TVF International News

TVF lassos rights for “War Horse: The True Story”

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

London-based indie TVF International has picked up distribution rights for Testimony Films’ doc War Horse: The True Story, which looks at the British horses that served in the First World War.

As previously reported, the doc promises to look at the inspiration for Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated blockbuster War Horse. It will premiere on March 4 on Channel 4 in the UK, and TVF will offer the title to international buyers at MIPDoc and MIPTV in Cannes in March and April.

TVF’s head of sales Jessica Bennetts said: “Testimony Films is unrivaled for bringing history to life in groundbreaking programming that open up the human depth of previously untold stories – and this is right up our buyers’ streets.”

Remembering Soham

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

This year marks a decade since the Soham Murders, in which 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were murdered by school caretaker Ian Huntley in a small village in Cambridgeshire. It was a crime of savagery, brutality and tragedy that raised issues of significant public interest, media coverage and speculation. An atrocity that as David Notman-Watt, Managing Director of Back2back Productions, which is releasing a new documentary to mark the anniversary, points out "paused the world".

As with the murder of Stephen Lawrence 18 years ago by a gang of white racists as he innocently waited for a bus, the malignity of the attack and the parents' subsequent quest for justice has made a deep and lasting impact on the nation's consciousness. Such is the strength of feeling against the perpetrators and sadness for the families involved that younger generations born after the crimes were committed have become bound up in our collective repugnance and empathy.

The Soham Murders: Ten Years On, produced by Back2back and distributed by TVF International, accesses a range of individuals connected with Huntley and the police investigation and attempts to tell the true story of the murders in 'unflinching detail' before focusing on what crucial lessons have been learned from this tragedy to further protect the nation's children.

A Police National Database, we learn, was the key recommendation from the Bichard Inquiry into failings by police in this case. The PND brings together intelligence from the 43 police forces in England and Wales and also links to the eight police forces in Scotland, as well as the British Transport Police, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre (Ceop), the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (Soca) and the military police.

These forces hold information on 15 million people including convicted criminals, suspects and victims of crimes, as well as the details of people who have been questioned by police but not charged.

"Had this database been in existence, Huntley could have been stopped", says
Notman-Watt. "The Bichard Inquiry found that police failed to maintain their intelligence records and communicate allegations against Ian Huntley across forces in the years before he murdered the two girls. It is supported by Holly and Jessica's parents."

"Two young girls in their prime were taken at the one place that they should have been secure, by one of the people that should have been protecting them", he continues. "What made the crime all the more horrific was the manner in which Huntley calmly and coolly spoke to the press over a number of days."

"That terrorised the nation. I have two young kids and this was one of those cases that makes you hold onto your kids that much tighter. It should never have happened."

The Soham Murders: Ten Years On will air on Crime & Investigation this summer.

TVF On Tour

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

As the TVF Team set off for Cannes in early October they had a spring in their step; they were embarking on another MIPCOM with a slate they were incredibly proud to be representing. The flagship doc of the market was the hugely topical ‘How To Start a Revolution’ directed by Ruaridh Arrow. This has been met with such wide acclaim that even tourists on holiday in London have tracked down the TVF headquarters to ask about purchasing a copy of the film. The film, plus director, is on the road for the next few months hitting the festival circuit – if they are in your part of town do say hello!

Only three weeks into the wake of the market, the Sales Team was reporting the fastest ever turn around for big package deals, and they just keep coming! Our most requested screeners were loyal to TVF’s strong reputation for quality specialist factual, including current affairs and science programming. The focus of the market was on Russia whose appetite for factual programming continues to grow. Our specialist Sales Executive for the region, Anna Budashevskaya, has since been invited to the first ever Anglo-Russian co-production forum at the BFI – looks like Russia really is the flavour of the month!

MIPCOM was only the beginning of an incredibly busy quarter on the Programming side as well. Heading up Programming & Acquisitions, Alice Hamlett was invited as a distributor delegate to DOK Leipzig and a decision maker at EAVE in Lugano. Both events were fantastically run, as well as fruitful and encouraging for the production scene, featuring an impressive and competitive range of projects in development from Europe and beyond. It’s an exciting time ahead for Programming & Acquisitions as the team finalises a slate of top new programming for international launch at ATF, WCSFP and RealScreen. Watch out World!

Digital Diary

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

It’s been almost 4 years since I started working at TVF International. Incredible how fast time flies and even more amazing how much has changed in that time on the technical side of production and programme delivery.

