Miptv 2018 news 3 by MIPMarkets

NEWS 3 Wednesday 11 April 2018

www.miptv.com 229_APC_N3_TV

BRAND CONTENT OF THE YEAR The stars of web sensation Carmilla in Cannes for this special event

EMMY KIDS AWARDS The International Emmy Kids Awards were given last night at a gala ceremony

FROM CANNES TO THE MOON Red Bull Media House chose MIPTV to launch its mission to the moon

NEW SEASON 5’ x 4 0 1

MIPTV - COVER-V3.indd 3

MEET US AT OUR STAND P-1.E58 06/04/2018 16:56:06

193_FREMANTLE_N3_TV*p1-dos piqué

EXCLUSIVELY FOR BUYERS & COMMISSIONERS

WATCH 1000’S OF PRIMETIME PROGRAMMES AND SERIES

FMSCREENINGS.COM

193_F

193_FREMANTLE_N3_TV*p2-dos piqué

174_RELX_N1N2N3_TV

www.asiatvforum.com

M A R I N A B AY S A N D S | S I N G A P O R E 4 DEC 2018

ATF Leadersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Summit Held in conjunction with:

An event of:

5-7 DEC 2018

Market. Conference. Networking Events Produced by:

MEET US AT MIPTV Booth P-1. L64

Supported by:

Logistic partner:

Held in:

news

MIPTV 2018 Medailles d’Honneur The 2018 MIPTV Medailles d’Honneur will be awarded at a lunchtime ceremony today. The prestigious Medailles are awarded to senior executives who have — through their talent, leadership and passion — made a significant contribution to the development of the multiplatform content community, here in Cannes and around the world 2018

Yang Weidong

Teresa Fernandez-Valdes

YANG WEIDONG has been president of Alibaba Digital Media & Entertainment Group since December 2017. He has also served as president of Youku business group since October 2016. Before joining Youku Tudou, he served as CEO of Max Times, a youth entertainment content and marketing company. At his MIPTV Media Mastermind Keynote he said high-quality dramas had helped online platform Youku double its subscription revenue between 2016 and 2017. With additional investment in original variety shows, Youku’s owner, Alibaba, sees content creation as a priority along with e-commerce, fintech and cloud services. Youku has benefitted from AI and data to bridge the gap between users and content. Partnerships are key to Youku’s growth, including localising NBC’s Saturday Night Live.

TERESA FERNANDEZ-VALDES holds a degree in journalism from the CEU San Pablo University and a master’s degree in audiovisual production and management from the University of A Coruna. After being a journalist, she switched to production and has never looked back. In 2008, alongside Ramon Campos, she founded Bambu Producciones and has been a key player in the resurgence of Spanish TV drama globally, with series like Velvet and Grand Hotel. Bambu has also been a pioneer, co-producing English-language sci-fi series The Refugees with BBC Worldwide and producing the first original Netflix series in Spain, Las Chicas del Cable. Fernandez-Valdes is working on a sequel to Velvet, The Velvet Collection, for Movistar +, a Spanish pay-TV platform.

Pascal Breton

Izzet Pinto

IZZET PINTO was born in Istanbul in 1978. After his graduation from Stratford College in the US, he worked in Thailand before returning to Turkey and entering the TV business. He founded Global Agency, in 2006 and has been a key figure in the Turkish format and drama export boom, representing titles including Magnificent Century, 1001 Nights, Broken Pieces and, most recently, the romantic drama Love For Rent. Pinto has used his presence in Cannes to establish Global Agency as a leader in non-scripted formats. With offices in Turkey, France, the UK and Spain, the company has had great success with Keep Your Light Shining, Perfect Bride, Shopping Monsters and The Remix, a music reality show that recently aired on Amazon Prime. Today, Global Agency represents around 150 projects, some developed in-house and others acquired from international creators.

PASCAL BRETON gained his first experience in production in 1981 working on magazine programmes for TF1, France 2 and France 3. After a short spell with Ellipse-Fiction (Canal+), he created his own production company, Marathon, in association with Olivier Bremond. Marathon’s hits included St Tropez and Marsupilami, while shrewd corporate acquisitions included ALP, the producer of Fort Boyard. Breton stayed with Marathon for five years after it was acquired by De Agostini, when he was instrumental in the production and distribution of Millennium as well as the production of Versailles. In 2013, he left to launch Federation Entertainment. At MIPTV, Federation subsidiary Cottonwood Media screened Find Me In Paris, the first-ever Kids’ World Premiere TV Screening, and the company also distributes Undercover, which is competing in the first-ever CANNESERIES. MIPTV News 3 •

• 11 April 2018

news

Screen shot: a souvenir of the big night

Street food

Delegates who ﬂocked to Monday’s Opening Night Party at the Carlton were treated to a nostalgic Frenchthemed extravaganza, complete with an open-air boules pitch and an old-time four-piece dance band performing from their own caravan

Mobile music

Floodlit fun at the Carlton

Boules to go!

MIPTV News 3 •

• 11 April 2018

197_RM SOME_N1a3_TV

FOLLOW MIP MARKETS ALL YEAR LONG! MIP Markets

@mip

/mipmarkets

mipblog.com miptrends.com

Driving the content economy

news

String trio Ember Trio

Miss Supranational Jenny Kim

Presenters of the International Emmy Kids Awards met the international press before a glitzy gala dinner and awards ceremony at the Carlton hotel

Actor and producer Bushra Rozza

Actor and rapper Emile Schneider

YouTube star El Rubius

Wissen macht Ah! presenter Clarissa Correa da Silva

MIPTV News 3 â&#x20AC;˘

â&#x20AC;˘ 11 April 2018

news

On the Digital Jury: Jessica Barden

Stars of State Of Happiness: Per Kjerstad (left), Bart Edwards, Malene Wadel, Anne Regine Ellingsaeter, Amund Harboe and Pia Tjelta

Stars of Undercover: Tom Waes and Anna Drijver

Star of Miguel: Raul Mendez

Miguel’s Tom Salama (left) and Ran Danker

MIPTV News 3 • 10 • 11 April 2018

200_RM MIPCOM_N3&4_TV

HITS in the making MAGIC on the Croisette

The World’s Entertainment Content Market 13,800 participants / 24,712m2 exhibition 4,700 registered companies / 110 countries

www.mipcom.com

13-14 October 2018

15-18 October 2018 Palais des Festivals - Cannes, France

news

Panel sees a vibrant future for kids live-action scripted series LIVE action is a vibrant format, the panel agreed at the Live-Action Scripted Series – Channels And Platforms Strategies session. But how best to work with it and where does it work best? Dierdre Brennan described how Universal Kids had widened its age range since its rebrand in 2017, which meant acquiring a lot of international scripted content for older kids, to fill gaps. “Now we’re beginning to enter into pre-sales for the first or second window, and

acquisitions too, and we just announced our first original content, Greenfields,” she said.

“We do deals across EMEA in very flexible ways,” said David Levine of The Walt Disney

Universal Kids’ Dierdre Brennan

Ambition on show at children’s pitch AN AMBITIOUS drama series idea about a 10-year-old boy who arrives at a new school demanding to be called Mrs McCutcheon attracted plaudits at the first ever Kids’ Live-Action Pitch session this week. Writer/director John Sheedy and producer Andre Lima of Australia’s Buffalo Media said the series is for kids aged eight and over, and aims to tackle complex issues with compassion and humour. “We want to celebrate and elevate difference,” Sheedy said. “We don’t want to take a sledgehammer to our audience.” Jacqueline Gault of The Gault Shop won praise for Tess

The Inventor, a show about a time-travelling girl whose first invention breaks the “multi-

verse” — and who then has to create ways to fix it. Her pitch appealed to broadcasters lookBuffalo Media’s Andre Lima (left) and John Sheedy

DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS Paul Zilk MARKETING DIRECTOR Mathieu Regnault

NEWS 3 Wednesday 11 April 2018 www.miptv.com

Company. “We’re really investing in local production of all different kinds.” He mentioned Penny On M.A.R.S., a live-action show made in Italy and shot in English. Stephen Hodge of Toon Goggles spoke of adding value to existing popular content formats. Gamerzzz Gotta Game featured male and female influencers and had found a kids audience used to watching YouTube content. “We’re creating content that mirrors that, but with a more entertaining twist,” he said. He added: “Get us involved early in your production. We can provide lots of insight on 196 territories globally.”

ing for girl-led shows with a science and technology angle. Piperazzi, a scripted series with real-life child entertainment reporter/internet star Piper Reese, was pitched by Adam Feinsilver of Picks TV/Piper Entertainment. Juan Lucas Lombardi of Argentina’s Avi Films pitched Newton Camp For Extraordinary Children, a sci-fi comedy. And Jordi Frades, creative manager of Diagonal Televisio in Spain pitched the playful adventure series White Dragons And The Secret Crypt Of Gaudi. The expert panel comprised Nina Hahn (Nickelodeon), Jo Allen (CBBC), David Levine (The Walt Disney Company), Paula Taborda Dos Guaranys (Gloob) and Lee Adams (Toon Goggles).

