEWs ®

Day

Thursday 10 October 2013

www.mipcom.com

227_NBCU_N4_COM

04

PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

Jeffrey Katzenberg arrives at his Gala Dinner at the Carlton, where he received his MIPCOM Personality Of The Year award from Reed MIDEM’s Paul Zilk See page 4

TRENDSETTER AWARDS

Four Content Trendsetter Awards were awarded for innovative programming strategies See page 9

COUNTRY OF HONOUR 2014

Mexico is MIPCOM Country Of Honour for 2014 See page 14

DIGITAL COMES OF AGE

‘Piracy is a fancy name for super-obsessed fans’ See page 8

N4P1+D.indd 1

GRIMM SEASON 3 - DAILY NEWS (COVER) AD SIZE: 165mm x 245mm

09/10/13 22:29

184_DREAMWORKS_N4_COM

News

mipcom

Linear TV will do just fine DREAMWORKS Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg used his Personality Of The Year keynote to issue a robust defence of linear TV. Speaking in the Grand Auditorium on Wednesday afternoon, he said: “In the 40 years I’ve been in the entertainment industry, I don’t think there’s ever been a time filled with so much new and unique opportunity for the world of television. Of course, there will continue to be exponential growth of internet-delivered content… but linear TV will continue to do just fine. The development of technology is not displacive, it is cumulative.”

Against this backdrop, Katzenberg described how his company is taking advantage of both traditional and emerging opportunities: “We continue to produce theatrical animated films and have series on linear TV. In addition, this year we made the biggest first-run deal in Netflix history. We’ve also announced an important multi-year partnership with Super RTL to provide thousands of TV series episodes.”

Katzenberg also outlined why DreamWorks Animation acquired Classic Media and AwesomenessTV: “Because there are so many emerging distribution options, there will be more demand for content. To meet this demand, we bought Classic, which [has] entertainment properties, such as Casper The Friendly Ghost, Where’s Waldo? and Lassie. AwesomenessTV is one of the most subscribed-to teen networks on YouTube. As of August, it had over 60 million unique monthly viewers.”

Katzenberg also talked about the growth of mobile entertainment, “which is solving one of the greatest problems of the 21st century: Waiting. Up until very recently, we literally twiddled our thumbs while we waited. Now our thumbs have a higher purpose than to twiddle.” He predicted that the creative crossover that has occurred between film and TV would also happen between mobile and TV. “Mobile can serve as an incubator of talent and concepts, and then can actually drive additional traffic to traditional TV.”

256_ALL 3_N4_COM

Stand LR3.22 all3mediainternational.com

Congratulating Bentley Productions on 100 episodes of Midsomer Murders and bold moves in to social media and digital platforms Bentley Productions Ltd MIP Dailies_Ads_v2.indd 4

02/10/2013 15:37

3 N4P3+D.indd 1

09/10/13 21:50

in pictures

mipcom

Personality Of The Year DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg received his MIPCOM Personality Of The Year award at a gala dinner at the Carlton hotel mipcom neWs 4 ®

The official MIPCOM daily newspaper Thursday 10 October 2013

Director of Publications Paul Zilk Director of Communication Mike Williams Editorial Department Editor in Chief Julian Newby Deputy Editor Debbie Lincoln Sub Editors Neil Crossley, Sarah Kovandzich, Nigel Willmott Reporters Ben Cooper, Andy Fry, Emelia Jones, Juliana Koranteng, Max Leonard, Rachel Murrell, Gary Smith, Joanna Stephens, Chris White Editorial Assistant Hannah Stephens Technical Editor in Chief Herve Traisnel Deputy Technical Editor in Chief Frederic Beauseigneur Graphic Designers Muriel Betrancourt, Gaelle Daireaux, Carole Peres Head of Photographers Yann Coatsaliou / 360 Media Photographers Christian Alminana, Olivier Houeix, Michel Johner, Yohann Mortier Editorial Management Boutique Editions Production department Publishing Director Martin Screpel Publishing Co-ordinator Amrane Lamiri Production Assistant Eric Laurent advertising contact in cannes Christine Mendes • christine.mendes@reedmidem.com Reed MIDEM, a joint stock company (SAS), with a capital of €310.000, 662 003 557 R.C.S. NANTERRE, having offices located at 27-33 Quai Alphonse Le Gallo - 92100 BOULOGNEBILLANCOURT (FRANCE), VAT number FR91 662 003 557. Contents © 2013, Reed MIDEM Market Publications. Publication registered 4th quarter 2013. Printed on FSC certified paper

4 N4P4-6+D.indd 1

09/10/13 22:00

in pictures

mipcom

Reed MIDEM’s Paul Zilk with MIPCOM Personality Of The Year Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO DreamWorks Animation

AwesomenessTV founder and CEO Brian Robbins with his wife Tracy Robbins

TV France’s Catherine Bejot (left), Sony’s Keith LeGoy, TV France’s Mathieu Bejot and TFC’s Tetsu Uemura

The DreamWorks Animation international TV sales team: Isabel Pascual (left), Olivia King Canter, Chloe van den Berg and Eroulla Constantine

DreamWorks Animation’s Damien Tromel (left) with Emily Brady Koplar of Wai Ming Studio and Voltron’s Robert Koplar

Sky Vision’s Carl Hall (left) and NHK Enterprises’ Fumio Narashima

6 N4P4-6+D.indd 2

09/10/13 22:00

257_RM LE WEB_N2 3 &4_COM

neWs Access is on the agenda as experts advise on content distribution in digital age

I

N THE ‘everything everywhere’ world of liberated consumption ushered in by globalisation and the internet, reality sometimes does not live up to expectations.

Louisa Heinrich, founder of Superhuman, who moderated the Access Is The New Ownership: A New Look At Content Distribution panel, encapsulated the problem from the consumer’s perspective when she described being ill in Berlin and not being able to find her favourite Englishlanguage content to watch. On the other side, producers and distributors have a nightmare with platforms, rights issues and piracy to negotiate.

Peter Blacker of Telemundo Media said producers needed to “embrace the fluidity”.

He said: “Piracy is a fancy name for super-obsessed fans, and when worked with correctly, they’re a phenomenal force for marketing the product.” He added however: “In many ways the experience they provide is always going to be lesser, assuming we resource it properly.” To outwit

pirates he suggested making legal content very easy to access, and providing extra content to make the legal environment more attractive.

Anuj Gandhi of IndiaCast Media Distribution agreed: “Anybody who wants to access content,

any device, we are there, legally,” he said. India was relatively near the start of its media journey but it was already a major force: it ranked second to the US in its traffic to Google, Facebook, YouTube and others. He expressed frustration at current rights deals: “We’re losing an opportunity, getting shackled by traditional platforms who want to take all rights for five years,” he said. “We need to figure out the sweet spot between what the audience wants and what the content will give.”

Telemundo’s Peter Blacker: ‘Piracy is a fancy name for super-obsessed fans’

Noktacom Media’s Pelin Seyhan: ‘A user experience beyond the ads’

Bluepin taps into app opportunity IN A DEAL sealed at MIPCOM,

Bluepin’s Jung-Soo Kim shakes on the deal with Enchanted Thyme’s Ariane Smith

In 2012, internet use in Turkey was only 24 minutes behind TV consumption, an 85% increase on 2010. Pelin Seyhan’s company, Noktacom Media, an AVOD service reaching almost 70% of Turkish internet users enables content to be viewed thanks to innovative advertising solutions — integrating personalised data in rollover ads, for example, and placing interactive game-like ads on trailers. “We need to entertain you, understand who you are,” she said, “to give an experience beyond advertisements.”

New York-based Enchanted Thyme has agreed to license one of its children’s edutainment concepts to Bluepin, operator of the leading South Korean kids’ apps platform Kids World.

Enchanted Thyme’s founder/ CEO Ariane Smith creates multiplatform children’s stories aimed at three- to 12-year-olds. The Enchanted Thyme brand (also the name of her company) uses rhymes and fairy tales to tell stories with an educational purpose.

