MIPTV 2019 NEWS 3 by MIPMarkets

NEWS 3 Wednesday 10 April 2019

The Swim A film supporting the UN’s Sustainable Goals

Twitch’s Michael Aragon gives a Game Changers Keynote

Ash Atalla’s Creative Masterclass at MIPTV

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Dublin Murders 8 x 1 hour | Produced by Euston Films for BBC One

An atmospheric, psychological thriller adapted from Tana French’s award-winning novels.

Beecham House

6 x 1 hour | Produced by Bend It Television for ITV

An epic drama following the fortunes of the owner and staff of a splendid pre-colonial Indian mansion, from BAFTA nominated Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham, Viceroy’s House).

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Baghdad Central 6 x 1 hour | Produced by Euston Films for Channel 4

A crime thriller set in the ruins of a fallen city. Starring Waleed Zuaiter and Corey Stoll.

The Luminaries

6 x 1 hour | Produced by Working Title in association with Silver Reel for BBC Two

A sweeping adaptation based on the bestselling, Man Booker Prize-winning novel. Starring Eve Hewson and Eva Green.

Extr ordinary drama www.fmscreenings.com

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The cast of French documentary Kings

Peyton List, star of Viacom’s Light As A Feather

Jessica Lucas, star of APC’s The Murders

Ilene Chaiken, showrunner and Medaille d’Honneur recipient

Jean-Marc Genereux, jury member of Telefilm Canada’s Dance Revolution

MIPTV News 3 •

• 10 April 2019

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Ceremony MC Monsieur Poulpe (left), with vlogger and actress Natoo

Nina Toussaint-White, star of All3Media’s The Feed

French actor Nora Arnezeder

Guy Burnet, star of All3Media’s The Feed

Jury member Katheryn Winnick

MIPTV News 3 •

• 10 April 2019

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12-13 October 2019 Cannes France

The World’s Showcase for Kids Programming

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2 days / 1,600 delegates / 1,400 programmes, projects and IPs / 664 buyers incl. 136 commissioners

14-17 October 2019 Driving the content economy

Cannes by day and night...

Business as usual in the Palais

Waiting for the Emmy Kids Awards hopefuls

Down to business on the exhibition ﬂoor

MIPTV News 3 •

• 10 April 2019

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TWITCH SHOWS HOW TO PLAY GEN Z’S GAME MICHAEL Aragon, the senior vice-president of content at international streaming platform Twitch, will be discussing the characteristics that make the streaming platform significant to the future of entertainment during his keynote today. With a background that includes overseeing the use of digital videos, music and original content on Sony’s PlayStation Network, Aragon is now responsible for the acquisition and development of digital-first gaming and non-gaming content on one of the world’s biggest streaming platforms. He is also behind the presence of TV favourites like Pokemon, the animation based on the hit Nintendo game, on Twitch. He will give insights into how its live interactive format is influencing the future of audience engagement, based on its appeal to the Gen Z and millennial demographics, who are said to show little interest in traditional linear TV. Acquired by tech behemoth Amazon for the then record-breaking sum of $970m in 2014, Twitch has since gained a reputation as the ultimate destination for fans of multi-player video-gaming, professional esports and other digitally created shows.

Michael Aragon

Chaiken challenges young writers

to be passionate and political WRITERS seeking to progress in TV should “study the craft and write with a passionate agenda,” said showrunner Ilene Chaiken in her MIPTV keynote yesterday. Chaiken has done that during her own career. Series like The L Word, Empire and The Handmaid’s Tale have challenged orthodox opinions about the stories and characters audiences want to see on TV. In a wide-ranging discussion, she gave delegates intriguing insights into the function of writers’ rooms: “a great experience — a collective effort where the end result is greater than the sum of the parts”. Initially on The L Word, she was advised to hire a team of seasoned writers — irrespective of their personal experience of lesbianism. “But I quickly learned that the only people who could really write stories about lesbians were women who’d lived that experience,” she said. She took this learning into showrunning Fox’s hit franchise Empire, a series focused on an African American family. “My responsibility was to listen, then assemble a staff capable of telling their stories.” Asked whether it was possible to create an entertainment series while also presenting a social agenda, she argued “the two are not antithetical. The energy and drive of the latter feeds the former”.

Ilene Chaiken

DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS Paul Zilk MARKETING DIRECTOR Mathieu Regnault

NEWS 3 Wednesday 10 April 2019 www.miptv.com

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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 Sub Editors Neil Churchman, Neil Crossley, Nigel Willmott MIPTV News Online Editor Sunnie Newby 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 ADVERTISING CONTACT IN CANNES Silvia Ferreira: +33 7 78 35 43 99 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 © 2019, Reed MIDEM Market Publications. Publication registered 2nd quarter 2019. ISSN 1967-5178. Printed on PEFC Certified Paper.

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• 10 April 2019

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Perfect partners tell audience how to form a Federation of talents TUESDAY’s second Game Changers Keynote featured Pascal Breton, founder and CEO of Federation Entertainment, alongside Patrick Wachsburger, founder and CEO of Picture Perfect Entertainment, talking about their new joint-venture, Picture Perfect Federation. Wachsburger explained how

the new company came about. “I had been at Lionsgate for over six years and decided to take a break and decide what I wanted to do next,” he said. “So, while on my break I got a concept that I thought could work, but I didn’t want to do it alone. I had known Pascal for years and have huge admira-

Patrick Wachsburger

tion for what he and Federation have achieved, so I asked him if he was interested in working with me.” Breton took up the story. “For me it was a no-brainer because at Federation we always aim to work with friends, we’re a bit like a family really, and one that is currently expanding into Italy

Pascal Breton

The Office humour driving Ash Atalla

Roughcut TV’s Ash Atalla: “Either you have an angle, or don’t bother”

and Spain,” he said. “Plus, after 30 years in the industry, you really know who the best are — and Patrick’s one of them.” Picture Perfect Federation has already announced that two books by Allison Pataki about Empress Elisabeth of Austria, The Accidental Empress and Sisi: Empress On Her Own, are being developed for TV. During the keynote, they also announced that the company has acquired rights to bestseller Ramses by Christian Jacq.

ASH ATALLA has forged a career out of making workplaces funny — in spite of being fired from his first two jobs. “I’m fascinated by mundanity,” the multi-award-winning managing director of Roughcut TV said at his Creative Masterclass: Comedy In Demand session. “And I love it that when you enter a company, you cross that threshold and you become something else — a cleaner, a CEO, a computer expert.” Atalla started in BBC Comedy. There he met Stephen Merchant, with whom — alongside Ricky Gervaise — he created The Office. Did they realise they had a

worldwide hit on their hands? “No,” Atalla said. “And nor did anyone else. Because of our inexperience we were given mentors from the sitcom Only Fools And Horses, and they were very confused. One of the crew resigned because she’d just spent four hours filming a photocopier.” This was followed by The IT Crowd, Trollied, People Just Do Nothing, Stath Lets Flats, and many more. What’s his secret? “Youth. I hire young people, because ignorance in comedy is a good thing; and 50% of my team are women, because comedy can be a boys’ club. And I don’t get in-

MIPTV News 3 • 10 • 10 April 2019

volved in every project too early. I just tell them ‘Show me when you’re ready’.” What’s his advice to writers and producers today? “The world wants really distinctive stories, not yet another flat-share show. Either have an angle, or don’t bother. And if you’re sending material to a production company, don’t send it to the boss. Find a more junior producer and get a dialogue going with them.” And the future? Does the arrival of streaming herald a golden age of comedy? “It does and it doesn’t,” Atalla said. “Drama travels, but comedy’s having a hard time going global. It needs to think bigger, double its budget and play on big platforms.”

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14-17 October 2019 Cannes France

The World’s Entertainment Content Market

12-13 October 2019 Driving the content economy

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Drama Pitch starts with murder but ends with a good year THE SECOND installment of In Development Drama Producers’ Pitch presented four more innovative projects from writers and producers seeking international development and financial partners. Laurine Garaude, director of Reed MIDEM’s Television Division, opened the session with the news that 375 projects from 41 countries submitted projects this year. “In Development is at the heart of MIPTV, this is a part that we are growing, expanding, and it really matters because everybody today needs to find the best content, the best talent, the best projects,” Garaude said. First up was 10 Bullets, a Greek-Serbian crime drama that the creators want to be the pioneer of a new “Balkan noir” TV and film genre. Set in post-financial crisis Athens, a city riven with inequality and social instability, 10 Bullets begins when two homeless people are caught in the middle of a mafia shootout. After stealing a gun loaded

with 10 bullets from the fallen successor to the Serbian mafia throne, they use the gun to seek justice and get a new start in life. From Israel, For The Sake Of The Child is a family-relationship drama series with a proce-

dural twist in which a murder is seemingly committed so that a couple can keep custody of their foster child, the son of an African refugee woman who abandoned him in hospital. Set in contemporary Tel Aviv, the

Orly Vilnai and Guy Meroz pitch For The Sake Of The Child

Short-form series with big ambitions

Life XP: testing cutting-edge VR systems

series is inspired by true events experienced by creators Guy Meroz and wife Orly Vilnai. A Good Year is a highly original Belgian comedy-drama in which a disgraced but likeable duo break into a country house in the Ardennes and discover bottles of 1937 Chateau Rycler that may have belonged to Hitler; while Ice Valley is a suspense mystery from Norway in which young university students are drawn into a supernatural nightmare

PRODUCERS from six countries pitched their short-form drama series to five experienced web commissioners at the Oh My Pitch: Drama Short Form Series session on Tuesday. Life XP, from Ebnerds Multi Media Entertainment of Canada, follows Angela, whose job is to test cutting-edge VR systems, and whose repeated failures uncover hidden secrets. The deceptively gentle-sounding Twinky Doo’s Magic World, pitched by Francesca Detti and Alessandro Izzo of i Licaoni Digital Studio from Italy, is a dark heist drama including scary visions, hostages and explosives. Cafe Primo is about a mass MIPTV News 3 • 12 • 10 April 2019

shooting, and the stories revealed in its investigation, from Assaf Machnes of Israel. Homoscope is about a young woman changing her life completely — and finding it harder than she expected, from Bridges’ Eric Pellegrin of France In A Foreign Town follows three unsuspecting visitors into a strange world full of horrific experiences tailor-made for them. The series is produced by Butcher Bird Studios from the US. Interworld, from Macchiato Pictures of Germany, is about a young girl living on the border of East and West Germany in 1984 who one night witnesses two ghostly beings. But telling people about it proves to be a dangerous mistake.

