MIPCOM CANNES 2023 NEWS 2 by MIPMarkets

NEWS 2 October 17 2023

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Concordia Beta Film and ZDF Studios present the World Premiere Screening of Concordia today in the Grand Auditorium, 18.00

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Personality Of The Year

Bob Bakish, president and CEO of Paramount Global, in a Fireside Chat before receiving his award in the Grand Auditorium today at 17.00

Gerhard Zeiler

Abrego & Longoria

The president of international, Warner Bros. Discovery, gave a MIPCOM CANNES Media Mastermind Keynote

Banijay chair, Americas, Cris Abrego and actor, producer and director Eva Longoria gave a joint MIPCOM CANNES keynote

Women in Global Entertainment The Women In Global Entertainment Power Lunch took place at the Majestic hotel

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Reinvented for 2023 with over 200 hours of fresh new drama.

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Join us at MIPCOM to hear Neighbours Executive Producer Jason Herbison and series stars Annie Jones and Tim Kano discuss The Power of IP for streaming platforms. TUESDAY 17TH OCTOBER, 4–5PM AUDITORIUM A, PALAIS 3

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October 17, 2023 www.mipcom.com

CHINA COUNTRY OF HONOUR P10

DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS Michel Filzi MANAGEMENT TEAM Managing Director, Entertainment: Morgane Morice; Director, MIPCOM CANNES: Lucy Smith; SVP Sales & Business Development: Robert Marking; Director UK Sales: Vanessa Van Santen Smith; Marketing Director: Debora Atala; Conference Director: Tania Dugaro EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Editor in Chief: Julian Newby; Deputy Editor: Debbie Lincoln; Contributors: Stuart Braun, Clive Bull, Neil Churchman, Ben Cooper, Stuart Dredge, Andy Fry, Max Leonard, Gary Smith, Jo Stephens; Editorial Management: Boutique Media International; Photography: 360Medias: Photographers: Yann Coatsaliou, Fred Dides, Patrick Frega, Phyrass Haidar, Olivier Houeix; Graphic Studio: studioA Design; Graphic Designers: Sunnie Newby, Harriet Palmer PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Publishing Director: Martin Screpel; Publishing Manager: Amrane Lamiri; Printer: CMPC, Le Muy (France). RX France, a French joint stock company with a capital of 90,000,000 euros, having its registered offices at 52 Quai de Dion Bouton 92800 Puteaux, France, registered with the Nanterre Trade and Companies register under n°410 219 364 - VAT number: FR92 410 219 364. Contents © 2023, RX France Market.

MIPCOM CANNES DIVERSIFY TV AWARDS Today in the Grand Auditorium, 12.0013.00 followed by a Cocktail & Petit Fours. Open to all MIPCOM CANNES delegates

China is honoured at the MIPCOM CANNES opening ceremony; vice-minister, National Radio Television Administration, Yang Xiaowei, addresses an opening session

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KEYNOTES P12 Cris Abrego & Eva Longoria; Tencent’s Sun Zhonghuai; Warner Bros. Discovery’s Gerhard Zeiler; and Canal+’s Maxime Saada

MARKET NEWS P18 Banijay & All3Media formats deal; new seasons for Drag Race; Nippon TV’s formats in Arabic; Charlie’s Angels re-invented for teens; Neighbours stars at MIPCOM CANNES; ITV announces new FAST channels; and more..

All MIPCOM print products are printed on paper from sustainably managed sources using printing processes that comply with the PEFC standard.

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MIPCOM CANNES

Opening Night Party

Stars of some of the many series showcased at MIPCOM CANNES faced photgraphers and international press on the red carpet before joining delegates at the party

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MIPCOM CANNES 2023 | OPENING NIGHT PARTY

Martin and Valentin Kretz, stars of Mediawan’s The Agency

Cris Abrego and Eva Longoria

Ozcan Deniz, star of Global Agency’s Red Roses

Concordia stars Christiane Paul (right) and Ruth Bradley with showrunner Frank Doelger

Josh Duhamel, producer of Banijay’s Buddy Games and Bunim/Murray president Julie Pizzi

Malick Bauer (right), star of Sam - A Saxon, with series creator Jorg Winger

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MIPCOM CANNES 2023 | NEWS

China Country of Honour

CHINA was honoured at the MIPCOM CANNES ribbon-cutting ceremony on the first day of the market. Taking part in the event were: Li Zhihui (left), deputy director of the State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China; Lucy Smith, director, MIPCOM CANNES; Michel Filzi, CEO RX France; Yang Xiaowei, vice-minister, National Radio Television Administration; Thomas de Pariente, Cannes deputy mayor; Morgane Morice, managing director, entertainment, RX France; and actor Hu Ge A scene from The Last Immortal

THE CHINA Country of Honour programme began with the Country of Honour Forum, addressed by Yang Xiaowei, vice-minister, National Radio Television Administration

China delivers fresh content for global viewers THE FRESH Content China session on the opening day of the market saw China present a slate of new content pitched at international audiences. Presented across four genres — documentary, variety shows, animations and TV drama — they offered new insights into Chinese culture

and history for a global audience. The two-part documentary, China Through The Lenses, presents perspectives of the country’s past and present through the images of 14 foreign photographers. Road To Carbon Neutrality is another two-part documentary, made for the National Geogra-

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phic Channel and hosted by photographer and filmmaker Sean Gallagher. It explores China’s commitment to reach net-zero emissions before 2060. The programme showcases the ambition of citizens to achieve these goals. New content includes the programme Bright Cinema, which

sheds light on an innovative project to make movies accessible to the visually impaired. Among a host of TV dramas coming out of China is the lush production The Last Immortal. Produced for Tencent, it combines magic and fantasy elements with martial arts.

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MIPCOM CANNES 2023 | NEWS

‘We were both outsiders in the industry’ EVA LONGORIA — actor, producer, director and activist — and Cris Abrego, chairman of Banijay Americas, used their MIPCOM CANNES joint keynote to reveal the launch of a new production studio. Backed by the French entertainment giant, the new venture, appropriately enough given Longoria’s range of talents, is called Hyphenate Media Group. Commenting on the genesis of the partnership and the name, Longoria said she and Abrego started talking about working together

a couple of years ago. “We’ve known each other for a long time and shared a lot of creative frustrations,” she said. “In my career, I’ve been an actor, a producer and a director, but I kept being put into overhead deals that could not serve my ambition. Hollywood kept asking me to stay in my lane, but a multi-hyphenate by definition is somebody who wants to do more. So Hyphenate is about providing an alternate model for all the incomparable creators who are being suffocated by the system.”

Outstanding talent will be core to the Hyphenate model, she added: “Cris and I have always recognised that in order to have success, you have to invest in creators. If you’re not investing in the talent, then you don’t have a future.” Implicit in the Hyphenate approach is a desire to embrace diversity: “We’re not a diversity programme,” Longoria said, “but at a time when big companies are investing less in multicultural content, we want to create visionary, culture-defining content for

the most diverse generation ever.” Abrego added: “I don’t think many people would have bet on Eva or me 20 years ago. We were both outsiders in this industry. So part of our ambition now is to bet on people who’ve been underestimated, or haven’t been invested in.” Abrego, who will participate in Hyphenate while continuing in his Banijay role, said Banijay has been supportive. “Banijay is run by producers. It’s in the ethos of the company to embrace new ideas. They understood Hyphenate immediately.”

MIPCOM CANNES DAILY 2, OCTOBER 2023 | 12

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SUN ZHONGHUAI, Tencent vice-president and CEO of Tencent Online Video, modelled his Monday keynote speech at MIPCOM CANNES on the quest to deliver ever more diverse content across multiple platforms. By creating content “diverse enough that users are willing to pay for it”, China’s biggest streaming video platform attracted 115 million more subscribers last quarter, Zhonghuai said. 440 million mobile users alone stream Tencent’s “robust portfolio” spanning drama, film, animation, sports and more, he said, giving Tencent “significant competitive advantage” in the Chinese market. Homegrown dramas with a distinct “eastern aesthetic” are Tencent’s primary IP focus, the

‘

Good content crosses national borders

’

online video leader boasting 300 million regular viewers of around 100 drama series. The landmark historical fantasy drama, Love You Forever, has alone attracted 200 million viewers, representing “unprecedented audience engagement,” Zhonghuai said. Unsheathed is another upcoming drama IP that draws on classic Chinese culture, including Confucianism, to allow audiences to be “immersed in an eastern world”. Meanwhile, the pioneering sci-fi drama series Three-Body — adapted from the best-selling Liu Cixin novel — contemplates a scientific community infiltrated by an alien force and has been streamed 11 billion times since its January release, according to Zhonghuai.

A growing slate of animation titles, including the hit series The Land Of Warriors, embody Tencent’s IP model that has “entered a phase of differentiation”. Zhonghuai said that domestic success is being coupled with an international focus, with 300 Tencent programmes now being distributed globally. “Good content crosses national borders,” he added. Tencent’s creative diversity has been further fuelled by the early embrace of AI innovation, and the quest to “empower creators through technology”. By both lowering costs and cutting time, the predictive technology has allowed Tencent to focus on “art creation”, Zhonghuai said.

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MIPCOM CANNES 2023 | NEWS

Feminism in the TV industry: ‘It’s about supporting others’ FEMINISM’s continued importance for the TV industry — and for society more widely — was a key topic at Monday’s Women In Global Entertainment Power Lunch at MIPCOM CANNES. Held in partnership with A+E Networks, the lunch was preceded by a panel session featuring senior women executives, who were asked for their definitions of feminism in 2023. “For me it’s all about women empowerment,” said Nekesa Mumbi Moody, co-editor-in-chief at The Hollywood Reporter. “It always strikes me when women say ‘I’m not a feminist’. How are you not a feminist? Why would you not want to empower women? It’s a part of the patriarchy that we would even feel bad about the ‘f ’ word! It’s all about strengthening women.”

