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Tag: GoQuest Media

  • GoQuest Media acquires several dramas from Europe

    GoQuest Media acquires several dramas from Europe

    Mumbai: Global independent content distributor GoQuest Media has acquired several dramas from Europe. The deals finalised gives GoQuest Media distribution rights to Secrets of the Grapevine from Serbian telecommunications and cable TV operator Telekom Srbija, Crazy in Love from Polish broadcaster TVN, Still Waters from Estonian pubcaster ERR, and Sacrificiul (Sacrificial) from Romanian production company Dream Film Production.

    Commenting on the deal GoQuest Media manager – acquisitions Akshit Sandhu said, “We’re so pleased to continue our partnership with Telekom Srbija and ERR & build a new one with TVN and Dream Film Production.  These gripping series enjoyed high ratings and found great popularity with their local audiences, and we believe that these evergreen themes and performances will appeal to international audiences too.”

    Find below the details of each show!

    Winner of the most viewed series at the 11th International Drama and Series Festival FEDIS 2021 (Belgrade), Secrets of the Grapevine (72 x 50’) produced by MetRo Productions for Telekom Srbija, is a romantic drama that follows the incredible story of two winemaking families – the Tomovics and Smiljanics.  The intimate saga of the feuding families is rapt with devastating secrets, long-lost love, and heartbreak.  Former lovers Vuk Tomovic and Vera Smiljanic rekindle their romance after twenty years but they must make great sacrifices to realize a passion project they had dreamt of together a long time ago.

    The telenovela Crazy in Love (260 x 22’) which originally aired on TVN 7 is an entangled story of holiday love.  Piotr Nowak accidentally meets Joanna Popiel ten years after a holiday romance when she opens a veterinary office in the same building as his dental practice.  Will Piotr choose youthful love or stay with high school sweetheart and ambitious partner Sylwia Witos? Or will the holiday lovers fall crazy in love again?

    Still Waters (8 x 30’), produced by Zolba Productions for ERR follows teenager Marianne as she arrives at a new bilingual school far from the capital city.  She finds herself being blackmailed when someone launches an online smearing and digital bullying campaign against her.  As the events spiral into maddening terror threatening to destroy her fragile friendships and new stepfamily, Marianne has to find out who her friends and enemies really are and fight back with all means necessary.

    Broadcast on Romania’s free-to-air television network, Antena 1, owned by Antena TV Group and part of the Intact Media Group, the drama Sacrificiul (100 x 45’) revolves around the extraordinary stories of three sisters who were separated and were only reunited years later by the fortuitous connection of their children.

  • GoQuest Media licenses drama package deal to Disney+ Hotstar

    GoQuest Media licenses drama package deal to Disney+ Hotstar

    Mumbai: GoQuest Media has licensed a drama package deal to Disney+ Hotstar. The video streaming platform has acquired the Indian rights to three thrilling European dramas, Civil Servant and Debt to the Sea produced by Serbian telecommunications and cable TV operator Telekom Srbija & Traitor produced by multi-service provider Elisa Estonia and Estonian public broadcaster ERR.

    Produced in conjunction with Film Danas and directed by Miroslav Lekic and Ivan Zivkovic, Civil Servant is a gripping spy thriller series that follows a young, ambitious Serbian Secret Service (BIA) agent, Lazar Stanojević (played by Milan Marić, winner of the Shooting Stars Award at Berlinale and the Chopard Talent Award at the Moscow Film Festival) as he negotiates the rules of the international spy game in the modern world. He quickly learns that all is not what it seems, and he is left fighting the distrust that he has for everything he thought to be true. Despite this, his sense of duty still makes him make dangerous decisions to try to protect his nation, his family and himself.

    Dark secrets, ancient myths and an unrelenting sea determine the life of the characters in Debt to the Sea produced in association with Monte Royal Pictures International and directed by Goran Gajic. The arrival of a mysterious stranger triggers an unstoppable wave of events for the unnerved inhabitants of a beautiful but deadly Montenegro coastal village. Fractured families, old friends and young lovers are forced to find answers in their tragic pasts and uncertain futures.