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Staying awesome, authentic and relevant AWESOMENESS co-heads Rebecca Glashow and Shelley Zimmerman, in Cannes for a Game Changers Keynote appearance with actor Peyton List, believe that the underlying reason for the success of the company is a combination of authenticity and relevance. “We are so passionate about Generation V and what we produce,” Zimmerman said. “And that means that we look for people who speak authentically, plus we dig deep to find the really great stories.” This profound connection to its audience comes from Awesomeness’ early days on YouTube: “You have a direct connection to your viewers, and the reactions to what you’re doing are immediate,” Glashow said. “It’s still the entertainment business but our approach is very pure, we don’t talk at our audience, we discuss things with them.” Awesomeness also knows how to spot talent. “We work with an amazing generation who are like no other in history

Awesomeness co-heads Rebecca Glashow (left) and Shelley Zimmerman

because they’ve grown up in a world where everyone has mobile devices,” Zimmerman added. “They display a huge level of commitment and are

really connected to their audience. Rebecca and I come from a generation that looked to its parents for guidance, but this generation just gets on with it.

Jensen goes local to beat globals

NENT’s Anders Jensen

ANDERS Jensen, CEO of Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT), the owner of Scandinavian streaming platform Viaplay, used his MIPTV Keynote to tell delegates that investment in local content will be the company’s key differentiator from global rivals like Netflix. “There is no substitute for local scripted content,” he said. “It’s the most credible way for us to stay ahead of companies like Netflix. Currently we are producing around 20 Viaplay originals a year but I think we need to get to 40 a year — almost one a week.” This strategy will require heavy continued investment — so Jensen said that the content would also need to appeal to the internaMIPTV News 3 • 14 • 10 April 2019

Working with people like Peyton List and Noah Centineo (Tagged) is a total privilege.” Centineo’s second feature film Perfect Date is out April 15.

tional market. “The idea is to work with partners on shows that can work internationally. Then we will feed any revenues we make from the international market back into future original productions.” Interestingly, Jensen said that local productions don’t necessarily need to be in Nordic languages — opening up the possibility of English-language co-productions created with the Nordics as a primary target: “I think being local will still demand a global mindset. My view is that the actors are more important than the language.” Jensen was very clear that the future of TV will be about streaming. He said: “There are 12.3 million homes in the Nordics and streaming penetration is at 45%. Viaplay is at about 10.5% penetration, so there’s a lot of room for us to grow.”

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Greymatter’s Bhagat predicts bright future for 4K in India ALTHOUGH still in the early development stages, 4K broadcast TV has the potential to be big business in India, according to speakers during the session on India: Spicing Up 4K. With its population of almost 1.4 billion and the imminent prospect of becoming the world’s ﬁfth biggest economy, India has a promising 4K future, said Chandradev Bhagat, founder of production group Greymatter Entertainment, which also specialises in live-sports coverage. Despite the fact that 4K is very expensive to operate and the availability of the required satellite bandwidth is restricted in India, Bhagat said the country’s prospects should not be underestimated. “Compared to the developed

economies, the rate of adoption in India has tended to be faster,” he said. “What takes 20 years in the West takes ﬁve to seven years in our part of the world. And even just 1% of our population could mean a large number of 4K viewers.” Rupin Dang, CEO of New Delhi-based factual-TV specialist Wilderness Films, noted that the industry has already started talking about 16K, which is 64 times as detailed as standard TV. “But the human eye is not improving and won’t be able to handle it,” he said. “So, before we can even think of 8K, we need to ﬁgure out how to improve 4K’s current post-production issues.” Other speakers were Travelxp’s Sumant Bahl, and Food Looking’s Ashraf Abbas.

Greymatter Entertainment’s Chandradev Bhagat

‘Need to be here to plant the seeds’

Burnt Onion Productions’ Rethabile Ramaphakela

AFRICAN producers have been urged to attend international networking events like MIPTV if they want to get a shot at selling their shows to a global audience. During the session Global Hotspot: Producers To Watch From Africa, media guru Mo Abudu, CEO of Nigeria-based EbonyLife Media, invited African content creators to share their experiences when targeting international audiences. She said: “Until you decide to invest in coming here, you will never see any returns. If we want our stories told, we have to make sure we’re in the room.” Interviewee Rethabile Ramaphakela, creative director/co-owner at Johannesburg-based Burnt Onion MIPTV News 3 • 15 • 10 April 2019

Productions, agreed. “Many producers don’t come here because they find it expensive — but you need to be here to plant the seeds to continue to grow.” Burnt Onion, which has produced numerous hits for South African public broadcaster SABC, made Bedford Wives, a comedy drama on Amazon Prime. Kagiso Lediga, the co-founder of South Africa’s Diprente Films, said the company does try to make its South African content accessible to international audiences. Lediga, whose company made history as the producer of Netflix’s first Original Series from Africa, added: “If you attempt to speak to a broader audience, even if it is to other Africans, you find the production does become global.”

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Chinese drama series mix old and new, family and history

Virginia Mouseler of The Wit

“CHINESE drama has many different layers and different tones, with beautiful direction,” Virginia Mouseler of The Wit said

as she introduced the China TV Series Showcase screenings. The series mix contemporary stories and life in modern China with an

emphasis on family and history. On The Road (56 x 45 mins) dramatises a young man’s struggle in the world of modern busi-

How sport links social media to OTT INTRODUCING the panel for From TV To OTT – How To Transform Content And Create Value, Mark Parkman, general manager of the Olympic Channel, said that creating value boils down to inspiring viewers and driving them to your OTT platform, from both social media and broadcast TV, creating a circular audience. “Our underlying mission is to inspire the younger generation by showing that athletes generally, and especially Olympians, are awesome people,” he said. An unexpected result, according to Jeff Nathenson, managing director at Whistle Sports, is that if you get the traffic to flow between social media and the OTT platform in the right context, the admiration goes both ways.

“We talk about the digital divide, especially between broadcast

TV and YouTube. But working with the Olympic Channel gave

On stage in Cannes: Mark Parkman of the Olympic Channel (left), Jukin Media’s Lee Essner and Jeff Nathenson of Whistle Sports

MIPTV News 3 • 17 • 10 April 2019

ness, while Entrepreneurial Age (54 x 45 mins) looks at the cutthroat business of working on apps — and sees its hero fall in love with one of his investors. Wonderful Life (45 x 45 mins) tells the touching story of a man who receives a heart transplant, and then falls in love with his donor’s wife; and The Family (55 x 45 mins) takes viewers back to 1976, and to an earthquake that devastates a village and brings six people together to form a new family, in a story of love and the ties we form beyond blood relations. In The Way We Were (55 x 45 mins), a young student falls in love with the son of a suspect in her lawyer father’s trial; and Youth Fight (38 x 45 mins) tells the story of the interweaving lives of five ordinary girls working, living and loving in Beijing after they graduate. Also shown were Flipped In My Youth (55 x 45 mins), about a construction worker and a sales assistant taking on life’s struggles; and Memories Of Peking (55 x 45 mins), which delves into China’s history.

us the opportunity to create inspiring situations where YouTube stars are working out with Olympic athletes in what we refer to as ‘hero’ features. “In this case, YouTube is driving traffic to the Olympic Channel, and perhaps most importantly, once we started creating these mini-features, we were approached by quite a few Olympians wanting to be featured with YouTubers.” Jukin Media president and chief operating officer Lee Essner said sport was a force for good on many levels. “Sport has helped us to increase traffic, but it also sends out positive messages. Even though much of the material that attracts a lot of hits is negative, sport remains a force for good and it is safe for brands to be involved with,” he said.

NURTURING TALENT AND CREATIVITY AT A TIME when MIPTV is placing increased emphasis on identifying creative talent at the early stages of production and development, for example through In Development, co-created with CANNESERIES; Marie Barraco, the organiser of Fontainebleau-based Serie Series, says her event (now in its eighth year) has also been contributing to the TV ecosystem by spotting emerging writing talent. Rising stars to have appeared at previous editions of Serie Series include Norway’s Johan Fasting, whose first series Home Ground aired on NRK in March 2018, and France’s Sarah Malleon, who has written episodes for TF1 and France TV series. Barraco also identifies a wave of Eastern-European talent including Bulgarian screenwriter and director Pavel Vesnakov (Father’s Day) and Klara Juzova, Klara Vlasakova and Radek Hosenseidl, the team behind Czech TV’s The Lynching. According to Barraco, the early years of Serie Series tended to be dominated by UK and Nordic content, “but we’re seeing more projects from markets like Spain, France and Italy”. An Italian team that gained profile via the event was Sofia Bruschetta, Ivano Fachin, Giovanni Galassi and Tommaso Matano, who developed Survivors for RAI. Serie Series 2019 will take place from July 1 to 3 and bring together 700 professionals from across Europe for screenings, masterclasses and case studies. Barraco said: “It’s an opportunity for people on the content side to meet each other, share and learn.”