The brand is available as a book

and TV series that Smith has written and produced. Now, Bluepin CEO Jung-Soo Kim and his team will develop an edutainment app to add to its Kids World portal.

Kids World already sells more than 3,000 animation, education and storybook apps. They are accessible via the Apple’s AppStore, the Google Play store and Samsung Apps websites.

David Drake, CEO of New York intellectual property consultancy The Soho Loft, and the chief strategy officer for Enchanted Thyme, said of Smith: “This is the biggest deal she’s been pursuing during the past year.”

8 N4P8+D.indd 1

09/10/13 22:24

mipcom

African TV enters new age of innovation and growth

A

FRICAN television is moving away from the old model of ‘Mr President TV’ towards a new age of innovation and rapid growth, said speakers at a session on programming and production trends in the continent.

“Africa has one billion inhabitants and a thirst for African content,” said Bernard Azria, CEO of Cote Ouest Audiovisuel (Ivory Coast). “We have 500 local channels, so we need about 400,000 hours of content per annum, of which existing African production satisfies no more than 5%.”

Bridget Scarr, managing director of Hummingbird Media Investments, South Africa, notes the speed with which African markets are growing. “Nigeria

doubles its Facebook population every three months,” she said.

“Kenya is one of the top three tweeting countries. And the audience is Afrocentric: people want local content.”

Consultant Russell Southwood, CEO of Balancing Act (UK) listed some of the current trends: the gradual take-off of DTT; fragmenting audiences; an increase in the number of channels; a growth in vernacular language channels; the rise of mobile media and the internet; and the popularity of video platforms such as YouTube and AfriNolly — even when bandwidth is poor.

“There is terrific opportunity in Africa, but it will take time,” he said. “Africa is like Eastern Europe was 10 years ago. You have to be there at the start.”

Starz Media’s Carmi Zlotnik

Executives offer insight into what buyers want Emeka Mba: tremendous challenges

Emeka Mba, director general of Nigeria’s National Broadcasting Commission, says change is coming. “There are tremendous challenges, such as the electricity supply, the distances between cities. But these are also the opportunities. Digital will offer hundreds of channels that will affect the way business is done. The role of government will change.

If we can’t help you, let us stay out of your way.”

Awards reward brave decisions DR’S HEAD of drama Piv Bernth, Starz’s managing director Carmi Zlotnik, Foxtel’s director of programming Ross Crowley and Azteca’s head of acquisition Pedro Lascurain were honoured with the third annual World Screen Content Trendsetter Awards yesterday.

The four programming executives have been recognised for taking brave, successful decisions in the face of budget cuts, rising mone-

tary demands from content owners and the ongoing challenges to serve the new digital generation and keep audiences watching.

In Denmark, Bernth has been commissioning distinctive local dramas that are leaving a major mark on the global media landscape. “I’m really honoured to accept this award today,” Bernth said. “For many people, watching Scandinavian content is like opening up a whole new world. I

Foxtel’s Ross Crowley (left), Azteca’s Pedro Lascurain, World Screen’s Anna Carugati, DR’s Piv Bernth, Reed MIDEM’s Laurine Garaude and Starz’s Carmi Zlotnik

think our dramas exemplify clean storytelling with a special subtlety — there is nothing superficial.”

This year has seen a number of major original programming initiatives at the US pay service Starz, including the debuts of Da Vinci’s Demons and The White Queen. “Our programming strategy is all about differentiating ourselves,” Zlotnik said. “We want to deliver truth and spectacle — in an awesome way.”

“Polished storytelling” is central to top-quality programming for Foxtel’s Ross Crowley who oversees the bouquet of Foxtel ownedand-operated networks that range from movies and factual to lifestyle, reality and drama.

Mexico-based Azteca’s head of acquisition Pedro Lascurain said he is on the hunt for more exciting game and reality shows but Azteca will always look to garner a high audience share with “excellent romantic scripts and blockbuster US films”.

LEADING programming executives from around the world provided valuable insights into how they source great content during Acquisitions Superpanel: What Do Buyers Want?

Starz Media managing director Carmi Zlotnik kicked off by saying he prioritises “programming that will make people want to pick up the phone to the call centre and subscribe. I look for truth, spectacle and emotional engagement.”

Piv Bernth, head of drama at DR Fiction in Denmark, had a breakout hit with The Killing.

She said: “The lesson from that was to be courageous.

When I talk to writers and producers I tell them to be creatively ambitious.”

TV Azteca head of acquisitions Pedro Lascurain said his company acquires around 600 films and 60-70 series a year.

“With series, we like them to be long-running. Where possible we try to wait until season one has aired so we can see how a show has done before acquiring it.”

Ross Crowley, director of programming at Foxtel Australia, said his company has 25 channels acquiring 20,000 hours a year across all genres. Unlike TV Azteca, he doesn’t hold back content: “Australian viewers want to see shows the minute they’ve been broadcast in the US — as our horrible piracy stats demonstrate. So that’s what we give them.”

9 N4P9+D.indd 1

09/10/13 21:38

neWs Harnessing social media Digital media heralds and the second screen rebirth of journalism

M

ANY NEWS organisations have not yet begun to harness the power of social media and the second screen, even if they realise the imperative, said Jonathan Laor, CEO of Applicaster, at the Newsroom New Media Infusion: Tools & Keys For Broadcasters & News Channels session.

“There’s a big ‘chattersphere’ but not the right tools to turn it into news,” he said. However, harnessed properly, social media and second-screen devices can democratise news, build trust, and connect programmes to people.

We’re aiming for a “democratic community that co-creates and uses transmedia capabilities,” he said.

An on-screen opinion poll, for example, can give feedback on the credibility of an interviewee, increasing transparency. And news programmes can reflect the feelings of their audience, by asking them to choose questions or even guests, and through user-generated content. However many attempts to gather UGC were currently failing. “Users Applicaster’s Jonathan Laor

need a structured experience, they need to be tasked — and then given on-screen visibility,” he said.

All these strategies would increase the transparency and trust of news, in a media landscape otherwise compromised by sponsorship and other interests.

An engaged and responsive news programme is also a differentiation point. If four channels, for example, cover the same event, often they show the same thing; but social media can be a draw, as well as a tool to help producers react to their audience’s interests.

And, he said, of Applicaster’s services, “we’re using the broadcaster’s property, media, apps and envelope so we’re not pushing eyeballs anywhere else.”

Implementing a social media transformation in a successful news organisation did pose challenges. Laor advised devising a very gradual change plan, with clear goals. Is it aiming for ratings, for transparency or for a new revenue stream? Experiment with the interactions to see what works, and start with a magazine or feature show first.

BuzzFeed’s Jon Steinberg

D

IGITAL media has generally been cast as the death of serious news, but it should really be seen as heralding a rebirth of journalism, Peter Bale, general manager of digital for CNN International, told the MIPCOM conference session Programming And Engaging In The Digital Age. Developments such as CNN linking with BuzzFeed, Al-Jezeera developing a new “native” digital channel and BuzzFeed itself moving from kitten-swapping to the Kenya shopping-mall terrorist attack all indicate a commitment to making news relevant to a new generation of viewers.

“We feel traditional news organisations have given up on young people,” Jon Steinberg, president and COO of BuzzFeed said. “There is nothing for anyone under 40. There is a massive demand, but the stories have to change for this new generation.”

BuzzFeed, which started predominantly as the “soft news” home of heartwarming human stories, surprised the industry with a commitment to originating news, and now has 120 jour-

nalists, including a long-form section.

Steinberg also said that BuzzFeed would soon have its own investigative journalism unit.

But the key is to use the feedback from social networks, such as from content sharing tools — outlined by Andrew Mitchell, Facebook’s director of partnerships — to make the stories relevant to communities defined by shared interest and identity, rather than just geography.