In my early days as an intern, I was responsible for sending out the large volume of screener requests that TVF gets on a daily basis. The first lesson I learnt was how to copy bespoke DVD screeners of our programmes. It was an intricate job going through the entire library with lists of titles making sure I picked the right versions, and it is funny to think now of coming across VHS programmes among them!

Since then, so many things have changed. Although I still love our library – fully temperature controlled, well organised and easy to work with – over a year ago I started a love affair (don’t tell the library!) developing the TVF Online Screening Service that our clients enjoy today. Having our catalogue available to stream online makes things easier, quicker and more efficient. What’s also exciting is that our clients are now able to download all the marketing materials they need from their very own Online Account.

There are even more exciting projects on the horizon on the technical front and I’m more than happy to tackle these challenges head-on for our clients. We are living in the digital era where EVERYTHING is accessible, as long as you have an Internet connection and the latest mobile phone. I know there are many people out there who still enjoy watching our programmes on DVDs and that is fine for now, but I do encourage all our clients to start their own love affair with the wonderful TVF Online Screening Service!

The Polar Explorer Wins Yet Again!

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Polar Explorer has won yet another award, beating out significant competition including Disney's Rise of the Jellyfish - in 3D! and Sundance winner The Wasteland by winning the Audience Choice Award at the American Conservation Film Festival, generally considered to be the premiere US showcase of the world's best environmental, science and nature films.

A host of other recent awards for the film include Best Experimental Film at the Alaska International Film Festival (July 2011) and the Gemini Humanitarian Award (August 2011) for director Mark Terry, for his work on this film and at the UN climate change conference in Cancun. The Gemini Humanitarian Award recognizes humanitarian efforts, which are involved in or are connected with improving people’s lives and reducing suffering.

Mark Terry has produced over 20 TV series and documentaries, but none more impressive than two of the most internationally influential docs in the history of environmental policy – The Antarctica Challenge: A Global Warning (2009) and The Polar Explorer (2011) – both of which were invited by the United Nations Environment Programme to screen for world leaders.

Well done to Mark, The Polar Explorer!

TVF International partners with Crunch

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Following the success of the TVF International and BBC Four sponsored documentary strand at the HowTheLightGetsIn Festival this summer, we're once again partnering with the Institute of Art and Ideas to bring a special screening of the documentary Drilling For Art to the November art and music festival Crunch.

Tracing attempts in Dubai to create a cultural heritage from scratch by hiring ‘cultural managers’, the documentary will offer a unique insight into the ‘Awake In The Universe’ theme of this year's festival, which looks to explore what arts and culture have to say about being alive.

Among the leading cultural figures who will be appearing in talks and debates throughout the festival are artists Jake Chapman and Susan Hiller, Serpentine Director Hans Ulrich Obrist, acclaimed director Nicholas Roeg and author Mark Haddon. Elsewhere on site there will be live music, cabaret and partying – if the summer is anything to go by it should be a truly enlightening experience.

Crunch takes place from 18th - 20th November in Hay-on-Wye. See http://artfestivalathay.org for more details.

Current plots UK revolution

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0100

MIPCOM NEWS: Current TV in the UK has completed what it claims is its biggest deal for a documentary, which will form the centrepiece of a season of films about revolution.

How to Start a Revolution, from filmmaker Ruaridh Arrow, follows Gene Sharp, the author of a book about non-violent protests who gives his first interview on camera. Current acquired the film from TVF International.

It will be used to launch Current's New Year, New Revolution season scheduled for January, with head of acquisitions Amy-Louise Norris on the look-out for more films on the subject.

[Zodiak - ] She told C21: "It's a UK premiere. It's a doc that's got a lot of buzz about it and about a topic that's really relevant at the moment. It just fit our DNA and our spirit; it felt right for our channel.

"Revolution has been the dominant news story of the year, from Egypt to Syria to Libya. It seems like nations around the world are starting to believe in themselves, and that's the sort of thing Current wants to get behind."

How to Start a Revolution is due to air on Current on January 1.

Current preps month of premieres

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Current TV in the UK has picked up dozens of hours of exclusive content that will air as part of a new scheduling trial later this year.

The factual diginet currently schedules first-run feature documentaries at 22.00 every Monday, but from November 7 for one month, they will run every weeknight as part of a strand called New at 10.

If successful, it could become a regular feature on the channel.

First up will be The China Question, acquired from Earthchild Productions, about the economic, political and moral challenges America faces as China rises to become the world's second superpower.

Jane Mote, Current UK's MD, told C21: "One of the things that's been working really well for us is the 22.00 Monday slot.