Drama writers pitch in with challenging new concepts MIPTV’s annual Drama Writers’ Pitch again featured original and often provocative projects from emerging and seasoned writers seeking development funding and co-production collaborators. First up at a packed Drama Creative Room in the Palais was The Kinks, a one-hour “psycho-sexual circus” drama by American writer and director Rachel Feldman that focuses on the ambiguous moral and ethical machinations of a maverick sex therapist, Dr Erica Novak. Also a medical procedural, The Kinks’ protagonist “functions as a weapon for police and the FBI”, Feldman told the audience. The heroine only has one rule: “zero tolerance for those who inflict terror upon others”. Next up was Hello Dolly by UK

writer Johnny Maginn, a dark comedy series set in a British sex-doll factory, that reflects on the struggles of ordinary workers in the Brexit age. No matter how hard these sex doll artisans work, none can afford to live, let alone satisfy their desires. That’s until key protagonist Christie takes the first steps to becoming a reluctant revolutionary after he is asked to fit a golden vagina to a sex doll for a Far Eastern president whose population is starving. “I wanted it to be about pain and pleasure,” Maginn told the audience. The following two pitches took a more historical approach, with Black Times set during the 14th-century plague in southern France, and pitched as a metaphor for contemporary dark

UK writer Johnny Maginn pitches Hello Dolly

times as the impact of climate change looms: while The Tribe is a post-WWI Warsaw-set drama in which suffering women take the law, and lawlessness, into their own hands as they become brutal gangsters. “Some women fear crime, others simply become it,” reads the tagline to the proposed series pitched by Agata Koschmieder.

Reed MIDEM entertainment director Jerome Delhaye addresses guests at the MIPDrama Buyers cocktail sponsored by BBPA

Blomgren delivers co-pro Masterclass THE GROWING demand for non-English-language drama and international co-productions was the focus of a thought-provoking Creative Masterclass during In Development on Monday. The key speaker was Lars Blomgren, head of scripted at the prolific Endemol Shine Group (ESG), in conversation with German producer Philipp Kreuzer, co-founder of Maze Pictures. Blomgren, who has overseen the international rollout of Bron/The Bridge, said he is a big fan of the co-production model. “We were pioneers with co-pros because we had to be — with the budgets we were

working on. But I’d say the big change now is that co-pro is a lot more professional.” Blomgren provided some insights into upcoming ESG drama projects including an adaptation of Amitav Ghosh’s Ibis Trilogy. Directed by Shekhar

Endemol Shine’s Lars Blomgren

MIPTV News 3 • 18 • 10 April 2019

Kapur, the project tells the story of the British opium trade in the early 1800s. “It’s a fantastic piece of IP. It’s like Narcos but with the drugs trade backed by the British government.” Asked about the challenges involved with securing talent, he said the most important factor “is not so much the money offered but being able to demonstrate the project will actually get made”. On deals that tie talent exclusively to platforms, he said: “I don’t like them and advise against them, because the talent can get stuck in a mindset for five to 10 years. I encourage them to go for projects they love.”

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Ultra High-Definition

Top Billing for 4K/HDR. 8K Making its Debut at Cannes April 8 -11 2019 AUDI I: The SONY UHD THEATRE (level 4) Moderator: Chris Forrester, Journalist & Consultant

WEDNESDAY 10TH APRIL 09.30 ¡Hola! A SPANISH SELECTION IN 4K 10.30 Spanish broadcasters and programme makers are embracing

4K. MIPTV will showcase material from RTVE, MediaPro, Wild Stories and Medina Media. RTVE (La 2 TV) will show an amazing ‘World Heritage Cities of Spain’, and ‘Murillo, the joy of Baroque’, which will captivate audiences. Luisa Penabaz, Evaluation executive, La 2 TV, RTVE Spain Beatriz Setuain, Director of Imagina International Sales, Mediapro Spain Pablo Aleman, Managing Director, Wild Stories Spain Maria Medina, General Manager, Medina Media Spain

11.15 12.00

A SPECTACULAR 4K SMORGASBORD

A variety of 4K productions from the MUSEUM Channel, MyZen TV. The Museum Channel is carving out a very interesting portfolio of 4K programming, and will take MIPTV delegates into ‘Artist’s Workshop’, a documentary production on Le Corbusier, instruction series ‘Sketchbook’, ‘Travellers’ which takes viewers into museums and ‘Art News’, a daily news magazine dedicated to Art. MyZen TV is a brand-new channel that will launch at MIPTV. Sébastien Meyssan, General Manager, The Museum Channel France Nela Pavlouskova, MD, MyZEN TV France

14.00 15.00

4K IS CENTRE STAGE IN RUSSIA

16.15 17.15

A 4K MASTERCLASS CONNECTING WITH YOUR AUDIENCE USING UHD & HDR

Tricolor is Russia’s largest and most adventurous pay-TV operator. It has provided digital TV services throughout the European part of Russia since 2005 as well as the territories of The Urals, Siberia and The Far East. Tricolor will show clips from some of their Drama productions, as well as Sport and other programming captured in 4K. The panel will also discuss the peculiarities of the Russian market, and including the prospects for 4K in Russia. Arsen Khomutov, Tricolor TV Russia Nikolaï Orlov, Regional VP for Russia & Ukraine, Eutelsat Russia

A producer’s guide to getting the most out of Ultra HD and High Dynamic Range. Peter Sykes, Strategic Technology Development Manager, Sony UK

THURSDAY 11TH APRIL 10.00 12.00

THE SONY SIZZLE SESSIONS

In partnership with

The very best of the past 3 days of spectacular 4K screenings

Conference Partner:

Knowledge Partner:

Event Partner:

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WEDNESDAY 10 APRIL MORNING

AFTERNOON

MORNING

DRAMA CREATIVE ROOM

DEBUSSY THEATRE

MIP GAMECHANGERS KEYNOTES

AFTERNOON

DATA DOWNLOAD

10.00-10.30 MICHAEL ARAGON, TWITCH

DRAMA - KIDS NON-SCRIPTED

11.00-11.30 THE FUTURE 100: TRENDS AND CHANGES DISRUPTING BEHAVIOUR IN 2019 In partnership with JWT Intelligence

DEBUSSY THEATRE

12.45-13.30 FRESH TV FICTION In partnership with The WIT

11.30-12.00 ‘THE SWIM’ WITH BEN LECOMTE, LONG-DISTANCE SWIMMER AND ACTIVIST

SONY 4K ULTRA HD THEATRE CHILL OUT CAFÉ

4K AND 8K ULTRA HD

8.00-9.30 READY, STEADY, GO Morning fuel-up Breakfast served

9.30-10.30 ¡Hola! A SPANISH SELECTION IN 4K 11.15-12.00 A SPECTACULAR 4K SMORGASBORD

SONY 4K ULTRA HD THEATRE

14.00-15.00 4K IS CENTRE STAGE IN RUSSIA 16.15-17.15 A 4K MASTERCLASS CONNECTING WITH YOUR AUDIENCE USING UHD & HDR

DRAMA CREATIVE ROOM DRAMA MATCHING ROOM

IN DEVELOPMENT THE CANNES DRAMA CREATIVE FORUM

8.30-9.30 IN THE HOT SEAT: ROUND-TABLE NETWORKING BREAKFAST By pre-selection 11.00-12.00 IT’S A MATCH WITH PRODUCERS By pre-selection

Discover. Connect. Greenlight.

14.30-15.00 UNPACKING NEW PRODUCTION MODELS IN EASTERN EUROPE: ‘THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE’ 15.15-15.45 CREATIVE MASTERCLASS: INTERNATIONAL CONTENT STRATEGIES 16.00-17.00 OH MY PITCH: DRAMA PRODUCERS’ PITCH Followed by Winners’ announcement

AUDITORIUM K

SCREENINGS

8.30-9.45 ‘THE MURDERS’ Presented by About Premium Content

DRAMA CREATIVE ROOM

9.40-10.40 OH MY PITCH: DRAMA PRODUCERS’ PITCH 12.00-12.45 PODCASTS: EL DORADO FOR THE SCRIPTED SCENE?

IN DEVELOPMENT KIDS Discover. Connect. Greenlight.

KIDS CREATIVE ROOM

MIP CAMPUS CHILL OUT CAFÉ

17.00-18.00 CATCH UP DRINKS

KIDS CREATIVE ROOM

9.30-10.00 30 MINUTES WITH LAYLA LEWIS, NICKELODEON 10.15-10.45 30 MINUTES WITH BRENDA BISNER, KIDOODLE.TV

11.00-12.00 MIPTV STUDENT PITCH CHALLENGE 12.15-12.45 LEGAL RIGHTS AND WRONGS

VERRIERE GRAND AUDITORIUM

NETWORKING EVENTS

8.30-10.00 WOMEN’S MENTORING BREAKFAST (THE MIPCOM FOLLOW UP) Co-hosted with MediaClub’Elles By invitation

Full programme available at www.miptv.com

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OFFICIAL CONFERENCE & SCREENINGS HIGHLIGHTS MIP GAME CHANGERS During Keynotes on MIPTV’s main stage, visionary leaders and creative masterminds reveal how they push boundaries to create compelling content and reach global audiences.