As moderator Simon Spanswick, chief executive of the Association for International Broadcasting put it: “Newsrooms are no longer working in a vacuum. There are real-time signals back in the newsmaking process for the first time.”

Two elements were seen as key.

Creating more of a two-way relationship; and making the news more transparent by humanising it.

Perhaps the ultimate in humanising the news process is Norwegian Gry Winther’s Dining With The Enemy, in which the reporter takes viewers on a journey to war zones but “drips” in the hard news via travel stories and food — notably a meal at which opponents sit down to a meal together.

10 N4P10+D.indd 1

09/10/13 15:36

mipcom

Film commissions refocus as TV productions see bigger budgets

T

HE INTERNATIONAL film commissions have come to MIPCOM in force to assure TV producers that they can facilitate their each and every production.

They were speaking at the session called Saving Time & Budget Without Compromising Quality: Film Commission Showcase, part of this year’s TV, Film’s New Eldorado.

Film-commission representatives from six countries told delegates that they are in Cannes

Alessandra Bergero of the Italian Riviera Alpi Dei Mare Film Commission: helping you develop any media project

to offer TV producers the resources traditionally served only to feature-film producers.

Kristy Officer, head of marketing & business development at the Australian Film Commission — Ausfilm — said: “Our primary focus now includes TV. There’s been a huge proliferation of major TV productions, especially out of the US, where everyone knows the major studios are making fewer films with budgets over $100m. So even movie producers who want to get their projects made are moving into TV.” She added that her country’s film commission is tapping into that trend by highlighting that tax incentives, originally designed for only feature film, apply to TV. Alessandra Bergero, CEO of the Italian Riviera Alpi Dei Mare Film Commission, has been encouraging film commissions to attend MIPCOM to explain what they can do for international TV producers.

“In fact, we call ourselves a film-media commission because we offer all the facilities needed to make a 360-degree production — and they are free,” Bergero said. “We can help you develop any media project.”

Twofour54, the Abu Dhabi media-zone authority that includes the Abu Dhabi Film Commission, launched in 2008 as a multimedia business hub, said president international Wayne Borg. “There is a renaissance in TV production because that is where the budgets are,” he said.

Also represented at the session were Lisbon’s Lisboa Film Commission, the Malta Film Commission, and the Latin American Film Commission Network.

Distributors ready themselves for 4K THERE is a high level of interest from distributors looking to archive 4K footage in preparation for future broadcasts, said Serpent Productions’ producer Dione Orrom, speaking at a screening of 4K footage held

by Sony at MIPCOM yesterday. She added that there were “big distributors talking about wanting 4K productions”.

Asked whether 4K could spell the end for 3D, Orrom said that she thought there was room for both: “4K has an immersive quality to it without being 3D, but I don’t think that necessarily knocks 3D out. For the right subjects, and if you can film it in the right way, it can be stunning,” Orrom said.

The session included the unveiling by Orrom of 4K footage using Sony F55 cameras, from a Muse concert filmed earlier this year in

Rome by Serpent.

It follows previous productions by Serpent including films of Cirque du Soleil and U2 performances. “The Sony F55s have made a big difference,” Orrom said.

Serpent Productions’ Dione Orrom

GITCT’s Kim Seon-Choul

GWANGJU OFFERS WARM WELCOME GWANGJU, South Korea’s sixth largest city, is positioning itself as Asia’s cultural hub by encouraging foreign production companies to visit the city and use its multi-million-dollar facilities.

Handing out the invitation yesterday was Kim Seon-Choul, team manager of the infra-foundation team at the Gwangju Information & Culture Industry Promotion Agency (GITCT).

He noted that Gwangju is “evolving into a cultural economic city where you can find the investment communities and becoming a technology centre brimming with creative ideas”.

The city has a Cultural Industry Investment Promotional Zone, divided into four major sub-zones: the CGI Center Zone, for broadcasting, video production, visual effects and 3D graphics; the KDB Building, host to animation and cartoon enterprises; the Daewon Building, designed for video-games development; and the Asian Culture Complex Zone, featuring tourism, exhibition centres and live-entertainment services. They are being financed by a $135m initiative covering the period 2010 to 2023.

Users of the zone get access to significant tax incentives for the first three years of business there.

Additionally, qualifying co-productions have access to the $16.8m Asian Cultural Industry Investment Association Fund, co-financed by major Korean entertainment groups such as CJ E&M.

11 N4P11+D.indd 1

09/10/13 17:08

THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER OFFICIAL CONFERENCES & MATCHMAKING EVENTS MIPCOM 2013 OVERVIEW: PRESS CONFERENCE

DIGITAL COMES OF AGE:

THE PRODUCERS TOOL BOX: SECOND SCREEN WORKSHOP

11.00-12.00 I Press & News Hub, Gare Maritime

In partnership with

THE MIPCOM WRAP

BEST OF SECOND SCREEN

14.00-15.00 I Matchmaking Lounge, Level 5

10.00-10.20 I Matchmaking Lounge, Level 5 Speaker Matthias Puschmann, Founder & Managing Director, VAST MEDIA, Germany @VAST_MEDIA

Matthias Puschmann

WHAT’S NEXT IN SECOND SCREEN? 10.20-11.00 I Matchmaking Lounge, Level 5 Moderator Jeroen Elfferich, CEO & Co-Founder, Ex Machina, The Netherlands @jeroen020 Speakers Sebastian Büttner, Founder & CEO, Gesamtkunstwerk Entertainment, Germany @GKW_Cologne Zane Vella, CEO, Watchwith, USA @zanev Alex Terpstra, CEO, Civolution, The Netherlands @ADTerpstra @Civolution

Sebastian Büttner

Moderator James Martin, Social Media Manager, MIP Markets, France @jamesmart_in / @mip Speakers Mary Ann Halford, Managing Director, FTI Consulting, USA @maryannhalford Louisa Heinrich, Founder, Superhuman Limited, UK @customdeluxe Traci Paige Johnson, Co-Founder, yummico, USA @getyummico Angela Natividad, journalist & social strategist, MIPBlog, AdVerve & MarketingProfs, USA @luckthelady

Mary Ann Halford

Louisa Heinrich

Traci Paige Johnson

Angela Natividad

Zane Vella

Alex Terpstra

IS SECOND SCREEN BIG BUSINESS? 11.20-12:00 I Matchmaking Lounge, Level 5 Moderator Jeroen Doucet, Chairman, IAB Task Force Second Screen, The Netherlands @doucet Vincent Gattegno

Speakers Vincent Gattegno, Head Of Media Sales Europe, Visiware, France @vgattegno Mary Ann Halford, Managing Director, FTI Consulting, USA @maryannhalford

Mary Ann Halford

Jonathan Laor, CEO, Applicaster, Israel Jonathan Laor

news_thurs1010_240x330.indd 1

02/10/13 17:20

mipcom

neWs DORI MEDIA HOPES MAGIC WILL WORK WITH FOX PILOT ISRAEL’s Dori Media Group has sold its comedy format Magic Malabi Express to Fox as a 21st Century Fox pilot production.

Chilean social drama specialist Parox waits on US format deal Constanza Arena and Sergio Gandara

Magic Malibi Express is a road-trip comedy based on a book by Miki Geva.

Originally produced by Udi Segal and Sumayoko for Channel 10 Israel, it is being produced for Fox by Shawn Levy and Marty Adelstein through 21 Laps/Adelsten.

The deal follows another US deal for Dori, with Little Mom to be piloted

by Warner Bros. for CBS. The company is also in talks to bring crime drama New York to US screens.

New York was originally produced by Dori and was the most watched drama of all time on Israel’s Yes channel.

Commenting on the first deal, Dori Media Group president and CEO Nadav Palti said: “We are delighted that the Magic Malabi Express format is entering the US market.

The comedy has proved very popular on Channel 10 Israel, and it can be tailored for any market.”