    Disney+ Hotstar has also acquired the spy thriller Traitor directed by Ergo Kuld. Inspired by recent spy scandals in Estonia, Traitor is a captivating thriller which begins in 2004, just before Estonia joined NATO and became a top target for Russian intelligence. Greed and the need for recognition lead recruit Alfred Vint (played by Tambet Tuisk who received the Best Actor Award at EFTA 2020, Estonian Film and TV Awards) to cooperate with Russian intelligence, leading to a thrilling cat-and-mouse game with determined young Estonian counterintelligence officer Marko Arrak (Veiko Porkanen).

    GoQuest Media Managing Director Vivek Lath added, “Spy dramas have enjoyed consistent success with Indian audiences on streaming platforms. Both Civil Servant and Traitor have the story, casting, and production brilliance to build a new fanbase in the country.”

    “Debt to the Sea is perfect for those who enjoy psychological thrillers with myths, murders, and family secrets set against a stunning seaside location like Montenegro. We are very excited that these exceptional Eastern European titles are now premiering in India and hope that Disney+ Hotstar audiences will enjoy them as much as we did,” he added.

  • GoQuest Media and Wowow strike a deal for ‘Traitor’

    GoQuest Media and Wowow strike a deal for ‘Traitor’

    Mumbai: Global independent content distributor GoQuest Media has struck a deal for the Estonian espionage drama ‘Traitor’.

    Japanese broadcaster Wowow has acquired the spy thriller for its LinearTV and On-Demand streaming service. The award-winning series is directed by Ergo Kuld, and produced by multi service provider Elisa Estonia and Estonian public broadcaster ERR. It is written by playwright and screenwriter Martin Algus, who was awarded the ‘Best Screenwriter Award’ at Estonian Film and Television Awards 2019.

    The thrilling series stars Tambet Tuisk, who was also won the ‘Best Actor Award’ for ‘Traitor’ at the Estonian Film and Television Awards 2020

    Inspired by recent spy scandals in Estonia, ‘Traitor’ is a thriller which begins in 2004 just before Estonia joined Nato and became a top target for Russian intelligence. Greed and the need for recognition leads new recruit Alfred Vint (Tambet Tuisk) to cooperate with Russian intelligence, leading to a thrilling cat-and-mouse game with determined young Estonian counter-intelligence officer Marko Arrak (Veiko Porkanen) as they navigate the challenges faced in their personal lives.

    Wowow acquisition manager Chinatsu Otsuki said, “We are very excited to close the first deal with GoQuest Media. ‘Traitor’ is a superb spy thriller, and the story is very twisted. Our viewers love to watch ‘rewarding good and punishing evil’. However, we all know that reality is a lot more different from what is portrayed in fictional drama. This Estonian spy drama is very realistic in a way that is inspired by true events”.

    ERR head of programs Marje Tõemäe said, “We are very happy that stories which are based on our history and connect with our viewers are also relevant for other audiences all over the world.”

    GoQuest Media managing director Vivek Lath said that he was delighted that ‘Traitor’ will make its debut in Asia, and he couldn’t have asked for a better launchpad than Wowow. “As Japanese audiences watch the unravelling of a brutal but charming government servant who will betray everyone, including his country, to amass power and wealth, we promise that this compelling spy scandal drama may leave them shaken, but they won’t stop watching,” he added.

  • GoQuest Media secures sales for two titles in Eastern Europe

    GoQuest Media secures sales for two titles in Eastern Europe

    Mumbai: Global independent content distributor GoQuest Media has secured sales for two titles in Eastern Europe.

    TV3 Group, a leading media house in the Baltics has acquired linear and on-demand rights for Go3, and Slovenian multimedia company Pro Plus has acquired SVOD rights for its digital platform Voyo to the award-winning crime thriller “Rats.” It is created and written by Czech screenwriter Miro Šifra (Rédl) and directed by multi-Viktor Tauš of production company Heaven’s Gate and Matěj Chlupáček (Terapie) of Barletta Productions in association with Czech TV and MD4.

    Pro Plus has also acquired the TV and SVOD rights to “Civil Servant,” a Serbian spy thriller produced by Telekom Srbija and Film Danas. It is created and produced by Predrag Antonijevic and directed by Miroslav Lekic and Ivan Zivkovic. Season three of the show is currently in production and set to air on Superstar TV (Serbia) in Spring 2022.

