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GUIDE 2022
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Contents A Note from the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Distributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Publisher Ricardo Seguin Guise Group Editorial Director Anna Carugati
Ricardo Seguin Guise President
Editor Mansha Daswani
Anna Carugati Executive VP
Executive Editor and Editor, English-Language Guides Kristin Brzoznowski
Mansha Daswani VP of Strategic Development and Associate Publisher
Production and Design Director David Diehl ©2022 WSN INC.
Managing Editor Chelsea Regan
1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010
Associate Editor Jamie Stalcup
Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940
Online Director Simon Weaver Senior Sales and Marketing Manager Dana Mattison
Website: www.worldscreen.com
Sales and Marketing Coordinator Genovick Acevedo
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Business Affairs Manager Andrea Moreno
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A Note from the Editor Mansha Daswani
In its 2022 Media & Entertainment Industry Outlook report, Deloitte listed the maturation of the streaming video industry as one of five key trends to watch this year (alongside live entertainment, social media reaching a turning point, the rise of NFTs and opportunities in the metaverse). “Heading into 2022, competition among SVOD providers for the time, attention and bank accounts of viewers will continue, fueled by customers juggling multiple subscriptions, showing more cost sensitivity and savviness, and displaying generational differences in entertainment preferences,” Deloitte said in its report. “With top SVOD players spending billions on content development and global expansion, the business models that got them this far may not provide the future profitability needed for the industry to grow.” The existing model of focusing on subscription numbers as a metric of success may need to be reconsidered, Deloitte said. “Subscribers are necessary, but providers should increasingly focus on how much revenue they generate.” Deloitte went on to note that only some platforms have the scale to compete globally; “2022 will further underscore these winners, some of whom are likely to see more M&A activity from consolidation across multiple markets.” Platforms may also need to evolve their offerings. “By the end of 2022, top providers might look more like digital platform companies, with premium SVOD and AVOD capabilities, user-generated content, gaming properties and social integration. This evolving business model will likely test the willingness of shareholders to underwrite expansion, so pressures on profitability may become even more significant.” There’s no doubt that the competition with and among streamers is transforming the landscape, and the content marketplace is hotter than ever. Demand for programming is at a high, and so is the quality of the content. This edition of the World Screen Guide is a testament to the top-flight programming available for linear and digital platforms alike. 8
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INTERVIEWS
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Jamie Dornan Actor The Tourist
WS: What appealed to you about the script and the concept of The Tourist? DORNAN: It was kind of peculiar in the best way. It had me questioning lots of different aspects of what was going on. Whenever I felt comfortable with it, it changed in the best way. I loved the way it was playing with tone and structure. And I thought it was really funny. It was an interesting blend of darkness and humor. And I had kept an eye on what Two Brothers Pictures had been doing in recent years. They’ve had their fingers in a lot of very tasty pies, and I do think they have a unique voice within television in the U.K. It was a departure from the things I’d done recently. And I had an eye on doing something in television because it had been a while for me. So I was intrigued by it all, particularly when I met Chris Sweeney. I had loved Back to Life. I think it’s one of the best things BBC has put out in years. The combination of all those things was pretty alluring to me. WS: How do you go about preparing to play a character like The Man? DORNAN: It’s a difficult one! [Laughs] I’ve played characters before that have lost their memory. I’ve dealt with what that is, the trauma of that, and the panic. Not that I don’t have to plug back into what that is, but I have dug around in that area before. The backstory was being written for me, and then I was able to add to that from everything we don’t hear about pre what [Harry and Jack Williams] put in the script, as we reveal and discover as the series goes on. There’s so much of that confusion and dismay and horror of what he was finding out. I wanted it to feel as much as possible like he was finding it out for the first time. A lot of it is trying to have an understanding of where you think his origins were, what his backstory is, but also trying to forget it! [Laughs] I’m trying not to know too much because the sincerity of that news is impactful for him. Luckily, it was so cleverly written on the page. Trying to play each beat with total conviction and sincerity— you’re not trying to let the audience think that maybe he’s trying to hide something. We’re trying to keep it at: This is news to him; he is on this journey with you. If we lost that, it wouldn’t work. 10
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Joanne Froggatt Actor Angela Black
WS: What appealed to you about Angela Black? FROGGATT: I’d worked with Jack and Harry [Williams] before. They were the writers on a show called Liar, and I’d had a wonderful experience working with them. They contacted me and said they had written Angela Black and would I look at the role of Angela and see if I wanted to play her. They sent me the first three episodes, and I just sat and read all three episodes back-to-back. I couldn’t put them down. It was a no-brainer. I can’t not play this role; this is incredible. Also, they write thrillers so brilliantly, and this is a subtle-to-start-with, Hitchcock-style thriller that shifts and twists and turns, and I had no idea what was going to happen or where this character was going to be taken. There is also important subject matter running as a through-note, which is incredibly important to me to be talking about, especially after the world had been through one lockdown. We were going through lockdown by the time I read the script. The issue of domestic abuse had become so much more prevalent because everyone was [staying] in their homes. Jack and Harry wrote this script before Covid was a word on any of our lips, but, by chance, it was incredibly timely. WS: What research did you do to prepare for the role? FROGGATT: I did a lot of research. I read three books: You Can’t Run by Mandy Thomas, Beautiful by Katie Piper and Brutally Honest by Melanie Brown. All incredibly different scenarios and circumstances of domestic abuse, whether psychological or physical. All three women give incredibly honest and candid accounts of their experiences, emotionally and physically. Those accounts stuck with me. There wasn’t a day that went by on set that I didn’t think about all or one of those women. Women’s Aid is a British charity that helps and supports victims of domestic abuse, and they were very involved with our show from the beginning. They advised Jack and Harry during the writing process. When I came on board, they were incredibly helpful in pointing me in the direction of research material. I spoke to some of their counselors as well. I watched a lot of documentaries. I did immerse myself as much as possible to build a psychological profile of Angela and her scenario and make her as nuanced and real as possible. And make sense of what emotions she is feeling, when and why. 11
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Dick Wolf
Creator Law & Order, Chicago, FBI Franchises WS: As a storyteller, what has continued to appeal to you about procedurals and self-contained episodes? WOLF: Procedurals and self-contained episodes have a start and a finish. They are complete stories. Viewers can come and go as they please and not miss serialized stories. And these episodes play very well globally. WS: What was the strategy and creative process in crafting Law & Order: Organized Crime, besides, of course, the return of Christopher Meloni as Elliot Stabler? WOLF: I saw Organized Crime first as a vehicle for Detective Stabler, with story arcs that reflect the most dangerous and scintillating crimes of this genre. The first season showed the inner workings of a modern-day Mafia kingpin. WS: When you created Chicago Fire, did you already have in mind Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med? How did you develop the Chicago franchise? What is unique about it? WOLF: When we were shooting the Chicago Fire pilot in 2012, I was standing on a bridge over the Chicago River with [Wolf Entertainment’s president and] COO, Peter Jankowski. We were looking at the beautiful city, and I said, I can see spin-offs—police, medical, the sky is the limit. We have basically created Dickensian London with the Chicago shows. The characters are interchangeable, and you’ll never know when or where one will turn up. WS: How did you develop the FBI franchise? WOLF: Growing up, my uncle was an FBI agent, so I have always had a fascination with the Bureau. It was always something I wanted to do, and with CBS’s blessing, we have a very successful brand. WS: What is the enduring appeal to worldwide audiences of crime and medical dramas and, in particular, of Dick Wolf crime and medical dramas? WOLF: Viewers have always been fascinated by real-life crime and medical stories. We dramatize them but try to keep them as realistic as possible. I cannot say enough about the writers on all my shows, how important it is for good storytelling. And the writers do just that. It starts on the page. 12
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Julian Fellowes