THE MIPTV NEWSROOM IS LOCATED AT P–1 G24

EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Editor in Chief Julian Newby Deputy Editor Debbie Lincoln Reporters Stuart Braun, Ben Cooper, Andy Fry, Juliana Koranteng, Isobel Lee, Max Leonard, Rachel Murrell, Gary Smith, Joanna Stephens Editorial Assistant Hannah Stephens Sub Editors Neil Churchman, Neil Crossley, Nigel Willmott MIPTV News Online Kristine Clifford Editorial Management Boutique Editions Head of Graphic Studio Herve Traisnel Graphic Studio Manager Frederic Beauseigneur Graphic Designers Véronique Duthille, Yovana Filipovic, Carole Peres Head of Photographers Yann Coatsaliou / 360 Media Photographers Christian Alminana, Patrick Frega, Phyrass Haidar, Olivier Houeix, Michel Johner. PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT Publishing Director Martin Screpel Publishing Manager Amrane Lamiri Printer Riccobono Imprimeurs, Le Muy (France). ADVERTISING CONTACT IN CANNES Julie Cazalis: +33 7 78 35 49 24 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 BOULOGNE-BILLANCOURT (FRANCE), VAT number FR91 662 003 557. Contents © 2018, Reed MIDEM Market Publications. Publication registered 2nd quarter 2018. ISSN 1967-5178Printed on PEFC Certified Paper.

MIPTV News 3 • 12 • 11 April 2018

news

Studiocanal names follow-up to series festival closer Safe STUDIOCANAL’s Red Production Company revealed plans to adapt Harlan Coben’s novel The Stranger, after con-

Harlan Coben

cluding Red and Coben’s most recent collaboration, Safe starring Michael C Hall, Amanda Abbington and Audrey Fleurot.

“The Stranger is a fantastic story, about a total stranger coming in and blowing away the lives of the people he meets by revealing secrets about

Michael C Hall

CANNESERIES closes on a high THE INAUGURAL CANNESERIES will wind up in style tonight with a closing party, awards ceremony and world

premiere screening. Broadcast live on Canal+, the ceremony will bring down the curtain on the new festival created to

recognise and reward talent within the world of TV series. The 10 finalists in the running for the six prizes up for

BE PART OF THE GALA CANNESERIES CLOSING CEREMONY As a MIPTV delegate you have special access to tonight’s Gala CANNESERIES Closing Ceremony which will be broadcast live on CANAL+. Walk the Pink Carpet. Discover the CANNESERIES Official Competition Awards winners. Join the stars and international jury members. Enjoy the world premiere of Harlan Coben’s Safe. To access the Closing Ceremony, all you have to do is show your MIPTV badge to the dedicated welcome team in front of the Banijay Stand, to the left of the Pink Carpet staircase, and you are part of the first-ever CANNESERIES experience. MIPTV delegates also have special access via Level 1 of the Palais on your left.

Doors close at 6:45pm

MIPTV News 3 • 13 • 11 April 2018

them that no one could know,” said Nicola Shindler, founder and chief executive of Red. Shindler was on stage at MIPTV with screenwriter Danny Brocklehurst, bestselling author Coben and Hall to talk about the upcoming eight-part Netflix Original drama Safe, set in a gated community in the UK and exploring themes of secrecy and personal safety. “I read just a few pages of Safe and thought it was fantastic,” Hall said. “You gain a sense of complex relationships immediately — it’s a thriller and a family drama at the same time, as well as being a psychological study. “I chose to play my character, Tom, as an Englishman,” added the Dexter actor. “I didn’t want the show to decontextualise it and make him American.” Referring to the partnership with Netflix, Coben said he was delighted if viewers wanted to binge-watch the show. “That’s how I write novels too — I want you to be cursing me in the small hours of the morning, because you can’t put my book down.” “Safe is a drama which attempts to dig away at the secrets behind the facades of the characters, revealing how we create a false sense of security,” Brocklehurst said. The world premiere screening of Safe will take place this evening after the finale of the CANNESERIES festival.

grabs are: German drama The Typist, Belgian crime thriller Undercover, Korean kidnap drama Mother, Israeli drama Miguel; Norwegian series State Of Happiness, American secret agent thriller Killing Eve, Italian mafia story Cacciatore: The Hunter, Spanish missing-person thriller Felix, Israeli special forces drama When Heroes Fly, and Mexican drama Aqui En La Tierra. The judging panel is headed by bestselling novelist and showrunner Harlan Coben, the creator of closing screening, Safe.

news

Facebook Watch: making the most of a new digital platform

Refinery29’s Stone Roberts

NewBe’s Jeroen Koopman

THE SESSION on How To Produce A Series For Facebook Watch clarified the distinction between posting videos on the social network’s News Feed and the new platform, which focuses on video-first storytelling entertainment. At MIPTV sharing his experience with Facebook Watch was

Stone Roberts, senior vice-president global video strategy at Refinery29, the digital publisher targeting millennial women. He was joined by Jeroen Koopman, owner/creative producer at Amsterdam-based digital production outfit NewBe, which enables third-party content pro-

ducers to grow communities on digital platforms. “I would describe Watch as a long-form video-first environment within Facebook,” Roberts said about Watch’s Show Pages format, which enables users to create episodic series. Facebook’s own blog says: “Show Page is similar to a Facebook Page, and has additional benefits such as delivering content in Watch, introducing a trailer in the cover spot, branding with a show mark, organising episodes into seasons and automatically adding new episodes to the Watchlist of followers.” Stone said his team used this to create professional video entertainment for Refinery29 audiences. He then explained Facebook sometimes commissioned in order to own: “There was an

Shifting the funding frontier

extensive pitching process for four unscripted series.” And, depending on the deal, producers sometimes retained ownership of their content. There is also an opportunity to sell mid-roll advertising with Facebook sharing the revenues with the producers. Koopman explained how NewBe producers are advised to not presume a YouTube video will automatically fit into Watch. “Your audience needs to be engaged within the first three seconds, then use the next 10 seconds to explain what they are going to see. But it is still new and everyone is trying to figure out what the best practices should be.” In response to audience queries about whether Facebook could be trusted with the data generated from Watch, Stone said: “The bottom line is that Facebook made possible opportunities that would otherwise not have happened. You have to embrace every opportunity to be part of any first wave.”

THE PAST 10 years have seen the frontier between production and distribution redrawn, with more distributors investing in content at an earlier stage, taking producer stakes and even launching investment funds. In yesterday’s The Big Shift Mega Panel, four executives who have helped shape the new content order discussed its implications, risks and rewards. Maria Kyriacou, president of international at ITV Studios, said distributors were now pivotal to the funding process: “They’re no

longer just providing top-up money — sometimes the bulk of funding is delivered by the distributor.” Louise Pedersen, CEO of all3media international, said the key mission for all distributors was to “sell more content from more producers to more customers”. She added: “The challenge is how you get hold of that content, and financing shows earlier is one way to do that.” Managing a more fluid producer/ distributor relationship can also be a challenge, said Keren Shahar, Keshet International’s chief cre-

ative officer and president of distribution. Along with new revenue streams and a new route to market, producers now also have “more people weighing in with notes and wanting to help shape the final product — their own team, the commissioner’s team, and now the distributor’s team. That can be a headache for producers.” Kyriacou agreed: “Most producers want their show to connect with as many people as possible, so they don’t resist input from the distributor. But it’s a fine line. At ITV Studios, we’re very clear,

we don’t set the creative brief.” But greater upfront investment also carries greater risks, acknowledged Cathy Payne, chief executive of Endemol Shine Group. “Nobody ever sets out to develop a show that doesn’t sell, but there are certain areas that have broader reach than others. So you make a financial calculation based on experience. You look at the project, the talent and the producer’s track record and you think where you could sell it. Most of us work with producers we have longterm relationships with, so I think it’s also important that you help support their goals.”

ITV Studios’ Maria Kyriacou: “we don’t set the creative brief”

Endemol Shine’s Cathy Payne: “a financial calculation based on experience”

all3media internatonal’s Louise Pederson: “more content from more producers to more customers”

Keshet International’s Keren Shahar: “more people weighing in with notes”

MIPTV News 3 • 14 • 11 April 2018

news

Asian producers step out into a world of drama without borders MAKING drama for the international market might be “stepping out of your comfort zone”, as InSoon Kim of Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) put it, but all the panellists at the Asia: New Producers To Watch session had found it rewarding. SBS traditionally focused on Korea alone, but had seen its shows adapted in the toughest markets in the world – the US and China – and had decided to “dive in”, Kim said. Now SBS has made an international-style murder thriller, Return, and is developing dark drama J844, conceived for international sales. “We were challenging ourselves to see if a Korean style of creativity would

work when mixed with an international trend,” she said. Siddarth Kumar Tewary said his company, One Life Studios’ series Mahabharat (2013) opened up the global market: “If you tell a great story language is no longer a barrier,” he said. Porus, its newest historical epic, was top-rated on Sony Entertainment Television and had 35 million views on VOD platform Sony LIV: “It’s important your content works in your country before it travels,” he said. One Life is moving into distribution and has co-productions in view: “In the Asian market, I believe most of our emotions and stories are the same. I believe we need to come together

and move ahead.” Producer Hisashi Tsugiya of Nippon TV noted that the 2018 Korean remake of his original drama Mother was in competition at CANNESERIES. Nippon TV was experienced in exporting formats and Tsugiya’s drama series I’m Mita, Your Housekeeper, and Woman, My Life For My Children were also travelling well. Good stories transcend territories, he said. “When I was travelling to France, I saw there is no border when you look at the world from above, you can’t see where Asia starts and Europe ends.” He added: “Storytelling travels around the world, that’s the most important thing.”

