ITV

Category: Event Coverage

  • The Same Sky secures international deals

    The Same Sky secures international deals

    CANNES: Ahead of its world premiere in Cannes this MIPCOM night, Beta Film has secured a row of international deals for its prestigious series The Same Sky (ZDF/UFA Fiction/Beta Film). The multi layered family drama set in Cold War-Berlin heads to European broadcaster Rai, France 3, Belgium’s VRT and RUV (Iceland). Netflix is premiering it in certain territories, among them the English speaking world. Contracts with the major Scandinavian broadcasters SVT (Sweden), DR (Denmark), NRK (Norway) and YLE (Finland) had been closed earlier this year.

    The six hour series by Academy Award nominated director Oliver Hirschbiegel will celebrate its world premiere at the famous Cannes Film Festival Palace on Monday night, October 17th, 6.30 pm in the presence of multiple awarded creator/writer Paula Milne and the international cast Sofia Helin (“The Bridge”), Tom Schilling (“Generation War”) and Friederike Becht (“The Reader”).

    Beta CEO-Jan Mojto: “The Same Sky combines European talent: Paula Milne as an exceptional British creator/writer, German born director Oliver Hirschbiegel and a German/international cast. It’s wonderful to see this program conquering the world.”

    Oliver Hirschbiegel (“Downfall”, “Billions”): “If you want to reach the world, you’ve got to stand by your own identity rather than denying it. The Same Sky tells a universal story, which can be understood everywhere in the world without losing the specific German perspective. And then there are sometimes small miracles, like the chemistry between Friederike Becht, Tom Schilling, and the truly wonderful Sofia Helin. It’s simply a pleasure watching them bringing these characters to life”.

    Paula Milne (“The Politician’s Wife”, “The Virgin Queen”): “The Same Sky is about divided families in a divided city. It is the timeless story of ordinary people caught up in an extraordinary time – and the choices they are forced to make”.

    The Same Sky centers around the relationship between an East German agent (Tom Schilling) and his target (Sofia Helin) in the West, the woman he has to seduce for the sake of his country – a relationship driven by passion but built on deceit. The series recreates the uniquely charged atmosphere in the Cold War city by portraying the fates of two families, one on each side of the wall, in a tale interweaving East German dissidents and informers and West German hustlers and agents, as well as American and British diplomats. Divided by ideology, the only thing the people of Berlin all share is the sky above.

    The Same Sky is an UFA FICTION / Beta Film production for ZDF in co-production with Mia film in association with Rainmark Films.

  • The Same Sky secures international deals

    The Same Sky secures international deals

    CANNES: Ahead of its world premiere in Cannes this MIPCOM night, Beta Film has secured a row of international deals for its prestigious series The Same Sky (ZDF/UFA Fiction/Beta Film). The multi layered family drama set in Cold War-Berlin heads to European broadcaster Rai, France 3, Belgium’s VRT and RUV (Iceland). Netflix is premiering it in certain territories, among them the English speaking world. Contracts with the major Scandinavian broadcasters SVT (Sweden), DR (Denmark), NRK (Norway) and YLE (Finland) had been closed earlier this year.

    The six hour series by Academy Award nominated director Oliver Hirschbiegel will celebrate its world premiere at the famous Cannes Film Festival Palace on Monday night, October 17th, 6.30 pm in the presence of multiple awarded creator/writer Paula Milne and the international cast Sofia Helin (“The Bridge”), Tom Schilling (“Generation War”) and Friederike Becht (“The Reader”).

    Beta CEO-Jan Mojto: “The Same Sky combines European talent: Paula Milne as an exceptional British creator/writer, German born director Oliver Hirschbiegel and a German/international cast. It’s wonderful to see this program conquering the world.”

    Oliver Hirschbiegel (“Downfall”, “Billions”): “If you want to reach the world, you’ve got to stand by your own identity rather than denying it. The Same Sky tells a universal story, which can be understood everywhere in the world without losing the specific German perspective. And then there are sometimes small miracles, like the chemistry between Friederike Becht, Tom Schilling, and the truly wonderful Sofia Helin. It’s simply a pleasure watching them bringing these characters to life”.

