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SCIENCE SERIES WINS INFLIGHT SECOND RUN GLOBALIVE Media has secured early secondrun sales for its Beyond Innovation factual science and technology series (26 x 30 mins), with in-flight content providers Global Eagle Entertainment and Inflight Dublin. Beyond Innovation reveals how the world’s new and emerging technologies are changing the way we live and do business. The show’s debut season featured guests including Duolingo co-founder Luis von Ahn; Stanford professor David Cheriton, an early investor in Google; and NASA astronaut Scott Kelly. Facilitated by UK-based distribution partner A Tall Order, these deals will put Beyond Innovation into the programming line-ups of a range of airlines in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “People are inherently fascinated by the technologies and scientific advancements touching their lives and we’re happy to give them a true insider’s look in an engaging format,” Michael Bancroft, who hosts, and also created and executiveproduced, the series, said. “Because we’re speaking with entrepreneurs and startups from all over the world, this series provides an excellent snapshot of innovation on a global scale, clueing viewers into the potential impact on world markets,” added cohost Anthony Lacavera.

Beyond Innovation co-hosts Michael Bancroft and Anthony Lacavera

Zed’s ‘original, relevant’ film wins the current affairs MIPDoc pitch FRENCH producer-distributor ZED beat off fierce competition to win this year’s MIPDoc project pitch for current affairs and investigation. Its film, The Doubt Makers, pitched by Chloe Persyn-Preljocaj, Zed’s head of sales and acquisitions, looks at how corporates systematically discredit scientific research that threatens their profits. “This project brings new insights in ways that are original, relevant and have high production values,” juror Martin Pieper, head of current affairs and contemporary history at ZDF/ARTE, said. “Some of its case studies have been touched on before, but this gives the whole picture.” Other finalists included House Girls, pitched by Jolaoluwa Ayeye of Salt & Truth, examines Nigeria’s insatiable demand for illegal child labour — and the ways in which Nigerians seek to justify it. Genoa 11:36am, pitched by executive producer Laura Guglielmetti of Italy’s 42° Parallelo, is based on harrowing witness footage of the aftermath of the

collapse of the Morandi Bridge in Italy in 2018. The Affair Vanessa, pitched by Francesca Dziadek of State of Change, is a 90-minute film about Vanessa, a young Cameroonian woman whose baby was stolen from the delivery ward, and has not yet been recovered. Baby theft is a common crime in Cameroon, and this young mother will interview high-profile Cameroonians about why. The Svalbard Message, pitched by Silje Burgin-Borch of Mon-

day Productions, takes five celebrity environmental activists to the fastest-warming place on Earth. While the jurors recognised that celebrities widen the audience, Axel Arno, commissioning editor SVT, argued that the film needed at least one climate-change denier to create tension. Juror Akul Tripathi, chief operating officer of new factual streamer DocuBay — commended the global appeal of The Doubt Makers. DocuBay also sponsored the session.

Zed’s Chloe Persyn-Preljoca (centre), with the other finalists at the MIPDoc current affairs and investigation pitch competition

Bilibili a ‘Swiss army knife platform’ AT SUNDAY’s MIPDoc Content Strategy session, Bo Zhang, senior content producer at Chinese video-sharing website Bilibili, described the company as a “swiss army knife platform”. He added: “We host production houses, broadcasters and individual YouTubers and we help them monetise their content and grow their fanbase.” Zhang described the platform’s viewers as “highly educated, internet savvy, creative, caring and the first generation brought up with a willingness to pay for content”. Bilibili started out specialising in animation, comic and games

content, but has expanded into other genres, including documentary. “We have 8,000 hours of quality factual content,” Zhang said. “For the next stage,

Bilibili’s Bo Zhang

MIPTV News 2 • 20 • 9 April 2019

we are looking for top-notch titles based on analysis of our users’ behaviour.” Zhang said Bilibili could invest 10-30% of the overall budget. “We co-produce big shows like China’s Hidden Kingdoms with National Geographic, and we comb international doc festivals for small but beautiful hidden gems such as Pailin Wedel’s feature-length documentary, Hope Frozen.” Zhang said that Bilibili’s self-produced content is highly customised for its Gen-Z audience, but it doesn’t commission politics, religion, current affairs or social issues.