T

HIS TIME last year, Chilean producer Parox signed a format agreement with US network NBC for its sci-fi mystery drama Gen Mishima. A year on, the series has a top showrunner (Ken Sanzel) and a pilot script. The option on the project has now been extended until 2015, while Sanzel focuses on his Ironside reboot.

Speaking to MIPCOM News in Cannes, Parox executive producer Sergio Gandara said his company specialises in making dramas that are in tune with contemporary issues and can make a difference to the wider social agenda.

“For example, we are at MIPCOM with a new drama called The Substitute Teacher, which is based around the 2011 student revolt in Chile,” he said. “Dealing with the issue of quality in education, it was a major ratings hit and a social phenomenon when it aired on public broadcaster TVN. Now we are introducing the format to the international market.”

Chileans have an increasingly high profile at the market, according to Constanza Arena, executive director of CinemaChile.

“We have eight companies here in addition to the Chilean broadcasters. There is much more interest

Goris The Gorilla co-production partners: Brazilian TV Producers’ Rachel Valle (left), Split’s Jorge Goncalves, Gong’s Maria Severino, Split’s Guille Hiertz and CinemaChile’s Constanza Arena

in the international market among Chilean firms now. In part, I think that is because of the public support they receive at home, which has helped improve quality.”

Big news at this MIPCOM, according to Arena, is the first-ever TV animation co-production agreement between Chile and Brazil, and was signed here. Goris The Gorilla is being produced by Split (Brazil) & Gong (Chile).

Cannes is launch pad for Argentinian distributor

INCAA president Liliana Mazure (second from right) with the Federal Distribucion Internacional team

ARGENTINIAN company Federal Distribucion Internacional launched at MIPCOM this week.

The new enterprise, headed by Nestor Moreno and Jose Tobal, is a distributor of programming across genres, including drama, animation, documentaries, na-

ture, music, human rights, thrillers and comedies. Moreno said: “With the backing of the Argentinian government, our goal is to become highly visible in major international markets, and MIPCOM has been a top priority in achieving this.”

13 N4P13+D.indd 1

09/10/13 18:12

mipcom

neWs MAGINE APP SET FOR SAMSUNG SMART-TVS A LATE MIPCOM deal will see the Magine smart-TV app made available on all Samsung smart TVs sold in key European territories, enabling Magine subscribers to watch live linear, time-shifted and recorded TV on their Samsung devices.

Mattias Hjelmstedt, CEO of Magine, hailed the alliance as “a powerful endorsement” of both the Magine concept and the Swedish cloud-based platform’s ambition to bring more people to its range of premium TV content, which includes programming from a variety of broadcast channels.

“The announcement of this new relationship between Samsung and Magine is a really great note on which to end MIPCOM,” Hjelmstedt said.

The Magine app not only offers a comprehensive, easy-to-navigate channel line-up, but it also allows users to connect or “pair” smartphone or tablet devices with TV sets via a QR code. The mobile device then acts as both a remote control and a second screen.

Magine also hosted a well-attended MIPCOM workshop on Tuesday, which examined the question of who will be designing the TV of the future — viewers or professionals?

“The session demonstrated the optimistic mood and collective willingness to adopt — and adopt to — new technology, so that TV can remain the most dynamic sector in the global entertainment industry,” Hjelmstedt said.

Mexico named as MIPCOM’s Country Of Honour for 2014

M

EXICO has been named Country Of Honour for next year’s MIPCOM. The formal announcement will be made this morning by Reed MIDEM’s entertainment division director, Jerome Delhaye, and Francisco N Gonzalez Diaz, CEO of ProMexico, the governmentbacked institution that supports Mexican exports.

“Next year’s MIPCOM will celebrate Mexico’s vibrant television, film and digital media industries,” Gonzalez Diaz said.

“We will have a wide-ranging programme of high-level conferences, screening showcases, co-production matchmaking and networking events.”

The focus on Mexico will run throughout MIPJunior 2014 (October 11-12) and MIPCOM 2014 (October 13-16). It will showcase the country’s rich content offering across drama, TV films, documentary and animation as well as co-production funding incen-

ProMexico’s Francisco N Gonzalez Diaz

tives and location opportunities throughout Mexico.

“Mexico is a global TV production powerhouse, which plays a pivotal role in the important Spanish-speaking television market and beyond,” Laurine Garaude, director of Reed MIDEM’s television division, said.

“ProMexico’s support for the Country Of Honour initiative reflects Mexico’s commitment to developing its entertainment in-

THE NEWLY appointed minister of communications and multimedia, the Honourable Dato’ Sri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, has led a record-breaking number of more than 60 Malaysian companies at MIPCOM 2013. His presence here at MIPCOM emphasises the renewed commitment of the Malaysian government to supporting the growth and development of the creative content industry.

The Malaysian delegation to MIPCOM was led with the support of the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia and is co-organised by the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS), the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) and the Malaysian Communications

dustry across the global market.”

“We are very honoured to be named Country Of Honour for MIPCOM in 2014,” Gonzalez Diaz said. “Mexico has much to offer the international film and television community, including state-of-the-art technology, toplevel infrastructure, scenic variety, decades of experience as leaders in the Hispanic market, a qualified labour force and talent that is recognised all over the world.”

& Multimedia Commission (MCMC), in association with the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), Tourism Malaysia and the Creative Content Association Malaysia (CCAM).

Singapore’s MDA has led a delegation of 23 companies under the ambit Singapore Pavilion, with over 80 titles and more than 400 hours of factual, drama, lifestyle and animation content. Pictured are: the Honourable Dato’ Sri Ahmad Shabery Cheek (left), Malaysia’s minister of communications and multimedia; Reed MIDEM’s Paul Zilk; and his Excellency Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Singapore minister of communications and information

14 N4P14+D.indd 1

09/10/13 21:39

175_SONAR_N2&4_COM-P1

a n o r i g i n a l t w o - h o u r m o v i e p r e m i e r i n g i n o c t o b e r o n s y f y

Booth R38.09 sonarent.com

175_SONAR_N2&4_COM-P2

a new series from MaRk GoRDon, the producer of cRiMinal MinDs, GRey’s anatoMy and aRMy wives

Booth R38.09 sonarent.com

175_SONAR_N2&4_COM-P3

from executive producers Jane Rosenthal & RobeRt De niRo and the director of the lincoln lawyeR and RunneR RunneR

Booth R38.09 sonarent.com

175_SONAR_N2&4_COM-P4

a n

e x p l o s i v e

f o u r - h o u r

m i n i s e r i e s

Booth R38.09 sonarent.com

e v e n t

mipcom

RT encourages debate with Larry the talk-show King

M

OSCOW-based multilingual news network RT has struck a deal with American broadcasting legend Larry King. The deal covers two programmes, Larry King Now and Politicking, produced by Ora TV. RT’s editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan is at MIPCOM to showcase the range of RT’s programming, and explains how this highprofile partnership came about.

“In 2012, in advance of the US presidential elections, RT was hosting the Third Party Presidential debates — it always has been important for us to give a platform to underrepresented viewpoints — and Larry King moderated the debates,” Simonyan said.

“Any TV channel or media outlet would love to work with Larry — he brings name recognition, experience and know-how to all his media ventures. And his dedication to getting to the bottom of the hottest and most controversial questions is a great fit with RT and its mission — to question more and to encourage our audience to do the same.”

Politicking, is about politics and policy, US and international, and airs four times per week. “This was created exclusively for RT, and has generated a buzz from its first episodes. For instance, skillfully tackling the NSA leaks story and Edward Snowden debacle, and pushing hard on Eliot Spitzer, a notorious New York politician,” Simonyan said.

Larry King Now, a weekly show, takes a general interest, culture and entertainment focus.

Recent guest included tennis player Maria

RT’s Margarita Simonyan

Sharapova, actor Forest Whitaker and media mogul Oprah Winfrey.

Elsewhere on the channel Simonyan points to programmes that focus on other core issues: “Abby Martin speaks out against the establishment and pre-set narratives on her show Breaking The Set and Max Keiser’s focal point is the financial markets.”

