World Screen AFM, DISCOP Johannesburg & Scripted Edition 2016

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AFM, DISCOP Johannesburg & Scripted Edition

WWW.WORLDSCREEN.COM

THE MAGAZINE OF INTERNATIONAL MEDIA • NOVEMBER 2016

Production Incentives / AMC Networks’ Charlie Collier MarVista’s Fernando Szew / Econet Media’s Joseph Hundah

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CONTENTS

NOVEMBER 2016/AFM, DISCOP JOHANNESBURG & SCRIPTED EDITION DEPARTMENTS WORLD VIEW

By Anna Carugati.

4

UPFRONTS New content on the market.

6

SPOTLIGHT MarVista Entertainment’s Fernando Szew.

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IN THE NEWS Econet’s Joseph Hundah.

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WORLD’S END In the stars.

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Publisher Ricardo Seguin Guise

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Group Editorial Director Anna Carugati Editor Mansha Daswani Executive Editor Kristin Brzoznowski Managing Editor Joanna Padovano Associate Editor Sara Alessi

6

27

Editor, Spanish-Language Publications Elizabeth Bowen-Tombari

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Associate Editors, Spanish-Language Publications Rafael Blanco Robert Valencia Contributing Editor Elizabeth Guider Production & Design Director Victor L. Cuevas Online Director Simon Weaver Art Director Phyllis Q. Busell Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Dana Mattison Sales & Marketing Manager Elizabeth Walsh Business Affairs Manager Andrea Moreno Contributing Writers Steve Clarke Andy Fry Jane Marlow Joanna Stephens Jay Stuart David Wood Copy Editor Amy Canonico

Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP

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Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development

SPECIAL REPORT

18 LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION Markets across Europe are one-upping each other to offer the best possible production incentives.

—Jay Stuart

ONE-ON-ONE

27 AMC NETWORKS’ CHARLIE COLLIER The president of AMC, SundanceTV and AMC Studios talks about the evolution of the brands he oversees and their commitment to building loyal audiences through distinctive storytelling.

—Anna Carugati 11/16 WORLD SCREEN 3

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WORLD VIEW

BY ANNA CARUGATI

Immersive Television I recently had an experience that was unbelievable, and yet not surprising at the same time. I spend a lot of time in coffeehouses, where I can order a cup of joe, maybe a little something to munch on, and sit for an extended period of time and work.

For me, there is something about being surrounded by people that summons the creative juices and muses.

Being enveloped by the hum of other people’s conversations and catching little snippets of tête-à-têtes—relationship issues, work challenges, health setbacks—makes me feel less isolated and musters up a sense that we’re all on this journey called life together; my problems aren’t so different from yours. I’m well aware these are first-world problems—my child has not been bombed in a hospital in Aleppo. I’m not on my way to chemo treatments and my husband is not standing in line waiting to collect unemployment checks. But being in a coffee shop, seeing the regular customers and the smiling faces of the staff, serves as a safe haven for me from all the bad news headlines that bombard me all day.

I am a bit picky, however, about the coffeehouse I choose and the types of conversations I don’t mind overhearing. The decibel level has to be just right, not too loud, and the voices certainly can’t be of the nagging, ranting or moaning type. And the topics of conversation must not be too sophomoric or mean-spirited. The tables can’t be too close together either; I don’t like it when I’m squeezed in like a sardine.

I’ve been to a lot of such establishments and I have my favorites. But I digress. The occurrence that was unbelievable but not surprising took place in a coffeehouse on East 52nd Street in Manhattan. I had heard that Netflix was commemorating the 16th anniversary of the premiere of Gilmore Girls and promoting the upcoming four-part Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, which will drop on the platform on November 25, by creating pop-up Luke’s Diners in select coffee shops in the U.S. and Canada. If you watched the series you know that the protagonists, Lorelai Gilmore and daughter Rory, spent countless hours at Luke’s Diner scrutinizing relationships and everyday events while regaling viewers with their witty, rapid-fire banter and pop-culture references. As a huge fan of Gilmore Girls, I had to check out a pop-up Luke’s. Sure enough, a sign for Luke’s Diner, just like the one in the show, was affixed to the entrance and there was a largerthan-life-sized cutout of Luke in the window. At 3:30 p.m., not the morning breakfast rush mind you, but in the middle of the afternoon, the line of people waiting to get coffee spilled out to the sidewalk. Men and women were snapping selfies with the cutout of Luke and taking pictures of the sign. Inside it was so crowded and noisy, it was more like a Friday evening happy hour in a bar than midafternoon in a coffeehouse.

A hit series can change the

fortunes of a broadcast, basic-cable or premium channel, or an SVOD service.

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I found it unbelievable that so many people had come— and this was only one of several pop-up Luke’s Diners in Manhattan—but not surprising, given the rabid fan base of Gilmore Girls. I never cease to be amazed by the power of a series: to foster a feeling of belonging, to generate such affection for the characters, to elicit the desire to watch episodes over and over and live in the show’s world.