NHK offers dragons and dance in UHD JAPANESE public broadcaster NHK introduced innovative new ultra high definition (UHD) content in the Sony 4K Ultra HD Theatre at MIPTV. The content was created to be aired on NHK’s new 8K and 4K channels that will be launched on December 1, according to Yukari Hayashi, NHK senior producer, global content development. Among the flagship 8K programming is the monster fantasy series Koujin. “This drama is new territory for NHK,” said Tadatsugu Uesugi, producer, global content development, at NHK. “It’s based on a historical novel about a mythical Japanese god, [and] has some parallels with Lord Of The Rings or Harry Potter.” The UHD rendering of the giant monster allowed NHK to bring the story to the screen, even if many thought it wouldn’t be possible. The drama’s life-like VFX has already

proved a big hit with younger demographics during recent screenings. “The main reason the drama proved so successful is that it’s so realistic,” Uesugi said. This youth market has been more specifically targeted by

SBS‘ InSoon Kim

NHK through UHD recording of live music concerts. Atsushi Murayama, deputy director of 8K production at NHK, was at the the Sony 4K Ultra HD Theatre to present a live concert recording of electro-pop sensation Sakanaction

A scene from Koujin

MIPTV News 3 • 15 • 11 April 2018

that was shot on eight 8K and five 4K cameras. “The primary goal with the programming was to give viewers a very realistic experience,” said Murayama of the extremely detailed, colour-rich performance footage. “We want you to dance with the audience, for you to feel like you’re there.”

news

In Development identifies quality drama and ‘richness of global talent’ FOR 2018, MIPTV and CANNESERIES, the new International Cannes Series Festival, teamed up to create In Development, an event dedicated to fast-tracking quality drama on an international level. The aim of the two-day event, which started yesterday, is to discover new voices and fresh, original ideas for all screens. Decision-makers have been given the opportunity to connect with some of the world’s leading writers and producers through pitching sessions, round tables and high-level networking. Ultimately, the hope is that this will lead to scripted projects being greenlit. A call for entries was made in 2017 and resulted in 344 projects being put forward from

Canada’s Joseph Kay presents his show Revival at In Development

46 countries. By March 2018, an international jury of drama experts had selected 12 projects that are being presented to potential partners during In Development.

CANNESERIES managing director Benoit Louvet called In Development “an essential element of the partnership” with MIPTV. “It underlines our commitment to taking an active

Super Panel unveils inspiring insights DELEGATES at In Development, the new Cannes Drama Creative Forum, were treated to some excellent insights from scripted-drama veterans during the Super Panel: The Changing Form Of Financing. Kicking off the session, Endeavor Content agent Lorenzo De Maio said the big trend in the scripted sector over the last year has continued to be the increased number of shows on the international market: “The volume, quality and global reach of drama is unequalled in history. The biggest talents are being attracted to TV and that is driving the quality.” This means escalating budgets. However, Federation Entertainment founder and president Pascal Breton insisted that raising the money is not so hard. “The challenge is finding the IP and talent to make great shows.”

RAI Fiction director Eleonora Andreatta said a growing challenge for national broadcasters such as RAI is that they are now competing with global projects that are released around the world on the same day as in their home territory. “So everything we do has to be more ambitious. With our series Medici: Masters Of Florence our first cast an-

nouncement was Dustin Hoffman and we had US showrunner Frank Spotnitz.” Decisions like these, she added, raise the financial risk, with break-even not achieved until shows are in distribution. Also on the panel was Sebastien Raybaud, who created drama fund Anton Capital Entertainment. His company recently announced

role in helping individuals and companies develop drama projects,” he said. Laurine Garaude, director of the television division at Reed MIDEM, added: “The 12 projects are the perfect illustration of the richness of global talent. We’re delighted to provide a showcase for these projects, all of which have strong potential in the international market.” The subject matter of the 12 is diverse. Angelica, for example, centres on the story of four women connected to an abortion clinic in the US Midwest. Dead Head is about a fake psychic who develops the ability to communicate with the dead after an accident, while Whatever, Linda is a 1970s’ period piece about a woman who starts a financial Ponzi scheme. Other subjects include cryonics, cryptocurrencies, a crumbling East Germany and a dual-time stream detective story.

a €170m financing arrangement with BBC Studios, which “is looking for ways to compete for talent with global players such as Netflix and Apple”, he said. Like Breton, Raybaud said the key to successful series is getting the creative package right, so Anton does not make creative judgements about specific projects. Instead, it partners with companies that have proven production track records, such as BBC Studios and Studiocanal.

Moderator Serge Hayat (left); Endeavor Content agent Lorenzo De Maio; RAI Fiction director Eleonora Andreatta; Anton Capital Entertainment CEO Sebastien Raybaud; and Federation Entertainment founder and president Pascal Breton

MIPTV News 3 • 16 • 11 April 2018

news

Creators at digital pitch session prove that short is beautiful MIPTV gave creators seeking finance the opportunity of a lifetime to pitch their ideas to high-profile decision makers during the Digital Short-Form

Series Pitch. First on the podium was Joao Vinhas, the producer/managing partner at Belgium-based Octopods Films, who present-

Rebel Road Productions’ Josh Beren (left), with More Sauce’s Luke Eve

Octopods Films’ Joao Vinhas

ed a 10-part, 10-minute comedy called Big G. It is set in a future where the bored can play a game that allows gamers to control a human-like creature on a brandnew planet. Vinhas was followed by producer Sofia Szelske at Argentina-based Nativa Contenidos, who presented the black comedy Dead Line. It follows the travails of a video blogger whose smartphone reveals normally unseen ghosts that hope YouTube will bring them the fame they lacked when they were alive. Chiehwan Sung, CEO of South Korea’s 72 Seconds, is seeking global distribution for DXYZ, a series of hyper-realistic colourful short-form videos featuring absurd yet telling conversations between two girls. Producer Andrew Nicholas McCann Smith explained that the young lesbian protagonist in Made With Love is effectively asking: “What the fuck am I doing with my life?” as she struggles to juggle her love life and career ambitions. The G.O.A.T, a comedy drama from Australia-based More Sauce and Rebel Road Productions in the US, uses the clash of personalities in the hectic world of professional e-sports as a metaphor for depicting how far two very different people will go when forced to work together to survive.

Short-Form Pitch: what the audience said “I WAS impressed by the innovative narration and thought setting the story in the world of e-sports is a really different angle,” said Monica Albuquerque, head of artistic and portfolio development at Brazilian media conglomerate Globo. She was explaining why she had approached the makers of The G.O.A.T, the comedy drama

presented by Australia-based More Sauce and US-based Rebel Road Productions during this year’s Digital Short-Form Series Pitch competition. “The e-sports element is just the ideal subject for our young audience.” She even asked if the two partners, who said they required a $1.5m budget, would be prepared to come to complete the

series in Brazil. As a content creator in the audience, Canada-based writer/ director/producer Nikila Cole said she found the pitching session educational. “The questions from the juries were very telling because they let you know what they are looking for,” she said. “Also, if you can stand up before all these people and not

MIPTV News 3 • 17 • 11 April 2018

First Love Films’ Andrew Nicholas McCann Smith

72 Seconds Chiehwan Sung

Nativa Contenidos’ Sofia Szelska

lose it, you must be very brave.” Rob Gill, an executive producer at Ireland-based Aonach Productions, said: “It is very useful to see how fellow content makers are dealing with difficulties, especially when we want to raise finance.” Gill, who is also chairman of the Richard Harris Film Festival, added: “This brought home to me how you can have a great concept, but your pitching skills are another huge component of the job.”

news

SHOWCASES BOOST STARTUPS’ GROWTH THE POSITIVE influence of MIPTV’s digital-content showcases can be seen in the billions of views now reached by the pioneering startups that have participated in recent years. The stalwart digital-content producers, including Canada’s BroadbandTV (BBTV), Warner Bros. subsidiary Machinima, Studio71 and Maker Studios hiked their international reach via various MIP events, including Digital Fronts in 2014. And they were able to capitalise on those marketing opportunities at Cannes to raise their respective profiles globally. “We currently reach 34.2 billion monthly views, 281 million hours viewed per month and 283 million unique viewers. In 2017, we achieved a total of 341.4 billion views,” said BBTV CEO Shahrzad Rafati. The web traffic for ViceMedia, which now includes The Walt Disney Company and A+E Networks among its shareholders, jumped 16% in 2017 from the previous year. It attracts 78 million unique visitors monthly and boasts a reported valuation of $5.7bn (€4.6bn). Machinima, now a subsidiary of the Warner Bros. empire, reports 140 million monthly views. Maker Studios, bought by Disney in a $500m deal, merged with the Disney Digital Network, which has more than 300 social-media channels with more than a billion followers. Studio71 (backed by Germany’s ProSiebenSat.1, France’s TF1 Group and Italy’s Mediaset) is part of Red Arrow Studios, which has more than 1,300 digital and social channels globally recording 8 billion monthly views.

Parrot’s travelability test can rate content’s global appeal US-BASED research company Parrot Analytics’ new measure of “content travelability” looks set to be very useful to Cannes delegates wanting to gauge the probability of a local hit show gaining global popularity. Content travelability is explained and demonstrated in Parrot Analytics’ recently published white paper called Local Differences in Global Content Travelability for Established and Emerging Markets. At a time when international content providers are commissioning local content aimed at audiences in specific countries, digital connection is enabling local fans to share their enthusiasm internationally. Parrot Analytics’ publication aims to help makers of a local hit assess whether that popularity can spread outside the home market and, if so, how to go about making it happen. That is

the content travelability Parrot is able to measure. “The usefulness of the travelability metric is that, for the first time, the industry can precisely quantify the ability of shows to appeal across borders,” said Samuel Stadler, Parrot Analytics’ marketing director. “In a world of SVODs, we want to give data a seat at the decision-making table.”

It does so by trying to find answers to a series of questions such as the following: How can a producer know that they should capitalise on fans that they don’t know exist? How can a distributor develop pricing models for regions where a show hasn’t aired yet? How can global platforms commission content for maximum appeal with minimum cost?