Fellow panelist Beatrice Springborn, president at Universal Content Productions and Universal International Studios, also offered her views. “Feminism for me is stepping out of yourself and supporting others. For so long, that word was defined as self-empowerment, and I really think feminism is more about empowering others,” she said. “Not just other women. It’s looking at who else needs a seat at the table and opportunities. It’s an outward-facing rather than inward-looking thing: not just thinking about your own ascent, but also the others around you.” Ruth Berry, managing director, global partnerships at ITV Studios, talked about the importance of nurturing confidence. “Set people up to succeed, don’t set them up

Beatrice Springborn (UCP/Universal International Studios); Nekesa Mumbi Moody (The Hollywood Reporter); Ruth Berry (ITV Studios); Melissa Madden (A+E Media Group)

to fail,” she said. “It’s about having champions: someone who understands how far the steps are that you can take, and who gets you there.” Mumbi Moody also spoke about confidence. “Sometimes even as a female leader, especially of this generation, you are quieter in what you ask for and what your presence is, because it took so much to get here,” she said. “I don’t want people to dim their light.” Earlier, the panel was introduced by Deborah K Bradley, executive vice-president, global content and sales, at A+E Media Group. “Oftentimes the landscape we’re in seems to foster culture where we think we have to compete with another as if there’s only so many seats at the table,” she said. “We can change that. We can expand the number of seats for women.”

WARNER Bros. Discovery (WBD) president of international, Gerhard Zeiler, used his MIPCOM CANNES Media Mastermind Keynote to assert that “rationality” has returned to the streaming market. As his company prepares to roll out its new streaming platform Max into a number of new international markets, he said the era of “oversupplied” and “underpriced” content is over. Stating that WBD’s aim to make Max one of the “top three to five global streamers”, he said the platform was “more than just HBO Max 2.0. It’s a fusion of HBO, our feature films, the DC Universe, our kids animation, Discovery, TLC and so much more.” Zeiler was joined on stage by WBD’s head of streaming in EMEA Leah Hooper Rosa who gave an update on international launch plans for Max. She said: “We’re going to launch in Latin America in Q1, 2024 and then in Spring 2024 we’ll launch in 22 European countries, including the Nordics and Iberia. Launches in France and Belgium will follow later in the same year.” Discussing WBD’s highlights in 2023, Zeiler said the success of the Barbie movie, the launch of game Hogwarts Legacy and HBO’s output stood out. “I really believe it was the best year of HBO programming ever with series like House Of The Dragons, White Lotus and The Last Of US.” In terms of burning issues for MIPCOM CANNES delegates, he said WBD is not a “one-trick pony” when it comes to content monetisation. “We don’t believe that putting everything into one window is the right business model. We believe in streaming 100%. But our North Star is the consumer, so if it makes sense to license content to third parties, we will.” Zeiler also said he believes linear TV has a future alongside streaming. “We still have a strong linear business. We don’t want to abandon linear because the consumer still wants it.”

‘We’re not a one-trick pony’

MIPCOM CANNES 2023 | NEWS

Canal+ Group chairman and CEO Maxime Saada was at MIPCOM CANNES on Monday to deliver a Media Mastermind Keynote and collect the Variety Vanguard Award. In a frank and insightful discussion, he told delegates how his eight years at the helm have been guided by “survivor’s instinct” “IF YOU want to talk about my time in charge, you need to think about the whole history of Canal+ and the fact that the company has nearly died many times,” Canal+ Group chairman and CEO Maxime Saada said at his Media Mastermind Keynote session yesterday. “When I joined, we were in huge debt and my first job was to make cuts. We sold almost everything. The only parts of the business we didn’t sell were the ones nobody wanted to buy.” From this tough baptism, Saada has achieved a remarkable turnaround, more than doubling the company’s subscriber base in France and building its international footprint — most notably in Africa. Today, Canal+ is one of Europe’s leading investors in content, spending around 3.5bn euros a year on a range of content that includes sport, movies and series. A survivor’s instinct drove Saada to make some pivotal decisions. “One of my obsessions has been to reduce our dependencies. We were too dependent on France and too dependent on French domestic soccer. So we have become more international and invested in a wider range of sports including Formula One. We also did a significant deal with French cinema,” he said. He also moved to neutralise the existential threat represented by global streamers: “I went to see Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and told him I didn’t see us as competitors because we both want consumers to pay for content. I persuaded him we would both benefit if Netflix integrated into our platform. Since then, we have integrated Disney+, Lionsgate and AppleTV+.” Saada sees Africa as a big opportunity, but stressed that Canal+ is still not out of danger. His survivor’s instinct tells him: “We are still too dependent on third-party content. Less than 10% of our spend goes inhouse, so a big move will be to grow our production arm StudioCanal.” Asked to name the biggest threats to Canal+’s future, he said: “Amazon and YouTube, because they’re so big and efficient. And their main business is not our business. So that’s a danger.”

The company ‘has nearly died many times ’ 18

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Scheduling makes a comeback as streamers change strategy TRADITIONAL linear TV-style scheduling is making a comeback with streaming services, according to Frédéric Vaulpré, senior vice-president of research firm Glance. Presenting the company’s latest data at MIPCOM CANNES, he cited Netflix’s strategy for the latest season of psychological thriller You as an example. “The first five episodes were launched in February, and one month after you had the remaining episodes. So, quite new for Netflix: they never did that before. It was more Disney+ that was having this approach,” he said. Vaulpré showed data indicating that 80% of the consumption of

the show happened in the first 14 days after its release. “It means that the usual bingewatching approach used by Netflix is challenged. We see a need to perhaps have a more widespread releasing plan, to not burn out an IP.” Another example of flexibility from streamers was Disney+ series American Born Chinese. It debuted in May 2023 with weekly episodes released on Wednesdays. Then in June its pilot appeared on YouTube and on linear channel ABC, before the first three episodes were made available on Hulu, and finally on another AVOD service, Roku. “We call that a 360-windowing sales approach, which is quite new, and a new way to monetise

content,” he said. During the presentation, Glance’s head of global business Beatrice Rossmanith also outlined some results from the recent Hollywood writers’ strike. First, that a raft of new shows’ launches will be postponed until 2024. Second, the clarity that “AI is not considered a writer, and that writers cannot be compelled to use AI to create material”. “In the post-strike world, what kind of content can we expect to see going forward? One thing’s for sure: there will be a creative realignment in the years to come, with possibly less premium drama,” she said. “And as has been said before, the era of Peak TV is over.”

Formats focus on pranking themes THE GRAND Auditorium was packed to hear The WIT CEO Virginia Mouseler discuss format trends in the Fresh TV For-

mats session yesterday. As an opener, she said creatives seem “stuck between the security of the past (reboots) and anxiety

The WIT’s Virginia Mouseler

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about the future (AI).” Mouseler started her session with headline data that showed the top performing formats of the last six

Glance’s Frédéric Vaulpré

months have been Traitors, Love Island and a reboot of Cash Cab. In terms of trends, Mouseler identified a fascination with the romantic lives of older demographics — as exemplified by ABC US hit The Golden Bachelor. Sometimes this is explored through the lens of AI, as in the case of Italian format Forever Young. There was a strong pranking theme to selections. UK dating series Are They For Real?, US series Snake Oil and Canadian social experiment Becoming A Guru all hinge on deception mechanics. So do France’s Find Me, I’m Famous and the US reboot of the Joe Schmo Show. Survival challenges continue to be in demand, with Danish shows The Snow Patrol and The Lost Ones examples. A variant was The Life Trail, from the Netherlands. Here, eight young people with mental-health issues are whisked off to Switzerland.

MIPCOM CANNES 2023 | NEWS

World of Wonder unveils plans for new seasons of Drag Race WORLD of Wonder has announced plans for new seasons of its global format phenomenon Drag Race in France, the Philippines and Thailand. There are currently 24 local variations of the show available across 17 territories.

Speaking to MIPCOM CANNES Daily News, World of Wonder co-founder Fenton Bailey said the new commissions meant that Drag Race was now up to three seasons in each of the above territories. “The fact that it is coming

back in all three territories is testament to the longevity and appeal of this inventive franchise”. The Drag Race format initially launched in 2009 in the US, led by the iconic RuPaul. Around five years ago it went into overdrive,

World of Wonder’s Fenton Bailey (left) with the presenter of Drag Race France, Nicky Doll, alongside producers Nicolas Missoffe and Raphaël Cioffi

Nippon TV formats adapted in Arabic NIPPON TV has a new frontier for its scripted formats: Arabic-speaking territories in the Middle East. The Japanese firm has licensed two of its formats to Turkish production group Medyapim. Arabic adaptations of the shows will be produced for media company MBC. Mother is a drama focused on a teacher who learns that one of her students is being abused at home, so kidnaps the child to bring up as her own and goes on the run. Woman – My Life For My Children, from the same writer, director and production team, tells the tale of a newly widowed mother getting to grips with life as a single parent. “We have successfully adapted these two Nippon TV titles in Turkey into two long-running TV series and then distributed our ver-

sion worldwide,” said Fatih Aksoy, chairman of Medyapim, who predicted similar success for the Arabic-language versions. Keisuke Miyata, head of sales

for Nippon TV, agreed. “The Turkish adaptations produced by Medyapim were huge global successes, and we have no doubt that the Arabic adaptations will achieve the same success,” he said. “This partnership between Nippon TV, Medyapim and us at MBC Group signifies an exciting

with the US version selling globally and local adaptations ramping up. Bailey said: “I think the penny finally dropped that this show connects with a broad audience. Since then, we haven’t looked back in terms of the global expansion of the show and spin-offs.” The show has been so successful that World of Wonder has even been able to launch a streaming platform WOW Presents Plus, which offers a rich array of Drag Race archive and originals. One reason for being at MIPCOM CANNES, Bailey said, is to see if there are any suitable acquisitions for the platform. As to why Drag Race has won so many fans across cultures, Bailey said: “It has an anarchic creativity, but it is also funny and moving. There’s a core idea in the show that people should just live and let live. That’s a positive powerful message and one that we absolutely need in these polarised times.”

milestone that unites a global entertainment powerhouse with regional ones,” said Ali Jaber, group director of TV and Shahid content at MBC Group. “This unique collaboration exemplifies our dedication to providing world-class storytelling, and we look forward to more partnerships of this kind in the future.”