This is what Charlie Collier, the president of AMC, SundanceTV and AMC Studios and the main interview in this issue, calls immersive television. These can’t-miss series fuel the entire television ecosystem. Immersive television is what linear channels crave because the episodes become appointments that viewers don’t want to miss. But if they do miss a scheduled episode, they can catch up online or on-demand. Immersive television is what premium pay channels and SVOD platforms build their businesses on because these series are what drive subscriptions.

Series and miniseries also have the power to transform a channel—just look at SundanceTV and AMC. AMC—first and famously with Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead—morphed from a classic movie channel into a destination for some of the boldest, highest quality and most critically acclaimed series ever. SundanceTV followed suit with Rectify, Top of the Lake, The Honorable Woman and even foreign-language fare such as Deutschland 83 and Gomorrah.

It’s a strategy we have seen replicated around the world: a hit series can change the fortunes of a broadcast, basiccable or premium channel, or an SVOD service.

While series receive so much buzz and attention, made-for-television movies remain a staple for many channels and audience groups, as MarVista Entertainment’s CEO and founding partner, Fernando Szew, tells us. While expanding his company’s slate of movies, he is also overseeing the development of TV shows. Series, when successful, can be highly remunerative, not only for producers, distributors, channels and platforms, but also for the countries that offer prime shooting locations—hosting a series in production provides abundant work for numerous job categories and services. Our feature looks at the European countries vying to offer the best production incentives.

This issue also contains an interview with Joseph Hundah, the president and CEO of Econet Media, who is building up sub-Saharan Africa’s Kwesé TV. The world keeps changing so rapidly, but isn’t there reassurance in a few constants? The pleasure of a great cup of coffee, the choice of a vast array of shows, and the opportunity to immerse ourselves in their worlds and become invested in their characters.

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UPFRONTS

Adler & Associates Entertainment Grotto / Mangoré / Moor The family film Grotto, which has a mix of live action and animation, is a central focus for Adler & Associates Entertainment at AFM. “This Italian feature has all the adventure of The Goonies and tugs at the heartstrings like E.T. with its lovable, unforgettable animated title character, which gives Grotto a truly global appeal that makes it a perfect fit for buyers at AFM, no matter what territory they represent,” says Marie Adler, the CEO and president of global sales at Adler & Associates Entertainment. The company is also presenting Mangoré, which is billed as a romantic biopic, and Moor, which was Pakistan’s official selection for the Oscars. “Moor is a powerful statement on the responsibilities that one has to their family, home and nation, while highlighting that there is good in every religion,” says Adler.

“At AFM we will continue to take risks and rise to the challenge of a true indie company by championing new talent.”

—Marie Adler Mangoré

Artist View Entertainment Chokehold / Z/Rex / Dead Draw Artist View Entertainment arrives at AFM with Chokehold, billed as a Rocky-type action feature set in the world of female MMA. The company will also be introducing Z/Rex, “a first-class creature feature,” says Scott Jones, the president of Artist View Entertainment. Meanwhile, Jones calls Dead Draw “a tightly crafted thriller.” The feature stars Gil Bellows, Elizabeth “Bitsie” Tulloch and Michael Eklund in a story about an elite group of criminals who try to get away with ripping off the mob. “AFM has always provided us with [access to] a wide array of buyers from around the world,” says Jones. “Our new slate and catalog offer a wide variety of genres, and that [gives] us the opportunity to exhibit and generate meaningful sales with those buyers during the first week of November each year.”

“With all three of these titles we are providing buyers with sellable casts, strong story lines and plenty of action.”

—Scott Jones Chokehold

Caracol Internacional Against Our Destiny / The Girl / The White Slave The telenovela Against Our Destiny is among the titles that Caracol Internacional believes will resonate with buyers at DISCOP Johannesburg. The novela is based on the novel The Discreet Hero by Mario Vargas Llosa, winner of a Nobel Prize in literature. The company also has high hopes for the series The Girl and The White Slave to drum up interest with African buyers at the market. “DISCOP is the most important market for Africa,” says Paloma Garcia Cuesta, the company’s sales executive for Western Europe and Africa. “For us, it is a privilege to attend and be able to distribute our productions in these territories. They demand strong, classic stories and always [request] English or French dubbed versions.” She adds that the African continent has “great potential” for content distributors.

“These programs have incredibly high production values, and the stories are strong and different from what has already been seen.”

—Paloma Garcia Cuesta The White Slave 6 WORLD SCREEN 11/16

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Cisneros Media Distribution Separated By Love / Sweet Thing / SHÄK At DISCOP Johannesburg, Cisneros Media Distribution is presenting the telenovelas Separated By Love and Sweet Thing.

“Separated by Love and Sweet Thing are two of our most recent gems in the telenovela genre, which is appealing to the entire family, including younger audiences,” says Cristobal Ponte, the company’s exclusive independent representative for Europe, Africa and the Middle East. “Telenovelas are king in the [African] territory, and Cisneros Media Distribution is recognized the world over as one of the leading producers of internationally successful telenovelas, having introduced the genre into the market some 15 years ago.” Another highlight from the company is the series SHÄK, which features high-speed pursuits, police shootouts, rescues, fires and more. “SHÄK is a nailbiting series of real-life scenes in HD,” Ponte says.

