After L.A. Screenings comes a flurry of spring and summer events including Cantiec Expo, Monte-Carlo TV Festival, Forum Brasil, DISCOP East and Promax. This year’s edition of Monte-Carlo TV Fest will find participants gathered in the traditional Grimaldi Forum venue June 6-10 for a week of screenings, round tables and some exclusive parties. As always, the Golden Nymph Award will be given out for superior TV programming across a range of categories. VideoAge caught up with CEO David Tomatis to find out what participants can expect this year in sunny Monte Carlo. This is in consideration of the fact that on July 1 and 2 the city-state will see its ruling Prince Albert getting married, thus bringing lots of media attention to the principality.
VideoAge International: What sort of attendance figures do you expect for this year’s TV Fest? How do you think attendance will measure up to last year?
David Tomatis: We expect a participation of 1,300 people, which is a number that can compare to previous years. This participation is essentially media, with over 300 journalists, and representation from programs in the competition, from talent to producers and directors.
VAI: Will the wedding of Prince Albert the following month will affect attendance in any way?
David Tomatis: There is no reason that this event will be affecting the attendance, especially since they are a month apart.
VAI: Can you give an overview of the event this year?
David Tomatis: The Festival is organized around the Golden Nymph competition with 105 programs in competition from over 30 countries. This international competition includes a number of categories unique to the Festival. The press activities are a large component of the event as our venue is a valuable promotional platform for the European and Scandinavian countries. As for the general public, four public premiere screenings will be organized along with the possibility to meet the talent.
VAI: What region do most of the attendees come from?
David Tomatis: The majority of the participants come from European/Scandinavian territories, and of course the U.S. with the presence of all the studios and top talent from hit and new shows. The quality of participation with media coverage makes the Monte-Carlo TV Festival a recognized premiere gathering for the industry.