Both Larry King shows can be seen on RT English-language news channel, which reaches 630 million people across more than 100 countries. The shows are also broadcast in Arabic on RT’s Rusiya Al-Yaum news channel, which reaches some 350 million viewers in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

They are also available online at rt.com, RT’s YouTube channel, and in North America on Ora.tv and Hulu.com.

Nigeria looks to global market

NBC’s Emeka Mba (left), Reed MIDEM’s Paul Zilk, Multimesh Broadcasting Company’s Sir Godfrey Ohubunwa, Reed MIDEM’s Ted Baracos, NBC’s Felix Ejike-Ume and FISL Global Network’s Ijeoma Onah

NIGERIA has a pavilion for the first time this MIPCOM to facilitate deals with international broadcasters. Emeka Mba, the National Broadcasting Commission’s (NBC) director general said that selling Nigerian content is a priority, especially with an increasing number of international series airing on African screens. With the ongoing digital TV switchover, there are also opportunities for co-productions to create fresh content for the Nigerian market. “Nigeria currently has the most dynamic broadcasting market on the African continent,” Mba said. “Nollywood is now daily fare on TV stations across Africa and the Caribbean, and we want to continue finding ways we can extend our international synergies beyond Africa to other countries as well in the global TV marketplace.”

Broadcast rights for Miss Brazil BAND Internacional has secured the exclusive broadcast rights to the Miss Brazil pageant through to 2015. Carried nationally by DISH Network and also available in select Comcast markets, the Brazilian entertainment channel will air each pageant event live, bringing viewers all the action as Brazil’s most beautiful women compete live for the title.

“Band Internacional is proud to present its subscribers with one of the most glamorous and mostwatched events in Brazil,” said Luis Torres-Bohl, president of Castalia Communications, which distributes the channel in the US and Canada.

“This deal reconfirms Band Internacional’s commitment to offer the best Brazilian programming available.”

rtl CBS HITS SINGAPORE SINGTEL mio TV, SingTel’s digital pay-TV service, and RTL CBS Asia Entertainment Network have announced a carriage deal that brings the newly launched RTL CBS Entertainment HD channel to Singapore. The new channel, offering US shows including The X Factor USA and Beauty And The Beast, will be part of the Family+ Pack at no extra charge.

The availability of RTL CBS Entertainment HD channel in Singapore follows earlier launches in Malaysia and Thailand. “We aim to become a leading provider of entertainment programmes in the country and are committed to delivering high quality content to viewers through our new partnership with SingTel mio TV,” Jonas Engwall, CEO, RTL CBS Asia Entertainment Network, said.

RTL CBS Asia’s Jonas Engwall

15 N4P15+D.indd 1

09/10/13 18:14

mipcom

neWs STV AND RED ARROW EXTEND PARTNERSHIP MIPCOM sees the launch of a multi-year strategic partnership between UK content company STV Productions and German heavyweight Red Arrow Entertainment Group.

The deal, which involves investment from both companies, will see STV and Red Arrow co-develop new formats, which will then be co-produced and piloted on STV’s channel in Scotland, before being taken to the international market.

STV’s existing format partnership with US prodco and Red Arrow subsidiary Kinetic Content will continue under the new partnership while, from next January, Red Arrow will take on the worldwide distribution, excluding the UK, of all STV Productions’ completed shows and formats.

The new partnership offers “fantastic potential” in terms of international growth and co-production, said STV Productions’ director of content, Alan Clements.

Red Arrow’s group managing director, Jan Frouman, added that, as a result of the existing deals between STV Productions and Kinetic, Red Arrow had already “formed an excellent working relationship with Alan and his team”.

Broadening the partnership across the entire Red Arrow group and representing STV’s content worldwide was thus a natural progression.

KOREAN COUP THE ILLUMINATED Film Company has renewed the DVD rights for the Little Princess series with Asiana Licensing for South Korea.

Illuminated founder Iain Harvey said: “Asiana has looked after the merchandising, publishing and DVD rights for five years and this renewal is further confirmation of the on-going appeal of Little Princess.”

Lewis, Morse and Frost head to Australia under 227-hour deal Lewis: set for UKTV Australia

I

TV STUDIOS Global Entertainment (ITVS GE) has closed a deal with UKTV in Australia for 227 hours of drama and entertainment programming. The package includes detective series Lewis, Inspector Morse and A Touch Of Frost, as

well as quiz show Eggheads.

Augustus Dulgaro, ITVS GE’s senior vice-president, Asia Pacific, said: “The volume of hours acquired by UKTV is testament to the breadth and depth of our portfolio.”

ITV Studios, meanwhile, has

signed format deals for The Garden’s medical observational documentary series Keeping The Nation Alive. ITV Studios Nordic has been commissioned

by TVNorge to produce Keeping Norway Alive, while ITV Studios France is producing Keeping France Alive for France 2.

The completed version of the show has also been sold to BBC Knowledge in Australia.

Mike Beale, director of international formats at ITV Studios, said: “The Garden is renowned for creating ground-breaking and challenging documentary series and Keeping The Nation Alive is their latest programme in this mould. This is a show that transcends geographical boundaries and we look forward to announcing further international deals soon.”

LOLA, from Plaza Sesamo, the Spanishspeaking version of Sesame Street, celebrated the production of the series’ 15th season, filmed in Colombia, at MIPCOM. The latest season is set to debut on Colombia’s RCN and Mexico’s Televisa in December. Pictured here with Lola is Sesame Workshop’s Renee Mascara (left), RCN’s Ricardo Cruz, Televisa’s Maca Roter Alday, RCN’s Sara Gutierrez, Sesame’s Terry Fitzpatrick and Televisa’s Mauricio Carrandi.

Done deals for DLT/Raydar Rights ONE YEAR after the joint venture was launched, independent distributor DLT/Raydar Rights has signed a series of international licensing deals.

Sweden’s public broadcaster STV has licensed the format of psychological thriller Reservoir Hill.

Local digital indie ART 89 will make the eight-part series, giv-

ing viewers the chance to shape the story by texting advice and suggestions to the show’s main protagonist. DLT/Raydar holds the international rights to both the format and the finished series, which is also available as a telemovie or series of webisodes.

DLT/Raydar has also sold a further 52 episodes of Nick Jr pre-

school hit Olive The Ostrich, produced by Blue Zoo Studio, to 200 markets, and the second series of tween romantic comedy Girl Vs Boy to TrueVisions Thailand.

The independent distributor is also showcasing the scripted format of evergreen sitcom My Family, new sitcom Marshals Law and Cbeebies hit Magic Hands.

16 N4P16+D.indd 1

09/10/13 14:50

6906 MIPCOM Show Dailies_240x330_FApathed.ai 261_ATF_N1à4_COM

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

1

2/10/13

5:55 PM

204_RM STANDS_N1_2_3_4_COM

the world’s tv market & creative forum for content on every screen

Two major changes in 2014 > Numbers for Halls: Simplified and consistent names for all exhibition halls > Letters for Aisles: Standardised booth numbers

FORMER NAMING

NEW NAMING

Level 01

Palais -1

Level 0

Palais 0

Level 1

Palais 1

Level 3

Palais 3

Level 4

Palais 4

Level 5

Palais 5

Level 6

Palais 6

Riviera Hall

Riviera 7

Lerins Hall

Riviera 8

Rivera Seaview

Riviera 9

Mistral

Croisette 10

Seabreeze / FremantleMedia

Croisette 11

Marina 1 (Sony)

Croisette 12

Marina 2 (Disney)

Croisette 14

Riviera Beach Hall

Croisette 15

Azur 1 (Accre or PSB)

Croisette 16

Plage Majestic (Warner)

Croisette 17

Azur 2 (Accre or PSB)

Croisette 18

Croisette Village

Croisette 19

Banijay

Croisette 20

Gare Maritime

Croisette 21

MIPTV 2014 EXHIBITION HALLS CROISETTE 11 (FremantleMedia)

3

3 ZONES 1 S En eafr tra on nc t e

Riviera 7 2 (ex Riviera Hall)

Harbour

CROISETTE 17 (Warner)

CROISETTE 15 (ex Riviera Beach Hall)

Riviera 8 (ex Lérins Hall)

2

Palais alais -1 to Palais 6

La Croisette

CROISETTE 20 Banijay

3

Ent

From -1 to 6

(Previously Riviera, Lérins and Riviera Seaview)

From 7 to 9

3 1

(Previously Level 01 to 6)

Riviera

Riviera 9 (ex Riviera Seaview)

Access to Riviera 8 & 9

Palais

Croisette

All outside locations From 10 to 22

For example, stand P3.A1 is in the Palais, on level 3, aisle A, stand number 1.