Creator, Writer & Executive Producer Downton Abbey, The Gilded Age WS: What did you want to explore in The Gilded Age? This idea came to you quite some time ago, didn’t it? FELLOWES: Yes, it came just as an interest, in fact. I read a book about Alva Vanderbilt and her daughter, Consuelo, who was one of the more famous of the “dollar princesses.” I started to read about this period, and I realized, as always with history, that I had been walking past the houses of these people ever since I first went to America a half-century ago and never really taken them in. I started to read about the Goulds and Carnegies and Fricks and the double side of the Gilded Age, the ruthless robber barons and their palaces. Then I got interested in the Vanderbilt family. For a time, I toyed with the idea of doing a series about them. I half sold it to Bob Greenblatt when he was at Showtime. I found my difficulty was that, when dealing with real people, I have an obligation to write about what really happened and make them say things they really would have said. This is quite limiting. So I gradually came to think—and obviously talked to Bob about it—that if we were going to do a television series about the Gilded Age, we would do better with fictional families living through very possibly truthful events that happened during the Gilded Age. WS: What can you reveal about the upcoming movie Downton Abbey: A New Era? FELLOWES: I’m not allowed to reveal all that much! But I can reveal that there are essentially two principal stories and lots of little stories in the Downton movie. One principal story is that a group of them go to the south of France to this wonderful villa. That was pretty good fun for the members of the cast. Right up to the end [we were wondering where we would be able to do it] because of travel restrictions. And [venues] were changing from day to day because suddenly there would be a Covid outbreak, and everything would be canceled. In the end, we were able to do it, and that was great. The other story is of a film being made at Downton, toward the end of the silent era. The servants and Mary are more involved in the film, but a lot of the other family members are involved in the south of France. 13
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Thomas Rabe CEO RTL Group
WS: How are you investing in RTL+ and Videoland to serve subscribers even better? RABE: We are very pleased about the increase in subscribers to RTL+ and Videoland. To further boost the growth of all our streaming services, we invest heavily in technology, marketing and content. In the first half of 2022, we will expand RTL+ to a cross-media entertainment service comprising video, music, podcasts, audiobooks and e-magazines. We will create Germany’s first cross-media champion, offering our audiences the most diverse spectrum of high-quality entertainment and independent information. The new RTL+ will use state-of-the-art technology with a high level of personalization and content recommendations based on artificial intelligence and editorial inputs for a true cross-media user experience. As a result of the rapid growth of our streaming services and the planned cross-media expansion of RTL+, we have significantly raised our streaming targets. Compared to 2021, we will triple the annual content investments to around €600 million by 2026. We aim to grow the number of paying subscribers for RTL+ and Videoland to 10 million by the end of 2026 in order to grow our streaming revenue to €1 billion and to reach profitability of the two services by 2026. WS: What can you tell us about the decision to merge M6 with TF1? RABE: Since the summer of 2020, we expressed our conviction that alliances and larger merger moves—and thus the creation of national TV champions in Europe—are necessary. With this, we called on the regulators to be supportive. Given the ever-growing competition with U.S. platforms such as Google, Amazon or Netflix, our answer is to scale up our broadcasting businesses. Scaling up can take many forms, from alliances, partnerships and acquisitions to larger incountry consolidation. In bigger markets, in-country consolidation would generate significant synergies, which we could partly re-invest in expanding our streaming services. Today, we are leading the consolidation of the European media industry. With full-year revenue of more than €3.4 billion, the merged company would be the fourth-largest European broadcasting group. 14
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Gilles Pélisson Chairman & CEO TF1 Group
WS: Tell us about establishing a oneon-one relationship with viewers. PÉLISSON: It was one of the most significant decisions we made in the last four or five years. We moved toward establishing a direct relationship with viewers—when we were coming from a culture where we were talking to millions of people and that was all that mattered. We have invested heavily in our platform, MYTF1. It’s number one in France. The consumer experiences are now very similar to Netflix or Amazon. It gives us high credibility and the belief that in the French-speaking market— because we will never have the power, size or scale of the hyper-scalers—we can be credible competitors. We are also now looking at having premieres on Salto, in which we participate with France Télévisions and M6. We put HPI on Salto for 30 days as a premiere. Then there was the linear broadcast, then the replay and eventually, it will go to another platform. This is how we think of what I call the lifetime value of our content, which is a new way of looking at programming from end to end. WS: How would TF1 and M6 benefit from the proposed merger? PÉLISSON: When you start thinking about the evolution of the market, we are competing with the global streamers every day, not only in drama and movies but also for sports rights. These players are very significant, and they also happen to be present in French consumers’ homes. So, the merger makes more sense than ever, and this is why both shareholders, Bouygues and Bertelsmann, have embarked on saying we should join forces and try to build a stronger group. We will never compete with Netflix, Google or Amazon on a worldwide level. However, on a Frenchspeaking territory level, we can be a solid contender. The French audience knows us. They have given us a lot of success and credibility over the last years, and we can capitalize on that. But we need a stronger base for acquisitions, tech investment and a large base for data. By uniting our forces, we believe we can achieve that. And if you look at the future company as a streaming player, having this larger, stronger base will be an asset. 15
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Kevin Beggs Chair Lionsgate Television Group
WS: What have been the biggest changes for Lionsgate Television as the ecosystem has expanded? BEGGS: In a 500-series universe, you have to break out with some noise and heat to get people talking to one another about what they’re watching. And high-end serialized shows lend themselves to that. When we started on this journey, those types of shows were on the outside, and luckily for us, we had a wide-open field because they weren’t that interesting economically to a lot of other players. We continue to find and partner with new and emerging players all the time. [The acquisition of] STARZ gave us a platform partner to whom we could bring our 17,000-title library and the production capability of our motion picture and television studios. Together with Jeffrey Hirsch, STARZ’s president and CEO, we have a complete, virtuous circle for the right shows and right films. We are servicing 20 or 25 other buyers at any given time on shows that aren’t right for STARZ. That’s why we have a nice balance between the two. That’s quite different from when we were just a developer-producer-distributor without a platform. WS: What is the approach to working with talent? BEGGS: We decided to bet on talent. Not only was the 3 Arts Entertainment investment an affirmation of that strategy given their amazing client list and what they do so well, but on individual writing-producer or non-writing-producer deals in which they are generating a lot of IP, concepts and ideas. We can help facilitate getting those into top shape and to market using our expertise and creative skills, but not necessarily relying on our own in-house staff to generate and create every idea. As we think about the bar being raised, it’s not about volume from any one producer in this auteur-driven space. It’s more about making a huge impact with one show; maybe that builds to two and in a perfect world three. You have to curate because you’re only going to have so many shots. Yes, there are many more platforms, but they are under siege from everyone pitching them everything. Yours has to stand out to even get to a place that they want to take a pitch. 16
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Johannes Larcher Head HBO Max International
WS: Have there been advantages for HBO Max being a newer player on the SVOD streaming landscape? LARCHER: I’ll talk about my experience launching Hulu in Japan 11 years ago. The challenge there was establishing not only Hulu as a brand and a service but the entire category. No one understood what SVOD meant, what streaming was. Now, all of this is clear. Another advantage is that growth marketing and the science of it has come a long way since I was at Hulu. We are so much more sophisticated today in how we attract subscribers, engage them and retain them. Many tools and models are available today that didn’t exist back then. The talent pool has gotten much richer. We are also massive believers here at Max in the importance of constantly testing and iterating. We have seen other players make several mistakes when they were expanding internationally. We have the luxury of not having to repeat that. WS: As you look ahead at the next 12 to 18 months, what are your priorities for HBO Max? LARCHER: I have four things at the top of my radar. First of all, continuing to expand our global footprint by launching in more countries. Inside our launched countries, there’s a lot to do. We have to increase our marketing sophistication. We need to continue to experiment and invest in local content and find a way for that content to reliably connect with large audiences. We need to continue to improve our product and technology. We have a very credible service, but we have opportunities to make it more intuitive, more enjoyable, more relevant for our customers. And then maintaining and growing our team. From an aspiration standpoint, the priority is on firmly becoming one of the top three must-have streaming services in every country we’re in. We have achieved that in Latin America. We have achieved it in the Nordics and Spain. We need to make sure that HBO Max is top of mind when consumers think, I want to watch a great movie or a great show. And we look forward to being in a position to combine our efforts with Discovery and fully leverage our respective capabilities and strengths. 17