CREATIVE MASTERCLASS: INTERNATIONAL CONTENT STRATEGIES 15.15-15.45, Drama Creative Room

RAN TELLEM Head of International Content Development Mediapro Group

10.00-10.30, Debussy Theatre

OH MY PITCH: DRAMA PRODUCERS’ PITCH 9.40-10.40, Drama Creative Room

MICHAEL ARAGON SVP, Head of Content Twitch

UNITED NATIONS’ SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS MEDIA COMPACT AT MIPTV

BLACK-OUT Produced by Les Films du Nouveau Monde and Ali N’ Productions (France, Morocco)

THE MANDELA EFFECT Produced by Tshedza Pictures (South Africa)

CRASHERS Produced by Watchmen Productions (Germany)

RADICAL EYE Produced by Pinball London (UK, Mexico)

OH MY PITCH: DRAMA PRODUCERS’ PITCH 16.00-17.00, Drama Creative Room

PERFECT MONSTERS Produced by Pimienta Films, Telegrama Audiovisual and Tita Productions (Mexico)

TRANSPORT Produced by Tekele Productions (Finland)

SECOND LIFE Produced by Omnicorp Estudio (Spain)

TWENTY-FOUR LAND Produced by Ukbar Filmes (Portugal)

Followed by winners announcement: Leading independent European producer, Federation Entertainment (“The Bureau”), will co-develop, co-produce and distribute one of the selected projects. French investment fund La Fabrique des Formats will offer financing for up to two series from the selection backed by a French producer or co-producer.

30 MINUTES WITH… MIPTV supports the UN’s initiative to advance awareness of sustainability issues among the media and entertainment companies, to leverage their resources and creative talent to advance the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by all world leaders at the UN in 2015. A showcase of ‘The Swim’ will feature Ben Lecomte’s unprecedented record‑breaking swim across the Pacific Ocean with the aim of shining a light on, and further understanding, ocean pollution and plastic contamination.

‘THE SWIM’

9.30-10.00, Kids Creative Room LAYLA LEWIS SVP, Global Acquisitions & Content Partnerships Nickelodeon, Viacom International Media Networks

DATA DOWNLOAD

EVENTS

THE FUTURE 100: TRENDS AND CHANGES DISRUPTING BEHAVIOUR IN 2019

WOMEN’S MENTORING BREAKFAST (THE MIPCOM FOLLOW UP)

11.00-11.30, Drama Creative Room

11.30-12.00, Debussy Theatre

FRESH TV FICTION

12.45-13.30, Debussy Theatre

SCREENINGS

SUZANNE KOLB Chief Brand Officer Group Nine Media

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BEN LECOMTE Long-distance swimmer & activist

JARED MCGILLIARD Executive Producer and Owner Nomadica Films

10.15-10.45, Kids Creative Room BRENDA BISNER SVP Content & Business Development Kidoodle.TV

8.30-10.00, Verriere Grand Auditorium Co-hosted with

By invitation PRESENTED BY ABOUT PREMIUM CONTENT

8.30-9.45, Auditorium K THE MURDERS

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INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

11.15-11.45 WHAT DID YOU MISS ? 13.00-14.00 TRENDING TOPICS

4K AND 8K ULTRA HD

SONY 4K ULTRA HD THEATRE

10.00-12.00 THE SONY SIZZLE SESSIONS

Full programme available at www.miptv.com

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SVOD platform CuriosityStream finds favour with young viewers “MORE THAN 54% of our viewers are 34 years or younger,” said Jorge Franzini, executive producer of nonfiction for SVOD platform CuriosityStream. “A lot of broadcasters would kill for figures like that.” Franzini was outlining CuriosityStream’s content strategy at MIPDoc and, with chief content officer Steve Burns, described how it acquires, co-produces and originates content across history, science, biography and more. This month it premieres the four-part series Speed, presented by Sean Riley and produced by Arrow Media. Burns didn’t give official subscriber numbers, but claimed his is one of only seven streamers in the US with a paying subscriber base of over 100,000. “We’re not up there with Netflix,” he said. “But we serve an area of the market no one else is serving.”

“People assume that younger viewers have shorter attention spans, but that’s not been our experience,” Burns said. “The Secrets Of Quantum Physics is still one of our most popular shows, showing that there is a hunger for these deep dives into difficult material — if the show is well made.” Burns and Franzini were keen to say that they are open to doing things differently. “We aren’t limited to single hours and series,”

Burns said. “We do short-form films that allow us to cover news events in a timely manner, but at greater depth than conventional news broadcasts. Our short-form films range from nine to 22 minutes. The sweet spot is 13 minutes.” They are keen to talk to producers of any and all non-fiction content — including for kids. “Don’t think in terms of what we might be looking for,” said Burns. “We just want the best.”

CuriosityStream’s Steve Burns

Zed and Saint Thomas join forces

IN FACE OF growing global competition, French documentary producers and distributors Zed and Saint Thomas Productions (STP) have combined their strengths and expertise in a new collaboration. Zed’s success in international sales will sit with the specialised visual effects (VXF) expertise of STP, which, since acquiring special effects specialist 3DFromMars, has created innovative digital imagery tools to produce shows including Space Smash. “You can’t do a proper factual shows without VXF, you need to bring something new to bring documentaries to the next level,” Bertrand Loyer, president and producer at STP, told MIPTV News. The recently finalised distribution agreement sees STP entrust Zed with the international distri-

bution of all its recent productions, a catalogue of more than 75 hours of scientific, wildlife and factual programmes. “It’s about bringing the talent one step forward by joining forces, and reaching new markets,” Loyer said of the collaboration. “Buyers know that they will find high-end productions in our catalogue, they know that we bring documentaries with a strong

appeal for an international audience,” Chloe Persyn-Preljocaj, head of sales and acquisitions at Zed, said. “They are a very talented producer, they have a unique knowhow,” Persyn-Preljocaj said of STP, for which Zed is also now handling pre-sales for Asteroid Rush, a new scientific documentary that looks at the impact of asteroids on earth.

STP’s Bertrand Loyer and Zed’s Chloe Persyn-Preljocaj

MIPTV News 3 • 23 • 10 April 2019

C4 GOES BACK TO ITS ROOTS TO TAKE ON THE FAANGS THE UK’s Channel 4 will go back to its roots as a provocative, disruptive broadcaster, get involved in bigger international co-productions and focus more on international affairs, in order to appeal to a younger audience, Danny Horan, C4’s head of factual, told the Channel 4: Going Big And International MIPDoc Keynote. He cited the threat from the Faangs (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google) and a changing domestic market as drivers for the change. “We’re reflecting what’s happening in Britain, but also trying to reflect more what happens outside the UK,” he said, adding: “On international politics and international issues maybe the traditional broadcasters have been guilty of ignoring or abandoning the younger audience, and they’ve migrated to other platforms.” He said that international co-productions would bring money for “bigger, more audacious projects”, but also that they would “help get stories on to the channel that we wouldn’t get from a UK producer”. Fatima Salaria, head of specialist factual, meanwhile, affirmed her commitment to history programming: “I want my history to feel very international,” she said. “We want to tell the bigger story.” She said she was interested in celebrity-led history programmes such as the recent SAS: Who Dares Wins, for examining the role of women in the army in an innovative way.

Channel 4’s Danny Horan

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Encripta-Kansai deal could open way for Japanese drama in Brazil BRAZIL-based Encripta distribution has acquired the Latin-American rights for three Kansai TV-produced drama series: Fugitive Boys, Crisis and Signal. “This is the first time we have provided Kansai TV content to the Brazilian market,” Kazuhiro Sato of Kansai TV’s international sales arm, said. The collaboration began at MIPTV in 2017, when Luiz Bannitz, head of content at Encripta, was inspired after seeing the world premiere of Crisis. “I thought the series was very interesting and very well shot,” Bannitz said. Crisis is a high-end drama set in a national security agency faced with an escalating terror threat. It stars

Miho Okada, general manager content business department, Kansai TV (left), and Luiz Bannitz of Encripta

leading Japanese actors Hidetoshi Nishijima and Shun Oguri. Negotiations with Encripta for Crisis and other Kansai TV action and drama series contin-

ued at MIP Cancun in 2017 and 2018, before the deal was finalised this year at MIPTV. “MIP Cancun was a kind of gateway to getting our content distributed in Latin America,” Sato said. “You don’t have a lot of Japanese content in the Brazilian market and we want to be the pioneers of this kind of content,” Bannitz said. “You have anime and typical Japanese content, but action series like Crisis, like Fugitive Boys, is something new we want to bring to the market.” “We are betting that it’s good content for Latin America and we hope that it’s the start of a fruitful relationship,” he added. The shows will initially be on digital platforms in July and August this year.

PARIS and Los Angeles-based producer-distributor Cyber Group Studios signed a deal on Tuesday with Latin America’s Discovery Kids for its new series, Sadie Sparks. Discovery has acquired all pay-TV and SVOD rights for Latin America. “We are extremely proud to begin our partnership with Discovery Latin America, and to start it with such a great show,” Raphaelle Mathieu, senior vice-president sales at Cyber Group, said. “We hope Sadie Sparks will be a great success in that part of the world, and we want to thank all of the Discovery team for their trust in our show, and for being great partners. We know this is only the beginning of a great partnership.”