"We've decided to turn that into a slot where we're going to premiere hard-hitting docs every weeknight. We're going to try that out for a month and see how we go, because we think there's a real appetite for these great hard-hitting stories.

"We've had such a good response on the Monday night and we're being offered so much good content so we want to see how we do. We've got some really good pieces from people who are making their own content and selling it to us directly."

Films due to air during New at 10 include Escaping Polygamy, from Global Telemedia, about the largest polygamous enclave in the US; Robert Blecker Wants Me Dead, from TVF International, about the friendship between a mass murderer and a capital punishment supporter; and Abandoned, also from TVF, about 'Filipino Amerasians,' the sons and daughters of Filipino sex workers and American servicemen who were stationed at the largest US naval base outside the US mainland.

Other docs lined up include Mothers Behind Bars, from National Geographic, about children growing up with one of their parents in prison; Special Forces, also from Nat Geo, a behind-the-scenes look at the US Special Forces at home and on the front line; and Kids on Pills, from TVF, about the differences between bipolar disorder and ADHD and the debate about children's mental health.

This month, Current launched a Kidsploitation season, which aired child-focused docs as UK kids went back to school. The channel also completed its 50 Documentaries to See Before You Die strand in August.

TVF to bring doc on non-violent revolt to Mipcom

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0100

A crowd-funded film about the world’s leading expert on non-violent revolution has been picked up for distribution by TVF International.

How To Start A Revolution profiles the work of Gene Sharp, a US academic and Nobel Peace Prize nominee whose writings have inspired non-violent protests around the world. The feature-length doc has been independently produced by Richard Shaw, who is also head of development at Lion Television. It was directed by Ruaridh Arrow, a former Sky News producer who has also worked on Channel 4’s Dispatches programmes.

While filming in Cairo, Arrow reported for the BBC from Tahrir Square on the Egyptian revolution. Director of photography is Philip Bloom, a former cameraman for Sky News who has shot documentaries for Channel 4, Discovery and Sky 1.

The film features testimony from key players in the Serbian revolution of 2000, as well as those involved in the Iranian uprising in 2009, building to the Egyptian revolution on the streets of Cairo.

Sharp’s book, From Dictatorship To Democracy, has been translated into more than 30 languages over the past two decades and the filmmakers claim his methods were used in democratic struggles in the Balkans, Georgia, the Ukraine, Indonesia, Burma and Iran. The film is the biggest British project on the US-based crowd-funding website Kickstarter, which raised nearly £37,000 in 30 days.

Arrow said: “We were stunned by the success of our Kickstarter campaign, which demonstrated an international demand for the story of a man who will one day be recognised as one of the greatest thinkers of our time.”

He added: “TVF so clearly understands the international political importance of this film - that non-violent people power can be a powerful agent of change.”

Leila Monks, director of TVF International, said the documentary would be launched to the international market at Mipcom in Cannes this October.

Festival season is well and truly underway!

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Alongside the world renowned Hay Literary Festival a burgeoning, exciting and truly inspiring fringe has grown up in the small Welsh town of Hay on Wye - HowTheLightGetsIn. This once small festival has developed into the world’s largest philosophy and music festival and for the first time this year announced it would have a special stage dedicated to documentaries sponsored by TVF International and BBC Four. Here we showcased thirteen brilliant titles that were on average entirely sold-out; a testament to the calibre of the films as with the cider flowing, sun-shining and the sound of a gentle mandolin strumming in the background the thought of a documentary could have put some off - but not this audience. A highlight of the week was a special double bill from Director Jamie Doran which included ‘Afghanistan: Behind Enemy Lines’ (recently nominated for a BAFTA) featuring unrivalled access to a group of Taliban fighters and a Q & A session the Director of the brilliant Heavy Load, Jerry Rothwell. The film tells the story of a rock band that is made up of musicians with and without learning disabilities, we follow them as they tour festivals and deal with the highs and lows of being in a band. Members of the team were there throughout the ten days mingling with thousands of festival goers, producers, philosophers and press enjoying the entirely positive feedback that they received. This is, by all accounts, the perfect platform for us to explore further…Glastonbury watch out!

Now that we have the summer festival feeling, members of the team are jetting off once again. Anna Budhasevskaya, is at DISCOP, 21 – 23 June, Eastern Europe’s biggest TV market, to meet and greet taking with her our brand new summer slate of programming. Slightly closer to home Jessica Bennetts and Alice Hamlett are flying the flag in La Rochelle at the exciting Sunnyside of the Doc. They are hoping to find some fantastic projects especially in the top quality environment / science fields as the sales team have certainly seen that this is what buyers are after with recent sales of the strong environmental one-off ‘Plan B: Mobilising Civilisation’ to Ushuaia TV in France, ‘Eclipse Chasers’ to France 5 and ‘Kids on Pills’ to VRT in Belgium. Pure blue chip wildlife is also sought after so they will be keeping their eyes and ears peeled during those pitching sessions!