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Cathy Payne CEO Banijay Rights
WS: What impact is the battle among global streamers having on the international production and distribution business? PAYNE: Firstly, studio-backed streamers continue to hold their product for their own direct-to-consumer services while reclaiming certain library content as it comes out of license off other platforms. This has reduced the amount of content available to other services and traditional linear clients, which means they need to look elsewhere. You’ve seen the expansion of Netflix and Amazon studio bases as examples of countering this. But at the same time, linear broadcasters are still performing extremely strongly. Traditional broadcasters are competing by expanding what were originally their catch-up services into unique VOD offerings in their own right—often comprising a heavily domestic flavor. This allows broadcasters’ commissioning budgets to focus across linear and VOD, and, going forward, you will see an increasing number of content partnerships aligning with linear broadcasters to fund their original shows. Finally, there’s the area of regulation and audience preference to consider. Local viewers like to see local stories, as well as international ones. We are seeing increased regulation in relation to streaming services around local market spend. International streaming companies know they need to cater to those local audiences for both reasons, and this is evident through their increased domestic market commissioning. When you combine all of these waves, it really is quite an exciting time. It’s competitive for the best talent, best stories, best IP; and you have to be in a position to be able to offer that. WS: What opportunities do you see in this market? PAYNE: We are very fortunate to be part of the Banijay group, as this provides Banijay Rights with a product pipeline from our companies. It always helps that our production companies are supported by strong central services such as Creative Networks, Banijay’s ideas powerhouse led by Lucas Green and James Townley. The ability to internally share so many production learnings is invaluable. Having scale also means we are able to make investment decisions fast and early. It also boosts the group’s ability to provide resources that support producers in longer-term development or acquiring specific IP. As a result, this certainly provides more options to our production companies. 18
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Fred Burcksen President & CEO ZDF Studios
WS: Tell us about the decision to change the name of the company from ZDF Enterprises to ZDF Studios. Is there a message you want to give the market with this change? BURCKSEN: It was important for us and for our shareholder, ZDF, because it expresses more precisely and more accurately what we are. On the one hand, we are a large licensing company selling, co-producing and buying rights. On the other hand, we are a big production group, a group that we have built especially over the last ten years. We are a studio that covers all the elements of the creative process, from early development to the long-tail sales and everything in between. We want to be recognized as a studio. We want to invite everybody who has good ideas to talk to us, talk to our production companies and talk to our genre departments about investments, sales and distribution. WS: What has been the strategy in investing in companies? BURCKSEN: It’s a joint strategy by our shareholder, ZDF, and us, with the goal of creating greater independence from other groups. Vertical integration is all around us. Existing groups are getting bigger and stronger. In the meantime, we have created our own group to be independent. That’s the strategy—independence and being a studio that covers all the elements of the creative process. WS: How do you view the international production and distribution business, especially with the streaming services that are so aggressive in trying to get rights and talent? BURCKSEN: The market is overheated, especially when trying to find the right talent for projects; that’s definitely the challenge for production companies. Digitalization and new platforms disrupted everything that we knew was sure. That’s good. We’ve always liked changes. We have tried to embrace them and see the opportunities they offer us. [First among them] is that now in production, basically everything is possible. There is much more respect for original stories than there used to be. There is no definition of the perfect format. [The new platforms] boosted creative possibilities. We’re very grateful for that. 19
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Louise Pedersen CEO All3Media International
WS: How do you view the international scripted TV market? PEDERSEN: We feel pretty positive about the market at the moment. Yes, there are shows that are getting commissioned by global SVODs or studio SVODs where we, as a distributor, don’t have rights, but that’s good business for our partner production companies. Outside of that, there are lots of potential SVOD homes for our shows on the coproduction side, both with regional SVOD partners and global SVOD partners who are prepared to do deals in specific territories. Then there are also long-standing and valued commercial or public-service free-to-air broadcasters, who are very keen to get access to good content because the studio SVODs are hanging on to some of their library product. The AVOD and FAST channel market is a growth area, particularly for our longer-running, established scripted series. With the studio SVODs, there has been a huge demand for library content. If you have a decent library of shows, there are opportunities for co-productions, presales or library deals. AVOD, in particular, has been an opportunity for us to exploit shows in a different rights window and for a longer period of time. It feels like there are lots and lots of opportunities, which is really positive. As for the challenges, new entrants to the market, like the AVOD or FAST licensees, require a different set of rights. We have to make sure we are smart about the rights that we grant to maximize revenue for our content across as many windows as possible. WS: Has the increased volume of scripted changed the way shows are developed or produced? PEDERSEN: Broadcasters are still funding a lot, of course, but there is development going on outside the broadcasters, particularly in the U.K. That’s all about distributors and financiers coming in early to get shows they think will travel. It’s about securing your position early in the process. In terms of production, there is still a very strong model in the U.K., the PSB model, where broadcasters come in with a significant percentage of financing, a distributor comes in and probably matches it, and you’ve got a tax credit as well. That’s a model we like, but, increasingly, we are financing shows by bringing in one or two co-commissioning partners. 20
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Tim Gerhartz President & Managing Director Red Arrow Studios International WS: What are the benefits of working for a company that includes numerous diverse production companies? GERHARTZ: It’s harder to retain rights when collaborating with streamers and majors. The platforms try to retain rights and get full exclusivity on a show, which makes it difficult for distributors and producers to benefit from that show further down the line. The answer has been, and is increasingly, getting involved at a very early stage, investing in development, making sure you are in the game as early as possible. Making sure you are a good partner for everybody in the ecosystem, including the client, the streamer, the platform and the producer. Being part of a group helps because you get access early, information early and can start sorting out the path [to market]. Yes, it helps, but I should stress that it’s also part of our ambition and tradition to show the same collaboration and aspirations when we work with third-party producers. Even throughout the pandemic, we increased our investment in shows from both the Red Arrow Studios group and third-party productions. WS: Would you give some examples of the type of support and expertise you provide producers in financing and distributing their shows? GERHARTZ: We see ourselves as enablers rather than just investors. We try to have our eyes and ears everywhere. Ideally, we know where doors are open and where budgets are available. We know what’s hot and what’s not. Business intelligence is what we bring to the table. WS: Do you see demand for content continuing to be high this year and next? GERHARTZ: Yes, because of all the platforms and the new genres, tones and styles of shows that have emerged. People have experienced so many great, diverse ideas within the last two years that demand will continue to be high. Of course, the pandemic has been a challenge. The effect of Covid that we still see now is that it squeezes the margins because you have higher production costs. And the margins are shifting from one side to the other in the ecosystem. There is a big change in the industry, but all in all, I think you see healthy conditions and growth. The best you can do is be very invested in various steps of the value chain. 21
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Cécile Frot-Coutaz CEO Sky Studios
