Robert Redford Leads Star Lineup at MIPCOM 2010

PARIS, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- For its 26th edition, MIPCOM is preparing to welcome a host of international television and cinema stars.

Heading the lineup is actor, director, producer, Robert Redford who will be attending this year's MIPCOM to celebrate the first anniversary of Sundance Channel in Europe. As the founder of Sundance Channel, Robert Redford will participate in a media question and answer session on Wednesday, October 6, during which he will discuss the Sundance Channel's international expansion plans. US-based Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation, has launched its Sundance Channel, WE tv and RUSH HD brands internationally and manages their global expansion.

Gene Simmons, frontman from KISS, and star of the hit unscripted series, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, will deliver a keynote address with Bob DeBitteto, President & General Manager of A&E Network and BIO Channel, during the "How to Build an Entertainment Brand" MIPCOM conference, designed to help participants understand the inner workings of branded entertainment.  Simmons is a legendary rock god, multi-media magnate and renowned ladies man.  Also attending MIPCOM is his partner, former Playmate of the Year, model and actress, Shannon Tweed.  Gene Simmons Family Jewels provides a backstage pass to the Simmons-Tweed clan, showing how the most non-traditional, traditional family in America manages to make it work all under the strangest of circumstances.

Cannes will be infected by the highly-anticipated series, The Walking Dead, brought by Fox International Channels (and Entertainment One) to MIPCOM. Executive producer Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator, Aliens, Armageddon, The Incredible Hulk) and talent, Andrew Lincoln (Love Actually, Teachers, Strike Back) and Sarah Wayne Callies (Prison Break) will invade the Croisette to promote the series. The Walking Dead is produced by AMC and based on Robert Kirkman's best- selling graphic novel by the same name. The show tells the story of a group of survivors trying to persevere in a world stricken by a zombie apocalypse.

They wowed the British television audience with their comic series Little Britain and David Walliams and Matt Lucas will be jetting in to Cannes to launch their highly-anticipated comedy series Come Fly With Me. BBC Worldwide is introducing the new show to international buyers during MIPCOM, with BBC1 set to air the series later this year.

Critically-acclaimed writer, producer and actor Ken Finkleman (The Newsroom) will bring his unique brand of deadpan humor and social satire to the Croisette with an exclusive preview of Good Dog, his new series from Shaftesbury Films. Starring Finkleman and Lauren Lee Smith (CSI; The L Word), the half-hour comedy series focuses on the life of George, a self-absorbed, neurotic TV producer living with a gorgeous woman half his age.

Entertainment One is bringing 90210 veteran Luke Perry to MIPCOM to present Goodnight for Justice, a 90 minute feature-length television movie about a boy in the American Old West who witnesses an act of murderous violence that claims the lives of his parents and an influential public official.  Directed by Jason Priestley (Call Me Fitz) the film is based on material developed by Luke Perry himself. Entertainment One handles the worldwide distribution for the movie which will air on the Hallmark Channel in the U.S.

Emily Rose, Lucas Bryant and Eric Balfour will also be walking the Croisette to introduce Entertainment One's new series Haven, a mystery drama based on the novel The Colorado Kid from renowned author Stephen King.  Produced by Entertainment One, in association with Piller, Segan and Shepherd, this series is produced for Syfy Channel in the US and Universal Networks International (excluding Canada and Scandinavia). Entertainment One handles worldwide distribution. Germany's Tele Munchen Group (TMG) handles the television rights in Continental Europe for the series.

Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick will turn up the heat in Cannes representing Hot in Cleveland, the new hit US comedy show distributed by Endemol. These three leading ladies play the roles of best friends whose lives change forever when their plane - headed for Paris - makes an unexpected landing...

Emmy Award Nominee Laura Innes (ER) along with executive producer Steve Stark (Medium) will be attending MIPCOM on behalf of NBC Universal Television Distribution to promote the hotly anticipated new drama series The Event, an emotional, high-octane conspiracy thriller.

At MIPCOM 2009, John Nettles said goodbye to Midsomer Murders after 80 episodes and 13 years in the role of Inspector Tom Barnaby. But the Barnaby name lives on in the series with Neil Dudgeon playing the Inspector's cousin and fellow officer John. Dudgeon will be at MIPCOM to present the new face of the internationally-popular series.

Press registration for MIPCOM is free. For registration details click here:

http://www.mipworld.com/en/mipcom/press/journalist-registration/

Note to editors:

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, MIPIM HORIZONS and MAPIC for the property and retail real estate sectors.

Reed MIDEM is a division of Reed Exhibitions, the world's leading events organiser, with over 440 events in 36 countries. In 2009 Reed brought together over six 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 35 fully staffed offices.

Reed organises a wide range of events, including trade and consumer exhibitions, conferences and meetings. Its portfolio of over 440 events serves 44 industry sectors, including: Aerospace & aviation, automobiles, beauty & cosmetics, broadcasting, building & construction, electronics, energy, oil & gas, engineering & manufacturing, food service & hospitality, gifts, healthcare, interior design, IT & telecoms, jewellery, life science & pharmaceuticals, machinery, marketing, business services & training, medical education, printing & graphics, security & safety, sports & recreation, travel.

Working closely with professional bodies, trade associations and government departments Reed ensures that each and every event is targeted and relevant to industry needs. As a result, many Reed events are market leaders in their field.

Reed Exhibitions is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc, a FTSE-100 company and world-leading publisher and information provider. In 2009, Reed Elsevier made an adjusted profit before taxation of 1,279 million pounds Sterling on turnover of 6,071 million pounds.

For further information about Reed MIDEM visit www.reedmidem.com.

SOURCE Reed MIDEM