ITV

Category: Mipcom

  • MIPCOM 2016 hosts Women in Global Entertainment Power Lunch

    MIPCOM 2016 hosts Women in Global Entertainment Power Lunch

    MUMBAI: The MIPCOM 2016 Women in Global Entertainment Power Lunch once again features some of the industry’s heavy-hitters discussing the role of women, both on and off-screen.

    The fifth edition of MIPCOM’s annual thought leadership and networking event for the most influential women shaping the future of TV and entertainment is run in partnership with A+E Networks and Lifetime, along with The Hollywood Reporter.

    The global entertainment content market, MIPCOM takes place in Cannes, France, from 17-20 October. The Women in Global Entertainment Power Lunch is scheduled for Monday 17 October, at the Hotel Majestic.

    The event will be introduced by A+E Networks chief marketing officer Amanda Hill, who will take a deep dive into the female experience, uncovering and highlighting the important issues facing women today via a recent Lifetime study. In addition, Hill will discuss Lifetime’s launch of a new multiplatform initiative called The Fempire, which targets fourth-wave feminists. Its mission is to create content for women, by women, about women, and to engage with them 24/7.

    This will be followed by a presentation from Emmy® Award-nominated Constance Zimmer and fellow actress Shiri Appleby, who both star in Lifetime’s “UnREAL”. They will talk about their respective roles in the series, and how it ties into Lifetime’s ethos and what female empowerment means today.

    The Women in Global Entertainment programme continues with an inspirational conversation between two leading figures of the film and TV industries, Betsy Beers, Partner at Shondaland, and pioneering French Director, Screenwriter, and Producer Euzhan Palcy.

    A multi-award-winning producer, Beers is Executive Producer of ABC Studios’ hit series “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal,” “How to Get Away With Murder,” and “The Catch,” along with the upcoming new Untitled Shondaland Project (formerly known as “Still Star-Crossed”). In 2008, Beers partnered with Shonda Rhimes and her company Shondaland to develop and produce additional feature film and television projects. Prior to her exclusive foray into television, Beers served as President of the Mark Gordon Company, President of director Mike Newell’s Dogstar Films, and developed and produced such films as “200 Cigarettes,” “High Fidelity,” and “Pushing Tin” among many others. In 2014, Beers and Rhimes were honoured by the Directors Guild of America with the coveted Diversity Award for their commitment to diversity hiring and their long record of providing opportunities to women and minorities. (Rhimes is also being honoured as MIPCOM 2016 Personality of the Year.)

    Euzhan Palcy is an award-winning filmmaker, and the first black female director produced by a major Hollywood studio, through her apartheid-themed feature movie, “A Dry White Season” (MGM, 1989). She is also the first black person ever to win a Cesar, the French Film Academy Awards, and the only woman ever to have directed Marlon Brando. Through films such as “Sugar Cane Alley,” “Ruby Bridges” and “The Killing Yard,” her work explores themes of race, gender, and social justice from a decidedly feminist and humanist perspective. In 2016, Palcy received the Honorary Award of the first Positive Cinema Week of Cannes, and The Wrap included her on its list of 17 Most Influential Women Who Revolutionised Hollywood. Palcy will unveil exclusive images in Cannes from an interview she did with the late South African President in a segment entitled “Nelson Mandela and the Role of Women,” an extract from a 25-minute filmed interview.

    “For the fifth edition of MIPCOM’s Women in Global Entertainment Power Lunch, we are delighted to welcome a line-up of women who are behind some of the most creative and challenging content in contemporary television. The summit is thus continuing its mission as a key event for those women who are shaping the future of TV and entertainment,” said Reed MIDEM’s Television Division director Laurine Garaude.

  • MIPCOM: Zee presents scripted, unscripted series

    MIPCOM: Zee presents scripted, unscripted series

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) announced its slate of six new and current formats for MIPCOM for licensing and development. For the first time, screening sessions will be held in the Zee Bollyworld Preview Theatre located at ZEE’s booth # P1-K51.