WS: What appealed to you about heading up Sky Studios after your time at YouTube? FROT-COUTAZ: If you look more broadly at what’s happening in the content ecosystem, on the one hand, you’ve got where YouTube and TikTok live, which is increasingly user-becomescreator, short-form, snackable, immediate. And on the other end, the shows are becoming bigger in terms of their scale and storytelling. It was the pull of going back to that part of the business. It was also about Sky. YouTube and Google are U.S. companies. All the studios are U.S.-based, and the idea of creating a real content hothouse in Europe is appealing. Sky is both a platform and a content company. That combination is unique. WS: Tell us about Sky Studios’ mission. FROT-COUTAZ: The battleground today is for consumers’ time. People have a lot of options on how to spend their time, and they also have a lot of options on how to spend their money on entertainment. Ultimately, that is the battleground. Within that battleground, Sky is also an aggregator of content. When you buy a subscription, you get your sports offering, Netflix, many apps, etc. But increasingly, Sky recognizes the need to have its own original content brand that is exclusive and part of that offering. That’s important when the customer considers whether or not to get a NOW or Sky subscription. The studio’s mission is to help Sky in that battle for the consumer and deliver originals that are worth paying for. I can do that across our three core markets—the U.K., Germany and Italy, plus SkyShowtime, which will launch this summer and add another 20 markets. That is an exciting opportunity for the group overall to extend its footprint from its current 23 million customers across the three markets to a whole new set of customers in 20 more markets. That’s the way to think about the challenge. Some of the questions we will be answering over the next few years are: What is the right content offering? How do you curate the right amount of content? The overall thing to take away is, yes, there is an increase in commitment from Sky to these originals because they will increasingly be of strategic importance. 22
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Tim Mutimer CEO Cineflix Rights
WS: Cineflix Rights offers such a broad range of scripted series from many different countries. Why have you cast the net so wide? MUTIMER: Lots of reasons. One of them is that we are truly independent. Whereas some distributors can be somewhat forced to work with affiliated production companies in whatever territory they’ve got them, we can scour the world for interesting stories we think resonate. We can work with everyone. Experience has taken us to territories such as Israel, France and the Nordics, where there are creatives coming up with globally appealing shows that stand out. At the moment, we are finding that there is less demand for long-running, 22-episode U.S. shows. There is a lot more interest in six- or eight-part serials that maybe have only a one-season arc. And we’re finding this content from our international partners in Europe and Israel. Additionally, non-English-language programs are becoming much more popular in a lot of territories. WS: How do you view the international production and distribution business, particularly given the battle among the global streamers for subscribers and high-end programming? MUTIMER: It’s fantastic! There is so much demand for content, which is great news for producers and distributors. AVOD has added another dimension, providing a buoyant market with big audiences coming to find content, particularly factual content. So, for us, at the moment, that increase in competition has been great. It means there is a real appetite, whether it’s for premium scripted, premium unscripted or returning shows, which form a staple of our catalog. Broadcasters want shows they know are going to work, will come back again and again and only have to [invest in marketing] once. WS: Movies are sometimes the unsung heroes. They fulfill a need, but they’re not talked about very much. MUTIMER: It is true, and in addition to a strong platform, we’re looking for well-known talent that we can market. We know that holiday movies are always in demand, as are family movies and true crime. Cineflix has been across the crime space in factual for so long that it’s a natural area [for us] to be in [for movies because of] the relationships we have in that world. 23
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Clint Stinchcomb President & CEO Curiosity
WS: Tell us about the recent rebrand and what that means for the broader company outside of your SVOD service. STINCHCOMB: The elevation of “Curiosity” is a recognition of the dynamic and diverse company we have grown to become over the past [seven] years. We are the global entertainment brand for people who want to know more, and our SVOD service, Curiosity Stream, is still the flagship and the foundation of our business. But we provide myriad ways for both viewers and partners to engage with our content—we’re producing more original content than ever—and the time is right to showcase our full suite of offerings. WS: What are the core subscriber retention tools you use for Curiosity Stream? STINCHCOMB: Due to the nature of our service, we have an audience that in some cases wants immense breadth and in others wants to be able to dive deep into specific topics. Therefore, we need reflexive strategies that ensure we are serving up what an individual is looking for each time they open up our apps. We initially serve a new user some of our best content across all of our genres and categories that we know performed well and see what resonates. From there, we can get an idea of what sort of content they are interested in and begin to build a reflexive experience. At a high level, all of this data informs our programming strategy to make sure we have a continuous flow of new content to the platform that we know will feed all these different tastes and appetites. If we’re doing that correctly, we will see high retention from people who are most active on our apps. We also have to make sure that we reach people outside of our owned-and-operated [platforms]. We have a variety of ways we do that. Our CRM and engagement team uses off-platform content recommendations, retargeted ads and a variety of other mediums to make sure that people are not missing content we think they’re going to be interested in if they have not logged in recently. We are also building out a strong front-of-the-wall content strategy that will keep our audience engaged with us even as they consume content on other platforms beyond Curiosity Stream (like YouTube, FAST platforms and social media). 24
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DISTRIBUTORS
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Albatross World Sales ADDRESS: Chopinstr. 8, 04103 Leipzig, Germany TELEPHONE: (49-341) 4428-2450 WEBSITE: www.albatrossworldsales.com MANAGING DIRECTOR: Anne Olzmann SALES DIRECTOR: Lisa Schelhas CONTACT: Jana Steinert, info@albatrossworldsales.com PROGRAMS: Superbirds—The Secret Life of Tits: 1x52 min., nature & wildlife; Wild Prague: 1x52 min./1x80 min., nature & wildlife; Crimes that Changed the World: 3x45 min., history; Hike the Line—European Border Trails: 3x43 min., travel & adventure; Resurrecting Eden—Human Help for Nature’s Own Resilience: 4x52 min./4x43 min., science & sustainability; The Marvelous World of the Vegetable Garden: 1x52 min./1x43 min., nature & wildlife; Planet Sheep: 2x52 min./1x90 min., nature & science; Archipelago New York: 3x52 min./3x45 min., travel & adventure; The Cévennes—Hidden Beauty in the South of France: 1x52 min., travel & adventure; The White Diamond: 1x87 min., nature & adventure.
“Albatross World Sales is a leading documentary and factual program distributor offering a wide range of high-quality content. A large part of our catalog is devoted to blue-chip wildlife programs. We represent international, awardwinning production companies and can therefore offer a wide variety of programming with different visual approaches and storytelling. With The Marvelous World of the Vegetable Garden and Superbirds—The Secret Life of Tits, we are excited to present two extraordinarily captivating and visually stunning wildlife stories of the endearing creatures surrounding us every day. The uplifting series Resurrecting Eden—Human Help for Nature’s Own Resilience highlights our endangered natural paradises and the visionary scientific projects attempting to save them. And legendary Werner Herzog embarks on a voyage of discovery in the canopy of the jungle in an extraordinary flying object [in] The White Diamond, a remastered classic on the year of his 80th [birthday]. We are devoted to diversifying and strengthening our program slate and are proud to bring highly relevant brand-new content to our clients during MIPTV 2022.” —Anne Olzmann, Managing Director
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Artist View Entertainment ADDRESS: 5775 E. Los Angeles Ave., Suite 218, Simi Valley, CA 93063, U.S.A. TELEPHONE: (1-818) 752-2480 WEBSITE: www.artistviewent.com PRESIDENT: Scott J. Jones VP, INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION: Patti Rose CONTACT: scott@artistviewent.com PROGRAMS: Double Threat: 1x90 min., action/adventure; Rent a Groom: 1x90 min., romantic comedy; Hearts Creek: 1x90 min., romantic comedy; Black Bags: 1x90 min., female thriller; Help Wanted: 1x90 min., female thriller; A Thousand Little Cuts: 1x87 min., thriller; Plus One: 1x107 min., romantic adventure; Saving Paradise: 1x98 min., holiday drama; Paint: 1x94 min., drama; Here Awhile: 1x87 min., drama.
“Artist View is very pleased to present its spring 2022 lineup, complete with romantic comedies and its newest female-driven action and thriller projects. Leading the way is the action-packed feature Double Threat, starring Danielle C. Ryan, Matthew Lawrence and Dawn Olivieri. [Also on the slate are] two romcoms, entitled Rent a Groom and Hearts Creek, along with the female-driven thrillers A Thousand Little Cuts, starring Marina Sirtis, Colin Ferguson and Rebecca Liddiard; Help Wanted, starring Sarah Fisher, Conner Floyd and Robert Peters; and Black Bags, starring Laura Vandervoort, Olesya Rulin and Ryan Francis. These titles are the first group of new features that Artist View is presenting, with an additional four titles to be announced this summer. We feel very fortunate to be working with so many highly creative filmmakers and appreciate the support of all those who distribute our product.” —Scott J. Jones, President
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Autentic Distribution ADDRESS: Gruenwalder Weg 28d, 82041 Oberhaching, Germany TELEPHONE: (49-89) 673-469-797 WEBSITE: www.autentic.com MANAGING DIRECTOR: Dr. Patrick Hörl HEAD, SALES & ACQUISITIONS: Mirjam Strasser CONTACT: sales@autentic.com PROGRAMS: Europe’s Forgotten Border: 1x52 min., history; Adam and Ida: 1x80 min., history; Sri Lanka—Leopard Dynasty: 1x45 min., nature & wildlife; Deadly Roads: 4x45 min., people & places; National Parks of the Balkan: Rugged Worlds & Wild Beauty: 6x52 min., people & places; Bosnia & Herzegovina: 2x52 min., people & places; Cambodia—Land of Enchanted Temples and Floating Villages: 1x45 min., people & places; Bolshoi—Rise and Fall Behind the Curtain: 1x90 min., people & places; Life from Space: 3x52 min., science; Snow Lords: The Series II: 4x45 min., factual entertainment.