Riki to distribute Sonic Boom in CIS LEADING Russian animation company Riki Group has signed a deal with Lagardere Studios Distribution for exclusive digital distribution of two seasons of the animated TV series Sonic Boom in Russia and CIS territories. Distribution of the show’s 104 episodes will be handled by Riki Group division 4Screens, which manages the digital distribution of both locally produced and international product. 4Screens is a market leader in Russia and CIS with over 20 YouTube channels achieving 1 billionn views. Sonic Boom already has a strong

profile in Russia, as it is based on the iconic Sonic The Hedgehog video game, and two seasons of the series have been broadcast on the Carousel channel. Julia Nikolaeva, managing director, 4Screens, said: “We are happy to launch a Sonic Boom YouTube channel in Russia, as this IP already has a high level of recognition among the audience. Our target audience are boys of school age, as we manage several channels particularly for this segment.” Digital distribution, which includes Russian YouTube Kids, YouTube, RuTube and other

online platforms in Russia and CIS, is a new conduit for the IP to reach out to the kids audience in these territories.

Lagardere’s Julie Mateille (left) and 4Screens Julia Nikolaeva

MIPTV News 3 • 25 • 10 April 2019

BEN LECOMTE’S PACIFIC SWIM GETS MIPTV SCREENING MIPTV today features a screening of The Swim, a film featuring Ben Lecomte, the swimmer and activist who swam across the Pacific in 2018 to raise awareness about plastic pollution. Lecomte is in Cannes with Suzanne Kolb, chief brand officer at digital-first media company Group Nine Media. Kolb oversaw the development and production of The Swim, a documentary bringing his endeavour to all screens. Producer Jared McGilliard of Nomadica Films is also joining Lecomte for the exclusive MIPTV premiere of footage from the film, which is in production for Discovery. On June 5 last year, Ben Lecomte set out on an unprecedented record-breaking swim across the Pacific Ocean with the aim of shining a light on, and further understanding, ocean pollution and plastic contamination. Seeker, the number one most-engaged cross-platform science publisher, in partnership with Nomadica Films, followed Lecomte on his journey, documenting his sixmonth endeavour in real time. The screening, at 11.30 in the Debussy Theatre, is part of MIPTV’s engagement with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals Media Compact project, which aims to embrace media companies from all regions and all platforms. Participating organisations will have the opportunity to create content partnerships with the United Nations, enabling them to better source and share high-value media content and newsworthy opportunities relating to the SDGs.

Swimmer and activist Ben Lecomte

news

Canal+ deal takes Prime movie shows into Africa

David Freydt

PRODUCER-distributor Prime Entertainment Group this week sold more than 280 episodes of its cinema-focused series to Canal+ to air on its African channels. The deal includes Zoom In (104 x 6.5 mins), Stars! (105 x 4 mins) and Director’s Short Cut (205 x 44 mins). “We have been working closely with Canal+ for several years in France, Canada, the Nordic region

and Poland,” said David Freydt, managing director of Prime Entertainment Group. “Recently we licensed shows to them for Asia, and we are truly proud to extend our deal to Africa, which is a growing territory for us.” Prime’s cinema series, documentaries and entertainment shows currently air across Africa on channels including MBC, Medi1, RTI and Alshana, among others.

DCD Rights sells Secret Nazi Bases Down Under DCD Rights’ new conspiracy factual series Secret Nazi Bases has been snapped up by Australian public broadcaster SBS Australia at MIPTV. The six-part series — produced by Go Button Media for UKTV, Discovery Science US & Discovery EMEA — will soon hit Australian screens, following the deal which was inked in Cannes. “Secret Nazi Bases is a captivating investigation into lesser-known histories of World War II,” said Rick Barker, head of sales at DCD Rights. “The series is packed with mystery and intrigue, presenting recent history in an entirely new light. We’re delighted that through SBS, Australian audiences will now be able to share in these stories as well.”

Ben Nguyen, SBS channel manager, SBS Australia, added: “A factual series that provides captivating entertainment and intrigue is perfect for SBS’s audience.”

Rick Barker (left) of DCD Rights with SBS Australia’s Ben Nguyen

Guide

8-11 April 2019,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 • 26 • 10 April 2019

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Global success beckons for Mother team’s award-winning new drama THE MAKERS of one of the biggest international hits in Japanese TV history are in Cannes to promote their latest drama series to the market. The writer, director and producer of Mother — a previous winner of the MIPCOM Buyers’ Award — and Woman, a later exploration of a similar theme, are at MIPTV on the back of a phenomenally successful run of sales which have seen the formats picked up in over 20 overseas markets. Nippon TV, which produced both shows, is in Cannes this week to showcase its latest production and speak with potential broadcast partners. The drama, Anone — which won the MIPCOM Buyers’ Award for Japanese Drama in October — cov146_LIGHTNING_N1_TV

Director Nobuo Mizuta (left), writer Yuji Sakamoto and producer Hisashi Tsugiya

ers the ways in which isolated and lonely individuals seek out meaningful connections with strangers.

Yuji Sakamoto, scriptwriter for all three dramas, put their success down to their authenticity and universal appeal.

He said: “Japanese dramas tend to be very national, and depict very ordinary everyday stories. But we are creating very strong stories with powerful messages about the lives of women who are not given a strong voice in Japan. The shows have been adapted all over the world and have been popular, which proves their international potential. We think Anone will have the same appeal.” Mother is one of the most successful ever exports from Japan, receiving critical and popular praise in numerous markets including Turkey, where an adapted version of the format has proved a huge success. A Turkish adaptation of Woman is currently in production. And yesterday Nippon TV announced its latest international production partnership, in a major deal signed with French producer Incognita to begin work on a version of Mother for France.

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MIPTV News 3 • 27 • 10 April 2019

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INCOGNITA REMAKES HIT NTV DRAMAS FOR FRANCE FRENCH production company Incognita Television has ﬁnalised a deal for the scripted French-language format rights to Nippon TV’s (NTV) award-winning drama series Mother and Woman: My Life For My Children. “This marks the ﬁrst time that these formats will be created in Europe,” said Atsushi Sogo, president of international business development at NTV. “We are looking forward to watching our dramas gain a new life and presence in France.” He added: “France is the Country Of Honour at this year’s MIPTV, so I’m proud to announce this deal at this time.” Edouard de Vesinne, CEO of Incognita Television, said: “Both shows are emotional and suspenseful dramas led by strong female protagonists. They explore the full range of human emotions and revolve around the universal themes of love, family and what it ultimately means to be a mother.” The shooting and production of the French adaptations will begin in 2020.

Luo Bao Bei set to charm a new world of pre-schoolers CANADA’s 9 Story Distribution International has closed multiple deals for kids’ animated series Luo Bao Bei (52 x 11 mins). New licensees include France Televisions (France and French-speaking territories), Canal Panda (Spain and Portugal), Clan (Spain), SVT (Sweden), True Visions (Thailand) and Hop! (Israel). In addition, 9 Story has secured a global distribution agreement with Netﬂix for a second window. Aimed at four- to eight-yearolds, Luo Bao Bei follows a seven-year-old girl who, with her friends and family by her side,

Mother (Nippon TV)

is on a quest to understand the world around her. The series launched last month on CCTV in China and was recently nominated for an International Emmy Kids Award. Produced by Magic Mall Entertainment, and created by Grace Tian, it was directed by Adam Bailey and Tong Lijun, and produced by Ma Lin and Jon Rennie, with Dave Ingham (Shaun The Sheep; Octonauts) as head writer. Cloth Cat Animation was commissioned for the animation and 9 Story Distribution International holds global distribution and merchandising rights

for the series, excluding China. Luo Bao Bei has previously been licensed to Milkshake! (UK), ABC Australia and e-Junior (UAE).

A PANOPLY of production and on-screen talent gathered at the Quebec Creates Pavilion to celebrate the province’s creative impact in Cannes: Victor Lessard (produced by Pixcom Productions in collaboration with Quebecor Content) was the MIPTV 2019 World Premiere TV Screening on Monday night, presented by distributor ZDF Enterprises; Dance Revolution (Quebecor Content and Fair-Play) and Vidas Brasileiras (30 Vies and Aetios Productions) were both nominated for International Format Awards; children’s series Jenny (Productions Avenida) has been nominated for an International Emmy Award; and La Maison Des Folles (St Laurent TV) and Teodore. Without The H (Zone 3) are taking part in the CANNESERIES Short Form Competition. The Quebec Creates Pavilion hosts close to 30 Quebecois companies.

Gusto fare ‘selling like hot cakes’

The Latin Kitchen (Gusto Worldwide Media)

Multiple deals for 9 Story’s Luo Bao Bei

GUSTO Worldwide Media has inked two volume deals with Hungary’s TV2 and South Korea’s Berry Entertainment & Media. Each package includes a variety of Gusto’s most popular titles, with both TV2 and Berry Entertainment picking up Spencer’s BIG 30 and Watts On The Grill. TV2 will add more Gusto ﬂavour to its food channel LiChi TV with The Latin Kitchen, while Berry Entertainment has added Fresh Market Dinners and Fish The Dish to the menu. Corey Caplan, senior director of international sales, joined Gusto

MIPTV News 3 • 28 • 10 April 2019

in 2018 with a brief to expand the company’s international presence, and he has brokered deals with several content partners in Australia, the Netherlands, the US, Philippines and Russia. “Gusto’s content has been selling like hot cakes and, based on my meetings at MIPTV, our international presence will be growing more,” Caplan said. Gusto’s catalogue already includes more than 500 hours of original food and lifestyle programming. “It’s been a crazy rollercoaster ride since I joined Gusto and I’m looking forward to bringing more of our delicious content to new territories,” Caplan added.