MBC’s Sara Dabbous (left); Medyapim’s Fatih Aksoy; Nippon TV’s Keisuke Miyata; and MBC’s Tareq Ibrahim

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MIPCOM CANNES 2023 | NEWS

Banijay and All3Media format deal reflects new Asian trends BANIJAY and All3Media are to collaborate on two major format adaptations for the Asia Pacific region. The deal between Banijay Asia and All3Media International will kickstart joint productions of local versions of hit reality series Rise And Fall, and scripted format Rellik. Both companies are in Cannes to celebrate the deal, which comes on the back of what Sabrina Duguet, executive vice-president for Asia Pacific at All3Media, said was a marked rise in appetite for non-scripted formats in India and the wider region. She said: “This deal is very much in the context of a significant increase in our business in India where we’ve done a lot of scripted formats over the last few years, but where there’s now been a big

increase in demand for non-scripted. “There’s been a diversification in the type of content and in this second stage demand tends to be for non-scripted formats.” The Rise And Fall format sees contestants start in one of two ‘classes’, represented by their position at the top

or bottom of a building, competing to rise to the top by the end of the show. The competitive reality format explores issues of class divides within society, and the ways in which people try to better themselves. “It reflects the social gaps between workers and managers,” Duguet said.

All3Media International’s Sabrina Duguet (left), with Banijay Asia’s Mrinalini Jain and All3Media International’s Jaenani Netra

“It makes you question things. At the core of the format is something that people can all relate to.” Both Rise And Fall and crime thriller Rellik will be produced for Asia Pacific audiences by Banijay Asia, which is adapting the format from the original conception by New Pictures and Two Brothers Pictures for BBC One in the UK and Cinemax in the US. Banijay Asia executive vice-president for business and content Mrinalini Jain said Rise And Fall was a format that “cuts across boundaries and borders”. She added: “Every time we’re looking to bring these big reality formats to India we’re very cognisant of what the audience is, what they’re looking for. “Rise And Fall really flips reality on its head. It’s got this entire economic divide situation working out but then it flips it when they come to the area. “It’s got power play and a lot of mental play. It feels like scripted reality meets reality.”

Buyers play the percentage game COMPETITION was in the air on Monday morning at MIPCOM CANNES, thanks to BBC Studios and quiz show The 1% Club. The Hi5 Studio hosted a live playalong version of the show, with buyers pitting their wits against increasingly tough questions. The aim was to show buyers why The 1% Club has been such a big hit in the UK, with adaptations aired — or on the way — in France, the Netherlands, Australia, Germany, Spain and Israel. Accessibility is the key to its success according to the show’s co-creator Andy Auerbach, managing director of Magnum Media. “Everyone is on an equal playing field, because the questions we ask aren’t trivia questions, where it helps if you’ve been to university or you’re an academic person,” Auerbach said.

“They’re all brainteaser-style questions, so it doesn’t matter what your level of education is or how old you are. It just matters how your brain works.” Co-creator Dean Nabarro, also of Magnum Media, echoed those thoughts. “It’s about competitiveness without feeling stupid. It doesn’t matter what your level is: you can play. That’s crucial,” Nabarro said. “What’s also chimed in all the countries where it’s aired so far is family. That you can watch it with your family, who might never have watched TV with you before — or at least not for a long time.” BBC Studios has high hopes for further sales of The 1% Club at MIPCOM CANNES. “The UK is still the biggest exporter of formattable ideas in the world. So seeing that there’s

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something that’s different, fresh and comedic from the UK, with gameplay that doesn’t require memory and knowledge, is really important for people,” said Andre Renaud, BBC Studios’ senior vice-president, global format sales.

Magnum Media’s Dean Nabarro (left) and Andy Auerbach

The live playalong of The 1% Club at MIPCOM CANNES

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AT Booth R8. B18

ZDF Studios’ Robert Franke, VP Drama, Dr. Markus Schäfer, President and CEO, Susanne Frank, Director Drama with Luis Torres-Bohl (founder and President of Castalia Communications Corporation), Stephan Königfeld (Channel Factory) and Florian Streit, Director Drama, ZDF Studios

Frederic Pittoors (Baradet), David Bessières (Canal + International), Benoit Blanchard and Véronique Encrenaz (Citia) and Mathieu Bejot (Sunny Side of the Doc)

Actresses Ruth Bradley and Christiane Paul presented the surveillance drama thriller “Concordia”

Eva Kamin (ZDF Studios) with Alexandra Aldred (Viaplay) and AMC Networks’ Melissa Caron and Vanessa Jordan

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Gilbert Hus (Cielo Films), Manita Schaapman (The Mouse Mansion Company), Arne Lohmann (ZDF Studios), Ian Schaapman (The Mouse Mansion Company), Nico Keeb (ZDF), Michael Knobloch (Superswiss) and Oliver Grundel (ZDF Studios) are proud to be partnering on the loveable series “Sam and Julia”

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Important announcements at a ZDF Studios Sundowner with record attendance A record number of industry guests kicked off MIPCOM at the popular ZDF Studios Sundowner. President and CEO Dr. Markus Schäfer presented the latest highlights: the drama series “Concordia” with actresses Christiane Paul and Ruth Bradley, the children’s series “Sam and Julia” and an update on the entertainment classic “Wanna bet?”. Other important news included partnerships with Samsung TV Plus for 20 FAST channels in Europe and with Castalia Communications for a Spanish-language FAST channel with drama programming in Latin America.

Karoline Meichsner-Sertl (Co-CEO ZDF Studios) with Judith and Michael Smeaton (FFP New Media)

Jeffrey Haverkamp (ZDF Studios) with ZDF’s Achim Odziomek and Benno Schäfer and Sebastian Krekeler (ZDF Studios)

ZDF Studios’ Florian Streit (left) and Michelle Kalt (right) with Markus Schmidt (RTL), Eileen Garcia (Samsung), Alexander Haase (RTL) and Klaas Wöbken (Warner Bros.)

ZDF Studios’ Kerstin Jaitner (second from left) with A+E Networks’ Sanna Stibitz, Clemens Grünfelder and Kathrin Palesch as well as Christine Bömmel (Servus TV)

Ralf Rückauer (center, ZDF Studios) with Miriam Schindelmann (ZDF) and Peter Schönrock (Riverside Entertainment)

Jasmin Gravenhorst (doc.station) with Florian Kumb (ZDF) and Malte Kruber (RTL2)

Photo Credits ZDF Studios / Elena Zakh

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MIPCOM CANNES 2023 | NEWS

All3Media puts gardening and cooking on the Freevee menu ALL3MEDIA International has continued its FAST rollout with the launch of three new UK lifestyle channels on Amazon’s Freevee service: Fifth Gear, Gardening With Monty Don and Great British Menu. Produced by Optomen Television, the Great British Menu series has been a long-running success globally. Viewers around the world have been gripped by distinctly British themes including the Royal Family, the London Olympics, Wimbledon Tennis’ 140th Anniversary and the 70th anniversary of the National Health Service. The dedicated Fifth Gear Freevee channel will run whole episodes from the motoring show as well as unique compilations taken from across the series. Produced by North One Televi-

sion, the show features a core team of car-mad presenters, who are accompanied by various racing-driver guests from a different European territory each episode. The Gardening With Monty Don channel will include whole episodes of the UK’s longest-running gardening series Gardeners World as well as documentary specials and exclusive competitions. The latest deal with Amazon Freevee marks a new step forward in a significant expansion of All3Media content on dedicated FAST streaming channels. The company has signed similar deals with Plex to stream Fifth Gear in the UK, US and Canada, and with Virgin Media O2 which will run a dedicated channel for the Great British Menu series in the UK. Other recent deals include an

Gardening With Monty Don (All3Media International)

agreement with Vizio in the US, which will stream Hotel Hell featuring Gordon Ramsay. All3Media International executive vice-president of strategic development Gary Woolf hailed the introduction of the “acclaimed British brands” to a “new, wider audience in the US”. He added: “We hope Amazon Freevee viewers will enjoy the curated, entertaining, quality content — while picking up some professional tips along the way, whether in the garden, the kitchen or on the road.” These signings follow a number of successful rollouts by All3Media International, including the hit series Midsomer Murders. Channels dedicated to the show are already live on Roku, Samsung and Freevee, with launches due on Xumo, Plex, Tubi, GoogleTV and Vidaa.

ITV Studios steers IP along the FAST route AS DELEGATES gear up for the latest edition of MIPCOM CANNES’ FAST & Global Summit, ITV Studios has announced plans for new FAST channels. Among soon-to-be-launched channels are a single-IP offering based around quiz show Eggheads (Samsung and Pluto UK) and The Hotel Inspector channel in Australia with Samsung TV Plus. These will be followed by the UK launch of True Lives, which will feature inspiring human stories, true crime and award-winning documentaries. The business says it now has 15 FAST channels available across 16 territories. Top performers include The Hell’s Kitchen US channel, which is now available across the UK, US, Nordics, Netherlands

and Australia, while a fully localised channel has also launched on Pluto, Samsung, LG, Freevee and Rakuten in Germany. Canadian drama series Schitt’s Creek is now available as a singleIP channel across almost 40 territories while a fully localised River Monsters channel has launched in Germany on Pluto, LG and Freevee. Various international versions of Come Dine With Me are now available in the US, UK, Australia, the Nordics and the Netherlands. Two existing channels are also rebranding. Storylands has become World Drama while ITV Choice on Samsung TV Plus in Australia will now be known as Entertain. Graham Haigh, executive vice-president, global digital partnerships

26 | MIPCOM CANNES DAILY 2, OCTOBER 2023

at ITV Studios, said: “FAST and social platforms such as YouTube, Snapchat and Meta are en-

Schitt’s Creek

abling us to diversify our distribution business, and get greater access to data and insights.”