In the same way, stand C15.B3 is on the Croisette, in structure 15, on aisle B, stand 3.

ranc

e

La C ro

iset

te

As part of our continuous effort to improve Reed MIDEM client services, we hope that these changes will create a more efficient and enjoyable experience for all MIPTV participants. We look very much forward to welcoming you again at the Palais des Festivals at MIPTV 2014.

mipcom

neWs Indie filmmakers take a stand at first South African pavilion

S

OUTH Africa’s Association for Transformation in Film and Television (ATFT), which launched in April, has organised the country’s first industry pavilion at MIPCOM, the South African Indies stand.

South Africa’s independent film and TV sectors believe MIPCOM is the ideal platform to remedy the skewed impression the rest of the world has of their business.

First, the ATFT wants to highlight the country’s advantages in terms of good weather, varied film locations, its multicultural legacy, co-production treaties and tax incentives.

The ATFT also came to MIPCOM to remind the global market that the country responsible for the Oscar-winning Tsotsi and the Oscar-nominated District 9 is nurturing numerous black filmmakers in the emerging independent sector.

“About two-thirds of the domes-

Happy Brown Babies’ Sifiso Khanyile (left); Two Spinning Wheels Productions’ Pamela Mia and Shelley Barry (seated); Mandela Bay Pictures’ Mayenzeke Baza; and Shoot97 Productions’ Clayton Thom

tic productions from South Africa are created by white-owned companies, but not many are made for the international market,” said Sifiso Khanyile, producer/director at Happy Brown Babies Productions and an ATFT executive director. “We are seeing how black-owned production

SeaWorld Kids’ Scott Helmstedter (left) with DQE’s Tapaas Chakravarti and Rollman Entertainment’s Eric Rollman

firms can also fill the gap by targeting the international market.”

The mission, which is representing 14 production companies at MIPCOM, is supported by the South African government’s Department of Trade and Industry, and the National Film and Video Foundation.

SEAWORLD KIDS — the kids-targeted entertainment brand of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment — has joined with DQ Entertainment (DQE) and Rollman Entertainment to present 52 x 11 mins episodes of the kids’ animated comedy adventure series, Yonaguni, at this year’s MIPCOM. Formerly known as The Octo Force, the newly named series is aimed at kids aged six to 11.

Take Five has Brazil football focus TAKE Five has reported strong interest at MIPCOM for its latest HD project, Football Made In Brazil, the follow-up to Football Made In Africa, which was sold to 17 countries across all continents.

Take Five managing director Alon Knoll said: “Both series comprise 35 x 1 min 30 sec vignettes which easily adapt to the internet and social networks, as well as broadcast. Football Made

Take-Five co-managing directors Alon Knoll (left) and Gregory Zalcman

In Africa tied in with the World Cup being held there in 2010, and Football Made In Brazil has been made with the 2014 Brazilian World Cup in its sights.”

Knoll added: “The series is not just about football, but paints a portrait of Brazilian society.

Each episode offers an original angle on a story, a slice of everyday life in Brazil, where football is omnipresent.”

HERSEY FILM SELLS TURKEY HISTORY DRAMA HERSEY Film Production from Turkey has sold its historical drama series Deep State In Ottoman Empire (Osmanli’da Derin Devlet) to Albania, Kosovo, and Macedonia, with deals in Bosnia and the Middle East/ North Africa region pending. A DVD deal with Iran has also been concluded at MIPCOM. Business development director Cagatay Atasagun said: “It has been a very successful week for Hersey Film at MIPCOM, and we have already concluded pre-sales covering countries for our next historical drama series Gulnihal.”

LITTLE PRINCESS IN DVD SALES ILLUMINATED Film Company has renewed its DVD rights deal with Asiana Licensing for Little Princess series one and two in South Korea.

Iain Harvey, founder and producer at Illuminated, said: “Asiana has looked after the merchandising, publishing and DVD rights for five years — their renewal of the rights is further confirmation of the ongoing appeal of our Little Princess series.”

Illuminated is in the advanced stages of developing a feature film, Little Princess And The Legend Of Bluefoot.

International sales of that are being handled by Timeless Films.

19 N4P19+D.indd 1

09/10/13 17:33

neWs Content from small producers gives TI ComNet market edge

ABC’s Shusaku Inoue

ASAHI GRABS UK LINK AND COUNTS IT A SUCCESS REGIONAL Japanese broadcaster and producer Asahi Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is celebrating its first co-production with a UK company.

ABC, which is headquartered in Japan’s second city, Osaka, made the game show Grab It, Hold It, Count It jointly with British producer Zodiak Media.

The show features contestants competing by grabbing as much money as they can and holding on to it through a series of bizarre hazards and challenges. The one remaining team then has to count the money. If it does so correctly, the sum is multiplied 10 times.

ABC international business manager Shusaku Inoue said: “It’s unique for us because we’ve made the show from scratch with Zodiak.”

Zodiak’s distribution arm, Zodiak Rights, is also at MIPCOM handling sales for the show, which was broadcast in Japan in September.

Inoue said that the collaboration had been a good experience for ABC, which has not previously teamed up with a British media company.

“We are learning a lot from Zodiak,” he said. “It’s a way for us to develop our strategy for the West and to see how western people think about game shows.”

TI ComNet’s Tsuyoshi Takahashi (left), Helen Wood, Toshie Yoshida and Tomoka Haraya

J

APANESE indie TI ComNet is marking its 10th year of attending MIPCOM with a range of new shows and formats from small producers.

The brainchild of owner and president Toshie Yoshida, TI ComNet, based in Sapporo, represents and distributes on behalf of small Japanese production companies. The company has about 1,000 shows in its catalogue, including documentaries, dramas and animation.

TI ComNet director of international sales Helen Wood said: “We’ve been coming here for 10 years and this has been our best year yet.

One of the most important things about MIPCOM has been the networking opportunities.”

Wood is based in the company’s New York

office — the first outside Japan. Earlier this year Yoshida opened an office in Singapore.

The roster of shows includes the 13-part entertainment documentary Sushi Samplers.

The series goes into the art of sushi-making and promises the viewer secrets to making the perfect dishes. It was produced and funded entirely by Yoshida and has been sold to a range of broadcasters globally.

Documentaries include Into The Wasteland, a one-off show that examines the aftermath of the catastrophic earthquake that struck Japan in 2011.

TI ComNet also sells travel programs, which Yoshida said are popular thanks to Japan’s status as the number one tourist destination in Asia.

NTV takes Japanese drama award HIROSHI Inoue, president of the Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association, presented the MIPCOM Buyers’ Award For Japanese Drama 2013 on Tuesday night.

Nearly 400 people gathered in the Majestic’s Croisette Salon for the ceremony, enjoying an evening of Japanese food and hospitality.

The award, chosen by an international jury of MIPCOM buyers, went to Woman — My Life For My Children from NTV. The award is presented in partnership with the Tokyo International Drama Festival and is now in its fifth year.

Virginia Mouseler of The Wit congratulated Kimio Maruyama, NTV board director and executive operating officer, who accepted the prize on the commercial broadcaster’s behalf.