    “We are proud to partner with these renowned companies and bring these gripping stories to audiences in Latvia and Slovenia,” said GoQuest Media CEO Vivek Lath. “When we chose Rats and Civil Servant for our catalogue, we knew they would travel well – both are strong, universally relatable, and highly entertaining stories set against some never before seen backdrops. Both series have characters suited for co-viewing and work wonderfully for a multi-screen audience.”

  • Globopay acquires streaming rights to Serbian drama ‘Civil Servant’

    Globopay acquires streaming rights to Serbian drama ‘Civil Servant’

    Mumbai: Global independent content distributor GoQuest Media has inked a deal with Brazilian streaming platform Globopay.

    As part of the deal, Globoplay has acquired exclusive streaming rights to the Serbian drama “Civil Servant”, a spy thriller produced by Telekom Srbija and Film Danas.

    Created and produced by Predrag Antonijevic and directed by Miroslav Lekic and Ivan Zivkovic, the thriller series follows a young ambitious Serbian secret service (BIA) agent.

    “The Serbian secret service thriller Civil Servant is part of an important strategy to bring to our audiences a great portfolio of global series, with content from different countries, but with interesting and universal themes,” said Globoplay content strategy manager Antonio Augusto Valente.

    The producers of the show recently commenced filming the third season which will air on Serbian TV channel, Superstar TV in the spring of 2022.

    “What a brilliant debut for Civil Servant in Latin America, and we are so glad that this captivating series has found its home with Globoplay,” said GoQuest Media VP of sales and acquisition Jimmy George. “We hope Brazilian audiences root for the protagonist Lazar as they discover great and unique locations, engage with the characters and enjoy the novelty of learning the workings of an intelligence network that is quite unfamiliar.”

  • SBS inks deal with GoQuest Media to air Czech crime thriller in Australia

    SBS inks deal with GoQuest Media to air Czech crime thriller in Australia

    Mumbai: Global independent content distributor GoQuest Media on Tuesday announced that it has concluded an exclusive deal with Australian national pubcaster SBS. The deal sees SBS acquiring the AVOD rights for the Czech crime thriller ‘Rats’.

    The fact-based drama was aired in 2020, during primetime on Ceska televize to unprecedented critical acclaim and multi-generational rating success. Made in collaboration with the National Anti-Drug Centre of the Czech Republic (DEA), Rats is created and written by Czech screenwriter Miro Šifra (Rédl) and directed by Viktor Tauš (Vodnik, Clownwise, Dom) of production company Heaven’s Gate and Matěj Chlupáček (Terapie) of Barletta Productions, in association with Czech TV and MD4. 

    Boasting a stellar Czech cast including Cyril Dobrý, Lenka Krobotová, Václav Neužil, and new-comer Miloslav Pechácek, Rats has won the Czech Lions and Czech Film Critics’ Awards in 2021 for Best TV series and was nominated at the International Zurich Film Festival and Serial Killer (festival).

    SBS On Demand, channel manager, Haidee Ireland said “Rats is a thrilling and stylish series, and we are excited to have it join our collection of world-class dramas from all over the world, handpicked and curated for local audiences on SBS On Demand.”

    Commenting on the deal, GoQuest Media, VP – sales & acquisitions, Jimmy George added, “We are delighted to have SBS introducing Rats to Australian audiences. The series has a one-of-a-kind approach to the traditional worldview of drugs both in terms of its protagonist’s story as well as the physical world it is set in. This is a new and extremely interesting universe that viewers will be introduced to, and we can promise they won’t be disappointed.”

  • MX Player inks two-series deal with GoQuest Media

    MX Player inks two-series deal with GoQuest Media

    Mumbai: Global independent content distributor GoQuest Media has joined forces with Indian entertainment app, MX Player for an exclusive two-series licensing deal. This association sees MX Player acquire the Indian rights to two captivating Ukrainian dramas Ruby Ring (95 x 45’) and I’m On Your Side (48 x 45’) produced by Media Group Ukraine (MGU).