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MIPCOM CANNES 2023 | NEWS

Charlie’s Angels reinvented as a telenovela for tweens Armorsaurs

ARMORSAURS SWEET DEAL WITH CAKE TOY AND entertainment company MGA Entertainment, alongside its subsidiary MGA Studios, and independent entertainment company Cake, have signed a multi-year agreement for distribution of Armorsaurs, a new series from MGA Studios. The series is a remake of the hit 2021 Daewon Media show Armored Saurus mixing visual effects and live action. Cake will handle all media distribution rights globally outside of South Korea, Japan, China and France. Armorsaurs tells the story of a group of armoured dinosaurs with mechanical powers and their trained pilots who fight extraterrestrial invaders set on destroying Earth. The new series is expected to premiere globally in 2025. “The Cake team had an immediate connection with the Armorsaurs concept, and we look forward to working together to bring the series to a global audience,” Anne Parducci, chief content officer at MGA Entertainment, said. “We are eager to bring this new action-packed series to kids around the world beginning in 2025 and fully expect the new version to be a huge hit globally,” said Ed Galton, president, Cake. Dong-Hoon Jung, CEO, Daewon Media, added: “We are pleased that more audiences around the world will be able to enjoy the newly re-imagined Armorsaurs series based on our hit show Armored Saurus.”

MAGICAL mishaps, a rideable Wheel Of Fortune and a reimagined Charlie’s Angels are among the slate of titles that Sony Pictures Television – Kids is bringing to MIPJUNIOR. The new Charlie’s Angels is a partnership with Sony’s Floresta production division, and will be a live-action show aimed at tween girls. “Our version’s going to be set in Latin America, and we are going to be doing it as a telenovela,” said Joe D’Ambrosia, executive vice-president and general manager of Sony Pictures Television – Kids. “We are really leaning into that must-see-TV cliffhanger telenovela, while also staying true to the brand tenets of the show: mystery, adventure, comedy and, of course, young empowered females who can really kick butt!” What we’d love to do with it is start it in Latin America, and then do a version of Angels in Italy, a version

of Angels in Germany, and then start to mix and match the different Angels,” added D’Ambrosia. Another reinvention on the firm’s MIPCOM CANNES slate is Bewitched. The animated series will focus on Tabitha, the daughter in the family from the original show. “It’s about watching Tabitha live a double life sort of like Hannah Montana, but with all the fun school antics of Harry Potter,” said D’Ambrosia. SPT – Kids’ revamp of Wheel Of Fortune will also bring elements of chaos to the famous game-show. “We’re going to stay close to the format, but our wheel is going to be very unpredictable. There will be lots of physical and comedic challenges as the kids play,” said D’Ambrosia. “There’s one round where kids will actually get to ride the wheel.” SPT – Kids’ MIPJUNIOR slate also includes Messi And The Giants, de-

veloped with footballer Lionel Messi, and new IP Sharks On Wheels. “We thought: what are the two things that kids love? Sharks and cars. It really was that simple how this came together. It’s going to be Wacky Races meets Drive To Survive.”

Sony’s Joe D’Ambrosia

Molang stars in YouTube channel FRENCH animation studio Millimages has set up a YouTube channel featuring the character Molang and sidekick Piu Piu from its flagship show Molang, which is currently being broadcast in 200 territories The show combines warmth and humour with historical adventure, and the characters speak their own language known as Molangais. “Teenagers and Gen Z-ers love Molang and Piu Piu and we’re delighted to be able to provide a different kind of content for them through YouTube,” Bonnie Lener, producer at Millimages, said. “That includes unboxing videos, plus competitions, hacks and tips, alongside anti-cyber-bullying campaigns and health advice. You could say in a way that we’re investing in the parents of the future through it.”

For its core audience of four- to sixyear-olds, the show, now on its sixth series, carries a message of kindness towards others. “We believe that it’s hugely important to leverage the popularity of the show to educate kids about the value of being nice to

Adrien Moretto (left) and Bonnie Lener of Millimages

30 | MIPCOM CANNES DAILY 2, OCTOBER 2023

each other,” Adrien Moretto, general director at Millimages, said. “And concerning the next series of Molang, to be called Molang Family, it will feature Molang and Piu Piu plus their baby. It’s in pre-production and scheduled for release in 2026.”

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ANIMAL CONTROL

THE CHRISTMAS BREAK

MIPCOM CANNES 2023 | NEWS

Miffy begins a new journey in StudioCanal CGI reboot A NEW CGI series of the children’s animation classic Miffy is to be developed and produced by StudioCanal, in partnership with Mercis and Superprod Animation. The series is in development and will launch on Canal+ in 2025. In this new version, the “sweet, lively little bunny” has evolved into a more complex and engaging character who lives in an exciting,

contemporary world. The new Miffy is distinguished by character-driven stories that teach emotional lessons. Miffy is positive and creative, sometimes even impulsive, which can lead to tricky situations that she overcomes thanks to her positive attitude and empathy. Executive managing director of TV at StudioCanal, Françoise Guyonnet, said: “We fully respect the legacy

Superprod’s Nathalie Pinguet (left); Mercis’ Frank Padberg; and StudioCanal’s Francoise Guyonnet

of this wonderful character and are delighted to be part of the transformation of Miffy who, while retaining the iconic look, now has a fresh, contemporary context. Along with our co-producers at Mercis and Superprod Animation, we want to make sure that such a beloved character will stand the test of time by widening her appeal to capture the hearts of children and families across the globe. After the success of StudioCanal’s Paddington, a treasured character for 65 years, it’s wonderful to make this announcement, which underlines our ambition in the quality-franchise space.” Mercis managing director, Marja Kerkhof, added: “StudioCanal has unique experience working with classic brands in the children’s space, and we are delighted that Miffy will be re-introduced to future generations with new stories, new sets and locations, alongside new characters such as her young brother Bun.“

Pitch perfection from Wind Sun Sky CANADIAN production company Wind Sun Sky Entertainment is the winner of the prestigious MIPJUNIOR Pitch, with animation series The Adventures Of Team Pom. The show, which targets six- to 12-year-olds, is based on books by Isabel Roxas. The Pitch is a game-changing opportunity for kids producers to present new projects to leading commissioning editors, financiers, buyers and distributors. This year’s pitching process was moderated by Christophe Erbes, of French production company Godo Films. He called it a rare opportunity for buyers to view “excellent and innovative new voices”. Wind Sun Sky, whose entry was presented by Jo Redfern, was selected ahead projects from around the world, including: Flora (Birdo Studios/

Brazil), Andy Wants To Be Famous (Cosmic Productions/France), Kidz On Climate (KMTV/UK) and Wild Skies (Studio Meala/Ireland). The jury featured Edward Barnieh, vice-president of development at BBC Studios; Yuanchang Sun, director of international co-production and IP investment for kids at China’s Alibaba-Youku; Rick Clodfelter, executive director of content acquisitions and partnerships at Disney Branded Television; and Kerstin Viehbach, commissioning lead for kids fiction at Super RTL. Yuanchang Sun said the MIPJUNIOR Pitch is a great way to identify emerging editorial trends: “Events like this also enhance multicultural understanding and showcase the hi-tech inventions of the industry.” BBC Studios’ Edward Barnieh said

events like the Kids Pitch are “priceless, because they help to guide creatives — using the experience of broadcasters and producers who know what works in their market, and what their audiences are looking for”. Wind Sun Sky’s Jo Redfern

MIPCOM CANNES DAILY 2, OCTOBER 2023 | 31

Denise Richards stars in A Christmas Frequency

NICELY WRAPS DEALS FOR ITS CHRISTMAS LIST LOS ANGELES-based production and distribution company Nicely Entertainment has announced a number of deals on the opening day of MIPCOM CANNES. Scott Kirkpatrick, Nicely’s executive vice-president of distribution and co-productions, announced sales of A Christmas Frequency, starring Denise Richards, and Reporting For Christmas with Hulu as well as a package of Christmas titles with Australia’s Foxtel. Nicely has brought 18 new releases to MIPCOM CANNES including A Christmas Frequency and its first ever disaster film Super Icyclone. The roster also includes the Tatyana Ali-led The Holiday Proposal Plan and The Abigail Mysteries, which will premiere on Lifetime. Other deals include the sale of Reporting For Christmas to the UK’s ITV and France’s NRJ12, and The Art Of Christmas to Switzerland’s RTS and Belgium’s AB3. Nicely’s romance films Romance At The Vineyard and Romance In Hawaii have been sold to France’s M6, Czech Republic’s FTV Prima, MENA’s Italia Film, Poland’s BB Media and Belgium’s RTL. Nicely is also in development and co-production on six new television series set in Canada, Australia, Spain and the US; and is distributor of the upcoming CBC Canada Christmas Mini-Series, The Christmas Checklist (4 x 60 mins) with Nicely’s CEO and founder Vanessa Shapiro serving as executive producer.

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CONFERENCES & EVENTS PROGRAMME Grand Auditorium

Seaview Producers’ Hub

MIP Lab

TUESDAY 17 OCT. 23 Other Venues

Screenings & Showcases

8:30 8:45 - 11:00

8:30 - 9:30

9:00

Drama Co-production Breakfast By invitation only

Renaissance Producers

11:15 - 11:45 KEYNOTE

12.00

13:00

FRAPA Formats Summit

12:00 - 13:00

12:45 - 13:45

MIPCOM CANNES Diversify TV Awards Open to all

14:00

Auditorium A The 6th Wisdom In China Original Chinese TV Formats Bring New Opportunities For Future International Cooperation China Country of Honour

Bar Area The Music Documentary Challenge: Keeping the Peace Between Producers, Estate Stakeholders & Commissioners

Newen – How to Take on the Challenge of a Fast-Changing Market?