Wish us luck on our quest for festival glory!

TVF Heads Westside…

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Sat back behind my desk at TVF HQ in Angel and the world of palm trees, sports cars and beautiful people seems a million miles away (ok not the beautiful people part - sorry team!). June saw TVF’s first visit to the Factual Entertainment Forum held by Realscreen Magazine and taking place in Santa Monica, California. Yours truly was invited to judge the “Factual Entertainment Awards” Reality category so this seemed like a great excuse to get over to the West Coast, take part in the forum and visit some L.A based clients.

Previous to this my trips to the States had mainly focussed on the East Coast – traditionally the home for factual programming with the major factual platforms for example Sundance Channel, MSNBC and AETN based out of NYC and the giants of factual cable: National Geographic Channels and Discovery both based out of Washington D.C.

L.A has traditionally been seen as the home for “Entertainment” and “Reality” programming but as factual television evolves it is merging further and further with these genres and differentiating between them is increasingly difficult. Although this was my first trip to L.A I’m pleased to say that it will definitely not be my last as there are a huge number of exciting things going on in the factual space out there.

The Factual Entertainment Forum is in its first few years and growing fast – there were a decent number of attendees there and it’s good to see that TV events are moving with the times in terms of location. Big players there included ABC, Discovery, Sundance and MTV. The awards show was fun with Gene Simmons taking a place in the hall of fame for his hit reality show “Gene Simmons Family Jewels” and “Deadliest Catch” produced by Original Productions cleaning up with a host of awards – Deadliest Catch really is the Godfather of the obdoc/real life/dangerous jobs style of programming so it’s great that this was recognised by the industry.

I was busy outside the forum too as there are some key broadcasters and some major factual production companies based in L.A. Broadcasters with homes there include Style Network, E!, G4, OWN, Ovation and some of the Discovery nets. In terms of what they are looking for buzz words are “present-tense”, “character driven”, “windows onto worlds we haven’t experienced” and of course “long running, returnable series”. The good news is budgets are there for the right content and the better news is that TVF is available to help you develop your ideas for the US markets and then pitch them to the relevant broadcasters.

We have tripled the business coming out of the USA in the last year and not only set up some fantastic co-productions but also won some valuable commissions. It seems America really is the land of opportunity right now! We have great relationships with US broadcasters and are looking for new ideas/access that incorporate the buzz words above to develop and pitch so if you have something that could work please do get in touch. On the flip side of that we are also looking to do the same for US production companies closer to home.

TVF will be ramping up its coproduction department this year so watch this space!

So all in all a successful debut Westside for TVF and it’s not all bad being back in Blighty – happy to say that the sun is shining outside TVF HQ and with plans for our summer screening event well underway and our June slate being released imminently there’s lots to keep us busy and to look forward to in the coming months…

Until next time!

Leila

Host of Asian Sales ensure TVF at the top of their game as they move into Summer

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0100

TVF International, the UK’s leading Factual distributor, has started off the year with an Asian flare. The year kicked off with a trip to the beautiful Seoul by Sales Manager Jessica Bennetts who attended Asian Side of the Doc. Jessica comments ‘This was a fantastic market and it was brilliant to connect with all the Asian broadcasters on their home turf as such. It also showcased the phenomenal talent that is emerging from this vital territory and we are in talks with a few of the producers about their projects.’

Off the back of this market two strong deals were penned in Korea with many more on the horizon. A package was picked up by Korean agent iPlanet which included the fantastic One Degree Matters (1 x 52) and KTV snapped up ‘Us Now’ (1 x 58) which highlights the power of mass collaboration and the internet.

Moving south a first time deal, closed by Sales Executive Will Stapley, saw Chimei in Taiwan pick up over twelve hours of programming, both Secrets of the Exhibit (7 x 52) and Every Picture Tells a Story (8 x 26) formed the backbone of the educational package. The Malaysian based agent Peppermint jumped on board the educational band wagon and acquired TV3’s first series of ‘What’s Really in our Food?’ (10 x 23), a series that investigates what exactly is in what we eat and what the labels on packaging truly mean.