Parrot Analytics’ Stefan Nordbruch (left) and Samuel Stadler

Stage is set for second MIPChina THE COUNTDOWN is on for the second MIPChina, due to take place in June in Hangzhou. MIPTV organiser Reed MIDEM is preparing for the event, which will see dozens of media companies from all over the world descend on the city for two days of intense meetings and a special pre-show networking summit. It will take place between June 5 and 7, and be hosted by the provincial State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT). The pre-opening summit will take place on the evening of the 5th. Speaking to MIPTV News, Zheng Yana, director of Zhejiang SARFT’s drama division, said MIPChina would have a big focus on sparking international co-production opportunities between Chinese companies and

the rest of the global industry. “SARFT is looking forward to welcoming back MIPChina and the opportunities for co-partnerships. There will be over 50 Chinese companies there, looking for partnerships and acquisitions of remake rights.” Major global players attending include Warner Brothers Inter-

national Television, Viacom, ITV Studios Global Entertainment, all3media and Globo TV. Reed MIDEM has laid on a service designed to maximise delegates’ and companies’ time for one-to-one meetings, with groundbreaking software which helps potential partners co-ordinate their diaries more efficiently.

Zheng Yana (left), of Zhejiang SARFT, with Reed MIDEM’s Ted Baracos and Grace Chen of Megamedia.

MIPTV News 3 • 18 • 11 April 2018

206_RM 4k_N3_TV

4K ULTRA HD SESSIONS

Sony 4K ultra HD Theatre (Audi I) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Palais

WEDNESDAY 11 APRIL 09.30-10.30 FACTUAL IN ULTRA-HD, WINNING CRITICAL AND PUBLIC ACCLAIM Ed Sayer (Discovery) Olivier Chiabodo (The Explorers) Serge Laroye (Orange Content) 15.30-16.30 SPECTACULAR SPORTS AND ACTION, IN ULTRA-HD Jon Smith (Hoplite Ent.) Pascoe de Glanville (Ananda Media) Amy Shapiro (Vivicast Media) Justus Verkerk (FCCE)

THURSDAY 12 APRIL 09.30-11.30 NON-STOP ULTRA-HD Continuous screenings of the best in UHD from our speakers and panellists 14.00-15.00 NON-STOP ULTRA-HD Continuous screenings of the best in UHD from our speakers and panellists

16.30-17.30 CONNECTING WITH YOUR AUDIENCE USING UHD & HDR Peter Sykes (Sony Professional Solutions Europe)

Chairman: Chris Forrester, journalist and industry consultant In partnership with

225_ RM CONF_N3_TV-p1

WEDNESDAY 11 APRIL IMMERSIVE CONTENT

JUNIOR

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

8.30-11.30, Majestic Hotel

8.30-10.00, Verriere Grand Auditorium

10.45-12.00, Auditorium K

By invitation

By invitation only

IMMERSIVE CONTENT LEADERSHIP SUMMIT #2

ANIMATION CO-PRODUCTION BREAKFAST

‘PUTIN’S WITNESSES’ Screening presented by Current Time network

10.00-10.45, Auditorium A

HOW TO FIND COMMON LANGUAGE TO MAKE LIVE-ACTION SERIES TRAVEL? 11.00-11.45, Auditorium A

4K ULTRA HD

FINANCING HIGH-END LIVE-ACTION SERIES FOR KIDS

9.30-10.30, Sony 4K Ultra HD Theatre

FACTUAL IN ULTRA-HD, WINNING CRITICAL AND PUBLIC ACCLAIM

MIPTV 2018 BRAND CONTENT OF THE YEAR: ‘CARMILLA’ By Kimberly-Clark

By invitation - Doors open at 12.00

LUNCH CELEBRATING MIPTV 2018 ‘MEDAILLES D’HONNEUR’ SCREENING 12.45-13.30, Debussy Theatre

FRESH TV FICTION DRAMA

NEXT GEN

IMMERSIVE CONTENT

14.30-15.00, Auditorium A

BEST OF SHORT FORM SERIES

14.00-15.00, Participants’ Club

14.15-14.45, Agora

By pre-registration

HOW TO PRODUCE A SERIES FOR INSTAGRAM?

VR SPEED MATCHING

JUNIOR 14.15-15.00, Verriere Californie

SELLING LIVE-ACTION SERIES AS SCRIPTED FORMATS

8.00-18.30, Gare Maritime - By registration, space limited

12.30-14.00, Intercontinental Carlton Hotel

IN DEVELOPMENT, THE CANNES DRAMA CREATIVE FORUM - Co-organised by MIPTV and CANNESERIES

KEYNOTE SHOWCASE 12.00-12.30, Debussy Theatre

KEYNOTE PANEL 15.15-16.00, Debussy Theatre

WOMEN & SERIES: THE NEW EL DORADO? Produced by CANNESERIES and MIPTV

4K ULTRA HD 15.30-16.30, Sony 4K Ultra HD Theatre

16.30-17.30, Sony 4K Ultra HD Theatre

SPECTACULAR SPORTS AND ACTION, IN ULTRA-HD

CONNECTING WITH YOUR AUDIENCE USING UHD & HDR 19.15-21.15, Grand Auditorium Lumiere Doors close at 18.45

CLOSING AWARDS CEREMONY (in French) Followed by Out of Competition Screening: ‘SAFE’ (in English)

SCREENINGS MATCHMAKINGS

news_wednesday.indd 1

CANNESERIES SCREENINGS Open to all MIPTV badge holders (Within the limit of seats available)

IN DEVELOPMENT, THE CANNES DRAMA CREATIVE FORUM By registration, space limited

* Meeting booking at the end of the session.

06/04/2018 16:40

225_ RM CONF_N3_TV-p2

OFFICIAL CONFERENCE & SCREENINGS HIGHLIGHTS KEYNOTE SHOWCASE MIPTV 2018 BRAND CONTENT OF THE YEAR: ‘CARMILLA’

KEYNOTE PANEL WOMEN & SERIES: THE NEW EL DORADO?

By Kimberly-Clark 12.00-12.30, Debussy Theatre, Palais 1

Produced by CANNESERIES and MIPTV

©Felix Valiente

15.15-16.00, Debussy Theatre, Palais 1

Christina Jennings

Chairman & CEO Shaftesbury

Fiona Tomlin

Vice President Global Sector Leader Kimberly-Clark

Kaaren Whitney-Vernon SVP, Branded Entertainment Shaftesbury

Teresa FernándezValdés

Audrey Fouché

Fleur Pellerin

Screenwriter & Director

President CANNESERIES

Executive Producer Bambú Producciones

LUNCH CELEBRATING MIPTV 2018 “MEDAILLES D’HONNEUR”

©Felix Valiente

12.30-14.00 (Doors open at 12.00), Intercontinental Carlton Hotel - By invitation

Pascal Breton CEO Federation Entertainment France

FRESH TV FICTION 12.45-13.30

Teresa Fernández-Valdés

Executive Producer Bambú Producciones Spain

CANNESERIES SCREENING

Debussy Theatre, Palais 1

Izzet Pinto

Founder & CEO Global Agency Turkey

Yang Weidong

President of Youku, Alibaba Media & Entertainment Group China

JUNIOR 8.30-10.00, Verriere Grand Auditorium, Palais 1 By invitation only

ANIMATION CO-PRODUCTION BREAKFAST

Presented by

MARKET SCREENING

19.15-21.15

Grand Auditorium Lumiere, Palais 1

10.45-12.00

CLOSING AWARDS CEREMONY (in French)

‘PUTIN’S WITNESSES’

Followed by Out of Competition Screening: ‘SAFE’ (in English)

Auditorium K

Screening presented by Current Time network

10.00-10.45, Auditorium A, Palais 3 HOW TO FIND COMMON LANGUAGE TO MAKE LIVE-ACTION SERIES TRAVEL? 11.00-11.45, Auditorium A, Palais 3 FINANCING HIGH-END LIVE-ACTION SERIES FOR KIDS 14.15-15.00, Verriere Californie, Palais 5 SELLING LIVE-ACTION SERIES AS SCRIPTED FORMATS

Additional information in the MIPTV Handbook and the MIPTV app

news_wednesday.indd 2

06/04/2018 16:40

225_ RM CONF_N3_TV-p3

COMING NEXT

THURSDAY 12 APRIL REGIONAL FOCUS

4K ULTRA HD 9.30-11.30, Sony 4K Ultra HD Theatre

9.45-10.15, Agora

NON-STOP ULTRA-HD

INTERNATIONAL CO-PRODUCING WITH ASIA: ‘A HOW TO’ GUIDE

14.00-15.00, Sony 4K Ultra HD Theatre

NON-STOP ULTRA-HD INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT 10.30-11.00, Agora

MIPTV: WHAT DID YOU MISS? 13.00-14.00, Agora

TRENDING TOPICS: THE MOST BUZZ-WORTHY TRENDS OF THE MARKET

SCREENINGS

news_wednesday.indd 3

06/04/2018 16:40

news

Rodriguez offers VR teaser with POV blow ‘em up action series Racer Max Rodriguez, writer/director, Double R Productions (left), with Robert Rodriguez, director, Double R Productions

MAVERICK film-maker Robert Rodriguez teased his boundary-busting VR project during The Future Of Storytelling Keynote yesterday. The Limit will star Michelle Rodriguez in a POV blow ‘em up action series, premiering on STX

Entertainment’s VR channel, STX Surreal, which is headed-up by Rick Rey and Andy Vick. “My son Racer was more interested in getting into VR rather than following me into the film business, so I suggested we set up a company and start making

VR projects,” Rodriguez said. Written, directed and produced by Robert Rodriguez, The Limit follows Michelle Rodriguez as a genetically enhanced weapon of mass destruction determined to destroy the covert agency that created her.

