2012: Producers Say Massive Yes to MIPTV

PARIS, March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MIPTV reports that the number of production companies currently registered for the world's largest television market has risen by 25% compared to 2011 and the 1,220 international television production companies registered to date include 326 first time attendees.

"Producers increasingly need international financial partners and funding. They will find both again this year at the world's largest TV market event, as production remains at the heart of MIPTV 2012," said Laurine Garaude, Director of the Television Division at Reed MIDEM.

MIPTV 2012 includes a host of dedicated events and conferences created to benefit producers. The Drama CoProXchange and Producer's Hub programmes are designed to facilitate co-production deals and support the producers' search of financial partners while in Cannes.

Kicking off the Drama CoProXchange programme on Sunday 1 April, MIPTV's first invitation-only Drama CoProXchange Summit will bring together 50 international commissioners, producers and deal-brokers involved in co-production at its highest levels for two hours of semi-structured networking behind closed doors, at the Majestic Hotel.

The list of outstanding personalities attending the Drama CoProXchange Summit include Peter Benedek, Co-Founder and Board Director, United Talent Agency, USA; John Morayniss, CEO, Entertainment One Television, Canada (The Walking Dead, The Firm); Anne Mensah, Head of Drama, BSkyB, UK; Simon Vaughan Executive Producer/Managing Director, Lookout Point, UK (Titanic, Parade's End); Michael Prupas, President, Muse Entertainment, Canada (The Kennedys, The Pillars of the Earth); Ben Donald, Executive Producer, International Drama, BBC Worldwide, UK; Sophie Gigon, Head of International Drama and Series Co-Productions, France Televisions, France; Gina Matthews, Producer and Co-President, Little Engine Productions, USA (What Women Want, Missing); Klaus Zimmermann, CEO, Atlantique Productions, France (Borgia, Transporter); Marianne Gray, Executive Producer/Producer, Yellow Bird, Sweden (The Millennium Trilogy); Susanne Mueller, Head of Coproductions and Development, ZDF Enterprises, Germany; Joel Denton, Managing Director, Red Arrow Entertainment, UK.

"MIPTV and MIPCOM have been hugely important to the financing of Titanic," said Simon Vaughan, Managing Director, Lookout Point, and Titanic Executive Producer. "Julian Fellowes and I were here 18 months ago, with ITV Studios Global Entertainment, talking to potential partners and co-producers. And now it feels most fitting to celebrate Titanic's launch with a Gala Screening here in Cannes."

Unfolding on Monday 2 April, MIPTV's Drama CoProXchange programme includes a Creative Speaking session with BAFTA Award-winning British TV writer and producer Paul Abbott (Shameless, State of Play). Abbott will talk about his work to date, his creative process and his highly-anticipated new project, Hit and Miss, with Golden Globe winner and Oscar nominee Chloe Sevigny, brought to Cannes by FremantleMedia.

Amongst several Case Studies sessions, Oscar-winning producer Iain Canning, co-founder of See Saw Films (The King's Speech, Shame) will unveil his exciting upcoming drama, Top Of The Lake, co-produced by BBC Two, UKTV and Sundance Channel and internationally distributed by BBC Worldwide. The highly-anticipated new series is directed by Oscar-winner Jane Campion (The Piano, Portrait of a Lady) and its stellar cast includes Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), Holly Hunter (The Piano) and Peter Mullan (War Horse).

The Drama CoProXchange programme also features a Commissioning Strategies session where leading broadcasters will reveal their commissioning plans for the upcoming year.

The all-new Producers' Hub is designed to facilitate producers' meetings in a casual atmosphere and a dedicated space — all producers at MIPTV are invited to a Producers' Hub networking cocktail on Sunday 1 April at 5.30pm. A series of 'How to' workshops will take place during the four days of MIPTV, covering negotiating deals, pitching, commissioning, drama co-production funding, kids programming, digital business and distribution, factual and documentary production and regional funding opportunities.

For more information about MIPTV, visit www.miptv.com.

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ABOUT REED MIDEM

Founded in 1963, Reed MIDEM is a leading organiser of professional, international tradeshows. Reed MIDEM events have established themselves as key dates in professional diaries. The company hosts MIPTV, MIPDOC, MIPCOM, and MIPJUNIOR for the television and digital content industries, MIDEM for music professionals, MIPIM, MIPIM Asia and MAPIC for the property and retail real estate sectors.

Reed Exhibitions is the world's leading events organiser, with over 460 events in 36 countries covering 44 industry sectors. In 2010 Reed brought together over seven million active event participants from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, and organised by 34 fully staffed offices.

SOURCE Reed MIDEM