Neighbouring Hong Kong ensured they were not to be overlooked with the purchase of TVF’s most popular series E2 Design. A deal was penned for the latest PBS series which explores complex social, political, cultural, environmental and economic issues – topics that TVF are sure resonate with the whole of Asia and the world post the horrendous earthquake in Japan.

BBC4 and TVF back festival doc strand

Fri, 27 May 2011 00:00:00 +0100

BBC4 and TVF International are backing the first documentary strand at philosophy and music festival How the Light Gets In.

The broadcaster and distributor will sponsor HotDocs, which will screen documentaries from around the world and feature talks from BBC4 controller Richard Klein and broadcaster Roger Graef.

Films being shown at the Hay-on-Wye festival include a preview of Amnesty! When They Are All Free, a doc marking the 50th anniversary of Amnesty International for BBC4’s international documentary strand Storyville.

Clover Films-produced Afghanistan: Behind Enemy Lines will also be shown, alongside TVF title Peep Culture.

“The festival gives us a chance to showcase some of our films to a switched on and interested audience,” said TVF director Leila Monks.

How the Light Gets In is underway and runs until Sunday 5 June.

BBC4, TVF bring docs to HowTheLightGetsIn

Fri, 20 May 2011 00:00:00 +0100

UK network BBC4 and distributor TVF International are teaming up to launch a documentary strand at Welsh festival HowTheLightGetsIn, which will feature a special screening of the BBC’s upcoming Amnesty International doc Amnesty! When They Are All Free.

The philosophy and music festival takes place in the small market town of Hay-on-Wye in Powys, Wales, from May 26 to June 5, at the same time as the Hay Literary Festival. For the first time, it will this year feature a ‘HotDocs’ strand, showing documentaries from around the world.

A large number of the docs are being provided by London-based indie TVF International, with screenings set to include Peep Culture, which examines the growth of reality TV and society’s obsession with fame; Afghanistan: Behind Enemy Lines, which features access to a group of Taliban fighters; and Drilling for Art, which asks if a country that has no cultural history can simply buy one.

“The festival gives us a chance to showcase some of our films to a switched-on and interested audience”, said TVF International’s director Leila Monks. “Intelligent debate and new ways of thinking and seeing the world are at the heart of what we do, so this gives us great synergy with HowTheLightGetsIn.”

Forthcoming BBC4 doc Amnesty! When They Are All Free has been commissioned by the UK public broadcaster to mark the 50th anniversary of Amnesty International. The film casts a critical eye on how the organization has changed the world, and has also been changed by it.

It features a wide range of interviewees, including musician Sting; comedian Rowan Atkinson; Sir Louis Blom-Cooper, one of the organization’s founders; and Jack Straw, the UK home secretary who released General Pinochet.

Elsewhere at the fest, BBC4 will present two screenings of In Their Own Words: Great Thinkers, in association with Open University. The series mines the BBC archives for footage of the great minds of the 20th century, including Sigmund Freud, Noam Chomsky, Carl Jung, Margaret Mean and Richard Dawkins.

HowTheLightGetsIn will also feature a HotDocs talks programme, featuring BBC4 controller Richard Klein on ‘Justice: Fairness and the Big Society,’ in which renowned Harvard professor of government Michael Sandel explores the big philosophical themes behind the UK’s present-day dilemmas in a special televised debate; and ‘Brains on the Box: Turning Philosophy onto Television,’ in which Jonty Claypole, exec producer of the aforementioned In Their Own Words, looks at how some of the great minds of the 20th century have used TV to communicate their ideas.

Other attendees and panelists will include filmmakers Roger Graef, Jerry Rothwell, Hilary Lawson, and Mike Figgis.

TVF bringing current affairs, adventure and science to Cannes

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100

UK distributor TVF International is bringing over 250 hours to MIPTV, with a slate that features current affairs, adventure and science programming among other genres.

In the current affairs category, Shrenik Rao’s Mugabe’s Zimbabwe (1 x 54 minutes) details the rise of the dictator with never-before-seen interviews. Current TV’s Forced Marriage Unit (1 x 50 minutes) gains access to the UK’s specialized unit investigating forced marriages, and the Rai/YLE copro Left by the Ship (1 x 53 minutes) tells the story of the children of the Filipino sex trade at Subic Bay.

Two projects from Zig Zag Productions will also be shopped at the market. Transgender Kids (1 x 49 minutes) documents the lives of four transgender children, while Man Vs. Earth (1 x 46 minutes) sees Sam Branson (son of Richard) explore stories of extreme weather.

Also on the science front, The Polar Explorer (1 x 52 minutes) explores the most remote parts of planet Earth, while the series Chasing Sleep (6 x 23 minutes) looks at the unavoidable need for repose.