The series, co-written by Racer Max Rodriguez, is being built as a native VR experience, produced in a new cinematic VR format that bridges the gap between traditional widescreen and 360-degree video. “So many people are waiting for the next evolution of VR technology before they start making content for it, but if there’s no content, that won’t arrive,” Rodriguez said, explaining that he always relished being an early adopter. “I was shooting in digital before there were enough digital screens to show my work. “When I first started looking at VR, I wanted to do a POV piece, and everyone started telling me I couldn’t do that. I love it when people tell me I can’t do something, that means it hasn’t been fully explored yet.” Rodriguez said that VR’s limitations included the lack of frame, and said that it risked “making you feel less engaged, somehow”. “But with The Limit, Michelle’s character is looking at you as if you are someone really important to the story. It’s cut to be a little disorienting, but that makes you feel much more engaged.” “VR has such high potential,” added Racer Max Rodriguez. “Immersive storytelling is great and I love role-playing games with ambitious stories where you get to play alongside other characters.” Robert Rodriguez added that The Limit had a “franchise feel”, and that he was planning to roll out other VR projects.

Tear up the rules to produce in 3D THE TRUE VR: Gearing Up For An Interactive Watching Experience panellists agreed that the rule book for classic 2D TV has no place in the VR world. “You have to throw away the traditional language because in a 360-degree world there’s no frame, the viewers create their own, and so you have to use the characters to direct viewers to where they should look,” Jonathan Flesher, corporate vice-pres-

ident, business development, Baobab Studios, said. “Basically you have to start by forgetting everything you know,” said Alina Mikhaleva, co-founder and managing partner, Spherica VR Studio. “And on top of that, you have to take into account that your viewers can use hand controllers, which are another way to influence the action and consequently the view they have.”

The panel spoke against a backdrop of good progress in the combined virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) market in 2017, with a growing user base invested in more content, apps and out-of-home VR entertainment. The global market for consumer AR and VR content and apps grew by 72%, reaching $3.2bn in 2017, according to IHS Markit. “The consumer AR market is in-

MIPTV News 3 • 23 • 11 April 2018

herently better positioned than VR, as AR features are relevant to more content and application categories,” said Piers Harding-Rolls, research and analysis director, IHS Markit, adding: “The market for consumer VR remains relatively niche, but continued moderate headset adoption is expected over the next few years, as hardware prices drop, technology improves and content becomes more appealing.”

news

The Sun King’s Versailles comes alive in blend of fact and fiction GEDEON Programmes has signed on to an international co-production docu-drama about the Palace of Versailles with ARTE, NHK and CuriosityStream. “As the Palace of Versailles undergoes unprecedented restoration work, this film reveals the story of how the royal chateau evolved to reflect the Sun King’s growing ambitions and power over his 70-year reign,” Stephane Milliere, president and CEO of Gedeon, said. “Viewers watch as Versailles is brought back to life through fiction and 3D imagery, from its initial conception to the architectural masterpiece we know today,” he added. Versailles, The Sun King’s Se-

cret Mapping is being shot on 4K UHD by director Marc Jampolsky. “The CGI is photo real, it’s simply unbelievable,” said Steve Burns, chief programming officer, CuriosityStream. “It also includes some fiction sequences to complete the effect.” “Versailles is very visited and so well-known, but if you have new insight on a building you feel very familiar with, that’s very exciting,” said Helene Ganichaud, deputy director of specialist factual at ARTE France. “The stories surrounding Versailles are incredibly popular in Japan, as many girls and women grew up with a cult Manga series about the palace,” said Yoko Imai, senior producer at NHK.

“This new docu-drama brings us Versailles with a twist, and shot in 4K, it’s just spectacular.”

With a budget of €1.4m, the film is a co-production between Gedeon Programmes, ARTE, CNRS, NHK, CuriosityStream, in partnership with Planete+, TV5Monde, SVT, BNT, TVR, LRT, Ceska TV, with the support of CNC, Procirep-Angoa, Creative Europe Program, and Sofica SOFITVCINE.

Gedeon Programmes’ Stephane Milliere (left); ARTE France’s Helene Ganichaud; NHK’s Yoko Imai; CuriosityStream’s Steve Burns; and Nicolas Deschamps, producer, head of international co-productions, Gedeon Programmes

Guide

9-12 April 2018 Cannes-France

THE WHO’S WHO OF THE GLOBAL INDUSTRY

PICK UP YOUR COPY AT THE REGISTRATION AREA

a year-round networking tool MIPTV News 3 • 24 • 11 April 2018

news

Fuji TV and Global Road launch game show format “with a twist” RED LIGHT, Green Light, a hidden chests wins the game at sical chairs that aired on the CW new game-show format created the end of the 60-minute show. TV network. by Global Road Entertainment “The idea is to take children’s “We are selling it as a format and Fuji TV, is being presented games and build them into but will also co-produce in varfor the first time at MIPTV. primetime shows,” said Gurin, ious territories,” Gurin added. “It’s a game-show with a twist,” who also developed Oh Sit!, a “We’re very excited to continue said Phil Gurin, president un- successful format based on mu- the long-standing relationship.” scripted & alternative television at Global Road Entertainment. “We’re really excited about the collaboration.” Drawing on the kids’ game played by children around the world, the fast-paced gameshow format involves players on competing teams participating in an “urban treasure hunt” while music is playing on headphones via an app, said Fumi Nishibashi, deputy director, international department, Fuji Creative Corporation. The team Shaking on the deal: Global Road’s Phil Gurin (left); Fuji Television Network’s So that finds the most money in Fujinuma; and Fuji Creative Corporation’s Fumi Nishibashi 201_RM MipChina_N3&4_TV

CRAFTING SERIES IN THE MAKING TORONTO’s Boat Rocker Rights has signed broadcast deals with Discovery UK, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany for History In The Making (13 x 30 mins), a series looking at modernday craftspeople who create unique pieces using timehonoured methods to make armour, weapons, books, barrels and even baseballs. A second season has been greenlit, from Crooked Horse Productions, a division of Boat Rocker Studios. John Young, CEO, Boat Rocker Media, said: “History In The Making is an enlightening documentary series and its early success validates our belief that there has never been a better time to create premium content.”

Registration deadline:

6-7 June 2018 Hangzhou - China

Where Global Content Meets China Production, development, financing opportunities with one of the world’s largest entertainment markets

www.mip-china.com or contact your MIP representative

MIPTV News 3 • 25 • 11 April 2018

2 May 2018

news

Viaplay drama sheds light on a shady arms industry

VIAPLAY’s Conspiracy Of Silence (8 x 45 mins), about corruption in the Swedish arms industry, was screened to buyers in Cannes. According to lead actor, Jens Hulten, the drama exposes how Sweden “sells arms while claiming to be a kind of Mother Teresa among countries. Obviously Sweden is not the only country that does that, and to be fair Sweden does genuinely try to do the right thing as a society, but ultimately, as the original Swedish title says, we all have blood on our hands.” The story is loosely based on reality, said director Charlotte Brandstrom: “The big issues are the search for truth behind the arms industry, which

Actor Jens Hulten with director Charlotte Brandstrom

217_RM DATABASE_N1_TV

is more complex than Jens’ character expects, and whether the human race really wants peace when there is tolerance of such a huge and powerful arms industry whose core business is war and death.” The action revolves around Hulten’s character who, having become heavily involved in the arms trade when young, flees in fear of his life, turning up 25 years later working in a Jordanian refugee camp, before embarking on a journey of revenge. “When I read the script I was really drawn to the strength of the characters and the underlying story arc,” Brandstrom said. “Alongside that, there are moral issues that affect all of us,” Hulten added. “And the fact that so-called corruption is a much more nuanced and subtle thing than any of us might imagine or believe. Ultimately it’s a very human story about the search for truth.”

THE ONLINE DATABASE

Create a powerful network

Network with participants

Plan your agenda

Get business Mobile-friendly recommendations

miptv_ODB_208x135.indd 1

06/04/2018 14:01

MIPTV News 3 • 26 • 11 April 2018

news

Themes of privacy and protection inspire bold new drama from Red THE DRAMA of today “must reflect the world we live in”, according to Nicola Shindler, founder and executive producer/director of Studiocanal’s Red Production Company, “as there are so many stories that deserve to be heard”. Shindler said Red has been a natural pioneer of diversity, “not to be worthy, but simply because they are brilliant stories”. Her latest production is the eight-part Netflix Original drama Safe, starring Michael C Hall, Amanda Abbington and Audrey Fleurot. Created by New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben and written by Danny Brocklehurst, it touches on the pertinent themes of privacy and the idea of building a wall.

“We came up with the idea of portraying a gated community before there was any talk of a wall in Mexico,” she said. “But the theme is very relevant — what lengths people go to protect themselves. People are obsessed with protecting their kids from harm, with locking danger out, but sometimes end up keeping it in.” “It’s great to be working with Harlan Coben again,” said screenwriter Brocklehurst, who has a long history of collaborating with Red. “As with The Five, our previous project, we were trying to combine all the brilliance Harlan brings to his novels — the hooks, the twists and turns — with my experience in long-form television.”

202_RM MIPJUNIOR_N3&4_TV

“The Five was heightened drama — it felt quite out there. We wanted Safe to be a bit more grounded in family, embedded in community,” Brocklehurst added. He describes platforms such as Netflix as “the big game-changer” in screenwriting. “Dramas that can be watched all in one go … mean that as a writer, you’ve got to be even more focused on the hook to drive the viewer forward. I think it adds a really good discipline to storytelling,” Brocklehurst said. The world premiere screening of Safe will take place today at 20.30 in the Espace Miramar, bringing down the curtain on the inaugural edition of the CANNESERIES festival.