    Sunita Uchil, recently promoted to chief business officer, international ad sales, global syndication and production, said, “Zee has a rich history of developing and producing programs with universal themes that are adaptable to all regions of the world. We are looking forward to hosting buyers and showcasing our new formats, as well as the popular dance-based reality show ‘Dance India Dance’, at our Zee Bollyworld Preview Theatre. In other words, Zee Bollyworld promises a truly edge-of-the-seat experience at MIPCOM 2016”.

    Zee’s unscripted formats include India’s original dance reality show, Dance India Dance, in which contestants are judged by leading Bollywood choreographers on their dance skills. Launching its sixth
    season later this year, there have been numerous spinoffs of the format, a Singapore edition, as well as a local production in Thailand. Moksha is a brand-new game show requiring strategy, luck and
    skill.

    Zee’s scripted formats include: Phantasmagoria is a series of 12 wickedly twisted short stories. The story centers on an inconspicuous pawnshop in the corner of a decrepit by lane. Each tale brings about a series of illusions, apparitions and deception based on the elements that are uniquely characteristic of each sign of the zodiac. The Eclipse Harvest is a high-octane crime series about the NYPD Organized Crime Control Bureau. The son of a decorated officer in the Narcotics Division and the son of a drug lord each set out to eclipse their respective fathers of their glory. The mothers of the young men narrate the stories of how their lives are taken away by circumstances and how they are paradoxically connected.

    Two additional scripted formats are all-time favorites in the comedy genre are Hum Paanch (Five Is A Crowd) and Kareena Kareena.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited is one of India’s leading television media and entertainment companies. It is amongst the largest producers and aggregators of Hindi programming in the world, with an extensive library housing over 222,000 hours of television content.

  • MIPCOM: Zee presents scripted, unscripted series

    MIPCOM: Zee presents scripted, unscripted series

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) announced its slate of six new and current formats for MIPCOM for licensing and development. For the first time, screening sessions will be held in the Zee Bollyworld Preview Theatre located at ZEE’s booth # P1-K51.

    Sunita Uchil, recently promoted to chief business officer, international ad sales, global syndication and production, said, “Zee has a rich history of developing and producing programs with universal themes that are adaptable to all regions of the world. We are looking forward to hosting buyers and showcasing our new formats, as well as the popular dance-based reality show ‘Dance India Dance’, at our Zee Bollyworld Preview Theatre. In other words, Zee Bollyworld promises a truly edge-of-the-seat experience at MIPCOM 2016”.

    Zee’s unscripted formats include India’s original dance reality show, Dance India Dance, in which contestants are judged by leading Bollywood choreographers on their dance skills. Launching its sixth
    season later this year, there have been numerous spinoffs of the format, a Singapore edition, as well as a local production in Thailand. Moksha is a brand-new game show requiring strategy, luck and
    skill.

    Zee’s scripted formats include: Phantasmagoria is a series of 12 wickedly twisted short stories. The story centers on an inconspicuous pawnshop in the corner of a decrepit by lane. Each tale brings about a series of illusions, apparitions and deception based on the elements that are uniquely characteristic of each sign of the zodiac. The Eclipse Harvest is a high-octane crime series about the NYPD Organized Crime Control Bureau. The son of a decorated officer in the Narcotics Division and the son of a drug lord each set out to eclipse their respective fathers of their glory. The mothers of the young men narrate the stories of how their lives are taken away by circumstances and how they are paradoxically connected.

    Two additional scripted formats are all-time favorites in the comedy genre are Hum Paanch (Five Is A Crowd) and Kareena Kareena.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited is one of India’s leading television media and entertainment companies. It is amongst the largest producers and aggregators of Hindi programming in the world, with an extensive library housing over 222,000 hours of television content.

  • MIP China Hangzhou to be held in May next year

    MIP China Hangzhou to be held in May next year

    PARIS: Reed MIDEM, the organiser of MIPTV/MIPCOM, has launched MIP China Hangzhou, the first ever MIP in China. The new event is designed to foster content development between Chinese and international production companies, as well as provide an intensive educational forum for Chinese media professionals to learn more about international TV markets and trends.