TVF takes Zig Zag duo

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100

UK factual distributor TVF International (TVF) has picked up a pair of new shows from Zig Zag Productions that it will debut at MipTV next week.

Transgender Kids (1x49') is described as an "eye-opening look into the lives of four transgender children, intimately portraying what it feels like to have been born in the wrong body."

Man vs Earth (1x46'), meanwhile, sees tycoon Richard Branson's son Sam meet the people on the front line of the battle between man and extreme snow.

TVF's latest Zig Zag pick-ups come after the company last month secured rights to Freddie Flintoff vs The World, an eight-part series for the UK's ITV that marks the former England cricketer's first major attempt to make the transition to TV personality.

Elsewhere on TVF's MipTV slate, Shrenik Rao's Mugabe's Zimbabwe (1x54') promises to tell the shocking story of the downfall of the country under its liberator-turned-dictator; Current TV's The Forced Marriage Unit (1x50'); and Rai-YLE copro Left By The Ship (1x53'), a portrait of Filipino Amerasians, the sons and daughters of the Filipino sex trade at Subic Bay.

Distribution one-on-one

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000

As we approach MIPTV, realscreen has asked several acquisition execs to let us know what they’ll be on the lookout for in Cannes, and also to give us their takes on market trends in factual programming. Here, Leila Monks, director at TVF International in London, shares her thoughts.

What are you looking to acquire currently, in terms of subject matter or genre?

In terms of acquisitions we are always on the lookout for strong one offs as we have a great history in selling these with the knowledge and passion that they really need to ensure they get the best exposure. The TV world is teeming at the moment with “character based” ob docs so if there are any wonderful characters – windows onto worlds that have not yet been exposed – then we’d love to hear about them. Access-driven and well-told stories are always of interest as well as good lifestyle programming – what’s going to be the next trend after “baking?”

How have both the recent economic downturn and ongoing consolidation within the TV industry impacted the distribution sector, and the climate for selling content?

Distribution has always been fiercely competitive and so it should be. In recent years the trend towards consolidation has meant that the pool of available programming made by independent producers and therefore available to independent distributors such as ourselves has shrunk dramatically. That is also one of the reasons why we have gone back into production [with William & Kate: A Royal Love Story, produced with Imagicians Television] – to future-proof our supply chain and ensure that we are continuing to build our catalog with high quality factual content. I think that the major media companies do have their advantages, of course, but I do believe that independent companies like ours do serve certain production companies and projects better as we are specialized in what we do and are able to work very closely with producers on their long-term business goals. Our global reach and expertise can be drawn upon right from the beginning of a project and we can be involved either as a straight distribution partner or as a coproduction partner. This depth of relationship would not be possible if we were operating with thousands of hours and a multitude of genres simultaneously.

If you were to look into your crystal ball, what genres of factual do you see picking up steam over the year ahead, both in terms of buyer interest and what producers are pitching to you?

Interest in factual programming shows no sign of slowing down and seems stronger than ever, which is fantastic. It’s the producer’s job to stay one step ahead of the viewer and be able to come up with the latest trends either in style of programming or content before it is in fact a trend! If I had to look into my crystal ball I would say that formats with a small ‘f’ will outstrip strongly formatted content in terms of popularity. The viewer gets tired easily of the same thing so setting up a situation and then letting it unravel will have more of a pull than a show that is formatted all the way through. Interest in characters will continue to be strong – great characters can cross borders and pull in viewers from all demos and they can also bring a new audience to topics. Celebrities will continue to be popular and the appetite for crime is never ending. I’ll now await all of those celebrity crime proposals to flood my inbox!

TVF ties up with Zig Zag

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Distributor TVF International (TVFI) has picked up factual series Freddie vs the World from indie Zig Zag Productions, in the first of several programme acquisitions for the sales house.

TVFI has acquired international rights to the eight-parter that pits celebrity cricketer Freddie Flintoff against other athletes in a series of physical contests. During the ITV4 series, Flintoff takes on celebrities including Dennis Rodman, Iwan Thomas and Dennis Wise across North America.

Leila Monks, TVFI's director, told C21 that she hoped the deal marked the start of an ongoing relationship with Zig Zag, adding that there were more as-yet undisclosed deals in the pipeline.

TVFI has also picked up a one-off doc from US company Atlas Media Corp. Robert Blecker Wants Me Dead (1x52') traces the friendship between Blecker, one of America's most high-profile supporters of capital punishment, and convicted murderer Daryl Holton. The film festival favourite aired stateside on MSNBC in 2009.