Nicola Shindler of Studiocanal’s Red Production Company

Screenwriter Danny Brocklehurst

13-14 October 2018 JW Marriott, Cannes, France

Discovery Co-production Screenings

The World’s Leading Kids Entertainment Industry Event. 2 days / 1,600 delegates / 1,400 programmes, projects and IPs 664 buyers incl. 136 commissioners www.mipjunior.com 15-18 October 2018

MIPTV News 3 • 27 • 11 April 2018

news

Ovation cooks up a storm with chefs Jamie, Jimmy and Grant US NETWORK Ovation is expanding its culinary arts line-up after concluding a deal with FremantleMedia International for the first season of Jamie’s American Road Trip (6 x 60 mins), and three seasons of Jamie & Jimmy’s Food Fight Club (16 x 60 mins). The deal also includes the 60-minute documentary Alinea In Residence Madrid, which follows renowned chef Grant Achatz as he heads to Madrid to create a replica of his Michelin three-star restaurant in Chicago. All three titles will air on Ovation’s linear network, as well as its AVOD travel channel, Journy. Jamie’s American Road Trip sees celebrity chef Jamie Oliver travel deep into the heart of American culture to uncover genuine

Jamie Oliver (left) with Jimmy Doherty

local cuisine and meet unsung chefs and food producers. Meanwhile, Jamie & Jimmy’s Food Fight Club is set at the Essex cafe of childhood friends

Jamie Oliver and Jimmy Doherty. As Jamie cooks up his ultimate weekend recipes, Jimmy concocts feasts from wild and sustainable ingredients for guests

MIPTV News 3 • 28 • 11 April 2018

including Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson and Michael Sheen. “The culinary arts, including foraging and gastronomy, make for a fitting and tasteful addition to the Ovation family,” said Scott Woodward, executive vice-president, programming. “Jamie Oliver, Jimmy Doherty and Grant Achatz are all at the top of their game and we are confident they will take Ovation’s viewers on a first-class culinary adventure,” he added. Caroline Kusser, senior vicepresident, sales & distribution for FremantleMedia International, North America, said: “We’re excited to be bringing these varied culinary titles to US audiences with Ovation and Journy. Viewers will enjoy Jamie Oliver’s fun and engaging personality, both alongside his childhood friend Jimmy and on the road in America, while Grant Achatz’s reinvention in Madrid is an inspirational watch.”

news

Carmilla’s lesbian vampires see off young women in white trousers AS A marketing campaign for feminine-hygiene products, Carmilla is about as far away as it’s possible to get from young women in white trousers bouncing on trampolines. Which may well be why Shaftesbury’s digital branded entertainment series that subtly promotes Kimberly-Clark’s U By Kotex has become cult viewing, clocking up 71 million views in 193 countries, spawning a feature film, a book deal and a primetime series and been named as MIPTV 2018 Brand Content Of The Year. Carmilla stars Elise Bauman and Natasha Negovanlis are visiting MIPTV for this morning’s award presentation, which takes place during the Carmilla

Vampire love: Carmilla stars Elise Bauman (left) and Natasha Negovanlis

Keynote Showcase. Talking exclusively to MIPTV News, Negovanlis said she was drawn to the project from the moment she saw the script: “I loved there was a female producer, a female writer [Jordan Hall] and multiple female roles — and I loved that none of the characters were described as

‘pretty’ or ‘fun-loving’. Plus, I always wanted to play a lesbian and I always wanted to play a vampire, so Carmilla killed two birds with one stone.” A modern spin on Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s Gothic vampire novella, Shaftesbury’s transmedia series follows the adventures of a student-turned-journalist

called Laura, and her girlfriend — a vampire-turned-humanturned-vampire called Carmilla. Bauman, who plays Laura, praised Kimberly-Clark for having the courage to tell a story that would scare many brands — and for telling it unapologetically and authentically. “I normally see things from our fans’ perspective, so it’s been interesting to see Carmilla’s impact on the marketing world,” she said. “I’ve realised that there’s a conventional way of telling unconventional stories. If you blend the worlds of marketing and art, you can create something very special that has the power to improve lives.” But only if it’s the right fit. Negovanlis added: “You can’t take any old brand and stick it in any story. Millennials are so aware when they’re being sold something and they don’t want to feel they’re watching a commercial. We want to tell our stories in our own way.”

198_MIP CANCUN_N3&4_TV

5th Annual Latin America TV Market 14-16 November 2018

Guaranteed meetings LatAm Buyers Co-Production Partners

For a fresh year of opportunity with Latin America. www.mipcancun.com Or contact your MIP representative

MIPTV News 3 • 29 • 11 April 2018

news

Untold air traffic control story inspires new 9/11 docudrama BRISTOW Global Media (BGM) has started development on a new docu-drama Cleared For Chaos: 9/11 (2 x 60 mins), the true story of how air traffic controllers in the small Canadian town of Gander in Newfoundland pulled off the impossible on September 11, 2001. “A lot of stories have been told about 9/11, but this one has never been told,” said Julie Bristow, president and CEO of BGM. “When the second jet struck the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001, and a third slammed into the Pentagon, Dick Cheney gave the order to clear the skies. “There were 4,500 planes in the air over North America at that time and 400 westbound toward the US across the Atlantic. 167 were past the point of no return, so what happened next depended on the actions of a few reluctant heroes, a group of air traffic controllers in a small Canadian town.”

Bristow Global Media’s Julie Bristow

TCB Media Rights is handling international distribution, starting at MIPTV. The special is being developed for Bell Media’s Discovery Networks in Canada, with plans to begin shooting in

Gander in September. “Right now, we’re writing the script, and we’re going to shoot in the place that it happened at the time that it happened,” added Bristow. “This is really

Bible stories re-told in many languages SAVO’s Productions is based in Sofia, Bulgaria and specialises in dramas based on Christian stories. “We have partners in Latin America, Africa and the United States,” said Savo’s Productions’ producer Elitsa Petrova. “We have had huge success in Brazil and even in Indonesia, which people might find strange as it’s the world’s largest Muslim country, but we have good ratings there. And these are universal stories.” Although based in Bulgaria, the company mainly shoots in the Middle East — for example in Palestine — using Arab actors and in Arabic. Petrova said that this provided a level of authenticity to the 10 films in their

catalogue, which are of varying lengths, and also provides a ready audience for watching homegrown Palestinian or Jor-

danian stars. The Savior is billed as ‘Jesus comes home’, and tells the story of Jesus’s life and death. The

Savo’s Productions’ Elitsa Petrova and John Brady

MIPTV News 3 • 30 • 11 April 2018

the story of the strategic aversion of an even bigger disaster, bringing hundreds of planes to safety. The challenge is putting together the story in the first person — from the air traffic controllers’ points of view — using radar imaging, which is the only record of what happened. “We have some of the world’s leading aviation experts deciphering it. They’re going to help us focus on the stories of the near-misses as many of the planes were 30 seconds apart in the air. Some of the planes were landing without communicating with air traffic control, so the authorities didn’t know if there were other hijack scenarios on the runway.” BGM has also inked a partnership deal with Relish Interactive for the creation of short-form animated graphic novels for its upcoming 100 Days To Victory docu-drama, co-produced with Electric Pictures, Corus Entertainment’s History in Canada and Foxtel’s The History Channel in Australia and New Zealand, as well as BBC Scotland. BGM is now in production with the non-fiction paranormal series Haunted Hospitals for Blue Ant Media’s T+E channel in Canada.

drama has been dubbed into 32 languages. The Sin, meanwhile, re-tells the stories of Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel, and is available in English, Farsi, French, German and other languages.

news

Shooting for the moon

The Mission To The Moon launch in Cannes

RED BULL Media House has announced in Cannes that it will be the media partner for the first private mission to land on the moon, which is set to lift off in the second half of 2019. PTScientists, the Berlin-based company behind the moonshot, was formed to compete for the Google Lunar XPrize in 2008, which challenged privately-funded teams to race to land a robotic spacecraft on the moon. That prize elapsed in March 2018 with no launches planned, but PTScientists, backed by Vodafone, Audi, Omega and now Red Bull, is forging ahead. CEO and founder Robert Boehme attended the launch event in Cannes, where he explained the incredible task facing ALINA, PTScientists’ spacecraft and lunar landing module, which will have to navigate through space and then land lightly on the moon’s surface to deliver its payload safely. And not just anywhere: the target is

the Apollo 17 site, the last place visited by humans, to find the 1972 lunar buggy and search for the final footprints the NASA astronauts left. PTScientists is planning to deploy two roving units at once — Audi lunar quattro rovers capable of carrying 5kg of scientific and camera equipment — and

have one filming the other, so that there will be external pictures of the mission going about its work. A Vodafone-powered 4G LTE network will transfer the data back to ALINA, which will then transmit it back to Earth. Red Bull Media House will develop, produce and licence the

PTScientists’ Robert Boehme

MIPTV News 3 • 31 • 11 April 2018

mission’s live broadcasts, behind-the-scenes footage and additional content, while its Terra Mater Factual Studios will chronicle the project from inception to accomplishment in three hour-long documentaries. Next year is the 50th anniversary of the first moon landings, and is already promising to be rich in lunar celebrations on TV screens. But the space race is hotting up anew, with private companies with the size and clout of Virgin Galactic and Elon Musk’s SpaceX also putting craft into space. And Boehme seems to enjoy the plucky underdog nature of his enterprise. He explained that his company’s name was originally Part-Time Scientists, and said the team used to work “Batman-style” at night around other jobs. “PTScientists believes that space belongs to everyone, and Mission To The Moon will make space accessible for all to explore,” he said.