    MIP China Hangzhou will run May 23-25, 2017, in Hangzhou, the lakeside city that hosted the G20 Summit in September 2016.

    MIP China Hangzhou is organised in partnership with China Media Management Inc (CMM-I), the official representative for MIPTV/MIPCOM in China, and Zhejiang MegaMedia, organiser of the Zhejiang Provincial pavilion at the MIP markets in Cannes.

    MIP China Hangzhou will combine two formats into one event. The Partnership Forum will bring together leading executives from up to 40 international television production and distribution companies with 40 senior level Chinese media executives for pre-scheduled, 1-to-1 meetings devoted to forging partnerships for global content development and production.

    The attendees of the Partnership Forum will also have the opportunity to visit production studios based in and around Hangzhou – a major production and media centre in China that is home to companies such as Alibaba, Huace TV & Film.

    The second element of the event will be a gold-standard professional training conference to share best practices in creating international TV and online hits, international distribution, and to explore content development in new entertainment sectors such as Online Video and Virtual Reality. 150 delegates are expected to attend the conference.

    “MIP China Hangzhou will provide a much-needed platform for international programme professionals to meet with their counterparts from companies throughout China,” notes Dong Yue, Hangzhou mayor’s representative.

    “Cross-border content development is more than ever a strategic choice for entertainment production companies looking to capture local and global audiences,” adds Reed MIDEM chief executive Paul Zilk.

    Founded in 1963, Reed MIDEM is an organiser of professional, international markets that are essential business platforms for key players in the sectors concerned. Reed MIDEM is a division of Reed Exhibitions, the world’s leading event organiser, with over 500 events in 43 countries.

  • MIP China Hangzhou to be held in May next year

    MIP China Hangzhou to be held in May next year

    PARIS: Reed MIDEM, the organiser of MIPTV/MIPCOM, has launched MIP China Hangzhou, the first ever MIP in China. The new event is designed to foster content development between Chinese and international production companies, as well as provide an intensive educational forum for Chinese media professionals to learn more about international TV markets and trends.

    MIP China Hangzhou will run May 23-25, 2017, in Hangzhou, the lakeside city that hosted the G20 Summit in September 2016.

    MIP China Hangzhou is organised in partnership with China Media Management Inc (CMM-I), the official representative for MIPTV/MIPCOM in China, and Zhejiang MegaMedia, organiser of the Zhejiang Provincial pavilion at the MIP markets in Cannes.

    MIP China Hangzhou will combine two formats into one event. The Partnership Forum will bring together leading executives from up to 40 international television production and distribution companies with 40 senior level Chinese media executives for pre-scheduled, 1-to-1 meetings devoted to forging partnerships for global content development and production.

    The attendees of the Partnership Forum will also have the opportunity to visit production studios based in and around Hangzhou – a major production and media centre in China that is home to companies such as Alibaba, Huace TV & Film.

    The second element of the event will be a gold-standard professional training conference to share best practices in creating international TV and online hits, international distribution, and to explore content development in new entertainment sectors such as Online Video and Virtual Reality. 150 delegates are expected to attend the conference.

    “MIP China Hangzhou will provide a much-needed platform for international programme professionals to meet with their counterparts from companies throughout China,” notes Dong Yue, Hangzhou mayor’s representative.

    “Cross-border content development is more than ever a strategic choice for entertainment production companies looking to capture local and global audiences,” adds Reed MIDEM chief executive Paul Zilk.

    Founded in 1963, Reed MIDEM is an organiser of professional, international markets that are essential business platforms for key players in the sectors concerned. Reed MIDEM is a division of Reed Exhibitions, the world’s leading event organiser, with over 500 events in 43 countries.

  • MipCom 2015: Combating nature’s fury, and winning

    MipCom 2015: Combating nature’s fury, and winning

    MUMBAI: The world’s largest TV content market Mipcom was hit by a freak storm and floods. It all started on Saturday 5 October when late in the evening what was predicted to be an evening of gentle rain, turned out to be three hours of a raging thunderstorm. Something that had not happened in 50 years. Seven inches of rain fell in one fell swoop. Some 20 people died, and cars were swept out to sea. 