    Capturing the attention and imagination of audiences around the world, Ruby Ring has aired in more than 40 countries. The series is a multilayered and captivating story of two sisters, Anna and Yana, whose lives change drastically by events that alter their destiny, putting them at a vital crossroads of their lives in conflict with each other for the perfect life. A romantic crime drama I’m On Your Side is based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, where on one particularly bad day, Anastasiya becomes an involuntary witness to a murder and gets drawn into the dark world of crime.

    Elaborating on the deal, MX Player’s SVP and head – content acquisitions & alliances, Mansi Shrivastav, said, “International content is now widely accepted and available in India; at MX Player, we dub these in local languages so as to appeal to a wider set of audiences.  After Korean and Turkish shows, there is a rising interest in Ukrainian dramas across the country, mainly because of how these stories depict the everyday lives of ordinary people and their trials and tribulations, making them relevant for viewers across the globe.  Our association with GoQuest is yet another step in adding to our large catalogue of global content that Indian viewers can consume for free.”

    GoQuest Media VP – sales & acquisitions, Jimmy George added, “Our belief is that the appetite for foreign-language content will only grow as more and more streaming giants like MX Player want to provide variety to their subscribers.  This belief is now strengthened with this deal. We are very excited to bring these titles home and couldn’t have found a better partner than MX Player to do it with.”

    MGU head of content sales department, Iryna Chernyak said, “We’d like to thank GoQuest Media, the international distributor of our TV dramas for the fruitful cooperation. We have many new high-quality series’ catering for every taste and budget and we look forward to further developing our collaboration with GoQuest Media.”

  • GoQuest Media to distribute Ukrainian dramas

    GoQuest Media to distribute Ukrainian dramas

    MUMBAI: US-based network provider Olympusat has acquired exclusive TV and digital rights for Latin America, Puerto Rico, the US and Canada for three Ukrainian romance dramas produced by Media Group Ukraine, following a deal with global distributor GoQuest Media.

    The deal sees Eclipse (8 x 45-minutes), Secrets (95 x 45-minutes) and Rainflower (8 x 45-minutes) all picked up by the US company.

    Produced by Tri-ya-da production (Ukraine), Secrets explores hidden family secrets that tests the love and strength of Katya and Mykola, who have known and loved each other since childhood.

    Eclipse, meanwhile, follows Sergie’s one-sided love as it turns to obsession when he meets his childhood crush, Svetlana, after 20 years. The series is directed by Anton Azarov and produced by Irina Zarya.

    Rainflower is an adaptation of the Korean drama Tree of Heaven. Produced by Mamas Film Production (Ukraine) it is a coming-of-age adolescent tale of two stepsiblings, Nina and Andrey, who fall deeply and passionately in love with each other.

    GoQuest Media Europe and North America head Paula McHarg said, “These compelling Ukrainian romance dramas explore themes of love, romance, and optimism — underscored by tragic components — which makes them out of the ordinary and inspiring. We are thrilled to conclude our first package deal with Olympusat and bring these diverse stories to brand new audiences.”

    “Our mission in creating Olympusat TV platforms has always been to deliver the best of the best in entertainment content, and we are excited to add these three series, featuring dramatic characters that are proven winners and that audiences will love,” added Olympusat content acquisitions & strategy VP John Baghdassarian.

  • GoQuest Media signs international distribution rights for RATS

    GoQuest Media signs international distribution rights for RATS

    MUMBAI: Global independent content distributor GoQuest Media has partnered with Czech production company Heaven’s Gate to take the international distribution rights for the gripping crime thriller RATS (6 x 55') – a bold, hard-hitting drama about the Czech drug trade.

    Based on true stories and made in collaboration with the national anti-drug centre of the Czech Republic (DEA), RATS was created and written by talented young Czech screenwriter Miro Šifra (Rédl) and directed by multi-award-winning Viktor Tauš (Vodnik, Clownwise, Dom) of Heaven’s Gate and Matěj Chlupáček (Terapie) of Barletta productions in association with Czech TV and MD4. RATS aired in spring 2020, during primetime on Ceska Televize to unprecedented critical acclaim and multi-generational ratings success.

    RATS is set in the evolving world of the Czech-Vietnamese meth syndicates which are led by an immigrant mafia, funded by cryptocurrency and monitored by the DEA, who have to change their traditional tactics in order to adapt to the new order.  But change begets mistakes, which often cost lives and nobody wants to end up as a rat for the DEA, but David (Cyril Dobrý) didn’t have a choice.  After cracking under the interrogation of Major Jan Blažek (Václav Neužil), spilling the secrets of the syndicate and betraying his best friend, becoming an informant might be his best chance to survive.