    Paula Milne (“The Politician’s Wife”, “The Virgin Queen”): “The Same Sky is about divided families in a divided city. It is the timeless story of ordinary people caught up in an extraordinary time – and the choices they are forced to make”.

    The Same Sky centers around the relationship between an East German agent (Tom Schilling) and his target (Sofia Helin) in the West, the woman he has to seduce for the sake of his country – a relationship driven by passion but built on deceit. The series recreates the uniquely charged atmosphere in the Cold War city by portraying the fates of two families, one on each side of the wall, in a tale interweaving East German dissidents and informers and West German hustlers and agents, as well as American and British diplomats. Divided by ideology, the only thing the people of Berlin all share is the sky above.

    The Same Sky is an UFA FICTION / Beta Film production for ZDF in co-production with Mia film in association with Rainmark Films.

  • Studiocanal sells ‘Midnight Sun’ to international broadcasters

    Studiocanal sells ‘Midnight Sun’ to international broadcasters

    CANNES: Europe’s leader in production, rights acquisition, distribution and international sales of TV series and feature films, Studiocanal has sold breakthrough Swedish-French drama Midnight Sun, a CANAL+/SVT/Filmpool Nordcoproduction, to a host of international broadcasters, it was announced today.

    Produced by Atlantique Productions and Nice Drama, the 8 x 1 hour thriller series has been secured ahead of its premiere by ZDF in Germany, SBS in Australia, HOT in Israel,NRK in Norway, DR in Denmark, RUV in Iceland, MTV3 in Finland, VRT in Belgium, and Lumière in Benelux.

    Starring Leïla Bekhti (The Prophet) and Gustaf Hammarsten (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), Midnight Sun will first air on 23 October on SVT and later this year on CANAL+ under the Création Originale brand.

    ZDF executive director, feature films and international co-productions, Susanne Mueller, says: “Midnight Sun is a wonderfully crafted, nail-biting thriller series and will be an absolute highlight in our 2017 schedule. It is a perfect fit for our Sunday late night crime slot, where we air the finest European crime drama. Midnight Sun is the next big Scandi-series with a twist after our successful coproductions like The Bridge, Modusand also the upcoming Springtide.”

    SBS director of television and online content, Marshall Heald, commented: “Midnight Sun is Nordic Noir at its finest, delivering a thriller that will keep audiences on the edge of their seat to the very last. This truly international series offers sweeping scenery, compelling storytelling and stunning performances, and is an exciting addition to our program offering as we continue to showcase the very best in world drama.”

    Lumière head of acquisitions & coproductions for TV series, Marike Muselaers, says: “We have been following Midnight Sun from a very early stage and we are thrilled to start working with Studiocanal on this topical, gripping and beautiful drama/thriller series. As both Studiocanal and Lumière specialize in bringing high-end quality TV series to the public, we are sure this will be the start of a long and fruitful partnership. Soon the Midnight Sun will shine everywhere in Benelux!”

    Studiocanal EVP sales and marketing Katrina Neylon, added, “Midnight Sun is a beautifully shot, absorbing drama series which also raises real and current issues such as racism and damage to our environment. The series has hit a nerve with buyers internationally already ahead of its premiere, appealing to both Free and Pay TV networks and we’re in advanced negotiations to close additional sales in the coming months.”

    Created by Mårlind & Stein (Bron/Broen), based on an idea by Henrik Jansson-Schweizer and Patrick Nebout, Midnight Sun is a high concept thriller set in a small mining community in remote northern Sweden where a series of brutal murders – which contrast starkly against the beauty of the landscape and the ethereal daylight – conceal a secret conspiracy. Midnight Sun received the Audience Award at SeriesMania in Paris in April.

    Visit Studiocanal at MIPCOM 2016 at stand P1.A1.

    Image available here: https://we.tl/el7UsG1pfg

    ZDF German Television is Germany’s national public television broadcaster and one of Europe’s leading public television corporations. It is run as an independent non-profit corporation under the authority of the 16 federal states that make up the Federal Republic of Germany.