“We are excited to include many new premium and exceptional productions in our 2022 spring catalog—from cutting-edge current affairs titles to lifestyle and arts. We also come to MIPTV with new history docs and fresh nature and wildlife titles, as well as new factual-entertainment series and science shows. Our special highlights are the nature doc Sri Lanka—Leopard Dynasty, where we follow different female leopards through Sri Lanka, and the history docudrama Europe’s Forgotten Border, retelling the events during the Cold War on the deadliest border in Europe. For adrenaline kicks, we have added the factual series Deadly Roads to our slate, and Cambodia—Land of Enchanted Temples and Floating Villages satisfies the longing for traveling the world. In our science genre, Life from Space takes us into the unknown worlds of outer space. And there are so many more incredible documentaries to discover.” —Mirjam Strasser, Head, Sales & Acquisitions
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Boat Rocker Studios ADDRESS: 310 King Street E., Toronto, ON M5A 1K6, Canada TELEPHONE: (1-416) 591-0065 WEBSITE: www.boatrocker.com PRESIDENT, KIDS & FAMILY & RIGHTS: Jon Rutherford SENIOR VP, GLOBAL SALES, KIDS & FAMILY: Gia DeLaney VP, GLOBAL SALES, UNSCRIPTED: Natalie Vinet CONTACT: sales@boatrocker.com PROGRAMS: Raufikat’s Better Bake Along: 6x30 min., factual/food/competition; How I Got Here: 10x60 min., factual/travel/adventure; Second Chance Pets: 10x60 min., factual/science/educational; Unexplained: Caught on Camera: S3 10x60 min., factual/paranormal/documentary; Weeks of War: 8x60 min., factual/history/docuseries; Dino Ranch: 104x11 min., preschool 2-5/comedy/action/adventure/3D; Love Monster: 79x7 min. & 1x14 min., preschool 2-5/comedy/adventure/2D; Kingdom Force: 52x11 min., preschool 3-6/action/adventure/3D; The Strange Chores: 52x11 min., kids 6-11/comedy/adventure/2D; The Next Step: 206x30 min., tweens/teens/scripted/live action.
“Boat Rocker Studios is an independent, creative-driven studio that specializes in the development, production and distribution of premium, award-winning global content, building franchises across all major genres via its scripted, unscripted and kids and family divisions. The studio distributes and licenses thousands of hours of its own and third-party content around the world through its Rights & Brands division. Boat Rocker has won a variety of prestigious industry accolades, including Emmy, Peabody, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Canadian Screen Awards. Recent projects include Invasion for Apple TV+, from Simon Kinberg and David Weil; Dino Ranch for Disney Junior; and GoBig Show for TBS. With over 800 employees across its Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, London, Ottawa and Hong Kong offices, 400 hours of content produced annually and a distribution library now totaling over 9,000 half-hours, our sales team maintains a boutique style of distribution with the reach of a global media company. In the past year, Boat Rocker has sold content in over 300 countries worldwide across free TV, pay TV, pan-regional channels, OTT and streaming platforms.” —Corporate Communications
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CAKE ADDRESS: 50 Marshall St., 4/Fl., London W1F 9BQ, U.K. TELEPHONE: (44-207) 307-3230 WEBSITE: www.cakeentertainment.com CEO: Ed Galton HEAD, SALES: Bianca Rodriguez CONTACT: info@cakeentertainment.com PROGRAMS: Total Drama Island (2022): 26x22 min., kids 8-14/ animation; Lucas the Spider: 78x7 min., preschool/animation; Angry Birds MakerSpace: S2 20x1.5 min., kids 4+/animation; Dodo: 20x11 min., kids 8+ & family; B.O.T. and the BEASTIES: 50x5 min., preschool/animation; Jorel’s Brother: 104x11 min., kids 8-12/animation; Tish Tash: 52x5 min., preschool/animation; Mush-Mush & the Mushables: 48x11 min. & 2x22 min. specials, animation; Pablo: 104x11 min., preschool/animation; Kiri and Lou: 78x5 min., preschool/animation.
“CAKE is one of the world’s leading independent entertainment companies specializing in the production, distribution, development, financing and brand development of kids’ and family properties. CAKE Distribution distributes over 1,600 half-hours of animation and live-action content, working with renowned producers including Rovio Entertainment, Fresh TV, Channel X, Kickstart Entertainment and Ragdoll Productions on the worldwide rollout of their brands. CAKE Productions supports CAKE’s development and production activities on shared and originated projects. With over 13 properties in development, productions include Angry Birds: Summer Madness for Netflix; Mama K’s Team 4 with Triggerfish Animation for Netflix; Angelo Rules with TeamTO for France Télévisions, Canal+ and Super RTL; Space Chickens in Space with Ánima Estudios for Disney EMEA; Pablo with Paper Owl Films for CBeebies; and Mush-Mush & the Mushables with La Cabane and Thuristar currently available internationally on Boomerang.” —Corporate Communications
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Cisneros Media ADDRESS: 700 NW 1st Ave., Suite 1700, Miami, FL 33136, U.S.A. TELEPHONE: (1-305) 442-3400 WEBSITE: www.cisneros.com PRESIDENT: Jonathan Blum VP, SALES: Carlos Cabrera CONTACT: contentsales@cisneros.com PROGRAMS: Zumbar: 26x5 min., kids; AnimalFanPedia: 26x11 min., kids/edutainment; My Birthday Bash: 13x22 min., kids; #GOAT: 26x5 min., tweens; WERK!: 26x5 min., tweens; Mysterious Earth: 13x30 min., docuseries; Food Pop: 13x30 min., docuseries; Killer Instincts: 13x30 min., docuseries; Palm House: 5x60 min., reality; Fashion Insta: ongoing/60 min. eps., variety.
“Cisneros Media is constantly developing new content offerings and formats to keep our audience engaged on existing and new platforms. We are producing new talk shows and general-entertainment programming for our pay-TV channel, VePlus, and for other broadcasters. We recently launched Novelisima, our new multiplatform [offering] for telenovela lovers, which includes a free-to-air channel covering more than 100 cities in the U.S., our Novelisima website and apps and FAST channels in Portuguese and Spanish worldwide. Through our Mobius.Lab and Mobius.Lab Kids units, we have developed very successful nonfiction and children’s programming for our catalog and international partners. We develop our content strategy according to market trends and our clients’ programming needs.” —Jonathan Blum, President
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Curiosity TELEPHONE: (1-301) 755-2050 WEBSITE: www.curiositystream.com PRESIDENT & CEO: Clint Stinchcomb CHIEF PRODUCT OFFICER & EXECUTIVE VP, CONTENT STRATEGY: Devin Emery MANAGING DIRECTOR & HEAD, INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION: Bakori Davis HEAD, ORIGINAL CONTENT: Rob Burk CONTACT: distribution@curiositystream.com PROGRAMS: Changing Oceans Asia: 3x30 min., nature; Nature’s Fight Club: 4x50 min., nature; Glorious Grasslands: 1x50 min., nature; Lake Magic: 1x50 min., nature; Inside the Mind of a Con Artist: 6x52 min., science; Secrets of the Universe: 8x50 min., space; Asteroid Rush: 2x60 min., space; Doug to the Rescue: S2 5x30 min., technology & society; Ancient Earth: Dinosaurs of the South Pole: 2x60 min., science; Planet Insect: 3x52 min., nature.