    Only now he’s being targeted by the police and the mafia, with only the ambitious police analyst Petra Vávrová (Lenka Krobotová) to back him up.  In a world where nobody trusts him and he can trust nobody, David is learning to make up the rules as he goes along.

    Boasting a stellar Czech cast including Cyril Dobrý (Das Boot, Ulice) Lenka Krobotová (Díra u Hanušovic), Václav Neužil (Bába z ledu) and new-comer Miloslav Pechácek, RATS will screen at numerous festivals this autumn including Serial Killer, Odessa and the International Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) where it has been nominated for the Golden Eye for Best International TV Series.

    GoQuest Media Europe and north America head Paula McHarg said, “From the first frame of RATS until its gripping conclusion we were nothing short of transfixed.  Globally launching such an outstanding series from a region that’s currently bubbling over with potential is truly an honor and we have no doubt that the international marketplace will respond with as much enthusiasm as we have.”

    Heaven's Gate CEO Viktor Taus added, “I believe that part of the reason for the global resonance is, paradoxically, the local specificity.  Besides its thrilling content, a crime mini-series in 2020 also has to be an authentic report of the state of the world when the story takes place.  RATS is like that.  This is the world we live in.  I’ve never met with such a deep interest to understand the story, its heroes, and the meaning of the storytelling visuality as with Paula and her team at GoQuest Media.  Through them RATS has been awarded a distributor with the same passion as the team we told the story with.”
     

  • GoQuest Media acquires MX Player originals for worldwide distribution

    GoQuest Media acquires MX Player originals for worldwide distribution

    MUMBAI: Independent content distributor GoQuest Media has closed a deal with MX Player. As per the deal, GoQuest Media will acquire the worldwide distribution rights for two of its top-rated epic drama originals: Queen and Ek Thi Begum (The Mafia Queen).  Inspired by true events, the gripping web series unfolds the stories of two powerful women who in their own unique ways defined an era in Indian history.

    Directed by national award winner Gautham Vasudev Menon and Prasath Murugesan, Queen brings to life the story of Shakthi Seshadri – a reluctant actress, a reluctant politician and a non-conformist until the very end.  She was destiny’s chosen child who rose from the ashes like a phoenix to rule the state of Tamil Nadu as its youngest female chief minister. Headlined by Ramya Krishnan who portrays the role of Shakthi, the series also stars Anikha Surendran, Anjana Jayaprakash and Indrajith Sukumaran in key roles.  The show premiered in December 2019 and garnered an IMDB rating of 8.3 as well as exceptional reviews.

    Directed by Sachin Darekar, Ek Thi Begum (The Mafia Queen) stars Anuja Sathe as Ashraf.  Life as she knew it changed when the city’s biggest don Maqsood turned out to be responsible for the death of her husband Zaheer.  Inspired by true events, this is the story of begum Ashraf aka Sapna who turned femme fatale, pursuing the most dangerous underworld gangsters of Bombay to avenge her husband’s murder.  Set in the Bombay of the 1980s when organized crime was at its peak, this crime thriller is a refreshing take, where a female protagonist is portrayed taking on an overwhelmingly male dominated world of mafias and underworld to become the ‘Mafia Queen’ of her time.

    MX Player head, content acquisition & syndication Mansi Shrivastav said, "We believe in producing and acquiring narratives that make for universal storytelling.  Our vision of ‘everytainment’ or entertainment for every mood, reason and season is now going out for global distribution and we are delighted to have 2 of our MX Original Series’ – Queen and Ek Thi Begum make their international debut via the distribution deal with GoQuest Media."

    GoQuest Media co-founder Vivek Lath commented, “There’s a thirst for more premium Indian content and MX player has produced two epic drama originals which are certain to inspire and engage global audiences beyond the reach of traditional Bollywood.  We aim to offer the very best content from around the globe and from India.  Queen and Ek Thi Begum (The Mafia Queen) are both in their unique way uplifting and inspirational stories to watch.”

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