    With a background as Australia’s multicultural broadcaster, SBS holds a unique place in the Australian media landscape. As described in the SBS Charter, SBS’s principal function is to provide multilingual, multicultural and Indigenous radio, television and digital media services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians, reflecting Australia’s diverse society.

    The Lumière Group is an all rights / all media Benelux distribution and production company, with offices in Ghent and Amsterdam and cinemas in Bruges and Antwerp. Lumière is known for bringing Scandinavian drama to the Benelux and has been among the first to pick up shows like The Bridge, Wallander, The Killing, Borgen, Springtide, Modus, The Legacy, Follow The Money, Occupied and many more.

    Studiocanal is Europe’s leader in production, rights acquisition, distribution and international sales of feature films and TV series. Operating directly in all three major European markets, France, the United Kingdom and Germany, as well as in Australia and New Zealand, Studiocanal has fully-financed recent box office hits such as Paddington, Shaun the Sheep and Non-Stop. Upcoming films backed by Studiocanal include The Commuter featuring Liam Neeson, and Nick Park’s stop-motion movie Early Man, with Aardman Studios.

  • Studiocanal sells ‘Midnight Sun’ to international broadcasters

    Studiocanal sells ‘Midnight Sun’ to international broadcasters

    CANNES: Europe’s leader in production, rights acquisition, distribution and international sales of TV series and feature films, Studiocanal has sold breakthrough Swedish-French drama Midnight Sun, a CANAL+/SVT/Filmpool Nordcoproduction, to a host of international broadcasters, it was announced today.

    Produced by Atlantique Productions and Nice Drama, the 8 x 1 hour thriller series has been secured ahead of its premiere by ZDF in Germany, SBS in Australia, HOT in Israel,NRK in Norway, DR in Denmark, RUV in Iceland, MTV3 in Finland, VRT in Belgium, and Lumière in Benelux.

    Starring Leïla Bekhti (The Prophet) and Gustaf Hammarsten (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), Midnight Sun will first air on 23 October on SVT and later this year on CANAL+ under the Création Originale brand.

    ZDF executive director, feature films and international co-productions, Susanne Mueller, says: “Midnight Sun is a wonderfully crafted, nail-biting thriller series and will be an absolute highlight in our 2017 schedule. It is a perfect fit for our Sunday late night crime slot, where we air the finest European crime drama. Midnight Sun is the next big Scandi-series with a twist after our successful coproductions like The Bridge, Modusand also the upcoming Springtide.”

    SBS director of television and online content, Marshall Heald, commented: “Midnight Sun is Nordic Noir at its finest, delivering a thriller that will keep audiences on the edge of their seat to the very last. This truly international series offers sweeping scenery, compelling storytelling and stunning performances, and is an exciting addition to our program offering as we continue to showcase the very best in world drama.”

    Lumière head of acquisitions & coproductions for TV series, Marike Muselaers, says: “We have been following Midnight Sun from a very early stage and we are thrilled to start working with Studiocanal on this topical, gripping and beautiful drama/thriller series. As both Studiocanal and Lumière specialize in bringing high-end quality TV series to the public, we are sure this will be the start of a long and fruitful partnership. Soon the Midnight Sun will shine everywhere in Benelux!”

    Studiocanal EVP sales and marketing Katrina Neylon, added, “Midnight Sun is a beautifully shot, absorbing drama series which also raises real and current issues such as racism and damage to our environment. The series has hit a nerve with buyers internationally already ahead of its premiere, appealing to both Free and Pay TV networks and we’re in advanced negotiations to close additional sales in the coming months.”

    Created by Mårlind & Stein (Bron/Broen), based on an idea by Henrik Jansson-Schweizer and Patrick Nebout, Midnight Sun is a high concept thriller set in a small mining community in remote northern Sweden where a series of brutal murders – which contrast starkly against the beauty of the landscape and the ethereal daylight – conceal a secret conspiracy. Midnight Sun received the Audience Award at SeriesMania in Paris in April.

    Visit Studiocanal at MIPCOM 2016 at stand P1.A1.

    Image available here: https://we.tl/el7UsG1pfg

    ZDF German Television is Germany’s national public television broadcaster and one of Europe’s leading public television corporations. It is run as an independent non-profit corporation under the authority of the 16 federal states that make up the Federal Republic of Germany.