“Curiosity is the entertainment brand for people who want to know more. The global media company is home to awardwinning original and curated factual films and series covering science, nature, history, technology, society and lifestyle. With approximately 23 million subscribers worldwide and thousands of titles, the company operates the flagship Curiosity Stream SVOD service, available in more than 175 countries worldwide; Curiosity Channel, the linear television channel available via global distribution partners; and Curiosity Studios, which oversees original programming. Curiosity recently completed the acquisition of One Day University, which provides access to engaging talks and lectures from the best university and college professors in the United States. Curiosity is a wholly owned subsidiary of Curiosity Stream.” —Corporate Communications
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Cyber Group Studios ADDRESS: 44B Quai de Jemmapes, 75010 Paris, France; 25 rue Corneille, 59100 Roubaix, France; 3500 W. Olive Ave., #1470, Burbank, CA 91505, U.S.A. TELEPHONE: (33-1) 5556-3232; (1-818) 844-1660 WEBSITE: www.cybergroupstudios.com CHAIRMAN & CEO: Pierre Sissmann SENIOR VP, SALES, ACQUISITIONS & NEW MEDIA: Raphaelle Mathieu CONTACTS: sales@cybergroupstudios.com; rmathieu@cybergroupstudios.com PROGRAMS: Gigantosaurus: S1-3 156x11 min./78x26 min., kids 4-6/ comedy/adventure/2D/CGI; Taffy: S1-2 156x7 min., kids 6-10 & family/cartoon/comedy/2D; 50/50 Heroes: 52x11 min., kids 6-10/ comedy/adventure/CGI; Droners: S1-2 52x22 min., kids 6-10/ adventure/comedy/2D/CGI; Nefertine on the Nile: 52x11 min., kids 4-7/comedy/2D/CGI; The Case (La Custodia): 1x40 min., family/feature movie/2D; Squared Zebra: 78x7 min., preschool 3-5/comedy/edutainment/2D; Orange Moo Cow: 78x7 min., kids 3-6/comedy/2D; Bananimals: 78x7 min., kids 5-8/ comedy/2D; The Last Kids on Earth: 21x22 min. & 1x66 min. special, kids 7-12/comedy/action.
“Founded in 2005, Cyber Group Studios is a leading multi-award-winning international producer and distributor of animated programs for an audience ranging from kids to young adults. The company is based in France, the U.S., the U.K., Italy and Singapore, with strategic partners in China. Its team is driven by a passion for creating great stories targeted to a global audience on all continents. Its five production studios share a strong culture of innovation, offering audiences the best storytelling and animation experience. Cyber Group Studios develops its content for television, digital platforms, feature films and direct-to-consumer (home entertainment, interactive games, consumer products). The company sells the media distribution rights of its own and third-party programs, localized in 30-plus languages, into more than 160 countries. Its distribution partners include TV broadcasters, VOD streaming platforms and home-entertainment companies.” —Raphaelle Mathieu, Senior VP, Sales, Acquisitions & New Media
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Escapade Media ADDRESS: Building 21, Fox Studios Australia, 38 Driver Ave., Moore Park, NSW 2021, Australia TELEPHONE: (61) 411-035317 WEBSITE: www.escapademedia.com.au MANAGING DIRECTOR: Natalie Lawley CONTACT: natalie@escapademedia.com.au PROGRAMS: For the Love of Pets: 8x60 min., factual entertainment; The Healing: 1x60 min., factual; Gold Digger: The Search for Australian Rugby: 1x90 min., factual; Killer Soundtrack: 13x60 min., crime/factual; The Best Kind of Beautiful: 6x60 min., drama; Phil Liggett: The Voice of Cycling: 1x90 min., factual; Inside Trauma: 3x60 min., factual; Back to Nature: 8x30 min., factual/lifestyle; Big vs Small: 1x60 min., factual; Devolution: A Devo Theory: 1x60 min., factual.
“Escapade Media is an international distribution and content-development company specializing in premium dramas, children’s and factual programming with a distinct point of difference. Our mission is to present unique and fresh content that resonates with global audiences and underlines our ambition to work with partners and creative teams developing projects that are strong and diverse at their core. Our strong reputation securing presales and commissions has allowed Escapade to be involved in a collection of premium content delivering over the next 12 to 18 months. MIPTV sees the launch of five new titles across the factual and drama genres.” —Natalie Lawley, Managing Director
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Inter Medya ADDRESS: Istanbloom Offices, Kore Sehitleri Caddesi 16/1, Zincirlikuyu, 34394 Istanbul, Turkey TELEPHONE: (90-212) 231-0102 WEBSITE: www.intermedya.tv FOUNDER & CEO: Can Okan PRESIDENT & COO: Ahmet Ziyalar VP & HEAD, SALES & ACQUISITIONS: Beatriz Cea Okan CONTACTS: Sibel Levendoglu, sibel.levendoglu@intermedya.tv; Pelin Koray, pelin.koray@intermedya.tv; Elena Pak, elena.pak@intermedya.tv; Sinem Aliskan, sinem.aliskan@intermedya.tv; Ruba Zeitouni, ruba.zeitouni@intermedya.tv PROGRAMS: Aziz: in prod., drama; The Girl of the Green Valley: in prod., drama; Destiny: 48x45 min., drama; The Trusted: 74x45 min., drama; Last Summer: 93x45 min., drama; Scorpion: 91x45 min., drama; A.Riza: 101x45 min., drama/action; Respect 2: 8x60 min., drama/action/crime; Deep: 8x60 min., drama; Broken Lives: in prod., drama.
“Inter Medya is a leading development, co-financing, production and distribution company based in Turkey that is aiming to deliver premium content to viewers across the world. It [has] a powerful portfolio of unique Turkish stories. Encouraged by the increasing global interest in Turkish films and TV series, Inter Medya is looking forward to achieving success in international markets by producing and distributing high-quality Turkish content. The company’s purpose is to reach global audiences through the films and television series in its catalog.” —Corporate Communications
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Jetpack Distribution WEBSITE: www.jetpackdistribution.tv CEO, U.S., U.K., ITALY & SPAIN: Dominic Gardiner GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR, IRELAND, NORDICS, GAS, AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND: Gillian Calvert Ridge GLOBAL SALES DIRECTOR, ASIA, CANADA, FRANCE, LATAM, ISRAEL & PORTUGAL: Sophie “Kido” Prigent SALES EXECUTIVE, BENELUX & CEEMA: Toby Jones CONTACT: Rhiannon Lyons, rhiannon.lyons@jetpackdistribution.tv PROGRAMS: The Mini Kids: 28x16 min., entertainment; Silly Animals: 20x6 min., animation; Ladybird and Bee: 26x2 min., animation; Mechamato: 26x22 min., animation; Critters TV: 26x11 min., nature documentary; Welcome to Cardboard City: S1 10x3-6 min., S2 10x4-9 min., action; Moley: 52x11 min. & 1x30 min. special, animation; My Petsaurus: 75x2 min., comedy; Spookiz: S1 26x2 min., S2 26x2.5 min., S3 23x2.5 min., S4 1x83 min., animation; Spookley: 1x45 min., animation.
“Blasting the very best kids’ content across the planet! At Jetpack, we find homes for highquality and enduringly appealing kids’ TV shows worldwide. We work directly with producers, creators, broadcasters and video-on-demand platforms to deliver great value and experiences. We are delighted at the continued growth of our library, working with 34 producers and a burgeoning library of 1,500 half-hours of fantastic characterdriven shows featuring timeless themes for all ages. New shows in our catalog include NRK Super’s The Mini Kids; the Sky Kids commission Silly Animals, a co-production between Rebel Television and Media and Silver Star Productions; Keyring Co’s YouTube sensation Spookiz; Turnip & Duck’s hilarious spoof nature documentary Critters TV; and SMF Studio’s ‘plasticine’ preschool show Claymotions. These join a stellar lineup including Spookley and the Christmas Kittens, Ladybird and Bee, Mechamato, Mighty Little Bheem and Welcome to Cardboard City.” —Dominic Gardiner, CEO
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Kanal D International ADDRESS: Yelda Haber Ve Gorsel Yayincilik A.S. 100, Yıl Mah, 2264, Sk. Demiroren Medya Center, Apt. No:1/21, 34218, Bagcilar, Istanbul, Turkey TELEPHONE: (90-212) 413-5111 WEBSITE: www.kanald.international CEO, KANAL D: Murat Yancı EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Ekin Koyuncu CONTACT: sales@kanald.international PROGRAMS: Three Sisters: in prod., drama; Hekimoğlu: 157x44 min., medical drama; Ruthless City: 136x46 min., drama; Twist of Fate: 58x43 min., romantic comedy; Recipe of Love: 41x43 min., romantic comedy; Romance Next Door: 60x38 min., romantic comedy; Love Trap: 136x41 min., romantic comedy; Sweet Revenge: 82x48 min., romantic comedy; Price of Passion: 96x48 min., romantic drama; Flames of Desire: 186x44 min., drama.