    The Hotel Martinez where MipJunior (the kids content screening and conference) was being held was the most affected. It lost power because of the flooding, internet went off and its ballrooms were water logged. As were most of Cannes and its surrounding towns.

    Reed Midem, the organiser of MipCom and MipJunior acted fast. Overnight the MipJunior screenings and conferences were shifted to the higher levels of the Palais des Festivals.

    The Palais itself was hit by the storm. The basement area (P-1), which constitutes a large part of the exhibition area and where most of the Indian exhibitors are located, had patches, which were damaged courtesy the flooding. The management of the Palais des Festivals and Reed Midem’s operations executives worked through late Saurday night and Sunday to mop up the excess water, used drying machines, changed carpeting, to get the exhibition area spic and span.

    Came Monday morning and to the astonishment of exhibitors and participants, MipCom started on time. Almost as if the resort town had not faced a natural catastrophe. There were queues at the registration desk, and queues waiting to get into the exhibition area. The rest of Cannes, was however, struggling with some areas being without power, most without internet and telephone lines. And most bank ATMs and credit machines were not working.

    In fact, the mayor of Cannes, has made an appeal to the world of film, television and the rich to contribute to get Cannes back on its feet. The town and its businesses have suffered a loss of Euro 45 million courtesy the freak rain.

    During Mipcom business deals, and alliances were struck and TV premieres held. .Hollywood and British celebrities such as Dennis Quaid, Chris Carter, Lily James, Tuppence Middleton and Stephen Rea mingled with attendees after the screenings in the Grand Auditorium. The opening party was shifted to the Carlton Hotel from the Martinez and the red carpet, however, was canceled. Sponsored by Turkey, which was the country of honour or focus, it was one of Mipcom’s finest organised parties in recent times. The food and wine flowed till past midnight.

    Overall, 13,700 executives from 112 countries did make it to Mipcom, a record of sorts. More than 150 broadcasting, production, animation, digital, content distribution, and buyers and sellers from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka jetted their way to Cannes – a record number for the region this year. Each probably has his or her own story on what he/she did during the deluge. We present a first person account of what one such group went through during the storm and thereafter. Read on:

    The lightning shards continuously cut through the dark incessant rain as the 500 or so guests at MipJunior’s opening night inside the tent on The Martinez Beach in Cannes partied.

    They sipped away at their glasses of wine and munched away at the entrees, exchanging business cards on programming pitches – blissfully unaware that the French Riviera village was going through its worst thunderstorm in almost 50 years.

    As the clock ticked away, the gusts of wind grew stronger, and one such blast shattered a few wine glasses, the chandeliers overhead swayed. A couple of the lights went out. Then the water from the sea outside started seeping under the tent as the angry storm pushed the waves higher.

    Jackie – the event and operations in charge of Reed Midem was worried – as she – like Laurine and Jerome and most of us attending the world’s largest content market – had heard the metro department’s report that there would be rain – but the prediction was that it would be a passing shower. Not a continuous cloud burst on account of which the village and other surrounding ones would be inflicted with the equivalent of more than a month and a half of rain in just three hours.

    The situation was getting alarming as the rain, loud thunder, lighting and wind continued. Would the tent hold? The DJ had already been told to pack his console, the wine and food put away by the stewards. And the guests, who had thinned down to 200 odd by then,  had to be kept safe. Thus a decision was taken to evacuate.

    A warning shout went up: “The entire Croisette is flooded. I tried to cross but there’s too much water.”

    But evacuate we had to. So some of us took off our shoes and jackets, packed them in the Mask of Zorro bags, which the concierge provided us, rolled up our trousers, walked out of the tent. And indeed where earlier in the evening there was beach sand, all we could see was water. Carefully, we walked through it and up the stairs to the Croisette.

    What greeted us was a sea of water all through the main street of Cannes. We stepped into it and it reached up to our knees. And it was cold, bitingly cold. But gritting our teeth and with sheer disbelief in our hearts we trudged through it across the street to the famed Hotel Martinez – which has been home to the world’s biggest celebrities. Were we in Cannes the famed beach town of France to which the world flocks every summer? Or were we in some south east Asian country or in India where such flooding is rather common?