    With a background as Australia’s multicultural broadcaster, SBS holds a unique place in the Australian media landscape. As described in the SBS Charter, SBS’s principal function is to provide multilingual, multicultural and Indigenous radio, television and digital media services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians, reflecting Australia’s diverse society.

    The Lumière Group is an all rights / all media Benelux distribution and production company, with offices in Ghent and Amsterdam and cinemas in Bruges and Antwerp. Lumière is known for bringing Scandinavian drama to the Benelux and has been among the first to pick up shows like The Bridge, Wallander, The Killing, Borgen, Springtide, Modus, The Legacy, Follow The Money, Occupied and many more.

    Studiocanal is Europe’s leader in production, rights acquisition, distribution and international sales of feature films and TV series. Operating directly in all three major European markets, France, the United Kingdom and Germany, as well as in Australia and New Zealand, Studiocanal has fully-financed recent box office hits such as Paddington, Shaun the Sheep and Non-Stop. Upcoming films backed by Studiocanal include The Commuter featuring Liam Neeson, and Nick Park’s stop-motion movie Early Man, with Aardman Studios.

  • MIPCOM: Singapore brings fresh content for global market

    MIPCOM: Singapore brings fresh content for global market

    MUMBAI: Asia’s film and television industry has seen strong growth, rising prominence, and international recognition for its talent and content in the past year. Singapore’s newly-formed Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) was established to keep pace with the growth in Asia and the rest of the world, further harnessing the opportunities arising from media convergence to spur new innovations in media and technology.

    This year, IMDA brings fresh content from Asia for the global market to MIPCOM 2016, leading a delegation of 14 Singapore media companies and presenting over 650 hours of compelling Asian stories across more than 40 titles. Launched on 1 October 2016 following the restructuring of the Info-communications Development Authority (IDA) and the Media Development Authority (MDA), IMDA will create a robust ecosystem to support innovation, transformation, and creation of content for business and for the community.

    Some key announcements include:

    Singapore-based August Media Holdings announced a licensing agreement with Epigram Books to adapt internationally-acclaimed children’s book series Sherlock Sam for television and film, with the TV programme currently scheduled for 2018. The Adventures of Sherlock Sam will be available at the MIPCOM trade market.

    One Animation (Oddbods, Insectibles) announced that it is continuing its rapid expansion with the hiring of animation industry heavyweight and producer, John McKenna, as studio head. McKenna, whose career has seen him set up and lead studios for Disney, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox, will oversee current productions as well as the development of new multiplatform properties.

    International trade partners at MIPCOM can network with the Singapore delegation during Singapore Hour, taking place today, 17 October, 4pm – 5pm at the Singapore Pavilion (P-1.C16, P-1.D15).

    This year, Singapore’s IMDA lead a delegation of 14 Singapore media companies to MIPCOM 2016, presenting over 650 hours of compelling Asian stories across more than 40 titles. The companies represented range from animation and factual content producers such as One Animation, Monstrou Studio and ActiveTV Asia; to content distributors like Sunrise Entertainment and Ying Group.

    Over the past year, the Asian film and television industry has seen strong growth, rising prominence, and international recognition for its talent and content. The newly-formed IMDA was established to keep pace with the growth in Asia and the rest of the world, further harnessing the opportunities arising from media convergence to spur new innovations in media and technology.

    Capturing the Asian voice; fresh Asian-themed content

    Barangay 143 is an original animated series about a lost youngster in search of a father, and how he finds an unlikely family in a team of misfits. Set against the action-packed world of street basketball, this story on love and family is co-produced by August Media Holdings (Singapore) and Synergy88 Entertainment Media Inc (Philippines), and is slated to be completed in 2017. Barangay 143 will be available for distribution in both English and Tagalog.

    Two coastlines, two visions, one big adventure! An iconic race across the Land of the Morning Calm, Going Koastal features two adventurous hosts as they trek 2,413km along the coastline of South Korea, discovering the diverse cultures, foods, festivals and geography along the peninsula. This travel series is being developed by IO Creative (Singapore) and Mountain TV (Korea), and has already gained interest from international broadcasters around the world.

