Many predicted that the 60th annual MIPTV would be a rather low-key market, but the event got off to a good start with Sunday’s MIPDOC opening party sponsored by Paramount Global Content Distribution, and a Beta Film dinner where the Germany company screened (among others) the trailer for period drama series La Storia, based on Elsa Morante’s novel of the same name.
Among the various content buyers invited by Beta Film to La Colombe d’Or in Saint-Paul de Vence, VideoAge met with Audrone Sepeté, acquisition manager for Lithuania’s national network LRT-TV, who, together with a colleague, actually paid for accommodations and even for a MIP badge, a definite rarity for a buyer-deficient market.
Earlier, at a luncheon organized by Poorhouse’s Reiner Moritz, guests decried that MIPDOC, the pre-MIP documentary market, had been reduced to just a single day. Commented doc buyer Elisabeth Hagstedt of France’s Histoire-TV, “Screenings are very important because when back at the office we don’t have time for them, and with just one day at MIPDOC, there is no time to screen.”
Walking around Cannes yesterday, the town didn’t look very crowded, and one suspects that a large number of participants are actually registered with Cannes Series, the drama festival sponsored and organized by the Cannes municipality in tandem with MIPTV.
Today, Monday, April 17, there is little to report on other than tonight’s opening party. We’ll reserve judgment on the 10:10 a.m. seminar titled “What the Streamers Want?” since it’s become clear that no one — including the powers that be at the streamers — really knows what they are actually looking for.
Tomorrow, the Principality of Monaco will officially launch TV Monaco with a conference/breakfast at the Carlton Hotel, which reopened in March (well, at least the third floor has reopened). We all expect to salute French broadcast veteran Nathalie Biancolli as TV Monaco’s Deputy CEO.
Pictured above:
At Poorhouse’s luncheon, from l. clockwise: host Reiner Moritz, Histoire-TV’s Elisabeth Hagstedt, The Bridge’s Amanda Groom, SBS’ Kaye Warren, VideoAge‘s Dom Serafini, MagnaTel’s Phoebe Clarke, and RTE’s Brian Walsh.
At Paramount’s MIPDOC opening party: Paramount’s Lauren Marriott (l.) and Lisa Kramer with MIP’s Lucy Smith (center).
At the Beta Film dinner, l.to r.: Beta Film’s Ferdinand Dohna, La Storia star Jasmine Trinca, and La Storia producer Robert Sessa of Picomedia.
Have fun everyone!