14:20 - 16:00

FAST & GLOBAL Summit Part I. Roundtables 14:00 Welcome Coffee

16:00 - 16:30 KEYNOTE

12:30 - 13:45

Auditorium A The Best Content in Gwangju Followed by a Snack Lunch in Verrière Californie Presented by GICON

Auditorium A Neighbours Presented by Fremantle Media 16:45 - 17:45

Auditorium K Pioneering the B2B Concept of Digital Content Rights Marketplace with AI Solutions Presented by Orasi Media Inc.

MIPCOM CANNES Personality of the Year - Bob Bakish, President & CEO, Paramount Global

19:00

Matchmaking Area ( P-1) Speed Matchmaking - Unscripted Pre-registration Required

16:00 - 17:00

FAST & GLOBAL Summit Networking Reception Hosted by XUMO

17:00 - 17:45 KEYNOTE

Award Ceremony & Fireside Chat

MIPCOM CANNES World Premiere Screening Concordia Presented by Beta Film & ZDF Studios Followed by a Q&A with the talent

14:00 - 15:30

Limited seats, pre-registration recommended 16:00 - 17:00

Media Mastermind Keynote Laura Fernández Espeso, CEO, The Mediapro Studio

18:00 - 19:15

Auditorium A Globo Presents: Executives Roundtable + ‘The Others’: Exhibition

Verrière Californie Chinese Stories, Global Languages, China Animation International Exchange and Cooperation Promotion Conference China Country of Honour

11:15 - 12:15

14:00 - 14:30 MEET THE EXPERT

Bridge Across the Atlantic

18:00

10:15 - 11:45

9:30 - 10:30

Verrière Californie Shanghai Top Quality Audiovisual Boutique Promotion Conference China Country of Honour

Content Creation Summit Part I - How to Improve Drama Production Efficiency In partnership with SONY

15:15 - 15:45

17:00

Hi5 Matchmaking Area ( P-1) BBC Studios: Growing a Global Content Studio in a Disrupted Marketplace Rebecca Glashow, CEO BBC Studios Global Distribution & Ralph Lee, CEO BBC Studios Productions

Auditorium A Boat Story Presented by All3Media

10:45 - 11:45

14:30 - 15:00

15:00

9:30 - 10:10

10:30 - 12:30

Media Mastermind Keynote Diversity & Inclusion Mo Abudu, CEO, EbonyLife Media

Followed by Drinks & Petits-Fours from 13:00 to 14:00

16:00

09:00 Part I. Immersive Showcase: Harnessing the Power of AI 10:10 Part II. Ethical & Legal Challenges: How to regulate AI?

11:00

9:30 - 10:30

08:15 Welcome Coffee 08:45 Introduction: The Dawn of a New World

09:45 - 10:15

10:00

Unlocking AI Summit

18:00 - 19:00

Producers Hub Networking Drinks with PLEX

Full programme Sessions will be available to catch-up on mipcom.com

20:00 Programme subject to change

MIPCOM CANNES SPONSORS & PARTNERS LOGO

SDG MEDIA COMPACT

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THE BIGGEST WEEKEND IN UNSCRIPTED

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CANNES FRANCE 6-7 APRIL

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MIPCOM CANNES 2023 | NEWS

Global Screen’s fresh spy series offers new perspective on WW1 FAE’S MINI-ME CONTEST SET FOR ANTENA 3 FOX ENTERTAINMENT’s inhouse unscripted studio Fox Alternative Entertainment (FAE) has closed major format deals for two series, including the upcoming celebrity competition series Beat My Mini-Mes in Spain and Israel, and performance competition Celebrity Masterpiece in the UK and France. FAE has licensed the Beat My Mini-Mes format to Spain’s Antena 3. Additionally, the format has been optioned for development in Israel by ITV Studios’ Armoza Formats. Showcasing a unique and large-scale set, the series features celebrity singers facing off while surrounded by talented children who are all wearing the same outfit as they are, like mini-mes. After multiple rounds of performances, only one child will help their team be crowned the winner. The original format of Beat My Mini-Mes will premiere in France on TF1 later this year under the French title Dream Team La Relève Des Stars. Jointly developed by FAE and TF1, the show is co-produced by TF1 Production and FAE. Additionally, the format of Celebrity Masterpiece has been optioned by ITV Studios’ Multistory for development in the UK, while Paris-based production company Satisfaction has optioned Celebrity Masterpiece for France.

THE FIRST World War is well-trodden ground for drama, but Swiss-German series Davos 1917 has found a fresh story to tell. It focuses on a young nurse called Johanna, caught between the rival spy rings of the world powers in neutral Switzerland. Dominique Devenport, who plays Johanna in Global Screen’s six-parter said: “A lot of movies and series repeat themselves, but this narrative of two female spies working in the First World War for me was a new thing.” Switzerland may have been neutral territory, but neutral countries often became a hotbed for the spy networks of both sides in the conflict. “They were like the hubs for espionage,” said the show’s creator, Adrian Illien, adding that the Switzerland of 1917 carried plenty of resonance now in 2023. “People were questioning the es-

tablishment. We had self-determination for women workers. And of course, in 1917 we also have the biggest global pandemic ahead [Spanish Flu]. History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes a lot with 1917.” Jeanette Hain, who plays one of the spies, Ilsa, said that the nuance of the characters is the key to Davos 1917. “Nobody is only good or only bad. Good and bad, it’s all together. It’s yin and yang. It’s important to show the many different facets of a person, and to go deeper into

Davos 1917 director Jan-Eric Mack (left); actors Dominique Devenport and Jeanette Hain, with creator Adrian Illien

MoveMe makes move on mystery format GERMANY’s MoveMe has optioned the mystery-reality competition, Still Alive, from the Seoul-based international format agency, Something Special. The deal for the comedic competition where contestants unravel clues to win was announced today at MIPCOM CANNES by Something

their roots and really feel their heartbeat. To watch, to not judge immediately, and to be curious about the character,” she said. Director Jan-Eric Mack took inspiration from Western movies when filming Davos 1917. “There was no electricity outside the cities: if you went out into the wild, it was very dangerous in winter time. You had to survive,” he said. “Switzerland is very famous for its postcard-like image, but we wanted to do another story.”

Special’s president and executive director, Jin Woo Hwang, and executive vice-president and head of content, InSoon Kim. MoveMe, a Berlin- and Cologne-based independent TV company that develops and produces programming across multiple genres, will bring Still

Still Alive show creators Miyeon Kim (left) and Bora Lee (right), with Something Special’s head of sales, Praise ChanMi Shin

36 | MIPCOM CANNES DAILY 2, OCTOBER 2023

Alive to German screens. Meikel Giersemehl, award-winning producer and managing director at MoveMe, described the “vibrant format” as a “very unique reality show”. “The celebrities taking part dive into a world of funny, unknown rules — the perfect setting for a fresh reality programme,” he said. The show sees 10 contestants find clues and complete challenges in a mysterious mansion. They must stay alive for 24 hours by not breaking hidden rules, including a veiled ‘death rule’ that sparks immediate elimination. “Still Alive is a unique competition and will keep viewers engaged in solving the clues right along with the contestants,” added Haeseon Park, head of production, Something Special. Also in Cannes are the show creators Miyeon Kim and Bora Lee. Something Special is selling international rights for the format at MIPCOM CANNES.

Twenty first-century Neighbours NOW AT over 9,000 episodes and in its 38th year, legendary Australian daytime drama Neighbours, now broadcast on Amazon Freevee, is enjoying its third life. After being cancelled after one year and then brought back, the show was again supposed to end in 2022, but after a last episode featuring previous members of the cast including Jason Donovan, Margot Robbie, Kylie Minogue and Guy Pearce called The Finale, the show was picked up by Amazon. “We’re 38 years young,” said Jason Herbison of FremantleMedia, the show’s producer. “And

we’re extremely proud of the fact that the show has moved with the times to reflect society’s greater inclusivity, and indeed the changing face of Australian society in the 21st century. It’s also very relatable because it mixes an escapist element with scenes that are so representative of real life. In fact it is, at heart, a heightened version of real life, and I believe that that’s why the show has had such a long life and has so many long-term fans around the world.” Annie Jones played Jane Harris from 1986 to 1989 and then returned for 2022’s finale, where

her romance with Mike, played by Guy Pearce, provided a plotline that’s still unresolved. “I love the fact that the show is sometimes outlandish, but also utterly representative to a broad audience at others,” Jones said. “Also the fact that I, like several other characters, was able to leave to do other things and then come back, makes it very special. Then the fact that Amazon Freevee is broadcasting the show is such a great thing.” Jason Herbison and members of the new Neighbours cast discuss the new series at a session in Auditorium A at 16.00 today.

Actors Tim Kano (left) and Annie Jones, with FremantleMedia’s Jason Herbison

‘‘ Thewithshowthehastimesmoved to

reflect society’s greater inclusivity, and indeed the changing face of Australian society

‘‘

MIPCOM CANNES 2023 | NEWS

Off the Fence celebrates big sales for history and mystery torical mysteries are unpicked in Truthseekers, which seeks to uncover the facts behind the myths and legends that have grown up around certain civilisations, events and phenomena. A Big Media co-production with RMC Story, the series has also been picked up by A+E UK, along with AMC Iberia, Discovery Spain, MBC Middle East, Mediaset RTI Italy, Czech Television and Dox TV Croatia. The Secrets To Civilization, produced by Impossible Factual for Curiosity, explores the cutting-edge earth sciences that are changing our understanding of the ancient past. The series — one of OTF’s most popular titles — has been acquired by A+E’s The His-

tory Channel and ZDF Phoenix for Germany, bringing the total number of sales to 26. Lastly, How To Lose A War is heading for Hispanic US network Condista, The History Channel Germany, Histoire France, DRTV Denmark, Czech Television, Disney Poland and Channel 8 Israel. The series, produced by Wildbear Entertainment and Cut2Clock, offers a fresh perspective on the Second World War, which began with a series of decisive victories for the axis powers but ended in defeat for Germany and its allies. Stefanie Fischer, managing director of OTF’s distribution arm, said: “The ability to bring the past alive for today’s audiences is one of OTF’s superpowers, both in terms of its own productions and its distribution catalogue, which is curated from the finest history and mystery titles on the global market.”

