16-10-2008

TVP business buzzes at MIPCOM

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    Public broadcaster Polish Television (TVP) is doing brisk business at MIPCOM, running October 13-17

    "We've done our biggest deals with Little Moscow," TVP head of film licensing and programme sales Marcin Oginski told FNE, referring to the recent Gdynia film fest award winning film. "There's great interest from Central and Eastern Europe. In Russia and the CIS countries, we expect to sign deals for all rights. We're also selling it to the Czech Republic and Slovakia."

    But the upcoming chilren's film The Magic Tree looks like it could be the real winner for TVP. The movie, which should be completed in November, is based on th 2007 Emmy winner in the best foreign language TV series category.TBP plans a world premiere screening in Berlin, but has already begun pre-sales on the film and is in talks with Disney. Film Forum will be distributing the movie theatrically. Negotiations and sales of the TV series began during MIPCOM Junior, with Spain and Italy lining up behind the Scandinavian and CIS territories, among a bevy of sales worldwide.

    Disney has been high on TVP's agenda this year. Disney-ABC-ESPN announced that it had a multiple contract deal with TVP that ncluded teen musical hits Camp Rock, and the first two editions of High School Musical. Polish tweens and teens will also be tuning into Hannah Montana and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. Rounding out the package are the cult TV series Lost and the collection of 14 short Pixar animated films.

    "It's been a really good market experience," Oginski concluded. "It's the most important one in the year."