Monks said that while the TV market was "trending towards consolidation" among distributors and producers, it was important for smaller companies to maintain autonomy.

"With factual, you can't just stick everything on the back of a lorry, you need the personal approach. Big consolidated media companies have hours and hours of content, including their own, so indies are worried that their stuff will get lost in all of that," she said.

TVFI specialises in one-off science and history programming, "things that need that extra push," said Monks, and the distributor also has some coproductions in development, details of which are yet to be revealed.

"There is still room for the independent producer who is very good at what they do. It's good for us to team up with them and take on the big players. We have to be more aggressive and push ourselves," said Monks.

TVF updates Royal wedding doc for TLC

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0000

TVF International has been commissioned to produce a revised version of its doc William and Kate: A Royal Love Story for Discovery-owned US cable channel TLC.

The distributor returned to production for the first time in around eight years with the original version of the show, which will now be updated to include all the latest information on the Royal wedding, slated to take place in April.

The doc has sold in a number of territories already, including to Brazil’s Globosat and South Korea’s Plus Media Partner.

“TVF produced the first doc on the subject just before William popped the question which I must admit was pretty charmed timing – so it makes sense for us to update this,” said Leila Monks, executive producer and director of TVF.

Indie Imagicians Television provided production consulting on the revised doc.

TVF secures William/Kate sales

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

A new film about Prince William and Kate Middleton has helped TVF International round off the year with a run of fresh sales.

The factual distributor has sold the 1 x 47-minute special, titled William and Kate: A Royal Love Story, to Brazil’s Globosat and South Korea’s Plus Media Partner – the latest in a run of the sales for the film that marks TVF’s step back into production.

Another Royal deal has seen hour-long film The Queen: a Monarch for all Seasons sold to RTL Belgium.

TVF has inked its first DVD deal with Madman in Australia for Channel 4 series Escape to River Cottage (6 x 24mins), Return to River Cottage (6 x 24mins) and one-off Christmas at River Cottage as well as hour-long The Machine That Made Us.

Other recent deals have seen more than 30 hours of programming sold to MCD in Turkey, 14 hours to Australia’s Foxtel and nine hours to Discovery Asia.

In Ireland, TVF has sold One Degree Maters to TG4, while RTE has secured a five-hour package that includes 2 x 60-minute doc Inside the Firestorm.

TVF teams up with indies to improve content pipeline

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Factual distributor TVF International is planning a major return to production in a bid to improve its content pipeline.

The company has teamed up with indie Imagicians Television to make 60-minute special William And Kate: A Royal Love Story for Discovery-owned US cable channel TLC.
The series is TVF’s first production in around eight years and forms part of a strategy to tackle what it sees as a “shrinking pool” of independent programming, resulting from consolidation in the UK TV industry.

The distributor is working with other indies to develop further projects, although it would not provide details. However, TVF director Leila Monks said the company was aiming to create returnable series, specifically targeted at the international market.

She added: “TVF has always been fiercely proud of our independence, especially in a market that is ever consolidating. Working with producers also enables us to help them to protect their independence.”

The distributor has taken on two additional staff to help with the production push and is now looking for a third recruit to work across sales, acquisitions and programme-making.
Sister company Online Post Production will be used as a post house, according to Monks.

TVF inks international deals

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0100

UK doc distributor TVF International has struck package deals with networks in Sweden, Thailand and the Middle East, and has also promoted its head of acquisitions.

The company has sold 40 hours of programming to TV4 in Sweden, 20 hours to Cineplex Thailand, 30 hours to Al Jazeera and 27 hours to Middle Eastern distributor Star Media.

TVF has also completed a number of individual sales, selling Bafta-nominated film Afghanistan: Behind Enemy Lines (1x52') and single doc Dancing Boys Of Afghanistan (1x52') to Danish terrestrial DRTV and Belgian networks VRT and VTM. Finnish pubcaster YLE also acquired Dancing Boys Of Afghanistan.

Elsewhere, Discovery Canada acquired South Africa: An Aerial Journey (1x52'); while Globosat in Brazil and CCTV in China picked up Arte's documentary Sonia Rykiel: Rebel & Visionary (1x45'). Royal documentary The Queen: A Monarch For All Seasons (1x52') was acquired by AETN Asia and French terrestrial France 5.

The company has also promoted head of acquisitions Amy Nelson to the new role of head of programming, a move that reflects an increased focus on coproduction and development projects.