“Kanal D International is the global business arm of Kanal D, the leading TV channel of the Turkish broadcasting world. Operating under Europe’s leading media organization, Demirören Media Group, Kanal D has been creating quality content for the past 28 years. Accompanied by the Kanal D International Networks brand, Kanal D International has grown within the content world to reach the end user since 2018. The distribution arm of the company continues its activities under Kanal D International, and Kanal D International Networks is the business line that holds all linear assets. Kanal D Drama is the first Turkish drama channel that was established in LatAm and Europe and the first that entered the U.S. market. Today, it continues to present a neverbefore-seen experience of premium Turkish content.” —Corporate Communications
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Lionsgate ADDRESS: 2700 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90404, U.S.A. TELEPHONE: (1-310) 449-9200 WEBSITE: www.lionsgate.com PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION & DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION: Agapy Kapouranis CONTACT: general-inquiries@lionsgate.com PROGRAMS: Son of a Critch: 13x30 min., comedy; Minx: 10x30 min., dramedy; Swimming with Sharks: 6x30 min., drama; Gaslit: 8x60 min., drama; Welcome to Flatch: 14x30 min., comedy; Home Economics: 29x30 min., comedy; Freak Brothers: 8x30 min., comedy/adult animation; The Real Dirty Dancing: 4x60 min., unscripted; Hiccups and Hookups: 8x30 min., dramedy; Jugaadistan: 8x60 min., dramedy.
“Combining the STARZ premium global subscription platform with world-class motion picture and television studio operations, Lionsgate brings a unique and varied portfolio of entertainment to consumers around the world. Its film, television, subscription and location-based entertainment businesses are backed by a 17,000-title library and the largest collection of film and television franchises in the independent media space. A digital-age company driven by its entrepreneurial culture and commitment to innovation, the Lionsgate brand is synonymous with bold, original, relatable entertainment for the audiences it serves worldwide.” —Corporate Communications
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Nicely Entertainment ADDRESS: 5737 Kanan Rd., Suite 130, Los Angeles, CA 91301, U.S.A. TELEPHONE: (1-323) 682-8029 WEBSITE: www.nicelytv.com CEO: Vanessa Shapiro EXECUTIVE VP, DISTRIBUTION & CO-PRODUCTIONS: Scott Kirkpatrick CONTACT: info@nicelytv.com PROGRAMS: Saving Christmas Spirit: 1x90 min., holiday romance; A Merry Single Christmas: 1x90 min., holiday romance; Love in Bloom: 1x90 min., romance; Old Flames Never Die: 1x90 min., thriller; Fatal Fandom: 1x90 min., thriller; Adeline: 1x90 min., inspirational true story; Christmas with Felicity: 1x90 min., holiday romance; Dying to Belong: 1x90 min., thriller; Law of Attraction: 1x90 min., romance; Becoming Ms. Bennet: Pride & Prejudice: 1x90 min., romance.
“Based in Los Angeles, Nicely Entertainment brings more than 12 brand-new ‘feel-good’ TV movies to the global market each year and has built a library of nearly 50 films. Although Nicely’s main focus has been producing original romance and Christmas films for U.S. broadcasters, the company has recently expanded to include narrative TV series. Nicely’s first series, the Netflix YA original series Dive Club (12x22 min.), premiered in September 2021 to rave reviews. Its latest endeavor, also a Netflix YA original series, Gymnastics Academy: A Second Chance (10x22 min.), will premiere globally in 2022. Nicely has developed several projects as co-productions in Australia and Canada and continues to produce original content for major U.S. outlets and global platforms.” —Vanessa Shapiro, CEO
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Nippon TV ADDRESS: 1-6-1 Higashi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-7444, Japan TELEPHONE: (81-3) 6215-3036 WEBSITE: www.ntv.co.jp/english MANAGING DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Mikiko Nishiyama DIRECTOR & HEAD, MARKETING, INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Yuki Akehi HEAD, FORMATS, UNSCRIPTED FORMAT SALES: Tom Miyauchi HEAD, SCRIPTED FORMAT SALES: Sayako Aoki CONTACT: nippontv-ibd@ntv.co.jp PROGRAMS: CONNECTED: 30 min.-60 min. eps., scripted format/crime; Tall Order: 10x60 min., scripted format/ comedy/romance; Guilty Flag: 20x60 min., scripted format/suspense; Life’s Punchline: 10x60 min., scripted format/ dramedy; Dark Doubt: 60 min. eps., unscripted format/escape game show; Turbo Brain: 60 min. eps., unscripted format/entertainment/game show; Money or Junk: 60 min.105 min. eps., unscripted format/entertainment/game show; Stacking It!: 60 min. eps., unscripted format/entertainment/ game show; Crush Park: 60 min. eps., unscripted format/ game show.
“Nippon TV is Japan’s leading multiplatform entertainment powerhouse and ratings champion broadcaster, as well as the owner of the streaming giant Hulu in Japan. Over 90 percent of its content IP is fully owned by Nippon TV, and the company has been active in bringing its content to the international market in the form of ready-made programs, formats and through coproduction partnerships. One of the biggest successes is Dragons’ Den/Shark Tank, a globally successful business format that has 45 versions in more than 186 countries. Additionally, the hit drama series Mother has achieved global success as the mostexported scripted format out of Asia, with its format sales to South Korea, Turkey, Ukraine, France, Thailand, China, Indonesia and Spain. The company is also known for its viewer-engaging game-show formats. BLOCK OUT is an action-packed gameshow format that has been adapted in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Spain and the Netherlands. The award-winning format Mute it! and Sokkuri Sweets have both been produced in the Netherlands. Sokkuri Sweets/Eye Candy is on The Roku Channel in the U.S., U.K. and Canada. As evident by the company’s success, Nippon TV is leveraging its coveted platform to revolutionize digital media in an ever-changing industry to solidify its presence and brand as a global media leader.” —Corporate Communications 54
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Odin’s Eye Entertainment ADDRESS: PO Box 173, Brighton Le Sands, NSW 2233, Australia TELEPHONE: (61) 403-914-317 WEBSITE: www.odinseyeent.com FOUNDER & CEO: Michael Favelle CONTACT: Lauren Thomas, lauren@odinseyeent.com PROGRAMS: The Beachbuds: 52x11 min., kids 6-11/comedy/ animation; Ice Maiden: 1x90 min., documentary/adventure; Tales from Sanctuary City: 3x90 min., family/comedy/ animation; The Incredibears: 10x3 min., kids 3-6/comedy/ animation; Into the Darkness: 6x60 min., drama/war.
“Odin’s Eye Entertainment and sister company Odin’s Eye Animation are proud to present their first series acquisitions: The Beachbuds, a 52x11-minute zany adventure comedy series with a lot of heart for kids aged 6 to 11, and The Incredibears, a 10x3-minute series aimed at a preschool audience. A number of other series are in development and planning stages. We are also presenting our feature film lineup, featuring a variety of documentaries, animation and feature narratives across a variety of genres. Established in 2006, Odin’s Eye Entertainment is a vertically integrated production, distribution and international sales agency that specializes in working with emerging and established producers across a wide variety of genres. From an acquisitions perspective, Odin’s Eye is seeking original stories with diverse and compelling characters and universal themes.” —Michael Favelle, Founder & CEO
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Red Arrow Studios International ADDRESS: Medienallee 7, Unterföhring 85774, Germany TELEPHONE: (49-89) 9507-7303 WEBSITE: www.redarrowstudios.com/international PRESIDENT & MANAGING DIRECTOR: Tim Gerhartz VP, SALES (FRENCH- & GERMAN-SPEAKING EUROPE, BENELUX): Tobias Schulze SENIOR SALES MANAGER (IBERIA, ITALY, TURKEY, ISRAEL & LATIN AMERICA): Maria Arroyo SALES MANAGER (ASIA, NORDICS, AFRICA & INFLIGHT): Joyce Droese SALES MANAGER (CEE, CIS, GREECE & MIDDLE EAST): Victor Ukmar SENIOR ACQUISITIONS & CO-PRODUCTIONS MANAGER: Rodrigo Herrera Ibarguengoytia VP, FORMAT DEVELOPMENT & PRODUCTION: David Barber CONTACT: sales@redarrowstudios.com PROGRAMS: Plan B: 18x60 min., drama; Departure: S3 6x60 min., thriller; Bet Your Lucky Stars: entertainment format; The Friedmanns: 8x45 min., drama; Message from Mom: 8x45 min., drama; The Stacking Show: entertainment format; Married at First Sight (Australia): S9 37x90 min., factual entertainment/ reality; The Weekly: Special Edition: S2 6x60 min., factual/people & society.