Kimio Maruyama, Hiroshi Inoue, Virginia Mouseler

20 N4P20+D.indd 1

09/10/13 22:11

mipcom

Argentina offers strong mix of skill, tech and talent

He added that the conditions for doing business in Argentina make it an ideal production territory, despite the political and economic uncertainties. “Production wise, it’s our second home,” Ruiz said.

Piasek said that Electus’ strategy is two-fold: “We want to tap into the talent and shows that get on

INCAA’s Jean Marc Auclair: “We want to be part of the future of TV”

A

R G E N T I N A’s strength is that it has Latin America, Europe and the US in its DNA — and it is a powerful combination when it comes to the art of content creation.

This was the first message to come out of Tuesday’s panel, Co-Production With Argentina: Crossing The Borders For International Success, which featured Diego Piasek, executive director of Electus; A Gonzalo Fiure, senior vice-president and chief content officer of Fox International Channels Latin America; and Eduardo Ruiz, president and general manager of A+E Networks Latin America. The panel was moderated by Miguel Smirnoff, CEO of Editorial Prensario, who kicked off the proceedings by asking the panelists to identify what they believed was interesting about working in Argentina.

flexibility of Argentina’s production industry. “We don’t have our own studio in Argentina,” he said. “We have a team of executive producers that oversees our original productions. One of the advantages of doing business in Argentina is that you identify different production houses based on their expertise.”

Some production companies specialise in reality TV, some in scripted TV and others in ga me shows, for exa mple.

“When you analyse what’s out there, you come to the conclusion that certain production houses are the best at a certain type of production,” Ruiz added. “It helps to be able to identify key players specialising in a given type of production work. We find the end product comes out better than if you go to a production house without that expertise, even if it’s 10 times the size.”

The capacity of Argentinean production houses also varies considerably, covering “A to Z in terms of size, resources and expertise”, Ruiz said. “You have production houses of three to five guys that are out there with cameras doing fantastic work.

But you also have the studios such as Endemol that do major production work. Knowing the Argentinean market really helps you when you’re planning how to bring a product to life.”

Speaking earlier in the week at the Argentina Media Landscape conference, INCAA’s Jean Marc Auclair said his country was going through the most important transformation in its audiovisual history.

He added: “Argentina has produced thousands of hours of TV and 140 feature films a year since the 2009 audiovisual act gave the industry public support. Argentina’s message is: we want to be part of the future of TV.”

“A r g e n t i n a is a Latin American country, but with a huge heritage from Europe and a Tuesday’s Co-Production With Argentina panel deep understanding of American culture,” Piasek said. To illustrate the air from the beginning, and bring point, he shared a trailer for a them to the US. Shows like Ugly new show called Killer Women Betty, for example, count among

by Sofia Vergara, which fol- the jewels that we can sell in the lows a female Texas ranger. The US market. And secondly, we subject matter has a tantalising want to expand what we have — Latin flair, but also a strong what we produce in the US and sense of the American Western elsewhere in the world — to Argentina.” and hints of Mexico.

Ruiz also showed a reel that Ruiz talked at length about the covered much of A+E’s recent work in the country. “We are very proud of the quality and ARGENTINA: THE NUMBERS production work that gets done in Argentina,” he said. “We’ve THIS year, Argentina is the sixth highest ranking country at been doing this a long time and MIPCOM in terms of exhibitors, with a delegation of 98 companies here in Cannes. This compares with 37 exhibitors last we believe that Argentina has the year, representing a 165% increase. right mix of people, technological know-how and talent.”

21 N4P21+D.indd 1

09/10/13 21:34

in pictures Stars in Cannes

Meghan McCain raised the profile of Pivot’s Raising McCain, a series distributed by Tricon Films & Television

A wealth of talent was at MIPCOM to promote their TV shows on sale at the market

Andie MacDowell was at MIPCOM to promote Cedar Cove, a Hallmark series brought to market by Beta Film

British duo Emily Mortimer and Dolly Wells were at the market to promote their partly improvised six-part series Doll & Em for the UK’s Sky Living

Brooke Nevin stars as a psychiatrist in Cracked, a series distributed by Beta Film and White Pine Releasing

22 N4P22-23+D.indd 1

09/10/13 22:16

mipcom

Actors Richard Harrington and Mali Harries came to Cannes to showcase English-Welsh language detective drama series Hinterland, brought to market by all3media international

Naomi Campbell made a visit to MIPCOM to launch Shine International’s modelling format The Face, for which she is a presenter and executive producer

Oona Chaplin stars as a volunteer nurse in First World War BBC One drama series The Ark, brought to Cannes

by Endemol Worldwide Distribution

Sci-fi series Under The Dome’s Rachelle Lefevre came to MIPCOM to mark the global success of the show, distributed by CBS Global Distribution

23 N4P22-23+D.indd 2

09/10/13 22:16

neWs Giving good advice pays off for Twofour Rights Alex Polizzi, The Hotel Inspector

Eagle Films’ Jamal Sannan (left) and OSN’s David Butorac shake hands on their new MIPCOM deal

Eagle deal lets OSN expand its global reach OSN, DUBAI’s leading pay-TV network, has signed a multi-year deal with Eagle Films, a film distributor and exhibitor in the Middle East and North Africa, to further consolidate its portfolio of premium movies.

Under the agreement, OSN will have exclusive, first-run access to more than 100 current top Hollywood titles.

David Butorac, OSN chief executive, said: “This partnership with Eagle complements our existing deals with international studios to bring even more world-class content to our viewers. The focus is to expand global partnerships to bring brand-new and innovative content, which further establishes OSN as the network of choice in the Dubai region”.

Eagle Films CEO Jamal Sannan added: “We share with OSN the same vision in establishing new means in the digital entertainment space.”

U

K-BASED distributor Twofour Rights has sold its flagship show The Hotel Inspector to broadcasters in Europe, Australia and Asia.

The company, which is just a year old, took back the rights to the show from a third party distributor earlier this year and is now celebrating deals with Sky Italia, Fox International Channels Spain, SBS Holland, Foxtel Networks Australia and Phoenix Satellite Television, among others.

“The show goes from strength to strength,” Twofour Broadcast managing director Melanie Leach said, “we’re delighted to see it reaching new territories.”

To promote the show, Twofour Rights has flown the show’s current presenter Alex Polizzi into Cannes to meet buyers. Polizzi’s

arrival coincides with news that BBC2 in the UK has commissioned Twofour to produce a third series of The Fixer, another Polizzi-fronted show. In The Fixer, Polizzi helps family firms tackle their financial failures and domestic dramas: “I relish any opportunity to help improve family businesses as I’m only too aware of the stresses, strains and occasional pleasures of being involved in a family business,” she said.

“Owners of family businesses work incredibly hard and contribute enormously to the economy.”

Twofour Rights is also in town with rights to shows including Born To Kill?, Storage Hoarders, Tom Daley Takes On The World, Happy Families, The Magaluf Weekender and a series which follows Prince Harry on a trek to the South Pole.

CHINA’s Changzhou Dinosaur Park Co has struck a global distribution deal for its new animation series Adam’s Bakery (52 x 13 mins) with Paris-based Cyber Group Studios. Changzhou Dinosaur Park’s vice-president Tian Enming said: “We believe Adam’s Bakery with its positive and funny animation style will be popular among children and families from all over the world.” Cyber Group Studios will handle worldwide distribution excluding mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Adam’s Bakery is scheduled for delivery in December 2013.

HIT boosts pre-school portfolio H I T E N T E RTA I N M EN T has finalised sales of more than 120 hours for its portfolio, including Mike The Knight, Thomas & Friends and Fireman Sam. The deals

significantly increase the global footprint of HIT’s brands with sales to TV and digital platforms across Europe, Australia, Latin America and Asia.