Sundance backs Kate Moss doc

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Factual distributor TVF International has secured a co-production deal with Sundance Channel for a one-off documentary about supermodel Kate Moss.

Kate! The Making Of An Icon includes exclusive interviews with designer Vivienne Westwood, film-maker Mike Figgis and renowned artists and photographers.

The deal brings Sundance Channel on board as key partners in a collaboration between TVF, Berlin-based production company Lona Media and Franco-German commissioner Arte.

Zecki Gerloff, co-production head at TVF, said the doc would provide an “insightful and revealing look at the heart of today’s fashion world”.

Shot in New York, London, Paris, Milan, Berlin and Beijing, the film claims to be the first documentary to trace Kate Moss’ iconic status to its origins, revealing her as a model, muse, mother, and millionaire.

TVF International’s director, Leila Monks, brokered the deal and has already secured deals for the documentary with XYZ Australia, VRT in Belgium and Globosat in Brazil as well as generating “major UK interest”.

TVF's Firestorm blows into UK

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0100

UK-based factual distributor TVF International has finalised a host of post-MipTV sales, including selling nature disaster doc Inside The Firestorm (1x120'/2x60') to broadcasters in the UK and Switzerland.

Cable network AETN UK and Swiss pubcaster SF have both picked up the Renegade Films-produced programme, which looks at the bush fires that ravaged Australia in February 2009, claiming 173 lives and leaving almost 8,000 homeless. The doc originally aired down under on ABC.

AETN UK also bought Cult Killer (1x47'), a doc looking at the legacy of a cult that institutionalised paedophilia. TVF's director Leila Monks and sales manager Tatjana von Stein brokered the deals.

Von Stein said Firestorm had proven one of the distributor's most popular titles in Cannes. "The volcano eruption may have been the cause of a post-MipTV manic buzz, but in the run-up to and during Cannes, it was the buzz of a resurging market," she said.

Elsewhere, Australia's Foxtel picked up a package of 25 hours of history, biography and crime programming, including Shooting The War (3x60'), Second Life (1x52') and Norm (1x56'); while Living TV New Zealand secured 18 hours of programming, including One Degree Matters (1x52'), a doc presenting the latest science and solutions on climate change.

In the US, Halogen picked up A Song To Africa (1x53'), a portrait of Ugandan orphans; while in France, Planete bought The State of the Planet's Oceans (1x54') and Hitler's Favourite Royal (1x49'). Meanwhile, French satcaster Ushuaia TV acquired Oceanic Electric Power (1x52') and Return To Penguin City (1x48').

TVF to Do It in China

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000

UK-based distributor TVF International has sold Wag TV's science series How Do They Do It? (30x26') into China and Australia.

The series, which airs in the UK, US and Canada on Discovery Channel, has been picked up by Wuhan TV in China and ABC2 in Australia.

Elsewhere, Discovery Asia has acquired Sky View (4x27') and Fortress Britain (1x45'), both of which are shot from a bird's eye perspective and both of which originally aired on US cablenet Smithsonian Channel.

Nat Geo UK, meanwhile, has taken Smithsonian's Tudor Age (1x46') and Hi-Fi's Oasis Earth (1x52'). A deal has also been penned with The Knowledge Network in Canada, which has acquired BBC one-off La Dolce Vita Africana (1x55'), a documentary looking at the life of Malian photographer Malick Sidibe.

Italian broadcaster Mediaset has bought Flashbacks (52x2'), a collection of shorts that looks at a range of important historical moments, from the Battle of Dunkirk to JFK's assassination.

Finally, Music of the Brain (1x55') and State of the Planet's Oceans (1x54') have been sold to UR, the Swedish Educational Broadcasting System.

Dragonfly lands Autopsy deal

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000

UK indie Dragonfly Film and Televison Productions has inked a deal with a London-based distributor for its seven-part Channel 4 documentary Autopsy.

Autopsy: Life And Death (4x60') and Autopsy: Emergency Room (3x60') have been picked up by factual distributor TVF International, as part of its January slate of acquisitions focusing on science, health and the arts.

The distributor has also picked up Asian Food Channels' Palm Oil (1x48'), which discusses the world's most popular oil and the effect it could be having on our health; and I Remember Better When I Paint (1x54'), which looks at the positive effects art and creativity can have for Alzheimer's sufferers.

"Science and health programming has always sold well internationally, and with fewer original commissions available we are experiencing very strong sales in this area," said TVF's Head of Programming, Amy Nelson.

Other newly acquired specials include In Search Of The Messiah, profiling the legendary Stradivari violins; and Comrades, which follows six characters across a 90km double marathon.