230_ RM ACCOMODATION_N2a3_TV

Need help with your accommodation for the next shows? Our dedicated team can provide you with • The best rates and conditions in Cannes or nearby

• Secured bookings and centralised payment

Book your next stay with our online booking platform: miptv.b-network.com mipcom.b-network.com

news

JETSEN HUASHI DEAL TAKES YOKO TO CHINA AWARD-WINNING Spanish-Russian pre-school series Yoko has been licensed for online distribution in China by Beijing-based Jetsen Huashi TV. Commissioned by RTVE and ETB in Spain, and produced by Dibulitoon Studio, Somuga and Wizart Animation, Yoko follows the adventures of three children in a local park. It focuses on outdoor play patterns with a social curriculum mixing friendship, nature and imagination. “Yoko has proved to have mass global appeal,” said Dominic Gardiner, CEO of Jetpack Distribution, who brokered the deal. “It contains elements that pre-school kids really love, including magic and adventure. It also highlights the value of play and delivers positive messages.” Tracey Cui, general manager of Jetsen Huashi TV kids entertainment & animation, expects great things of Yoko. “The series will be released online through Tencent, Youku, IQIYI, and more than 10 IPTV channels and OTT platforms, such as MI,” she said. Season two, which comprises 14 episodes, is currently in production and is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2018.

Yoko (Jetpack Distribution)

New chapters begin for DQ Entertainment’s Jungle Book GLOBAL entertainment production and distribution company DQ Entertainment (DQE) has announced a raft of content deals for its flagship Jungle Book properties and other shows. “Viacom 18 India has acquired the rights for Jungle Book season three, as well as re-licensing seasons one and two,” said Manoj Mishra, chief operating officer of DQE, “while Malaysia’s RTM has picked up The

Jungle Book Safari, our live-action and animation show. Discovery Latin America renewed rights for The Jungle Book Christmas special. “To date, we’ve sold the Jungle Book series to 140 countries,” added Mishra. “We’re completing production on season three this year. “DQE has been producing classics since the beginning. We’re on the second series of both

Peter Pan and Robin Hood, our co-production with Method Animation, alongside ZDF Germany, TF1, Disney Channel France and DeAKids Italy. “Our latest IP — The Psammy Show — delves into the story of a sand fairy who grants one wish each day. When the effects fade at sunset, there are consequences. Disney Germany is co-producer and we’ve already sold it to SH Channel 8 for Israel.”

DQE’s Vishnu Ravindranathan, manager, distribution & licensing (left); Tapaas Chakravarti, chairman & CEO; Manoj Mishra, chief operating officer; Swastik Sekhar Patra, assistant vice-president licensing & distribution; and Laurent Amar, marketing manager

Trio join forces for kids content

ALL THE KIDS Entertainment has signed a deal with two separate companies marking the start of a collaborative project to produce original children’s content. The deal between Madrid-based All The Kids and US producers Anders Media and Powwow will see the companies start work together on two new live-action series. The series, Cayo Pico Eco Resort and Space Kids, will be produced and distributed to the markets jointly by Anders Media and Powwow. Space Kids will be made into 26 episodes of 30 minutes, and tell the story of a group of talented kids who get trapped in a rocket headed for the International Space Station, while Cayo Pico Eco Resort is an adventure

show set in an eco-park. All The Kids CEO Joana Carrion said: “The way in which we focus our projects for the kids, tween and teen targets, incorporating important values such as ecology and the motivation for

Space Kids (All The Kids)

MIPTV News 3 • 33 • 11 April 2018

knowledge, has had a fantastic and very positive approval in the market, and we are delighted that prestigious companies such as Powwow and Anders Media have chosen to partner with All The Kids.”

news

INTO INDIA WITH ARMOZA DRAMAS ARMOZA Formats has sold three scripted dramas into India. Indian content and IP-creation studio Applause Entertainment has taken the local rights to psychological crime thriller Hostages (22 x 60 mins), as well as the comedies La Famiglia (30 x 30 mins) and Honey Badgers (12 x 30 mins). Writing, casting and production is already under way, said Sameer Nair, CEO of Applause. He added that the shows were prime examples of Israel’s ability to tell “incredibly universal” stories. Avi Armoza, CEO of Armoza Formats, said India was “one of the most important content arenas in the world”. La Famiglia

PRIME INKS DEAL WITH D-SMART PRIME ENTERTAINMENT GROUP has inked a deal with Turkish television network D-Smart for the series Hollywood’s Best Film Directors (45 x 26 mins) in Cannes. The series will be broadcast on the network’s premium cinema channel. “We have been partners with D-Smart for 10 years for our movie-related catalogue and are proud that they go for our renowned series about the best directors,” said Alexandra Marguerite, head of sales, Prime Entertainment Group. “MIPTV is always the best opportunity for us to promote our content.”

Manuela Salamanca and Alexandra Marguerite of Prime Entertainment Group

Controversial documentary casts fresh light on the whaling industry THE PRODUCER of a controversial documentary discussing the ethics of whale hunting in Japan is at MIPTV to promote her show to the markets. Keiko Yagi is in Cannes to meet broadcasters and online platform operators interested in broadcasting the documentary, Behind The Cove, which is currently featured on Netﬂix. The documentary was made in response to an earlier show, The Cove, which presented a damning portrayal of Japan’s whaling industry. Released in 2009, The Cove won an Academy Award and was praised by animal-rights protestors for its revelations of cruelty in the killing of whales and dolphins. In 2015 Yagi released a documentary, premiering at the Montreal World Film Festival, countering some of the claims made

Behind The Cove producer Keiko Yagi

in what she describes as The Cove’s “sinister political side”. She said that Behind The Cove, centred around the same Japanese town that featured heavily in the original documentary, was an attempt to provide viewers with a more balanced discussion of the argument including the voices of people vehemently opposed to whaling. “This is about trying to make people more aware of this,” Yagi told MIPTV News. “The Japanese whaling industry is actually capturing the species that are not endangered. If you banned this now it would have effects on other species of ﬁsh that the whales eat.” To make the documentary Yagi spent four months living in the coastal town of Taiji, where local ﬁshermen adopt the controversial method of driving large number of dolphins into a small cove to be killed.

The Luminaries to shine on small screen FREMANTLEMEDIA International has acquired the distribution rights to BBC Two’s television adaptation of The Luminaries, the Man Booker Prize-winning novel by Eleanor Catton. The 6 x 60 mins drama is being produced by Working Title Television, in association with FremantleMedia International and Silver Reel TV. Set in the 1860s, it tells an epic tale of love, loss, murder and revenge against the backdrop of New Zealand’s rowdy gold rush. The TV adaptation is being written by Catton. Rebecca Dundon, FremantleMedia International’s director

of acquisitions, scripted, said The Luminaries, with its “alluring characters, surprise twists and immaculate storyline”, is the “perfect illustration” of the types of projects that FremantleMedia is seeking to add to its drama portfolio. Working Title Television’s managing director, Andrew Woodhead, called The Luminaries a “beautiful and magical story”. He added: “Working with Eleanor on our adaptation is such a privilege. She is an exceptional talent as a novelist and, now, screenwriter.” For Claudia Bluemhuber, managing partner of Silver Reel TV,

MIPTV News 3 • 34 • 11 April 2018

the drama “reﬂects today’s zeitgeist of a female character ﬁnding her way”. She added: “Silver Reel’s ambitions are to work on projects that enable us to bring our cinematic language and high production values to the small screen. With Working Title and FremantleMedia, we have found great partners with whom to do exactly that.” The series is executive produced by Eleanor Catton, Andrew Woodhead, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner for Working Title, Mona Qureshi for the BBC, Christian Vesper for FremantleMedia and Claudia Bluemhuber for Silver Reel.

news

Faroe Islands provide stunning backdrop for new Nordic noir

ETK Films’ Gudmund Helmsdal Nielsen (left) and producer Torfinnur Jakupsson

THE FAROE Islands delegation to MIPTV — producers Gudmund Helmsdal Nielsen and Torfinnur Jakupsson — are looking for international co-production partners for two

in-development projects that showcase the dramatic scenery of the North Atlantic islands. ETK Films’ Enter The Kitchen is billed as a cooking show with a body count. “Think Norsk

ninjas or Once Upon A Time In The Faroe Islands,” Helmsdal Nielsen said. “It’s a mash-up of all the genres that have inspired me — classic fantasy, samurai films, spaghetti westerns, mar-

One Media iP puts focus on growth ONE MEDIA IP, which consolidates, exploits and monetises IP property rights around music and video, is in Cannes with 40 years of back catalogue. In addition to numerous classic properties, from Sooty to Skippy, the portfolio includes 3,500 shows from Men & Motors channel, which helped launch the career of Top Gear’s Richard Hammond. The Pinewood Studios-based company is also seeking broadcaster support for its new Men & Motors TV format, targeted at millennials and scheduled for a 2019 release. Hosted by Shane Lynch and Torie Campbell, the show promises a fresh take on cars, bikes, tech and music.

One Media iP delivers music and video content to more than 600 digital stores, including iTunes, Spotify, Amazon and YouTube.