FRANCE20 COUNTRY OF HONOUR La French Touch

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Millimages’ Roch Lener

Lagardere Studios’ Emmanuelle Bouilhaguet

Elephant International’s Sandra Ouaiss

Go-N Productions’ Anne de Galard

Dandelooo’s Emmanuele Petry Sirvin

Go-N Productions’ Eric Garnet

Samka’s Samuel Kaminka

Lincoln TV’s Christine de Bourbon Busset

FrenchKiss Productions’ Aurelie Meimon

Quad Television’s Iris Bucher

Country Of Honour sessions highlight La French Touch THE VALUE of France’s exports to the global content market has increased every year since 2008. And, despite a high concentration of shows coming from the top ﬁve channels it is a dynamic and creative market that participates in a large number of co-productions. Of the €205.2m-worth of international programme sales in 2017 more than a quarter came from animation, and ﬁction is the fastest growing genre. The France Country Of Honour showcase explored the distinctive French Touch in these two areas. “In French Animation, our savoir faire is thanks to our training system, the CNC, and tax credits,” said Roch Lener of Millimages. Yet building a strong IP in France is not without problems, he added: “It’s harder for us because French broadcasters want shows that work for a wide demographic.” Lener was positive about the impact of the streamers, but

Philippe Alessandri of Watch Next Media and president of the SPFA, the trade association for French animation companies, was more circumspect. “It’s a challenge too,” he said. “Whereas we used to mix and match channels, now Netﬂix wants exclusivity. It changes the game in terms of licensing too. Would Peppa Pig be the same show if it had gone straight to an SVOD?” Interestingly, none of the panellists raised the vexed question of whether France Televisions is right to move its kids’ offer online. The showcase then highlighted French animation talent to watch. Anne de Galard and Eric Garnet of Go-N Productions, known for Simon, Zip Zip and more, introduced their latest project My Dear Gnome (26 x 2 mins), a co-production with Paris-based Eddy. “We loved Eddy’s short ﬁlm about a ceramic gnome and a plastic deer,” de Galard said. Dandelooo’s Emmanuele Petry

Sirvin gave a sneak peek of new project, book adaptation The Upside Down River; and Samuel Kaminka of Samka Productions, maker of Marsupilami, is working on a hybrid project with a US studio he cannot yet name. Moving to drama, the panellists acknowledged France’s traditional strengths in family comedy-dramas and police procedurals — perfectly combined in the enduring international hit Candice Renoir, which Newen Distribution has so far sold to 82 countries. Elephant International’s Torn was a dark take on the murder mystery featuring a love triangle between a cop, his wife and her former lover, who all get drawn into a murder investigation. Also showcased were enigmatic shows including Apnea from Lagardere Studios Distribution, starring Laetitia Casta as a Corsican serial killer, and Beyond The Walls, a mini-series about a haunted house from Lincoln TV. Lincoln TV’s Christine de Bour-

MIPTV News 3 • 29 • 10 April 2019

bon Busset said the company was engaged in its first co-pro, Mirages, about a married woman who finds out her former lover did not die in the 2004 tsunami. “We need to have strong auteur voices,” said Lagardere’s Emmanuelle Bouilhaguet. “The TV business is getting closer to the film business, and as a distributor we’re coming in earlier, so we’re discussing authors more, especially in co-productions.” The panel agreed that foreign languages and subtitles were now generally more widely accepted, and more creative risks were being taken. “The [SVOD] platforms are keen on working with new voices,” Sandra Ouaiss, managing director and producer, Elephant International, said. FrenchKiss Productions was featured as a drama talent to watch. Its showreel moved from Brazil to French Guyana and beyond. “The main idea of FrenchKiss is to promote diversity — in the writers, on screen, and in the subjects,” said the company’s Aurelie Meimon. Iris Bucher’s Quad Television was the final company highlighted. It had just announced Bonfire Of Destiny, a co-production between TF1 and Netflix. “I’m a game player, I take risks,” she said.

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CCTV showreels latest television treasures for international buyers CHINESE broadcaster CCTV has unveiled an array of new documentary, drama, lifestyle and reality content at a special MIPTV showcase. Monday’s event saw CCTV screening clips from a range of genres and formats, all of them original creations from the Chinese market. They included Aerial China, a series showing dramatic footage, captured from the skies above some of China’s most striking unspoilt landscapes, its largest cities, ancient landmarks and industrial heartlands. Also presented were documentary series China’s Greatest Treasures, made in conjunction with BBC World, and historical documentary Secrets Of China, celebrating the country’s rich history. The session was presented by Heyi Zou, foreign correspondent at CCTV+, the broadcast-

Leslie Mandoki

CCTV+’s Heyi Zou: shows “celebrate the economic dream”

er’s video news agency. The shows, he said, “celebrate the economic dream we have built together. China isn’t just a vast land, it has a long history going back 5,000 years.” Clips from science quiz show Forward To The Future, a mobile device version of which

has attracted some 5.3 million users, were also shown to the audience in the packed auditorium, as were shots from a powerful reality show, Beloved Family, which traces the ancestry of noted figures from China’s history to their living descendants.

TVP’s top-rated tale of single seniors

TV AUDIENCE experts Eurodata TV Worldwide has identified TVP’s Sanatorium Of Love as one of the top new launches so far in 2019. For Avril Blondelot, head of content insight at Eurodata, this Polish format illustrates two of the main content trends of the moment, covering both health-related themes and the dating scene. Sanatorium Of Love is a non-scripted series looking at the consequences of changing demographics and adult life expectancy in Poland, which has created a much larger population of seniors living alone. The format creates a second chance for people who believe that they still have a lot ahead of them, despite being in the 60-80 age bracket. In the series, a group of select-

MANDOKI RECALLS HUNGARY’S FIGHT FOR FREEDOM

ed seniors go to a sanatorium, where they have the opportunity to change their lives completely. Over 10 episodes, the viewers follow how the participants make friends and establish closer relationships. Not everyone is ready to start a new stage of life — for some it is too early, or too difficult. They also have

the chance to try treatments and new exercise regimes, with varying results, with the overall aim of extending their physical and mental fitness. Blondelot said Sanatorium Of Love was one of the best Polish premieres of all time, registering double the average audience figure for the slot.

TVP’s Sanatorium Of Love: an example of two content trends

MIPTV News 3 • 31 • 10 April 2019

RICHARD Ellman’s International Producers Group is representing documentary Longing For Freedom in Cannes. Directed by Hungarian musician Leslie Mandoki — founder of the band Mandoki Soulmates — the film is produced by Attila Glatz Productions with Mandoki also producing. Ellman is seeking an international distributor for all rights of the film. Longing For Freedom is a documentary about the fight against the communist dictatorship in Hungary and retraces the events from 1956 to 1989, before, during and after the Hungarian uprising. “In our documentary movie we try to explain the spirit and the significance of freedom within an oppressed society,” said Mandoki, who fled to Germany aged 22. “This is especially important for young people today, who grew up in freedom and of whom only a few actually know how important it is to protect this freedom.” Mandoki recounts how, aged four, he witnessed his father and other renowned Hungarian freedom fighters pull down “the ultimate symbol of oppression”, the statue of Stalin. Recollections of this potent image form the starting point of the film, which weaves contemporary testimonies from the struggle with the words of historic personalities including Mikhail Gorbachev, Horst Teltschik and Bodo Hombach.

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TV2 GETS MATCH FIT TO BRING SOCCER SHOW TO DENMARK DENMARK’s TV2 has acquired sporting reality format Match Fit from Fremantle’s Danish production company Blu, which will produce the new local version. Originally commissioned by ITV in the UK — where it is known as Harry’s Heroes: The Full English, starring British football legend Harry Redknapp — the format was created by Fremantle’s UK production company Talkback. The premise is simple but compelling: a team of ageing football legends who have lost form since their glory days are challenged to get back into shape, back into their kit and back on the pitch to face a team of past rivals. Blu director Anne Brostrom is confident that the Danish remake will replicate its “winning performance” on ITV, where it attracted more than five million viewers — half a million up on the timeslot average — and rated particularly strongly with the coveted 16-34 demographic. “Watching these former professionals come together again is funny, warm and nostalgic to watch, with inspiring and sometimes life-changing results,” she said. “We can’t wait to see Danish football legends take on the challenge.” Jes Schroder, TV2 commissioning editor, said “it was love at first sight” with Match Fit. “Taking old heroes and giving them one last chance on the pitch is such a brilliant concept. Audiences will love the show’s humour and energy, but the stories also show the downside of fame and the reality of middle age. Ultimately, it’s a bittersweet tale of football, fun, families and friendship. As the Germans put it: Alles ist Fussball,” Schroder said.

The Other Two helps Viacom International stack up sales VIACOM International Studios unveiled a raft of international sales on day one of MIPTV for its new scripted, comedy and animation titles. Channel 4 UK picked up Comedy Central scripted series The Other Two for broadcast on youth channel E4. The pick-up follows strong US ratings and a season two renewal. Foxtel’s Comedy Channel in Australia also bought the title. Elsewhere, Netherlands service provider Ziggo acquired AwesomenessTV shows Light As A Feather, Zac And Mia, Guidance and My Dead Ex from Viacom. In France, Lagardère Group strengthened its relationship with AwesomenessTV. Having previously acquired You’ve Been T@gged and Sleep Tight, the network will launch Light As A Feather and Zac And Mia on

its youth channel, Elle Girl TV. Still in France, TF1 has inked a deal for Nickelodeon preschool series and Spin Master co-production, Abby Hatcher. In Norway, meanwhile, commercial broadcaster TV2 acquired MTV’s reality docu-series Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club, to be made available on the network’s SVOD platform, TV2 Sumo.