    Anticipated titles to look forward to in 2017 and beyond; gearing up for exciting content & formats

    The Adventures of Sherlock Sam follows the mystery-solving exploits of smart, observant, food-loving, 10-year-old, Samuel Tan Cher Lock – Singapore’s greatest kid (a.k.a. Sherlock Sam). Singapore-based August Media Holdings announced last week a licensing agreement with Singapore publisher Epigram Books to adapt the award-winning children’s book for TV and Film, and the series will be available in 2018, starting with three languages – English, Bahasa Melayu and Bahasa Indonesia.

    Look at My Wedding is a fresh lifestyle programme looking at everything it takes to make a good wedding memorable. Look at My Wedding features exotic destinations include Bali, Byron Bay, Perth, Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore and Jakarta, and is slated to be completed in 2017 by TVS Asia and Sunrise Entertainment.

    Salam Ramadhan UK & Salam Ramadhan Korea follows the lives of Muslims living in the United Kingdom and Korea, and how they observe Ramadhan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. The brand new info-edutainment series presents the narratives of individuals from these local communities in an engaging and entertaining fashion, and is expected to be completed in 2017. Both series are produced by Monstrou Studio, in association with Clover Sky.

    Exciting Genres & Formats; offering refreshing perspective & innovative storytelling

    The Big Idea is a feature documentary with a focus on the new innovations and advances in science and technology happening at breakneck speed. Distributed by Singapore’s national broadcaster, Mediacorp, it attempts to distil the very technologies we believe have the potential to impact our lives.

    Combining motoring insights with charismatic high-profile celebrities from across Asia, Celebrity Car Wars is a new highly-entertaining reality series by ActiveTV Asia. Each hour-long episode follows the journeys of the guest celebrities as they are coached and cajoled by experts and put through challenges – while leaving viewers with motoring knowledge in an animated and entertaining manner.

    In Big Food, host Greta Georges discovers what it takes to make, manage and move massive amounts of food. This larger-than-life television series, produced by The Moving Visuals Co., will see her travelling the globe in search of the giants of the catering world – from a paella competition in Spain, a free kitchen feeding 80,000 people a day in Punjab, to a wedding for 1,400 guests in Singapore!

  • MIPCOM: Singapore brings fresh content for global market

    MIPCOM: Singapore brings fresh content for global market

    MUMBAI: Asia’s film and television industry has seen strong growth, rising prominence, and international recognition for its talent and content in the past year. Singapore’s newly-formed Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) was established to keep pace with the growth in Asia and the rest of the world, further harnessing the opportunities arising from media convergence to spur new innovations in media and technology.

    This year, IMDA brings fresh content from Asia for the global market to MIPCOM 2016, leading a delegation of 14 Singapore media companies and presenting over 650 hours of compelling Asian stories across more than 40 titles. Launched on 1 October 2016 following the restructuring of the Info-communications Development Authority (IDA) and the Media Development Authority (MDA), IMDA will create a robust ecosystem to support innovation, transformation, and creation of content for business and for the community.

    Some key announcements include:

    Singapore-based August Media Holdings announced a licensing agreement with Epigram Books to adapt internationally-acclaimed children’s book series Sherlock Sam for television and film, with the TV programme currently scheduled for 2018. The Adventures of Sherlock Sam will be available at the MIPCOM trade market.

    One Animation (Oddbods, Insectibles) announced that it is continuing its rapid expansion with the hiring of animation industry heavyweight and producer, John McKenna, as studio head. McKenna, whose career has seen him set up and lead studios for Disney, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox, will oversee current productions as well as the development of new multiplatform properties.

    International trade partners at MIPCOM can network with the Singapore delegation during Singapore Hour, taking place today, 17 October, 4pm – 5pm at the Singapore Pavilion (P-1.C16, P-1.D15).

    This year, Singapore’s IMDA lead a delegation of 14 Singapore media companies to MIPCOM 2016, presenting over 650 hours of compelling Asian stories across more than 40 titles. The companies represented range from animation and factual content producers such as One Animation, Monstrou Studio and ActiveTV Asia; to content distributors like Sunrise Entertainment and Ying Group.