It is now intending to capitalise on the growth of the music sector and ramp up its acquisition strategy. To this end, it was an-

One Media iP’s Michael Infante with managing director Alice Dyson-Jones

MIPTV News 3 • 35 • 11 April 2018

tial-arts movies — sprinkled with delicious cooking and absurd, Pythonesque comedy.” Written and created by Jakupsson, Trom is based on the crime novels of Jogvan Isaksen. A Nordic noir drama with a documentary twist, the story starts with the discovery of the body of an animal-rights activist in the blood-stained waters of a whale hunt. “The film looks at all sides of the animal-rights issue and the global controversy around whaling in the Faroes,” Jakupsson said. The Faroese production industry is young but growing fast, thanks to a 25% tax incentive, a recently opened film institute and a new generation of talented film-makers. The first Faroese feature film, Sakari Stora’s Dreams By The Sea, was released last year and is proving a critical success on the international festival scene. And then there is the unspoilt and largely unfilmed beauty of the remote island archipelago, with its 50,000-strong population. “The Faroes are like a small New Zealand,” Jakupsson said. “You can film on a relatively low budget and it will look fantastic.”

nounced in December that TV industry legend Lord Michael Grade and ex-Pinewood Studios CEO Ivan Dunleavy had acquired around 15% of One Media in an equity investment totalling $375,000 (€300,000) — a vote of confidence in both the health of the music industry and the “massive future” ahead for streaming video, said Michael Infante, the company’s CEO and chairman. On Monday, it was announced that Grade and Dunleavy have joined One Media iP’s board as non-executive director and nonexecutive chairman respectively. “We are aiming to become a major audio and visual aggregator,” Infante added. “In the next two or three years, we want to scale up, quadruple our business and invest in more legacy content.”

140_ANIMATION XPRESS_N1a3_TV

news

RTL HRVATSKA IN MMA RIGHTS DEAL KSW, THE Polish mixed martial arts organisation, has signed a license agreement with RTL Hrvatska, the Croatian commercial broadcaster, for the upcoming KSW43 Gala contests on April 14 in Wroclaw. RTL Hrvatska will be the exclusive television partner for the Gala, including the title defence of Croatia’s MMA welterweight champion, Roberto Soldic. RTL has licensed an extensive media rights package, including live transmission, highlights, digital and archive material, to be shown across its different platforms. “We are partnering with a television powerhouse like RTL in order to bring the best of MMA to the fans in Croatia,” Martin Lewandowski, co-owner of KSW, said. “This is another important step in our international growth strategy, and I am sure the audience will support the local champion Roberto Soldic in his first defence of the KSW belt in the welterweight division.” “`We are looking forward to our partnership as the sport of MMA continues its dynamic growth,” Filip Zunec, head of programme licensing at RTL Hrvatska, added.

BANIJAY PICKS UP VIDAGO PALACE HIT DRAMA series Vidago Palace (6 x 60 mins), the first drama co-production between RTP (Portugal) and TVG (Spain), is to be distributed by Banijay Rights. A story of love across the class divide, set against the glamorous background of a luxury hotel in early 20th-century Portugal, the series gained public service broadcaster RTP its highest ratings in three years. Directed by Henrique Oliveira, and produced by Portocabo and Hop!, the drama stars Mikaela Lupu, David Seijo, Pedro Barroso and Anabela Teixeira.

Africa Channel and Cote Ouest alliance fuels global ambitions THE AFRICA Channel and Cote Ouest have signed a strategic alliance in which the parties will jointly pursue distribution, licensing and production opportunities across the globe. The Africa Channel is the largest broadcaster and producer of African-themed content in North America and Cote Ouest, based in Ivory Coast, is the world’s largest distributor of African content. Under terms of the agreement, Cote Ouest will become a principal supplier of content for The Africa Channel’s linear platform. Programmes supplied in 2018 include premium scripted series, including Shampaign, a story about the election of the first female Ghanaian president. Cote Ouest will also supply high-end content to The Africa Channel’s digital platform, Demand Africa. The alliance also includes a distribution agreement, whereby Cote Ouest will provide The Africa Channel content

to French-speaking territories worldwide and a co-production agreement. “This strategic alliance brings together two of the world’s leading providers of African-themed content, to the benefit of audiences in the US and around the globe,” Narendra Reddy, executive vice-president and general manager for

The Africa Channel, said. “We look forward to co-producing new programming with Cote Ouest; to introducing our viewers to their outstanding content library; and to Cote Ouest’s introduction of our content to French-speaking territories. This is a major step in our growth plans for 2018 and beyond.”

Shampaign (Cote Ouest)

Format is reborn for social media age TWO OF the hottest trends in formats — physical challenge and social media — are brought together in Test Of Friends, a primetime game show that has launched internationally at MIPTV. Produced by Japanese media giant TV Asahi and youngest Media, the independent studio co-founded by David Flynn, former Endemol Shine UK chief creative officer, Test Of Friends is based on Challengers On Fire, a hit Japanese show from the 1990s. Youngest Media has reinvented the format for the social media generation.

Motoko Nakai, TV Asahi’s director of international business development, said that youngest Media had helped to create a new show with “a fresh and universal feel”. Challengers On Fire aired on TV Asahi for five years. Its 190 episodes contain a vast number of weird and wonderful challenges, such as couples struggling to kiss while held apart by bungee cords, and pairs of friends attempting to play table tennis while changing into fancy dress. In Test Of Friends, contestants nominate a social media friend to take on challenges in return

MIPTV News 3 • 37 • 11 April 2018

for a share of the prize pot. Flynn said: “The moment we saw Challengers On Fire, we loved the inventiveness and wit. With Test Of Friends, these have been given a modern twist that will work for any territory looking for entertainment that appeals across the generations.” Test Of Friends was one of the formats selected for the Treasure Box Japan showcase on Saturday. It was presented to the MIPFormats audience by Yuka Kakui, TV Asahi’s head of format development and sales, international business development.

news

GLOBAL HAS RIGHTS FOR NTV DRAMA GLOBAL Agency has taken the worldwide rights for the historical drama Aria Of The Doomed, originally produced and released by NTV Russia. The acquisition of the series, which tells the story of women’s lives in Stalinist prison camps, provides more evidence of growing popularity of Russian content. “We are proud of the fact that Global Agency appreciated our new historical drama,” Timur Weinstein, general producer at the NTV Broadcasting Company, said. “The unfolding saga of human kindness and strength of spirit in the face of the most unimaginable ordeal in the most inhumane conditions will touch everyone’s hearts.” “Our goal is to deliver this epic content to all around the world and we hope Aria Of The Doomed will be loved by audiences worldwide,” Izzet Pinto, founder & CEO of Global Agency, said.

BAPTISTE BACK IN BBC PRODUCTION BAPTISTE, a new drama starring Tcheky Karyo as the insightful but stubborn investigator Julien Baptiste, was produced by Two Brothers Pictures for BBC One, in association with distributor all3media international. “Julien Baptiste is very dear to me, so I’m really excited to be following his journey to the streets of Amsterdam and seeing what dark secrets he unveils this time,” Karyo said. Filming starts later this year in Amsterdam and Belgium. “It’s a pleasure to be working with brilliant Tcheky Karyo, who brings such depth and individuality to Julien,” producers Harry and Jack Williams, said.

Tcheky Karyo who plays investigator Julien Baptiste

Poland’s NC+ ‘like a kid in a candy store’ over ARTE deal ARTE Distribution (France) has renewed its output deal with the Polish NC+ group of channels. Over the next three years around 50 hours a year from all genres will head to Poland, destined mainly fordocumentary channel Planete+, with some going to Kuchnia+ and Domo+, its food- and home- and garden-focused sister channels respectively. “As a distributor, we invest in a lot of content from over 100 producers, and this helps us do that. We like having Planete+ as a privileged partner,” ARTE’s head of international sales Celine Payot Lehmann said. ARTE has everything from culture and music documentaries, to history, music, travel and biography on its books. “It’s a great combination of variety and quality,” NC+ programming manager Joanna Zawistowska said. She added: “The Polish market is competitive at the moment, there are a lot of people wanting this kind of content. I’m like a kid in a candy store.” Sex Revolutions (2 x 52 mins) about the social and cultural impact of the sexual revolution

of the 1960s, Happiness On A Plate, a food show, and Amazing Gardens will be part of the agreement. And some pre-sales projects — of which ARTE has around 30 hours under way at

any one time — are also included in the deal. “Venturing into pre-sales is a first for us in an output deal,” Zawistowska said.

ARTE’s Sophie Soghomonian (left); NC+’s Joanna Zawistowska and ARTE’s Celine Payot Lehmann

O3–Beta deal aims to bridge divide O3 PRODUCTIONS, the production arm of free-to-air pan-Arab satellite broadcaster MBC is partnering with Beta Film on a multi-series deal to co-produce scripted projects that bridge Middle Eastern and European markets. The deal is O3’s first major partnership with a European distributor and a number of series are already in development under the new agreement. O3 Productions will develop projects out of the MENA region that include a strong European

angle. The current slate includes a crime series set between Iraq and Scandinavia; a thriller that straddles Germany and Lebanon and the organised crime links between the countries; and a Cairo-set drama that follow decades of international espionage rivalry between the great powers. “We are proud to be pioneering a unique collaboration which will combine creative talent from the Arab and European regions and bring fresh, original programming to the global market,” said Fadi Ismail, group

MIPTV News 3 • 38 • 11 April 2018

director of O3 Productions. “With Beta Films’ connections to the international broadcast and production community and the wealth of creative talent at O3 Productions, we believe we can bring audiences around the world compelling new stories from a region that has all too often been misrepresented.” Moritz von Kruedener, managing director of Beta Film, said: “Our partnership will mark a big step in bringing the incredible creative talent of the Arab world to an international audience.”

203_RM THANK YOU_N3&4_TV

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR! 8-11 April 2019 www.miptv.com

6-7 April 2019

THANK YOU FOR COMING

211_RED BULL_N3_TV

THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR A NEW AGE OF EXPLORERS.

US @ T I S I V OTH O B USE 07.N1 O H EDIA IVIERA M L L R D BU