High five for BossaNova Media deals

FILM.UA SNIFFS OUT A DEAL

OFF THE Fence’s (OTF) distribution arm is at MIPCOM CANNES on the back of buoyant sales for its history-based catalogue. Cursed History, the new OTF Stu-

dios co-production with Go Button Media exploring puzzling and unnerving locations, icons and events, has been acquired by ZDFinfo and Sky Germany. More hisOTF’s Stefanie Fischer

UK-BASED BossaNova Media is making a splash at MIPCOM, announcing deals with five British broadcasters for its factual shows. Sky UK has picked up four series, including the fifth season of Worldmark Films’ Caught On Dashcam, which uses footage of crazy road incidents filmed by motorists around the world. Roads are a running theme for the other shows too: Greenstone TV’s Highway Cops follows police officers trying to keep drivers safe on some of New Zealand’s most beautiful but dangerous roads. Meanwhile, Highway Patrol and Motorway Patrol are entertaining looks at the working lives of traffic enforcers in New Zealand. Both are part of the enduringly-popular ‘Patrol’ franchise created by Greenstone TV. Channel 4 is another broadcaster dancing to BossaNova’s rhythm, acquiring

two of its history-focused titles. AMS Pictures’ 90-minute documentary Hindenburg: The Cover Up focuses on the infamous German airship disaster. Meanwhile, Go Button Media’s Castle Secrets series takes viewers

Holly Cowdery

38 | MIPCOM CANNES DAILY 2, OCTOBER 2023

into some famous castles to find out how they were built, and the lives of the people who lived in them. BossaNova’s other deals are with A+E Networks UK, CBS and UKTV. A+E has picked up Mysteries Of The Ancient Dead and Secrets Of The Lost Liners; CBS has licensed Homicide With Ron Iddles; and UKTV has taken the latest season of Borderforce USA: The Bridges. “Five deals with five major UK broadcasters, undoubtedly among the most discerning in the world, is a great start to our MIPCOM 2023 campaign and a promising sign of business to come,” said Holly Cowdery, head of sales at BossaNova. “They also confirm that BossaNova’s factual catalogue contains something for everyone, whether it’s true crime you’re after or the true stories behind history’s enduring mysteries.”

FILM.UA Distribution has closed an option deal in Czechia for its popular Ukrainian crime drama The Sniffer. The original Ukrainian series, produced by FILM.UA, follows the adventures of a detective with an unusually keen sense of smell, which allows him to detect traces of substances that criminals desperately want to conceal. But his special gift is a much as curse as a blessing: The Sniffer may be able to solve a mystery with a single twitch of his nose, but his life is also overwhelmed by smell. The first season of The Sniffer, which launched in 2013, has now sold to 60-plus countries and was the first Ukrainian series to be picked up by Netflix. In 2015, NHK acquired the format and successfully adapted it for Japan.

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MIPCOM CANNES 2023 | NEWS

JIB’s mission to boost global profile of Japan’s TV content TBS’ Hiroyuki Ota

VIVANT THRILLER WINS JAPANESE DRAMA AWARD TOKYO Broadcasting System Television’s Vivant has won the 2023 MIPCOM Buyers’ Award for Japanese Drama. The prize is dedicated to promoting Japanese content, and the winner is selected by an international jury of buyers. Vivant is a big-budget thriller that tells the story of a corporate worker who, when working on a solar energy deal, is blamed for a huge payment error and sent to Central Asia to correct the mistake. Then, after he almost dies in a terrorist explosion, he becomes the chief suspect for planting the bomb. “This is a project that fills us with great pride,” Hiroyuki Ota, president of the global business division at TBS, said. “We firmly believe in sharing diverse cultures and values worldwide.” Vivant comes as either a 120-minute TV movie, or as a series in two, three or four episodes. Jury member Geraldine Easter (Nine Network, Australia) called it a “rollicking adventure story,” adding: “I was on the edge of my seat.” She also hailed the willingness of all 10 of this year’s finalists to take on contemporary issues. Honourable mention went to Wowow’s The Fence (5 x 55 mins), a drama centred on an African-Japanese woman’s claim that she was assaulted on an American military base in Okinawa.

JAPAN International Broadcasting (JIB) says it is marking a “historic moment” with its first attendance at MIPCOM CANNES as it presses ahead with a strategy to promote Japanese content to the world. JIBTV president and CEO Jun Takao is heading up a team aiming to spread the word about the richness and appeal of Japanese TV

content, and to encourage and inform tourism into the country. Speaking to the MIPCOM CANNES News, Takao said: “We want to introduce many aspects of Japan, beginning with food and drink and our natural beauty. We have lots of content, including documentaries. “More and more foreign visitors are coming to Japan. Travel is one

Japan International Broadcasting’s Jun Takao

of the most important industries in Japan now. We think that the information available about Japan for foreign tourists is not good enough.” Among the shows being promoted by JIBTV at MIPCOM CANNES are: an original content factual series, The Alluring Beauty Of Japanese Gardens; and Whiskypedia, a tour of Japan’s flourishing whisky industry. JIBTV is a subsidiary of Japanese public broadcaster NHK, specialising in creating and distributing content exclusively for overseas. It does so through a global network of some 300 satellite, cable and OTT companies worldwide. Representatives from both companies are in Cannes to promote the possibilities of working with Japanese broadcasters, producers and distributors, both in acquiring content and selling shows and formats to the market.

Green light for Obocchama-Kun sequel TV ASAHI has announced a collaboration with Sony Pictures Networks India to produce a sequel of the cult kids comedy animation series, Obocchama-Kun. Originally produced in 1989 by TV Asahi, the series details the outrageous adventures of the wild rich boy title character as he negotiates school and family life. After Sony Pictures India acquired all 164 episodes of the original series three years ago, it was “a huge hit,” said Maiko Sumida, head of animation sales and development at TV Asahi. Sony subsequently approached TV Asahi to acquire a new season — and a sequel as opposed to a remake — of the surprise sensation that re-awakened a love for richkid parodies of the 1980s. With no new production in the pipeline,

the Japanese broadcaster suggested a collaboration. “The stories and the character design are going to be done in Japan, but all the animation work is going to be done in India,” Sumida said of the 26 episodes going into production in late 2023. The new series targeting boys and

girls aged six to 11 is scheduled to launch in Q4, 2024. TV Asahi is in Cannes to talk to broadcasters, streamers and partners for pre-acquisition. The content is available for sales worldwide, except for India and Japan, including TV, VOD and merchandising rights.

TV Asahi’s Maiko Sumida (left); Leena Lele Dutta, head of kids business, Sony Pictures Network India; and Makiko Inaba, director, international business, TV Asahi

40 | MIPCOM CANNES DAILY 2, OCTOBER 2023

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VR spin-off gives Gaudi doc a new immersive dimension The Master Of Submarines (Prime Entertainment Group)

TVMONACO BUYS KEY PRIME DOCS PARIS-based distributor Prime Entertainment Group has announced a new deal with TVMonaco for a slate of high-profile documentaries. The set includes history programmes An Encounter With Banting (1 x 52 mins), The Graveyard Of Truk Lagoon (1 x 52 mins) and The Master Of Submarines (1 x 52 mins) and environmental documentary Plastic Island (1 x 52 mins). TVMonaco, a newly launched state-owned television station in Monaco, is partly focusing its programming on documentaries and programmes that explore international subjects. An Encounter With Banting, The Master Of Submarines and The Graveyard Of Truk Lagoon, tell diverse tales from the two world wars, using never-seen-before archives, revealing the stories of the discoverer of the insulin; the First World War submarine commander who sunk 194 ships; and a seemingly forgotten Japanese military base now risen to the surface. Plastic Island is an environmental programme investigating rising plastic pollution in the oceans, and potential solutions. Alexandra Marguerite, Prime’s head of sales, said the deal typified efforts “to offer quality programming to new players on the market”. Prime has been diversifying its catalogue, covering historical subjects, art and culture.

THE AWARD-winning 2022 documentary, Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s Challenge, was a co-production between NHK and Gedeon Media that explored the 140year design and construction of the architect’s basilica in Barcelona. The feature-length doc shows how work on Gaudi’s masterwork continued over three centuries, despite being set on fire and vandalised.

As the countdown to complete the basilica by 2026 nears, NHK and Gedeon have created a VR experience to broaden interest. Titled Gaudi, The Atelier Of The Divine, the participant becomes a new assistant in Gaudi’s studio. Through CGI recreations of the studio, users discover his unique personality and revolutionary technique.

lGedeon Media’s Stéphane Millière (left) and NHK’s Yoko Fukuyama

Already experienced by near 6,000 users at the NHK Museum of Broadcasting in Tokyo, the concept, which was co-produced with VR producers Small Creative, has also been selected for festivals from the Venice Biennale to the Kaohsiung Film Festival in Taiwan and is intended to tour widely. Stéphane Millière, CEO and producer at Gedeon Media, said that the experience represented a new multiplatform approach to programming. For NHK producer Yoko Fukuyama, such immersive storytelling was a “new way of speaking to a broader audience”. The VR experience is intended to attract younger generations who can then explore the numerous documentaries that the broadcaster has produced on the architect. “Users can begin with this experience and then get interested in Gaudi himself,” she said.