Lauren Marriott, vice-president content sales, Viacom International Studios, said: “With a sales slate brimming with new shows spanning Viacom’s portfolio of global brands, including MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and now Awesomeness, now more than ever, we offer something for every audience and schedule.”

Viacom International Studios’ The Other Two

CBC nets Saving Lives At Sea CANADIAN public broadcaster CBC has picked up two factual series from Banijay Rights at MIPTV. The deal will see Blast! Film’s Saving Lives At Sea (12 x 60 mins) and AMO Media’s The Operatives (10 x 60 mins) air on Documentary Channel, with the broadcaster securing pay-TV and VOD (excluding TVOD) rights to the titles. Andreas Lemos, vice-president acquisitions, co-productions & North America sales, Banijay Rights, said: “Both shows combine great educational take-out with fantastic entertainment and a message celebrating environmental and life-saving work.” Sandra Kleinfeld, senior director, documentary, CBC, added: “We look forward to sharing these titles with viewers on Documentary Channel. With their topical subject matter, The Operatives and Saving Lives At

Sea will make great additions to Documentary Channel’s line-up of fascinating and thought-provoking titles from Canada and around the world.” The Operatives was first broadcast in the US on Pivot TV and has sold widely around the world. It features an elite team

of former military commandos who travel the world bringing poachers and environmental criminals to justice. Saving Lives At Sea has also been picked up by Top TV’s Choice Channel in New Zealand, TV2 in Denmark, RTE in Ireland and Canalife in Portugal.

Shaking on the deal: Banijay Right’s Andreas Lemos and CBC’s Jenna Bourdeau

MIPTV News 3 • 32 • 10 April 2019

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ORF’s Suburbia boosts sales as fourth season is unveiled AWARD-winning Austrian drama series Suburbia – Women On The Edge from ORF-Enterprise has secured sales to the USA, Germany (ARD), Switzerland (SRF), Hungary (TV4) and Latin America (MVS Net). ORF reports that the third season was watched by 39% of the Austrian TV audience. The fourth season, which will premiere on ORF in late 2019, will revisit the lives of high-society ladies played by Maria Kostlinger, Nina Proll, Martina Ebm and Hilde Dalik. After the body of a businessman is found, collective female power is required to challenge everyday life in the Viennese suburbs with charm, sarcasm and wit, across 10 new episodes. ORF will present highlights of

the fourth season in Cannes. Suburbia – Women On The Edge is part of a line-up of fiction content from Austria, in-

cluding the newest addition, an ORF original TV series called Walking On Sunshine, which also premieres at MIPTV.

The women of Surburbia return to Austrian TV

TWO PRODUCTION companies — Maramedia from Glasgow and Skyland Productions from Vienna — have announced a collaboration on natural history and documentary productions. “Collaboration is key to conservation and the wildlife TV industry alike,” Maramedia’s Jackie Savery said. “In a post-Brexit environment, European collaboration is more important to us than ever before.” Maramedia’s recent credits include Wild Way Of The Vikings for ORF, France Televisions and PBS. Skyland Productions is working on Kenya – The Big Five-Last Five, and Untamed Vietnam. Nigel Pope (left) and Jackie Savery of Maramedia are pictured with Skyland’s Roman Landauer.

Market laps up Dogwoof documentaries LONDON-based documentary specialist Dogwoof has announced a string of deals for their MIPTV slate. Oscar-nominated Minding The Gap, the story of three young men in Rust Belt America navigating the responsibilities of adulthood, goes to SVT (Sweden), BBC (UK), NRK (Norway), AMC (SSA), Madman (Australia), Blue Ice Docs (Canada), DDDream (China), Angel (Denmark), DBS (Israel), RTL (Germany), Periscoop (Benelux), Movistar+ (Spain)

and Against Gravity (Poland). Halston, a documentary about the fashion designer, has sold to DBS (Israel), Movistar+ (Spain) and AMC (SSA), with a previously announced allrights sale to The Orchard, which plans a US theatrical release on May 24. Under The Wire, the harrowing account of war correspondent Marie Colvin’s final, fatal mission inside Syria, has sold to SVT (Sweden), Alhurra (Middle East / North Africa), Movistar+ (Spain), Happinet (Japan) and

AMC (SSA). Previous sales include NRK (Norway), YesDocu (Israel), Ascot (German-speaking rights) and POV (US). When Lambs Become Lions, a film that follows the Kenyan story of a small-time ivory dealer and a wildlife ranger, has gone to SVT (Sweden) and AMC (SSA). The film will be released in the US by Oscilloscope. America, a touching feature film about three brothers who come together to care for their spirited grandmother, called America, sold to POV (US).

MIPTV News 3 • 33 • 10 April 2019

IBERIAN DEALS FOR TALPA’S THE VOICE TALPA Media has closed new and returning format deals across Spain and Portugal for several of its best-selling shows, including The Voice, 5 Gold Rings and Around The World With 80-Year-Olds. Atresmedia has ordered seven Talpa formats for Spain, including new and returning commissions for the full The Voice franchise, all to be produced by Boomerang. Under the deals, The Voice will return in 2020, a new version of The Voice Kids is slated to air later this year and the latest spinoff in the franchise, The Voice Senior, will also roll out towards the end of 2019. Atresmedia has also acquired four new formats: 5 Gold Rings, Around The World With 80-Year-Olds, Trouble With The Neighbours and Home Alone. Talpa has closed three format deals in Portugal. SIC has taken The Wishing Tree, while RPT has recommissioned The Voice and The Voice Kids. All three local remakes will be produced by Shine Iberia.

ATLANTYCA TAKES TOY COP RIGHTS ATLANTYCA Entertainment has acquired the European distribution rights to the popular pre-school action series Toy Cop from Korean animation studio Ocon Studios. Atlantyca is introducing the series to broadcasters at MIPTV. “We are really delighted to give visibility to a pre-school show that is already successful in Korea and Indonesia,” Alessandra Dematteis, distribution manager at Atlantyca, said. “And we are certain it will be a huge success in Europe too.” Chloe Woo, vice-president, Ocon Studios, added: “I strongly believe that Toy Cop will be successfully distributed in Europe and kids will love our property.”

Toy Cop (Ocon Studios)

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Power Couple forges ‘emotional connection’ with world’s viewers DORI Media Group’s reality format, Power Couple, is building on its successes in Brazil and Germany. In Brazil, season three reached a record share of 12.6% on Brazil Record TV. Season four starts on April 30, with 63 daily episodes. Last August, the finale of the German celebrity version Das Sommerhaus Der Stars: Kampf Der Promipaare, produced by Seapoint, set a new ratings record with 2.8 million viewers on Germany’s RTL. The show gained a 17.5% viewing share in primetime — up 25% on earlier seasons. Nadav Palti, CEO and president of Dori Media Group, said: “The format’s success across different territories and cultures is thanks to the emotional connection that

the audiences make with the couples participating in the show.” Created in Israel by Abot Hameiri, Power Couple puts several couples into a house, sets them challenges to test how well they

know each other, and has them bet on the outcome. Dori Media Group has now sold the format to Germany, Brazil, Hungary, Slovenia, South Africa, Portugal, India, China and Croatia.

Dori Media Group’s Nadav Palti: “success across territories and cultures”

Power Couple (Dori Media Group)

MONNA Productions’ founders Raffaele (left) and Alessandra Bergero are in town with comedy Fired, which features three women who lose their jobs and decide to take off to Italy. Once there, they buy a lottery ticket and win a huge cash prize — leading to new careers as ecological detectives. To mark the launch of pre-production on Fired, Monna is holding a lottery at MIPTV. The draw takes place today at 17.00 in the MEDIA area of the Palais des Festivals.

FROM HEROES TO WORLD HERITAGE ISLE of Man-headquartered distributor Greenlight International has unveiled a raft of new projects at MIPTV. These include a dive into the archives of little-known artists, an exploration of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and a chance to crank up some astonishing machines. Art Heroes Uncovered sets out to discover influential yet off-the-radar artists, including Archibald Knox. Ever since Brad Pitt started to collect his work, Knox’s value has skyrocketed. The series will visit the Isle of Man, which was Knox’s birthplace and where his workshop still exists. Greenlight’s latest project, Our Beautiful World, takes viewers on a compelling tour of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 30 x 3.5 mins shorts. Shot in 4K using the latest aerial-camera platform technology, the series showcases the world’s most stunning natural landscapes and man’s greatest masterpieces. Another new show, Road Test, explores the workings of the greatest machines on the planet. From the world’s biggest supertanker to the mammoth Airbus Beluga, Road Test promises to be the next best thing to sitting in the driving seat yourself.

Drive Master set to rev up market DRIVE Master (10 x 120 mins), the new primetime car-themed talent competition unveiled in Cannes, is the first format to be co-developed by Israeli production and distribution giant Keshet International (KI) and Russian commercial-TV broadcaster NTV. Drive Master is the first result of a partnership between KI and NTV to jointly develop high-end non-scripted formats for mainstream international audiences. Focusing on the world of cars and indoor driving, the shiny-

floor show is set in a giant studio built on a massive parking lot. “Featuring contestants of all ages alongside a compelling cast of cars, Drive Master is going to be a captivating primetime entertainment series,” Revital Basel, managing director of KI Networks, said. NTV general producer Timur Weinstein added: “We are happy to be one of the first Russian television companies to launch a brand new original non-scripted project in collaboration with an international media company.”