    As we reached the Martinez Hotel we heard there were no shuttles to ferry us across to our apartments or hotel rooms. And that we were on our own. We picked up a couple of hotel umbrellas and decided to make our journey home.

    Every street, by lane and tony street was flooded. To make matters worse, the village’s sewer and drainage system had spewed and vomited out all the waste – including feaces – which its denizens had earlier through the day dumped down commodes or waste disposal systems.

    Most of the by lanes leading to the Croisette were angry torrents of fast paced water through which it was very difficult to swim, forget about walking. And yet everywhere we looked there were executives – both men and women – plodding through the knee-deep water. It was a struggle, no doubt, but move everyone had to know because the water was chilling.

    Thankfully, there were no open manholes or sewers, but we were cautious nonetheless courtesy Mumbai’s dangerous streets during the monsoons every year.

    What was even more shocking was that expensive stores, hawking the most premium brands, which line the main street opposite the Croisette were hit by the water flowing down the streets towards the sea. Many of the stores were forced to garbage some of the goods, costing thousands of euros, which were damaged by the flowing waters.

    We waded through the water, taking care not to get clothes wet. Close to our apartment building, a SUV came racing, through the flooded street and the wave hit us as well as the restaurant, which was already knee deep in water. And all my efforts to keep my trousers dry came to naught.

    Even the apartment’s stairwell was flooded. But we made our way up and thankfully our flat had power, unlike others which went without any electricity throughout the night. We took quick hot showers and sipped hot cups of coffee and it was around 1 am that we managed to get some shuteye.

     

    Posted by Larysa Wanvari on Sunday, October 4, 2015

     

     

  • Tandem to adapt Ken Follet’s ‘Code To Zero’ as TV series

    Tandem to adapt Ken Follet’s ‘Code To Zero’ as TV series

    MUMBAI: Tandem Productions has optioned thriller novel Code To Zero penned by New York Times best selling novelist Ken Follet. While attending MIPCOM in Cannes, Tandem partner and CEO Rola Bauer signed a temporary adaptation of the novel into a limited television series with worldwide distribution by Studiocanal.

     

    In this adaptation of Code to Zero, a man awakens to find himself lying on the ground in a railway station, his mind stripped bare of all recollection. He has no idea how he got there; he does not even know his own name. Slowly, he rediscovers his entire life by detective work, uncovering secrets of a conspiracy, set against the battle for global space supremacy between the US and China.

     

    “I am delighted that Tandem Productions will be making a television series of Code to Zero,” says Follett. “We have had a long and successful relationship and I am looking forward to them bringing my book to a new audience in this exciting way.”

     

    Prior to this, the production house produced two event series of Follet’s bestselling novels of the same title namely the Emmy-winning and Golden Globe-nominated, The Pillars of the Earth, which featured Eddie Redmayne, Ian McShane and Donald Sutherland; and the Emmy-winning, World Without End, starring Cynthia Nixon, Charlotte Riley and Miranda Richardson.

     

    “We have enjoyed a wonderful collaboration with Ken Follett over the years and are thrilled to be working with him again. Code to Zero lends itself beautifully to a present-day thriller that today’s audiences will find thoroughly relevant,” added Bauer.

  • FremantleMedia strikes multiple deals for ‘Simply Nigella’

    FremantleMedia strikes multiple deals for ‘Simply Nigella’

    MUMBAI: FremantleMedia International has closed deals for a new cooking show Simply Nigella and Nigella’s Christmas Special. Four major networks consisting of Prime (New Zealand), Foxtel (Australia), TV2 (Norway) and Discovery Networks (Asia-Pacific) have acquired the series, which stars internationally renowned food writer and celebrity chef Nigella Lawson. 

     

    FMI, EMEA and Asia Pacific, non scripted (UK) director Angela Neillis said, “We’re incredibly excited that Simply Nigella has had this much impact with buyers. The deals reflect the high quality of this feel-good series and Nigella’s enduring ability to resonate with audiences worldwide.”