GRB’s icons on way to Côte Ouest GRB MEDIA Ranch — the recently launched distribution joint venture between Los Angeles-based GRB Studios and Montreal-based Media Ranch — has licensed four titles from its Icons Unearthed documentary series to Côte Ouest, the Ivory Coast and Mauritius-based distributor acquired by France’s Mediawan in May. Côte Ouest offers nearly 22,000 hours of content across all genres, making it one of Africa’s largest distributors. While the company has partnered with GRB Studios in the past, today’s announcement marks its first deal with GRB Media Ranch. The Icons Unearthed franchise profiles iconic films and television. Included in the deal are: Icons Unearthed: Fast & Furious, Star Wars, Marvel and The Simpsons. GRB Media Ranch co-principal Gary

R Benz said that the new co-venture, which has more than 5,000 hours of entertainment in its combined catalogue, had been operating “at full speed” since its launch six weeks ago. Côte Ouest CEO Jonathan Lett added: “We’re excited to share these titles with audiences in Africa and look

forward to exploring new ways to work together.” MIPCOM CANNES is the first time that the GRB and Media Ranch sales teams have come together under the new banner, co-principal Sophie Ferron said. “As our motto says, ‘we’ve got stories’ — over 5,000 hours of them.”

GRB’s Liz Levenson (left) and Côte Ouest’s Awoua Keita;, with GRB’s Gary Benz and Sophie Ferron

42 | MIPCOM CANNES DAILY 2, OCTOBER 2023

Content for sale Here we highlight some of the multi-genre content brought to MIPCOM CANNES by companies from all over the world

WINSING ANIMATION

Buddybot (Xilam Animation)

CHINA’s WinSing Animation highlights three new titles at MIPCOM CANNES. Shadows Of The Void (also known as Xuwu) is WinSing’s first animated series tailored for Gen Z, a sci-fi show targeting anime enthusiasts. As civilization hangs in the balance a new generation of warriors are determined to overcome the darkness and reach for the light. The first season of Shadows Of The Void is set to premiere on Bilibili early next year. Mega Meow, targeted at six- to nine-yearolds, unfolds on the mysterious Meow Planet, home to the treasure box of energy sprites. However, an evil force, the dark Meewoo organisation, orchestrates the theft of this box to seize control of the Earth. To stop this, Meow Warriors are dispatched, comprising four cat heroes who have the ability to transform into human-like forms using their cat bells. Mongo is a three-minute 2D animated slapstick comedy about three mischievous pets: Hubro the husky, Habibi the ginger cat, and Heddy the parrot. Shadows Of The Void (WinSing Animation)

BOSSANOVA MEDIA ADVENTURE GOLD DIGGERS, showcased at MIPCOM CANNES by London-based BossaNova Media, is an unscripted series featuring charismatic Australian gold miners and prospectors. Each episode follows three narratives, blending gold actuality, interviews, graphics, and narration to showcase geography, challenges, techniques and character-driven storytelling, while highlighting the physical and mental endurance needed for success. The docuseries explores the extraordinary lengths ordinary Australians go to for the chance of quick wealth.

XILAM ANIMATION BUDDYBOT (52 x 11 mins), brought to Cannes by France’s Xilam Animation, is targeted at six- to 10-year-olds and tells the story of the friendship between Chloe, an ordinary 12-year-old girl, and Buddybot, a little robot from the future. Sent by a mysterious creator, the robot comes from a time when the effects of climate change have drastically taken their toll. Buddybot wants to work with Chloe towards positive change for the future. In other words: to save the world. The series is scheduled for delivery in the third quarter of 2024.

REVELATION FILMS ON THE slate from London-based Revelation Films are a range of true-crime productions and a new biography. Long-running true-crime series The Real Manhunter — a Sky TV co-production — comprises three series, season one 2 x 90 mins/6 x 45 mins, season two 10 x 45 mins and season three 2 x 90 mins/6 x 45 mins. The Murder Of The Essex Boys (1 x 90 mins/2 x 45 mins) is a documentary about one of the most infamous gangland murders, with testimonies from family members and police officers, and exclusive interviews with key members of the dead gangsters’ inner circle who reveal the reasons for the hit, while addressing the conspiracies that followed evidence at the trial. The company’s new production, Underdog (1 x 90 mins), is the story of counterculture legend and football hooligan Andy Swallow, charting his life from a poor upbringing in London’s East End, to becoming the world’s most famous football hooligan, who, having founded the West Ham away supporters Inter City Firm moved on to become a successful record company boss, a music event promoter and radio station owner. Delivery is scheduled for the second quarter of 2024. Underdog (Revelation Films)

Adventure Gold Diggers (BossaNova Media)

MIPCOM CANNES DAILY 2, OCTOBER 2023 | 43

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Delivering thrilling, schedule-defining series

Space Challenge: Mission To Mars (Lineup Industries)

LINEUP INDUSTRIES DUTCH distributor Lineup Industries is bringing new science format Space Challenge: Mission To Mars to MIPCOM CANNES, and has brought the European Space Agency and its astronauts on board for local versions of the show, which uses the latest augmented reality to bring space travel to life. Aimed at family audiences, Space Challenge: Mission To Mars is an immersive trip to the red planet. Seven episodes guide viewers through each stage of the mission and the support of the European Space Agency will see a real-life astronaut feature as a host, alongside a co-host from the local channel, as well as present up-to-date space insights and research. Space Challenge: Mission To Mars was originally developed by KRO-NCRV in collaboration with SpacePlays B.V. and Hens Concept & Motion Graphic Designs and produced by KRO-NCRV for NPO.

RTE PROGRAMME SALES IN A forgotten London underworld, homeless Irishman Kieran Kelly killed multiple times without detection. But following his arrest in 1983 for the relatively minor theft of a wedding ring, Kelly admitted to a series of brutal murders going back 30 years. The audio tape of that original police interview came to light recently. Kelly recounts his crimes with spine-chilling candour and convinces the police that they are in the presence of a dangerous killer. This interview is the starting point for a new RTÉ television series — mixing actuality with dramatic elements — The Nobody Zone – Interview With An Irish Serial Killer (2 x 50 mins), which explores the twilight world of Kieran Kelly. The series follows the award-winning podcast, The Nobody Zone from RTÉ. The Nobody Zone – Interview With An Irish Serial Killer (RTE Programme Sales)

Premium factual content from award-winning producers

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BASED on Liane Moriarty’s (Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers) novel, new series Apples Never Fall (7 x 60 mins) centres on the Delaneys who, from the outside, appear to be the perfect family. Stan (Sam Neill) and Joy (Annette Bening) are retired tennis coaches who have just sold their successful tennis academy and look forward to spending time with their four grown children. However, everything changes when Joy suddenly disappears and her children are forced to re-examine their parents’ marriage and their family history with fresh and terrified eyes.

WILDBRAIN WILDBRAIN, a company headquartered in Canada, with offices worldwide, showcases new preschool series Jonny Jetboy (40 x 11 mins/20 x 22 mins) at MIPCOM CANNES. Produced by Beijing IQIYI Science & Technology Co., WingSing Animation Studio and WildBrain Studios, the series features Jonny, the youngest member of a family who are secretly superheroes known as The Jetfleet. Like every family, they don’t always get along, but they work together, and Jonny learns from his sister, his parents and even the pet tortoise what it takes to be a true hero as they challenge their city’s villains. WildBrain holds worldwide rights, excluding China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.

Jonny Jetboy (WildBrain)

Premium factual content from award-winning producers

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KBS MY LOVELY Boxer (12 x 70 mins) is a drama that combines sport and romance. Taeyoung is an agent who will do anything, even dirty tricks, for the clients. He is dragged into a dangerous match-fixing scenario, then tries to persuade a friend to join him. Korea’s KBC also presents Golden Girls (12 x 80 mins), an entertainment show in association with JYP, a major player in the K-pop industry. Four Korean female vocalists who already have numerous hit songs, are reborn as a K-pop girl group. The Black Box On Earth (4 x 70 mins) is a documentary following K-pop artists as they perform in six locations around the world that are being devastated by climate change. Live Your Own Life (50 x 70 mins) is the story of a troubled romance between a fitness trainer and the son of an unwelcoming wealthy family. Flora’s Magic Toolbox (Prestigo) Golden Girls (KBC)

PRESTIGO CANADA’s Prestigo brings its new project in development to MIPCOM CANNES. Flora’s Magic Toolbox is a live-action series aimed at threeto six-year-olds featuring Flora, the neighbour everyone dreams of having. Flora has a magical workshop where she repairs and tinkers with all kinds of objects for her friends and neighbours who visit her during the show. Every episode is associated with a question that may arise in a child’s life, but for which Flora, her comical parrot Pipit or their friends will always offer an answer. The series is currently in development with TVO Kids (Canada) and Prestigo is looking for other international partners.

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ZDF STUDIOS HIGHLIGHTS from the vast slate from Germany’s ZDF Studios includes: the second season of Ancient Apocalypse (6 × 50 mins), which provides insights into the downfall of some of history’s greatest empires, from the Mexican Aztecs to the ancient Minoans of Crete; Mega Building Collection (10 × 50 mins), looking at incredible buildings, vehicles and projects, providing insights into ground-breaking achievements in technology and engineering; Namibia’s Natural Wonders (2 × 50 mins/UHD), from the arid savannahs to flowing rivers and rugged coastlines; and Wanna Bet?, a format that can be adapted from 180 minutes to 60 or 30 minutes. Showcasing international stars, Wanna Bet? is a mix of talk, game and variety elements held together by a charismatic host. Namibia’s Natural Wonders (ZDF Studios)

GRB MEDIA RANCH RELATIVE Justice (150 x 30 mins/with a second season in production) looks at when family squabbles can become destructive, especially when money is involved. These family disagreements play out in the arbitration-based reality court show with Judge Rhonda Wills. Montreal-based Media Ranch also brings the Media Ranch format Round Table, from Wonwoo Park, creator of The Masked Singer. Round Table is a singing competition where celebrity contestants without any singing skills sing in karaoke-style rounds, each sing their part of a song before passing the Relative Justice (Media Ranch) next part to someone else.