“HIT Entertainment has a fantastic reputation for brokering deals worldwide,” Edward Catchpole, senior vice-president

and general manager, HIT Entertainment, said. “These sales to prestigious broadcast partners are indicative of the enduring appetite for our quality portfolio of pre-school programming, and solidify HIT’s position as one of the world’s greatest storytellers for pre-schoolers.”

24 N4P24+D.indd 1

09/10/13 12:33

mipcom

Extreme animal series heads factual slate for ProSieben

O

F F T H E Fence (OTF) has sold 58 hours of original wildlife and science programming to ProSiebenSat.1 for the German broadcaster’s new free-toair terrestrial channel ProSieben MAXX. It includes NHNZ’s hit series The Most Extreme, which compares the behaviour of some of the world’s most unusual animals with that of humans.

Bo Stehmeier, OTF’s managing director of distribution, said the deal — which also includes 18 hours of ready-to-air Germandubbed programming from OTF Mainz — demonstrated the strength and versatility of the Dutch indie’s offer.

He added: “Our long-standing

Off the Fence’s Bo Stehmeier (left), Ellen Windemuth and Ludo Dufor with ProSiebenSat.1’s Oliver Kaspar, ProSieben MAXX’s Rene Carl, and ProSiebenSat.1’s Thomas von Hennet

partnership with NHNZ has given us high-quality, engaging programming that is interesting to global audiences. Our global partnerships are complemented by our local approach and knowledge of sales, which allows us to

service [major] territories such as Germany.”

Rene Carl, ProSieben MAXX’s general manager, said that the deal would “give German viewers free access to outstanding programming”.

BLUE-Zoo’s Oli Hyatt (left) shakes on a deal with Nickelodeon’s vice-president, director of programming Tim Patterson for UK rights and consumer products to his show Digby Dragon. Sioned Wyn Roberts, content commissioner of S4C, who has Welsh-language rights, and Alix Wiseman, head of sales & acquisitions at Aardman Animations are also pictured. Digby Dragon is set to air on Nick Jr and S4C at the end of 2014.

FIFTY-FIFTY DEAL FOR LUCKY DUCK IRENE Weibel, vice- president, head of Nelvana Studio at Canadian media conglomerate Corus Entertainment, has entered its first 50-50 co-production with the Disney Junior network — for the movie Lucky Duck.

Weibel said the 44-minute feature about “a rubber duck that has been rejected because he doesn’t squeak right” is also Disney Junior’s first original TV movie.

The movie follows plucky rubber duck Lucky on his journey at sea as he searches for a new home, making new friends along the way.

Disney Junior will distribute the movie on its networks and programming blocks worldwide in the summer of 2014. Nelvana Enterprises has some secondary-window distribution rights, Weibel added.

Nelvana Studio has previous experience of working with Disney, producing the kids CGI animation series Rolie Polie Olie, which Disney distributed; and pre-school animation Handy Manny, which had some Disney input, but Weibel said: “Lucky Duck is the first time we’ve partnered with Disney on equal terms.”

Temple Street takes Coren to the US TEMPLE STREET Productions announced yesterday that Corus Entertainment’s W Network and BBC America have given the green light for a series order to its new one-hour documentary series, Million Dollar Critic.

Shooting in cities across North America, Million Dollar Critic was created by Temple Street Productions and developed in association with W Network. The series is set to air on W Network in Canada and in the US on BBC

America in 2014.

Million Dollar Critic introduces Giles Coren, the funny and controversial restaurant critic of The London Times, to North America.

Coren’s good opinion is said to be worth as much as a million dollars to restaurants that get his words of approval. In this series, Coren will traverse cities and towns throughout Canada and the US, critiquing along the way as he seeks out the newest, freshest and most authentic dining experience and grants one

lucky establishment his rave international review.

Temple Street also just confirmed an order by Bell Media’s Space for the scripted series Killjoys. “Our audience has come to expect the most imaginative and addictive programs from Space, and Killjoys is no exception,” said Catherine MacLeod, SVP, Specialty Channels, Bell Media. “We look forward to building on our partnership with Temple Street Productions with a whole new adventure.”

Irene Weibel: equal terms

25 N4P25+D.indd 1

09/10/13 21:28

mipcom

neWs CIRCUS SHOW SET TO PERFORM ON KIKA KOMIXX Entertainment’s Toby’s Travelling Circus has been bought by KiKA Germany. The free-to-air public channel will show the 52 x 10 mins stopframe animation in 2014.

Random House Children’s Publishers has been signed as the worldwide publishing partner. The series tells the story of a seven-year-old boy who is the ringmaster of his own circus. It is distributed by Union Media and produced in the UK by MacKinnon and Saunders.

Since its debut on Channel 5’s Milkshake! it has become one of their top-rating shows. The show has sold to more than 20 territories, and Channel 5 has commissioned a second series.

Home improvement on the bill as DCD Rights finalises UKTV deal

D

ISTRIBUTOR DCD Rights has acquired the rights to a 45-hour package of factual series from broadcaster UKTV. Titles in the package include My Dream Derelict Home, in which ordinary people face the challenge of turning wrecks into inspirational homes.

Also covered by the deal is Nick Knowles’ Original Features, a home renovation show with a historical twist. In the show, presenter Nick Knowles and archaeologist Dr Cassie Newland travel through architectural history, lifting the lid on the heritage of period houses and helping restore original features.

strategy Jonathan Newman and DCD Rights CEO Nicky Davies Williams.

Nick Knowles’ Original Features (DCD Rights)

FOR THE Love Of Dog is being unleashed on to the international market by Toronto-based Portfolio Entertainment. The one-hour documentary, which premieres later this month on Shaw Television’s Global Television Network, examines the wacky and at times heart-breaking world of extreme dog ownership.

VIEWSTER HAS EYE ON BBC TV SERIES ON-DEMAND service Viewster has added a slate of new original programming for its viewers in the US via a content licensing agreement with international distributor FremantleMedia. Viewster’s American audience will now have access to over 110 hours from six different BBC series — including popular and acclaimed shows like Merlin, That Mitchell And Webb Look and Pulling — as well as Australian series Satisfaction.

“We’ve found that television series are increasingly becoming our most popular offering,” Kai Henniges, co-founder and managing director of Viewster, said, “especially series from across the globe that aren’t as easily accessible free and on demand.”

The deal was finalised on the DCD Rights stand by UKTV’s head of programme distribution/

“The film challenges our perceptions of ‘normal’ human/canine relationships and takes us into the homes and hearts of some truly remarkable eccentrics,” Portfolio’s co-founder and president, Joy Rosen, said. The documentary features lavish dog weddings through to ‘paw-jama’ parties and hiring psychics to reconnect with dead pets.

MY Tupelo takes Tanin’s Money Bus to US TANIN Production & TV and MY Tupelo Entertainment have entered into a strategic partnership under which MY Tupelo will represent an initial slate of formats from the Israeli producer in the US market.

The first formats to benefit from the new alliance include Money Bus, Meal Or No Meal, Go To Hell and Money Moon.

Tanin Production & TV, founded

by CEO Gili Golan in 2001, has

a string of international format hits to its credit, including reality game show Upgrade, which has been sold by Armoza, and The Money Pump (distributed by Dori Media) for which CBS has ordered a pilot, to be produced by ITV Studios America.

“MY Tupelo believes that working with talented, like-minded producers like Gili Golan and Tanin to create original content for

the international market brings new value to rights-holders,” Michael Yudin, president of New York-based MY Tupelo, said. “I believe the combination of Gili’s creative instincts and our strong relationships with US buyers and knowledge of the American viewer will be a powerful one.

Israel is a creative hotbed and has been generating world-class formats.”

26 N4P26+D.indd 1

09/10/13 17:02

197_RM DATABASE_N1_2_3_COM

167_NEWEN_N4_COM

DOCU DRAMA / 52’

08.01

MIPCOM BOOTH

www.newendistribution.com BLEU QUADRI 100/56/0/18,5 NOIR QUADRI 50/50/50/100