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  • MIP London debuts with strong attendance, sets sights on 2026 return

    MIP London debuts with strong attendance, sets sights on 2026 return

    MUMBAI:  The inaugural MIP London market  concluded its five-day run on 27 February  with metrics that suggest a respectable, if not quite revolutionary, entry into the crowded conference calendar. Some 2,800 delegates from over 80 countries descended upon the capital for what organisers hope will become a fixture in the global television industry’s peripatetic schedule.

    The event, which ran from 23-27 February, appears to have established itself as a new fixture in the global television industry calendar, with the IET London and The Savoy already confirmed as venues for 2026.

    “MIP London’s debut exceeded expectations. This is year one of a long-term commitment and we will be back in London next year,” said MIP London and MIPCOM Cannes director Lucy Smith. “This was new, a new format, bringing in new people, and it really feels that MIP London has found its place in this busy week.”

    European delegates comprised the largest contingent, followed by North Americans, with significant representation from Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Türkiye. More than 70 companies established meeting spaces, including country pavilions from Belgium, China, France, Korea and Spain.

    The event featured an extensive programme of international screenings, insight presentations, and industry matchmaking sessions. Notable highlights included presentations from YouTube and a headline conversation between Netflix’s chief content officer Bela Bajaria and David Beckham.

    Attendees reflected the evolving media landscape, with traditional buyers and sales executives joined by producers, content creators, and representatives from digital-first companies and streaming platforms, including Fast,  AVOD and CTV players.

    Smith emphasised that the new event was designed to complement existing industry gatherings. “Our plan has always been to complement existing events, and I thank everyone who came and engaged with the market. We will listen intently to every bit of feedback to evolve MIP London for 2026 and beyond, and to deliver what the international industry says it needs.”

    The 41st edition of MIPCOM  Cannes, MIP London’s established sister event, will take place from 13-16 October 2025, preceded by MIPJunior on 11-12 October.

  • Pan Nalin’s Kumbh Mela film finds buyers in Europe

    Pan Nalin’s Kumbh Mela film finds buyers in Europe

    Eminent Indian-origin filmmaker Pan Nalin’s documentary Faith Connections has been sold to France and Switzerland ahead of its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

     

    SDD (Sophie Dulac Distribution) has acquired French rights to the India-French co-production, filmed at India’s Kumbh Mela, while the Swiss rights went to Filmcoopi. Advanced negotiations are also underway for sales to Canada, the US, Germany and India.

     

    The film is being sold by Raphael Berdugo’s Cite Films, which is also co-produced with Nalin and Gaurav Dhingra’s Jungle Book Entertainment. Berdugo, Dhingra, Nalin and Virginie Lacombe are credited as producers.

     

    Faith Connections follows the stories of holy men, policemen, pilgrims and a runaway child at India’s biggest religious festival, which is held once every 12 years and attracts around 100 million Hindu pilgrims.

     

    Nalin has previously directed feature documentary Ayurveda: Art of Being and narrative features Samsara and The Valley of Flowers.

     

    “We decided to co-produce and take on the sales of this film because we trust the talent of director Pan Nalin to tell us deeply moving human stories which can appeal to the world,” said Berdugo.

     

    “My experience of international sales when I was in charge of Roissy Films was that the common language of the world is emotion and people are eager to be moved while discovering other cultures.”

     

    “Ayurveda: Art of Being and Samsara were huge successes in Switzerland – both were based on the vast interest of our audience in spirituality and a quest of wellbeing of humanity. Pan Nalin’s new film follows these themes and we are sure that it will be successful too,” said Filmcoopi’s Felix Hachler.

     

    “A garland of magnificent images captured by Pan Nalin; truly exceptional characters with simple but astonishing stories; and an incredible happening which only occurs once in twelve years encouraged us to bring this extraordinary documentary to the French public,” said Dulac.

  • Big Brother enters Vietnam

    Big Brother enters Vietnam

    MUMBAI: Endemol has sold Big Brother into Vietnam for the first time, with VTV commissioning 65 episodes to air later this year.

     

    The local version will run over nine weeks on VTV6. In total, more than 20 series of Big Brother will air this year in more than 70 countries, including the US, the UK, Spain, Israel, Latin America, CEE, Asia and Africa.

     

    Endemol managing director of Asian operations Fotini Paraskakis commented: “Big Brother continues to be an unstoppable blockbuster more than a decade since it first launched. Following the format’s proven success in other Asian territories we are proud to be bringing it to Vietnam for the very first time and we’re in no doubt that VTV6’s audience will love it.”

  • Alan Johnston to tell story of kidnap ordeal on BBC

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC has announced that its former Gaza Correspondent Alan Johnston is to tell the story of his kidnap ordeal in a two-part special BBC programme on 25 October.

    An hour-long Panorama special on BBC One will feature an extended Jeremy Vine interview and in From Our Own Correspondent, on BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service, Johnston will tell his story in his own words.

    He spent 114 days in captivity after being abducted at gunpoint by militants on 12 March in Gaza City earlier this year. Panorama will feature reports from the Middle East, the US and the UK as well as interviews with those involved in the efforts to free Alan.

    In From Our Own Correspondent, listeners will hear him make a return to the programme to tell his story in detail.