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SHARJAH BROADCASTING AUTHORITY (SBA) AT MIPCOM CANNES UAE-based company SBA is introducing historic drama Khorfakkan, a film based based on a book by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, supreme council member and ruler of the city of Sharjah. Directed by Ireland’s Maurice Sweeney and the UK’s Ben Mole, the film portrays the epic resistance by Khorfakkan’s inhabitants during a ruthless Portuguese invasion in 1507. Further titles from SBA include: documentary film Sharjah Safari, about the development of the safari; and Sir Bu Nair, about the island Sir Bu Nair, one of the most prominent nature reserves in the UAE, and an area of historical importance to fishermen and pearl merchants. Khorfakkan (SBA) The Head (The Mediapro Story)

THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO THE HEAD is an action-based suspense thriller, shot in English, created by Ran Tellem, directed by Jorge Dorado, and a highlight from The Mediapro Studio. The cast, led by John Lynch and Katharine O’Donnelly, features actors from 10 different countries. The second season ramps up the ambition in terms of production values and the action takes place at Point Nemo in the Pacific, at the furthest point from any mainland. The company also brings Las Pelotaris 1026, the first drama series from a content creation agreement between TelevisaUnivision and The Mediapro Studio. The series filmed in Mexico and Spain and is inspired by the story of the first Basque pelota female players who, in the early 1900s challenged many social conventions of the time.

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TOON2TANGO HIGHLIGHTS from the catalogue of Germany’s Toon2Tango include: Agent 203 (26 x 22 mins), about Zoe, whose father used to be a secret agent, who with her new alien friend and her best friends follows in his footsteps, protecting the planet from General Gore, the ultimate badass alien; preschool series The Wee Littles (46 x 5 mins), about a family of four small creatures living in a big forest who work together to figure out life’s little obstacles; Littlest Robot (52 x 11 mins), a 3D animation for four- to eight-year-olds; Monster Loving Maniacs (52 x 11 mins), for sixto 10-year-olds, about three siblings trained as monster hunters by their grandfather; and Pocats (13 x 7 mins, with another 39 x 7 mins in development), based on a book series featuring tiny cats who are seen by adults as toys, though children know they are magic. Agent 203 (Toon2Tango)

Uderzo And His Asterix Adventure (Poorhouse International)

POORHOUSE INTERNATIONAL A SONG For Cesar (1 x 85 mins/HD) is a documentary about the American labour leader and activist Cesar Chavez (1927-1993). He combined leftist politics with Catholic social teachings and an admiration for the movement led by Mahatma Gandhi. Running the United Farm Workers Labour Union, he encouraged voter registration, launched an insurance scheme, credit facilities and a newspaper. Director Andres Alegria tells the story about musicians and artists who dedicated their time, creativity and even their reputation to advance Chavez´s causes. Another priority is Uderzo And His Asterix Adventure (1 x 85 mins/4K), an English-language special, featuring Antoine de Caunes, Geoff Johns and David Lloyd.

BAVARIA MEDIA INTERNATIONAL MEDIAWAN RIGHTS A DRAMA highlight from France’s Mediawan Rights, Drone Games (1 x 90 mins) is about Tom, a lonely teenager and drone fan who crosses paths with a free-spirited, anarchistic gang that includes him in a series of drone heists and opens up a whole new world for him over the course of a summer. Other drama titles incude: Zorro (10 x 52 mins), with a new Zorro ready to avenge his father’s death; and Sphinx (6 x 50 mins), about the abduction of a schoolgirl who reappears three years later. A factual priority is Space Factory (1 x 52 mins), which looks at the possibilities of settlement on other planets. Combining art and technology, architects are now designing homes for future human colonies. Drone Games (Mediawan Rights)

54 | MIPCOM CANNES DAILY 2, OCTOBER 2023

THE MIPCOM line-up from Germany’s Bavaria Media International is led by Inside A Family (6 x 45 mins). The high-end drama and suspense series delves into the lives of four siblings reuniting for a wedding and grappling with their past traumas. When the groom mysteriously disappears on the honeymoon, it triggers the family’s buried memories. Also on the roster is: Dead End (12 x 45 mins), a dramedy intertwining four women’s destinies through a hidden secret, blending tension and humour; and Meme Girls (6 x 25 mins), which follows Liv 15, an aspiring influencer forced to navigate a new life after her parents banish her from the online world.

Dead End (Bavaria Media International)

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WORLD OF WONDER (WOW) WORLD of Wonder (WOW) has announced three new originals that go behind the curtain, to the front row and up-close-andpersonal with an array of entertaining drag queens. Firstly, RuPaul’s Drag Race Live Untucked, a behind-the-scenes look at the hugely successful RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! Vegas show. House Of Laughs is a stand-up comedy series hosted by RuPaul’s Drag Race UK second series winner, Lawrence Chaney, and starring special guests including: actor, comedian, producer and writer Joel Kim Booster; actor Danny Franzese; and Jimbo, the recent winner of the eighth series of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. Finally, the first non-English-speaking commission for the company, Drag Race Brasil, hosted by Grag Hearts Drag. Further titles brought to Cannes by WOW include: Avalon TV; Tongue Thai’d With Pangina Heals, Ts Madison Ate That, Jimbo It’s My Special Show and UNHhhh with Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova.

Fem (KO Distribution)

KO DISTRIBUTION HEADING the offer from Canada’s KO Distribution at MIPCOM CANNES are three scripted series. Squall (12 x 30 mins) is a comedy that tells the story of the life of a TV star veterinarian whose life is turned upside down after an incident with a dog during a live broadcast causes a scandal. Both he and his company’s image are ruined, so he exiles himself and finds work at a local veterinary clinic. Fem (10 x 30 mins) is a youth-skewed drama series that features Zav, a 17-year-old aspiring hyperpop singer, who dreams of breaking into the music industry. He has long been questioning his gender identity, but fears the repercussions of this on his relationships. However his secret can’t stay hidden forever. Detox (6 x 10-14 mins) is a modern-day Romeo and Juliet story set in a rehab centre where 17-year-old Zach was sent following his friend’s overdose.

CHINA INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION CORPORATION (CITVC) TWO SERIES top the MIPCOM CANNES catalogue for CITVC. Drama animation series The Ambitions Of The Heroes (60 x 45 mins), adapted from the martial artsbased writing of Sun Xiao, which follows four heroic young men who, in the turmoil of their country, eradicate evil and defeat enemies, while upholding their personal ideals. The Land Of Spirits (4 x 55 mins) is a documentary series which explores a variety of extreme natural landscapes and the ways humans, animals and nature can live in harmony. The series focuses the Siberian tiger, the white dolphin, the giant Asian elephant and the wild yak, among other subjects.

RuPaul’s Drag Race Live Untucked (WOW)

SYON MEDIA CANADIAN distributor Syon Media returns to Cannes two series in development. Tween series Cleo & Frida’s Undad Tales, in co-production with Barry Company (Brazil), takes place in a future where a virus has turned everyone reaching sixteen into zombies. In this adult-free world, Cleo and her sister Frida are trying to find a cure. The Enchanted World of Emilily, a co-production with All In One Production (France) and White Boat Pictures (Belgium), is about a young girl’s friendship with a wacky witch, and their adventures to build a bridge between generations. The company also highlights JToon’s The Beachbuds and ToonDraw’s Genius Genie. Cleo & Frida’s Undad Tales (Syon Media)

The Land Of Spirits (CITVC)

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7 MEDIA FORTUNE Guardians: A Fantasy Journey is an animated film from China’s 7 Media. Hua is left behind when families bid farewell to the Fortune God on the fifth day of Lunar New Year, but the Fortune Guardians guide her into the metaverse, where she discovers her hidden talent as a singer and embarks on a journey of self-discovery. The company also brings five seasons — 500 one-minute episodes — of Buddy Adventures, in which beloved historical figures inspire the characters, bringing their qualities to life in charming and hilarious ways. Buddy Adventures (7 Media)

3DD PRODUCTIONS FILMING in England, Wales and Normandy, 3DD Productions’ D-Day. The Soldiers Story is a documentary that uses diary recollections of those that were there for the Allied landings in 1944 as well as other contributions from the townspeople, the Allied soldiers and the German conscripts. The two-part programme is presented by the author of a book on the subject, Giles Milton. Created in recognition of the 80th anniversary of the liberation campaign on June 4, 2024, the documentary is due for delivery in December this year.

D-Day. The Soldiers Story (3DD Productions)

Growing Up With Tiantian (TTCZ Film and Television Productions)

TTCZ FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTIONS SHENZHEN-based animation studio, TTCZ Film and Television Productions presents a 90-minute feature film, Growing Up With Tiantian, and a new season of the TV series of the same name (26 x 13 mins). Both titles are aimed at children aged four to 10, and their families. The story follows a six-year-old girl adapting to her new life after her parents relocate from the city to a small village. The family faces all kinds of unexpected challenges, while young Tiantian is making new friends, including among the animals. This is a story of an inexperienced couple and their responsible child, discovering the beauty of nature, understanding the essence of family and life, and most importantly, growing up together.

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GUPPO ALCUNI ITALIAN kids entertainment producer Gruppo Alcuni brings a new 3D animation series to MIPCOM CANNES, The Black Diamond Race (9 x 45 mins). Taking place across Europe and India in 1929, it features Rani, an 18-year-old Indian woman who dreams of becoming a racing driver. With her like-minded, young international crew she must prevent the devious Mr. K from getting his hands on her family’s world-renowned black diamond. As the narrative unfolds, the youngsters expose an evil scheme devised by Mr. K and his personal shamanic priestess. Gruppo Alcuni is also highlighting the second 52-episode season of Leo Da Vinci, in which the same group of friends from the first series — now 16 — take on a perilous search for the priceless Seilan ruby, praised by Marco Polo in his memoir. The Black Diamond Race (Gruppo Alcuni)

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