     

    Produced by BBC Productions, Simply Nigella will see the cook create a handful of dishes per episode and showcase her talents in the kitchen. Lawson shares the story behind each meal and focuses on specific ingredients revealing what makes them her favourites as well as divulging her culinary tips to ensure cooking is as stress free as possible. She also ventures beyond the kitchen visiting local suppliers and independent food stores to source fresh quality produce to include in her recipes.

     

    In addition to the acquisition of Simply Nigella and Nigella’s Christmas Special, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific has also picked up a comprehensive mix of lifestyle and entertainment content including Jamie’s Super Food, which sees the globally renowned chef revolutionise how we think about nutrition, popular series Project Runway S14 (16 x 60), Project Runway All Stars S5 (13 x 60), which sees the best contestants return to compete once again and Project Runway Junior S2 (10 x 60) showcasing America’s most talented young fashion designers aged 14-17 years.

  • French pubcaster snaps up FremantleMedia’s ‘No Offence’

    French pubcaster snaps up FremantleMedia’s ‘No Offence’

    MUMBAI: France is the latest international market to be captivated by Paul Abbott’s No Offence produced by AbbottVision for UK’s Channel 4.

     

    Public broadcaster France Télévisions has acquired the cop comedy-drama from FremantleMedia International. The show stars Will Mellor, Paul Ritter and Colin Salmon.

     

    Created by Abbott, the unconventional and captivating series, which last month picked up the best foreign fiction award at La Rochelle’s festival de la fiction, is set to premiere on France 2. Today’s news swells the ranks of international broadcasters lining up to take the title, with FMI having sold the show to ABC (Australia), NOP (Netherlands), Hot (Israel), DR (Denmark) and RUV (Iceland) after acquiring the rights earlier this year.

     

    EMEA head of sales and distribution Jamie Lynn said, “No Offence pushes the boundaries on so many different levels, yet its compelling storytelling and characters you genuinely care about makes this addictive viewing. With a prestigious award already under its belt, and a second season already commissioned, we’re already getting huge interest with international buyers, so I’m really excited that France Television has come on board to bring No Offence to the widest possible audience in France.”

     

    Set in a close-knit policing unit located in North West England, No Offence follows a committed team of officers as they crack down on crime and attempt to enforce the law in this chaotic community. At the helm is the sharp and savvy Inspector Vivienne Deering, played by Joanna Scanlon, alongside her ‘right hand’ women, DC Dinah Kowalska and DS Joy Freers. In addition to dealing with the daily grime, the team suddenly has their hands full when a big case involving a twisted serial killer emerges. The squad is pushed to its limit as Deering and her teams are determined to tackle this disturbing case by whatever unconventional and unorthodox means possible.

  • Keshet joins hands with Telefe Argentina for ‘Boom!’ game show

    Keshet joins hands with Telefe Argentina for ‘Boom!’ game show

    MUMBAI: Keshet International is launching an international production hub in partnership with Telefe Argentina for the game show Boom! The hub is available for use by all licensors of the format worldwide.

     

    Launched on 30 September, Telefe’s local version of Boom! became the slot leader across Argentina with an average share of 32.9 per cent. The same studio is now available to licensors along with full production crew so that international productions need only supply a cast and showrunner.

     

    This comes after KI and Telefe announced co-developing entertainment formats for global distribution on the back of the successful local adaptation of KI’s interactive talent format Rising Star, the second season of which is now on air.

     

    Boom!’s has also aired in Hungary (TV2), Kazakhstan (Channel Seven), Chile (TVN), and Uruguay (Canal 10, finished Spanish version) with a total of more than 400 episodes commissioned worldwide to date. The show has also performed well in the US on Fox. Versions for Cambodia (Bayon TV) and Peru (America TV) are in the pipeline.

     

    Boom! fuses the drama, thrill and intensity of a blockbuster action movie with the high-octane fun of a video game, creating one literally explosive trivia challenge. The show was created by Keshet, Ido Rosenblum and July August Productions.