14-10-2008

Adyton racks up sales at MIPCOM

By Cathy Meils at MIPCOM
    Adyton International CEO Dariusz Zawislak is counting the reasons for renting a booth at the EU Media stand at MIPCOM, running through October 17.

    And he's counting those reasons in deals negotiated during MIPCOM and MIPCOM Junior, which took place over the week-end preceding MIPCOM.

    Adyton is one of 124 companies represented at the EU Media stand. "Everything is prepared for use here," he told FNE. "This is a good place to be, because there is traffic. The U.S., Japan, France, and Germanyn were here just this morning. People stop to look and pick up a brochure."

    Plus, THE EU Media desk offers special rates for new EU member states, approximately a 30% discount according to coordinator Eleanor Hayes of The Marketplace. In addition, the Polish Film Institute helps underwrite expenses for local companies.

    During MIPCOM, Adyton is launching two international productions starring Faye Dunaway: The Bait, a dramatic thriller filmed in both Polish and English; and The Magic Stone, a family adventure film with animated special effects. Germany is negotiating TV rights, and Japan, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia are expected to purchase all rights to The Bait, a 1.6 million euro production filmed in Warsaw and New York.The film will to have its first public screening in Berlin.

    Zawislak estimates that 100 people saw presentations of the 2001 film A Very Christmas Story and TheMagic Stone at the MIPCOM Junior screenings. A Very Christmas Story has already sold to 50 territories, while the U.S. video rights were sold at MIPCOM. The Magic Stone, with an estimated budget of 4.5-5 million euros and a completion date of mid-2009, is currently targeting pre-sales.

    The final film on Adyton's list is a 600,000 euro documentary on Pope John Paul II, supported by the Media programme. At MIPCOM, Zawislak is in negotiations to sell the film to Mexico.