    Over the past year, the Asian film and television industry has seen strong growth, rising prominence, and international recognition for its talent and content. The newly-formed IMDA was established to keep pace with the growth in Asia and the rest of the world, further harnessing the opportunities arising from media convergence to spur new innovations in media and technology.

    Capturing the Asian voice; fresh Asian-themed content

    Barangay 143 is an original animated series about a lost youngster in search of a father, and how he finds an unlikely family in a team of misfits. Set against the action-packed world of street basketball, this story on love and family is co-produced by August Media Holdings (Singapore) and Synergy88 Entertainment Media Inc (Philippines), and is slated to be completed in 2017. Barangay 143 will be available for distribution in both English and Tagalog.

    Two coastlines, two visions, one big adventure! An iconic race across the Land of the Morning Calm, Going Koastal features two adventurous hosts as they trek 2,413km along the coastline of South Korea, discovering the diverse cultures, foods, festivals and geography along the peninsula. This travel series is being developed by IO Creative (Singapore) and Mountain TV (Korea), and has already gained interest from international broadcasters around the world.

    Anticipated titles to look forward to in 2017 and beyond; gearing up for exciting content & formats

    The Adventures of Sherlock Sam follows the mystery-solving exploits of smart, observant, food-loving, 10-year-old, Samuel Tan Cher Lock – Singapore’s greatest kid (a.k.a. Sherlock Sam). Singapore-based August Media Holdings announced last week a licensing agreement with Singapore publisher Epigram Books to adapt the award-winning children’s book for TV and Film, and the series will be available in 2018, starting with three languages – English, Bahasa Melayu and Bahasa Indonesia.

    Look at My Wedding is a fresh lifestyle programme looking at everything it takes to make a good wedding memorable. Look at My Wedding features exotic destinations include Bali, Byron Bay, Perth, Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore and Jakarta, and is slated to be completed in 2017 by TVS Asia and Sunrise Entertainment.

    Salam Ramadhan UK & Salam Ramadhan Korea follows the lives of Muslims living in the United Kingdom and Korea, and how they observe Ramadhan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. The brand new info-edutainment series presents the narratives of individuals from these local communities in an engaging and entertaining fashion, and is expected to be completed in 2017. Both series are produced by Monstrou Studio, in association with Clover Sky.

    Exciting Genres & Formats; offering refreshing perspective & innovative storytelling

    The Big Idea is a feature documentary with a focus on the new innovations and advances in science and technology happening at breakneck speed. Distributed by Singapore’s national broadcaster, Mediacorp, it attempts to distil the very technologies we believe have the potential to impact our lives.

    Combining motoring insights with charismatic high-profile celebrities from across Asia, Celebrity Car Wars is a new highly-entertaining reality series by ActiveTV Asia. Each hour-long episode follows the journeys of the guest celebrities as they are coached and cajoled by experts and put through challenges – while leaving viewers with motoring knowledge in an animated and entertaining manner.

    In Big Food, host Greta Georges discovers what it takes to make, manage and move massive amounts of food. This larger-than-life television series, produced by The Moving Visuals Co., will see her travelling the globe in search of the giants of the catering world – from a paella competition in Spain, a free kitchen feeding 80,000 people a day in Punjab, to a wedding for 1,400 guests in Singapore!

  • Exploring Indian kids’ content opportunities at MIPJunior

    Exploring Indian kids’ content opportunities at MIPJunior

    CANNES: The world’s kids programming screenings and conference MIPJunior is slated to commence today 15 October at the prestigious Hotel Martinez in Cannes. The little French Riviera village was under heavy black cloud cover the whole of 14 October and a constant drizzle through the day forced everyone to bring out their brollies and their rain jackets.

    But that won’t be necessary today and the next three to four days. Reason: the weatherman has forecast that the weekend is going to be mostly sunny through to Monday.

    The sunny weather is expected to encourage some brisk meetings, conferences, workshops, keynotes, panel discussions, networking through the day at the famed Hotel. And of course champagne, wine is expected to overflow through the day at the lunches and in the restaurants as the world’s top animation and kids content executives huddle together to figure out what the world and their distribution platforms are going to look like in the coming few months.