“A world-leading TV distributor of scripted, formats and factual shows from a global network of outstanding production companies and digital-content partners, Red Arrow Studios International is part of Red Arrow Studios, which is comprised of an acclaimed network of international production companies and labels in seven territories and the digital studio Studio71. Red Arrow Studios is a ProSiebenSat.1 Media company, one of Europe’s leading media groups.” —Corporate Communications
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Studio 100 Media ADDRESS: Neumarkter Str. 18-20, 81673 Munich, Germany TELEPHONE: (49-89) 960855-0 WEBSITE: www.studio100group.com CEO: Martin Krieger HEAD, GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: Dorian Bühr CONTACT: dorian.buehr@studio100media.com PROGRAMS: Vegesaurs: 20x5 min., comedy/adventure/ CGI; Game Keepers: 52x11 min., action/game/live action; FriendZSpace: 52x11 min., comedy/adventure/CGI; SeaBelievers: 52x11 min., ecotainment/CGI; 100% Wolf—Legend of the Moonstone: 26x22 min., comedy/adventure/CGI; Mia and me: S1-3 78x23 min., fantasy/adventure/live action/CGI; Heidi: S1-2 65x22 min., adventure/CGI; Tip the Mouse: S1-3 104x7 min., preschool/comedy/CGI; Wissper: S1-2 104x7 min., preschool/ adventure/comedy/CGI; Maya the Bee: S1-2 130x13 min., preschool/adventure/CGI.
“Bringing brands to life that are contentdriven and entertain kids and families on every platform and wherever they are is our mission in the kids’ entertainment world. We are pursuing this goal on every business level, with our studios in Belgium producing liveaction shows and Flying Bark Productions— based in Australia—and our other animation studios around the world creating animated movies and CGI TV shows. Our distribution arm brings the content to platforms, broadcasters and theaters around the globe, and we generate emotional experiences with our theme parks and live entertainment shows, extending these experiences through our licensing program into everyday life, thus offering a truly 360-degree approach.” —Dorian Bühr, Head, Global Distribution
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Terra Mater Studios ADDRESS: Wambachergasse 2, 1130 Vienna, Austria TELEPHONE: (43-1) 87003 WEBSITE: www.terramater.com CEO: Walter Köhler DIRECTOR, CO-PRODUCTIONS & SALES: Berend Dreier DIRECTOR, CO-PRODUCTIONS & PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT: Sven Westphal PROGRAMS: The Loco-Motion Picture: 1x50 min., nature/science; Wales—Spirit of the Dragon: 1x50 min., nature; Canada—The Far North: 1x50 min., nature; Gorillas Up Close: 1x50 min., nature; The Secret Crown: 1x50 min., nature; American Ocelot: 1x50 min., nature; Rooted: America’s Trees of Life: 3x50 min., nature; Space Mission Senegal: 1x50 min., science; Europe’s Amazon: 1x50 min., nature; Once Upon a Time in Tsavo: 2x50 min., nature.
“Terra Mater Studios (TMS), a subsidiary company of Red Bull, is a full-blown production unit that produces and distributes a wide variety of programming for TV and theatrical release. TMS is committed to the highest production values regarding visual excellence, innovative technology and amazing storytelling. Core production genres are nature, science and history, resulting in blue-chip prime-time series and specials. TMS also explores new styles to create exciting, different factualentertainment formats. And for the big screen, TMS produces stories that are highly relevant and strongly rooted in reality, from the classical feature doc to wild drama where nature plays the main role, further on to fiction films where real stories are the matrix for the scripts. On its YouTube channel, TMS shows exclusive short-form videos about the diversity of nature, conservation and environmental topics.” —Corporate Communications
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Workpoint Group ADDRESS: 99 Moo 2, Bangpoon, Muang Pathumthani, Pathumthani 12000, Thailand TELEPHONE: (66-2) 833-2000 WEBSITE: www.workpointworldwide.com CHAIRMAN: Phanya Nirunkul VICE CHAIRMAN: Prapas Cholsaranon MANAGING DIRECTOR, LICENSE: Dhanasak Hoonarak LICENSING MANAGER: Wirata Laksanasopin CONTACT: international@workpoint.co.th PROGRAMS: The Wall Duet: 70x60 min., music game show; The Winning Numbers: 124x60 min., game show; Who Is My Chef?: 150x60 min., food game show; Fake Lovers: 46x60 min., game show; 10 Fight 10: 10x90 min., celebrity boxing show; The Rapper: 16x90 min., talent show; You Beat the Stars: 78x60 min., talent show; Lightning Quiz: 800x60 min., game show; Drive Me Home: 400x60 min., game show; Super 10: 177x60 min., family show.
“Established in 1986, Workpoint Group is a broadcaster as well as a production company, which has produced over 200 creative, entertaining television shows in various genres. Our shows have been nominated four times at the International Emmy Awards and twice at the International Emmy Kids Awards. Until now, we’ve licensed 46 shows (formats and finished programs) in 17 countries, including The Fan in the U.K. and Sweden and The Band in Peru. Our most recent highlight is the music game show The Wall Duet, which became a huge success last year, with deals closed in over ten countries worldwide and localized in Brazil, the Netherlands and Vietnam. We never stop producing formats that can travel to make sure we have something for everyone.” —Dhanasak Hoonarak, Managing Director, License
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ZDF Studios ADDRESS: Erich-Dombrowski-Str. 1, 55127 Mainz, Germany TELEPHONE: (49) 6131-9910 WEBSITE: www.zdf-studios.com PRESIDENT & CEO: Fred Burcksen VP, DRAMA: Robert Franke VP, UNSCRIPTED: Ralf Rückauer VP, JUNIOR: Peter Lang VP, MARKETING & CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS: Christine Denilauler CONTACT: info@zdf-studios.com PROGRAMS: Africa from Above: 10x50 min., documentary/ wildlife & nature; The Lost Pirate Kingdom: 6x50 min., documentary/history & biographies; Underworld: 5x50 min., documentary/science & knowledge; Going Circular: 1x90 min., documentary/science & knowledge; Pettson and Findus: 52x13 min. & 4x75 min., children’s/animation; Theodosia: 26x26 min., children’s/live action; School of Roars: 104x7 min., children’s/animation; Stories to Stay Awake: 4x50 min., crime & suspense; Between Two Worlds: 3x90 min./6x45 min., drama; White Night: 12x60 min., drama.
“ZDF Studios was founded in 1993 as ZDF Enterprises and is responsible for worldwide program distribution, international coproductions and program acquisition, as well as the merchandising of strong program brands in its own name, for broadcaster ZDF and for third parties. Bound into a strong group of about 30 direct and indirect subsidiaries and affiliated companies, ZDF Studios manages the largest German-language program stock worldwide and an impressive portfolio of international productions, consisting of series and miniseries, TV movies, documentaries and children’s programs. ZDF Studios provides a comprehensive, full-service offering and covers every step in the chain of creation and exploitation of successful content, from development to production and marketing.” —Fred Burcksen, President & CEO
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Please visit WorldScreenPremieres.com to see examples of previous Premieres. If you wish to reserve a World Screen Premiere, please contact Ricardo Guise (rguise@worldscreen.com) or Dana Mattison (dmattison@worldscreen.com)
