Mipcom 2019: A way to procure prospects

A lot of exciting showcases are there to look forward to in the world’s largest content market for the distributors and the participants. Big B’s of the television industry will be showcasing their latest shows along with keynote speakers who would share their insights on this ever-changing industry. Here we pick out a few companies and their productions which should not be missed.

A+E NETWORKS INTERNATIONAL

The international distribution arm of A+E Networks, an American broadcasting company, is launching three dating formats at this year’s MIPCOM market,  including relationship docuseries Marrying Millions (10 x 60 minutes) from Sharp Entertainment, which offers a deep dive into the love lives of six couples where one half of the relationship comes from extraordinary wealth. The fact-ent format follows six couples hoping to marry, but whose partners come from completely different worlds. The format was recently renewed by Lifetime in the U.S. for 16 episodes and has also been optioned to Seven Studios UK.

The next in the list is relationship format Generation Dating which has been co-developed with Virgin Media Television. In this format, each episode would feature two strangers- one older and one younger- run each other’s love lives, from finding suitable companions and planning the entire date to providing a head-to-toe makeover.

Then there would be a studio- format Solo Wars, in which 100 singles, evenly split between male and female, utilize psychological tactics as they battle for love and a cash prize.

Solo Wars marks the first project from A+E’s recently inked partnership with Korean media group JTBC.

ANIMIKI SEE DISTRIBUTION

The Canadian Aboriginal People’s Network (APTN) is launching its new distribution company in Cannes this year with three new factual programs.

First Contact, created by Blackfella Films Australia and produced by Indios Films, Numan Films and Animiki See Digital Productions, confronts racist attitudes by following six Canadians, all with strong opinions about Indigenous people, as they journey into Indigenous communities to confront their prejudices.

Meanwhile, Tribal Police, produced by Kwassen Productions, takes viewers on a ride-along with First Nations police services, including ongoing involvement in rebuilding their communities off-the-clock.

Finally, Picking Up The Pieces: The Making of the Witness Blanket, produced by M1 Films in stewardship with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, follows artist Carey Newman on his journey to create the Witness Blanket, a national monument that commemorates the experiences of residential school survivors across Canada.

Along with this, the distribution firm has acquired worldwide rights for two factual series currently in production. The projects include the 13-part docuseries Going Native and the 13-part music series Amplify.

AUTENTIC DISTRIBUTION

German outfit Autentic Distribution, the sales division of the documentary label Autentic and a subsidiary of the Beta-Group, will hit the French Riviera with several new series and documentaries on offer.

The list will include Geared Up, in which Ralph and Kelly Biase restore classic but broken-down vehicles into modern works of art; Mega Places: Germany’s Hot Spots, about unique and popular locations in Germany; New York: Global Capital of the Arts, which looks at the New York arts and culture hub The Shed; and Creative Minds: Conquering Abandoned Lands, about the individuals renovating forgotten pieces of land in Europe.

CBC & RADIO-CANADA DISTRIBUTION

The distribution arm of Canada’s national broadcaster has bolstered its catalogue of Canadian-made, festival-selected and award-winning titles on offer at this year’s market.

The portfolio includes poignant and timely stories that span the breadth of the human experience, including the Sandra Oh-narrated Trimates, which chronicles the stories of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey and Birute Galdikas and their scientific studies of our closest ancestors: the great apes; First Animals, which offers an exclusive look at the never-before-seen fossils of British Columbia’s mountain peaks; and After Munich, in which four Israeli women recount, from different perspectives, the 1972 Munich Olympics when the Palestinian terrorist group Black September stormed the Israeli athletes’ quarters and killed 11 hostages. Rounding out CBC’s slate are Jensplaining and A Giant on the River.

DISCOVERY PROGRAM SALES

Discovery Program Sales, which represents the television broadcasting media rights for Discovery’s portfolio of global networks, will present a diverse slate at this year’s trade show including Mysterious Planet, the blue chip series co-produced by New Zealand-based NHNZ and Japan’s NHK.

The distributor will also bring a number of formats to Cannes: Drag Me Down the Aisle, which follows four beloved American drag queens as they help brides “feel like a Queen” on their wedding day; and culinary talk show Rock Kitchen, which sees host Udo Dirkschneider welcome musicians to his BBQ Grill to chat and reinterpret their favourite recipes.

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Ashwathi Anoopkumar