    One session that is being watched with increasing curiosity is in the MIPJunior Lab at 17:15 pm on 16 October Titled Passage to India: Working in this dynamic space, it is being moderated by Animationxpress.com and Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor in chief Anil Wanvari.

    India’s top animation studio heads – Rajiv Chilaka of Chhota Bheem and Green Gold Fame, Anish Mehta of Motu Patlu and Cosmos Maya renown, Munjal Shroff of Graphiti Multimedia – and India’s only kids OTT platform Voot CEO Gaurav Gandhi – will be throwing light on how why it makes sense to look at the growing Indian kids market, and how international studios can make head room for themselves in India in the area of co-productions.

    “Indian animation is just waiting to explode on to the world stage,” says Wanvari – who also represents Reed Midem’s MipCom, MipTV, MIPJunior, MipCancun, and Mipim events for India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. “We have the talent, the right stories, and even now the focus to make in India for the world with the Narendra Modi government laying an emphasis on it. An animation requires many partnerships for it to achieve global success. Through this workshop we want to demystify many notions or perceptions that the world community has about Indian studios and the kids content marketplace. Reed Midem and MIPJunior have been very supportive of India’s efforts to build a global IP in kids’ animation. If we succeed in enabling even one partnership or co-production or spark one such opportunity, we will have been successful.”

    Shall we say amen to that?

  • Exploring Indian kids’ content opportunities at MIPJunior

    Exploring Indian kids’ content opportunities at MIPJunior

    CANNES: The world’s kids programming screenings and conference MIPJunior is slated to commence today 15 October at the prestigious Hotel Martinez in Cannes. The little French Riviera village was under heavy black cloud cover the whole of 14 October and a constant drizzle through the day forced everyone to bring out their brollies and their rain jackets.

    But that won’t be necessary today and the next three to four days. Reason: the weatherman has forecast that the weekend is going to be mostly sunny through to Monday.

    The sunny weather is expected to encourage some brisk meetings, conferences, workshops, keynotes, panel discussions, networking through the day at the famed Hotel. And of course champagne, wine is expected to overflow through the day at the lunches and in the restaurants as the world’s top animation and kids content executives huddle together to figure out what the world and their distribution platforms are going to look like in the coming few months.

    One session that is being watched with increasing curiosity is in the MIPJunior Lab at 17:15 pm on 16 October Titled Passage to India: Working in this dynamic space, it is being moderated by Animationxpress.com and Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor in chief Anil Wanvari.

    India’s top animation studio heads – Rajiv Chilaka of Chhota Bheem and Green Gold Fame, Anish Mehta of Motu Patlu and Cosmos Maya renown, Munjal Shroff of Graphiti Multimedia – and India’s only kids OTT platform Voot CEO Gaurav Gandhi – will be throwing light on how why it makes sense to look at the growing Indian kids market, and how international studios can make head room for themselves in India in the area of co-productions.

    “Indian animation is just waiting to explode on to the world stage,” says Wanvari – who also represents Reed Midem’s MipCom, MipTV, MIPJunior, MipCancun, and Mipim events for India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. “We have the talent, the right stories, and even now the focus to make in India for the world with the Narendra Modi government laying an emphasis on it. An animation requires many partnerships for it to achieve global success. Through this workshop we want to demystify many notions or perceptions that the world community has about Indian studios and the kids content marketplace. Reed Midem and MIPJunior have been very supportive of India’s efforts to build a global IP in kids’ animation. If we succeed in enabling even one partnership or co-production or spark one such opportunity, we will have been successful.”

    Shall we say amen to that?

  • MIPCOM: Ultra Media brings in exclusive titles & new offering

    MIPCOM: Ultra Media brings in exclusive titles & new offering

    MUMBAI: Ultra has announced its participation at MIPCOM which is scheduled from 17 – 20 October 2016 at Palais des Festivals, Cannes, France. Along with its exhaustive slate of titles spread across films, television, animation & film preservation services, It will also present its latest exclusive production in Cookery and Docudramas. MIPCOM has grown as a potential market for Ultra since the past few years because of its rising demand for Indian content. Indian TV Dramas have made its way into several countries like Poland, Ukraine, Bosnia, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia Vietnam, Nigeria, Tanzania and many other territories.