Keshet International’s Revital Basel (left) and NTV’s Timur Weinstein

MIPTV News 3 • 35 • 10 April 2019

Art Heroes Uncovered (Greenlight International)

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DAVID LYLE FOUNDATION LAUNCHES AUSTRALIAN entertainment-industry executive David Lyle is to be remembered with a non-profit organisation designed to support the next generation of content creators. The David Lyle Foundation, which launched this week in Cannes, aims to provide guidance and opportunity to young people who show exceptional talent, integrity and drive to work in the content industry. The well-loved TV veteran, who lost a three-year battle with cancer in September 2017, enjoyed a long and influential career, which took him from his native Sydney to London and, later, Los Angeles and Washington DC. The founding partners of The David Lyle Foundation include Broadcast, C21Media, EMC, FRAPA, NATPE, NPact, Pact, Realscreen, Reed MIDEM and TBI. Further partners will be announced in due course. Lyle was a mentor to many in the industry during his 40 years in the business. Each year, the Foundation’s partners will provide guidance, mentoring, financial support and access to their combined resources to two young recipients. The initiative is backed by Lyle’s wife, Janne Dennehy and The David Lyle Estate. Dennehy said: “David would be thrilled to see the level of support that these fine organisations have given to the Foundation that aims to continue the Lyle tradition of mentorship.”

David Lyle

First Turkish remake of Filipino drama hailed as ‘a very big coup’ PHILIPPINES-based ABSCBN is celebrating the first-ever Filipino/Turkish scripted format deal in Cannes. Turkish production company Limon Yapim will co-produce a Turkish version of ABS-CBN’s crime drama A Mother’s Guilt (Hanggang Saan) for broadcaster Fox Turkey. “This is a very big coup for us,” said Maria Cecilia Ferreros-Imperial, ABS-CBN’s vice-pres-

ident and head of integrated programme acquisition and international sales distribution. “It means we’re collaborating with a very well-known production company and, if successful, the partnership will exploit the show in other countries. So we’re looking for distributors to help us with that.” A Mother’s Guilt centres on a single mother, Sonya, whose world revolves around her fami-

ly, particularly her son Paco, who was born with a heart condition. When Paco suffers a near-fatal heart attack, Sonya is driven to make a grim deal: to take a man’s life to save her son’s. Paco survives, but Sonya has to live with her guilt. Hayri Aslan, Limon Yapim’s founder and president, added: “The storyline is very familiar in Turkish culture, which will appeal to a Turkish audience.”

Celebrating a landmark MIPTV deal: ABS-CBN’s Maria Cecilia Ferreros-Imperial (left), Limon Yapim’s Hayri Aslan, Sera Film Services’ Idil Belli, ABS-CBN’s Laarni J Yu and Limon Yapim’s Irfan Baytas

From Lagos to MIPTV — by chance

YEMISI Wada, owner of Lagos-based Asake Productions in Nigeria, said a chance visit to MIPTV has encouraged her to return for sister event MIPCOM in October to connect with potential international collaborators for her current and future projects. A qualified lawyer who has self-financed her productions so far, Wada said she had previously thought attending events like MIPTV would be too expensive. However, having been invited to attend a Nigerian industry summit nearby, she took the opportunity to visit MIPTV. “The organisation has helped

me meet so many people,” Wada said. “Now I can be better prepared about whom to talk to next time. I need a distributor that has the reach from Africa to the rest of the world.” Asake has completed the first season of crime drama Lasgidi Cops: Special Crimes Unit and is seeking investors for seasons two and three. The company also recently completed Witches, a comedy-drama web series. The two projects follow Oluranlowo Mi (My Helper), a YouTube documentary inspired by Wada’s charity work with poverty-stricken children forced to live on the streets.

MIPTV News 3 • 36 • 10 April 2019

Asake Productions’ Yemisi Wada: back for MIPCOM

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Zombies, the end of the world and babies AUSTRALIAN comedians Christiaan Van Vuuren (Bondi Hipsters; Soul Mates) and Adele Vuko (Skit Box; Soul Mates) are in Cannes with their 5 x 5 mins comedy series, Over And Out — one of 10 projects selected for the 2019 CANNESERIES Short Form Competition. In the web show, which will air on YouTube in June, young parents Lewis and Freya are battling the cute and cuddly horrors of parenting a new baby and a toddler, alongside the actual horrors of ﬁghting ravenous zombies, dehydration, disease and feral kid gangs. “Adele and I had

babies,” Van Vuuren told MIPTV News of the married comedians’ inspiration for the show. “And we decided we wanted to do something together, to kind of channel the crazy stuff that was happening to us.” “We’ve been calling it relationship therapy,” Vuko said of a show that confronts the “uncontrollable and horrifying” aspects of raising two young children. The couple was soon inspired to create a series in which two parents raise their toddlers (played by the stars’ actual children) “in a post-apocalypse riddled with

zombies and danger”, Vuko added. “It’s kind of based on your worst fears of what the world could become,” said Van Vuuren, talking about the paranoia that often accompanies parenthood in a world rife with political and armed conﬂict. Co-funded by Screen Australia and YouTube, and produced by Midwinter Films, Over And Out has also given the couple a chance to progress into longform as opposed to sketch-comedy formats. Plans for full 30-minute episodes of Over And Out are

Christiaan Van Vuuren and Adele Vuko MIPTV News 3 • 37 • 10 April 2019

now in the works. Following Over And Out’s April 10 CANNESERIES screening, Van Vuuren said the online publication of the series on YouTube in June would be “a proof of concept for the half-hour version of the show”. And the creators are conﬁdent that Over And Out’s core concept would resonate globally. “The theme of raising babies while trying to survive the end of the world — we all have the same fears as human beings,” he said. “The zombie and apocalyptic context and landscape is a backdrop to exploring universal parenting issues,” Vuko added.

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WARM RESPONSE TO NORM OF THE NORTH MEVELYN Noriega, president of distribution at Splash Entertainment, is in Cannes to acquire titles for distribution, as well as to promote her company’s own productions to international buyers. Top of that list is featurelength kids’ animation Norm Of The North: Keys To The Kingdom, which continues the adventures of Norm the polar bear and was released in the US by Lionsgate in early 2019. It has already been sold to Russia, Poland and Israel, Noriega said. In terms of third-party titles, Noriega said Splash often uses its kids’ VOD channels, Kabillion and Kabillion Girls Rule!, as a shop window to promote shows to potential buyers. “Windowing is complex, but so beneficial, because it helps us build a brand,” she added. Noriega said the fragmented viewing landscape offered opportunities — as long as producers and distributors do not mind sharing rights and revenues: “As distributors, we used to be cautious and talk about licensing fees, but now we often work on a revenue share. As long as the deals are non-exclusive, there’s enough bandwidth for everyone.”

Splash Entertainment’s Mevelyn Noriega

Distributors must adapt to the ‘new rules of the game’ BROADCASTERS and distributors need to understand the “new rules of the game” to cater to the habits of a new generation of content consumers in an increasingly fragmented world, the head of a French specialist digital distributor has said. Nicolas d’Hueppe, chief executive of Paris-based Alchimie, said there is a “whole new model of distribution” based on audiences’ appetite for niche, easily accessible content on a range of new platforms. “We are trying to open up a new way of doing distribution,” d’Hueppe added. “Linear channels and broadcasters need to find a new model of distribution to get their content across multiple platforms and this means understanding digital marketing and specialist KPIs [key performance indicators]. The transition has already started and now it’s a question of adaption to the new rules of the game.”

Alchimie, which has offices in Paris, Dusseldorf and Sydney, comes to MIPTV on the back of a deal with Lagardere Group, under which it will distribute the media conglomerate’s content across a range of digital platforms.

Alchimie specialises in a number of niche areas of distribution, including sports, documentary, natural and military content. The company has partnerships with some 30 OTT platforms, including Android TV, Amazon and Apple TV.

Alchimie’s Nicolas d’Hueppe: “whole new model of distribution”

Konami rebrands NYC outpost KONAMI Cross Media NY, the New York division of global parent company Konami Digital Entertainment, is at MIPTV for the first time after a rebranding and renaming designed to reflect its new approach to content management. The company is seeking new concepts and producers to fit within its multiplatform brand and intellectual-property (IP) management operations and join its line-up of noted animation and gaming content, which includes classic video games Bomberman, Frogger and Contra. Kristen Gray, Konami Cross Media NY’s general manager and senior vice-president, said: “The rebrand is to reflect the

fact that we’re taking a fresh, 360-degree look at branding and IP management. We’re looking for new brand-development opportunities, and for branding that we think would be an interesting fit with the wider Konami business globally. Retro 1980s video games are particularly hot right at the moment.” The rebranding from its former company name, 4K Media, was completed on March 31. 4K Media was acquired by Konami Digital Entertainment in 2012. Headquartered in Tokyo with offices throughout the US, Konami Digital Entertainment is behind globally successful gaming titles Pro Evolution Soccer and Metal Gear.

MIPTV News 3 • 38 • 10 April 2019

Konami Cross Media NY’s Kristen Gray: “a fresh, 360-degree look”

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