    Ultra Media & Entertainment has been participating in MIPCOM since 2012 and it has always been a prominent market for the company. There has been a huge demand from the visitors for Indian films & television dramas. In fact Ultra had foreseen this trend and had every year been bringing varied titles and content for the discerning visitors in the festival.

    This year to participate in MIPCOM, Ultra is exclusively introducing “Ultra Cookery” and “Rusted Postbox”- a series of docudramas from www.mintageworld.com – World’s 1st online museum for Vintage coins, Stamps and Currency notes.

    Ultra Cookery

    A series of cookery videos that feature healthy, delicious and easy to cook multi-cuisine recipes. The recipes shown in “Ultra Cookery” are quick to make and are a blend of innovative and novel techniques that are easy to follow and can be tried by anyone in their kitchen. This program is primarily recommended for the working folks who share a passion for cooking.

    Rusted Postbox

    It is a unique concept by mintage world, launched with a social motive to create awareness amongst the general public on the various coins, stamps and currency notes that have been launched to celebrate and commemorate significant global historic events and personalities. It is a series of docudramas that talk about the evolution of various coins, stamps & currency notes from around the world explaining its historical & cultural significance. Here “each stamp, coin and note tells a story” that is narrated in an easy, lucid story telling format with an effective voice over. Till date, there have been 25 episodes.

    Ultra pioneered content acquisition & distribution of various media rights of Indian & international television drama, films, animation & other content in various genres & languages from different production companies worldwide. It is also a fully integrated, multi-faceted studio engaged in multiple aspects of entertainment, including full-scale television & film production and distribution and post production service.

  • MIPCOM: Ultra Media brings in exclusive titles & new offering

    MIPCOM: Ultra Media brings in exclusive titles & new offering

    MUMBAI: Ultra has announced its participation at MIPCOM which is scheduled from 17 – 20 October 2016 at Palais des Festivals, Cannes, France. Along with its exhaustive slate of titles spread across films, television, animation & film preservation services, It will also present its latest exclusive production in Cookery and Docudramas. MIPCOM has grown as a potential market for Ultra since the past few years because of its rising demand for Indian content. Indian TV Dramas have made its way into several countries like Poland, Ukraine, Bosnia, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia Vietnam, Nigeria, Tanzania and many other territories.

    Ultra Media & Entertainment has been participating in MIPCOM since 2012 and it has always been a prominent market for the company. There has been a huge demand from the visitors for Indian films & television dramas. In fact Ultra had foreseen this trend and had every year been bringing varied titles and content for the discerning visitors in the festival.

    This year to participate in MIPCOM, Ultra is exclusively introducing “Ultra Cookery” and “Rusted Postbox”- a series of docudramas from www.mintageworld.com – World’s 1st online museum for Vintage coins, Stamps and Currency notes.

    Ultra Cookery

    A series of cookery videos that feature healthy, delicious and easy to cook multi-cuisine recipes. The recipes shown in “Ultra Cookery” are quick to make and are a blend of innovative and novel techniques that are easy to follow and can be tried by anyone in their kitchen. This program is primarily recommended for the working folks who share a passion for cooking.

    Rusted Postbox

    It is a unique concept by mintage world, launched with a social motive to create awareness amongst the general public on the various coins, stamps and currency notes that have been launched to celebrate and commemorate significant global historic events and personalities. It is a series of docudramas that talk about the evolution of various coins, stamps & currency notes from around the world explaining its historical & cultural significance. Here “each stamp, coin and note tells a story” that is narrated in an easy, lucid story telling format with an effective voice over. Till date, there have been 25 episodes.

    Ultra pioneered content acquisition & distribution of various media rights of Indian & international television drama, films, animation & other content in various genres & languages from different production companies worldwide. It is also a fully integrated, multi-faceted studio engaged in multiple aspects of entertainment, including full-scale television & film production and distribution and post production service.