“Africa is a very important territory for Cisneros Media Distribution; it’s a market where our programs have been well received and we have enjoyed much success.”

—Cristobal Ponte Separated By Love

Keshet International Welcome to the Wild / Boxed / ManBirth The new adventure reality format Welcome to the Wild is on offer from Keshet International at DISCOP Johannesburg.

“Keshet Broadcasting in Israel enjoyed success with the first season of the series this past summer,” says Paula CohenMcHarg, Keshet International’s senior sales manager. “This concept of true adventure, traveling through difficult terrain as a team, can be replicated in countless intriguing locations around the world.” The company is also presenting Boxed, a format that places two individuals in a box to help them reach an agreement. “Watching others working through their problems in a confined space provides a gripping, dramatic and educational experience for the viewer,” says Cohen-McHarg. Then there is ManBirth, a social experiment in which fathers-to-be can experience the mental and physical challenges of pregnancy.

“It is important for us to engage with the fastgrowing African marketplace; we are very keen to build our business on the continent.”

—Paula Cohen-McHarg ManBirth

Mondo TV Heidi, Welcome Home / Robot Trains / Adventures in Duckport The live-action teen series Heidi, Welcome Home (Heidi, Bienvenida a Casa) is a reimagining of the classic novel by Johanna Spyri. Mondo TV will be talking about the property to international buyers at DISCOP Johannesburg. Another highlight is Robot Trains, which is a collaboration with CJ E&M. “The show is unique with its fun story and high-end quality of animation,” says Micheline Azoury, Mondo TV’s head of television sales. “Mondo TV will be handling TV sales and licensing across Southern European countries, the Middle East, Turkey and Africa.” There is also Adventures in Duckport, an animated comedy featuring characters from Suzy’s Zoo. “We are confident that our 2016 lineup of new shows we are showcasing at DISCOP Johannesburg will have great appeal,” adds Azoury.

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“We are working on expanding to all broadcasters in [Africa], in the French-, English-, Arabic- and Portuguesespeaking markets.”

—Micheline Azoury

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Multicom Entertainment Group Larry King Now / Ora.TV / Blood Is Blood Among the titles being promoted by Multicom Entertainment Group at AFM is Larry King Now, which looks on as the titular TV and radio personality interviews athletes, entrepreneurs, celebrities, world leaders and musicians. The company will also be offering up Blood Is Blood, a feature-length thriller that has been released on digital HD and VOD, along with presenting the Ora.TV portfolio. “Multicom is proud to distribute to the world Ora.TV’s library of hit series such as Politicking with Larry King, William Shatner’s Brown Bag Wine Tasting, The Rubin Report and more celebritydriven factual content,” says Darrin Holender, the company’s president. Other titles featured in the Ora.TV catalog are Off the Grid with Jesse Ventura and The Real Girl’s Kitchen with Haylie Duff.

“Multicom has exponentially grown every year, taking on library after library, and will be presenting itself as a major player in independent worldwide distribution.”

—Darrin Holender Larry King Now

Silver Wolf International Inside Things / Curious / Salam Ramadan UK Among the highlights Silver Wolf International is showcasing at DISCOP Johannesburg is Inside Things. The program investigates how man-made inventions and things found in the natural world work. Curious is another factual title that answers questions about the mysteries of science, technology and inventions. The company is also presenting the documentary Salam Ramadan UK, which demonstrates that people from different cultures can share the same beliefs and practices. “Buyers are looking for original content, and the good thing about our programs—these titles in particular—is that we produced the content ourselves, and that is why our programs are appealing,” says Abdul Rashid Budin, Silver Wolf’s CEO. A further highlight is Animal Society.

“There are opportunities in [the African] market that we cannot afford to miss out on.”

—Abdul Rashid Budin Animal Society

Televisa Internacional Secrets at the Hotel / Domus / The Rose of Guadalupe At DISCOP Johannesburg, Televisa Internacional is presenting the drama Secrets at the Hotel, about Julio, who seeks to discover what happened to his sister after she abruptly stops corresponding with him while working at a hotel. Televisa Internacional is also showcasing the entertainment format Domus, in which 16 men and women compete to see who is the most extreme survivor worthy of inhabiting Mars. The company’s slate also features the series The Rose of Guadalupe, as well as the formats Generation Gap, Pacific and Deep Undercover. “These programs have excellent production quality, have been extremely well received internationally and have stories that appeal particularly well to African audiences,” says Mario Castro, Televisa Internacional’s director of sales for Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

“DISCOP allows us to meet with all of our current and potential clients in free, pay and newmedia platforms.”

—Mario Castro Secrets at the Hotel 10 WORLD SCREEN 11/16

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TV Azteca International/AZ Content Living to Race / Iron Lady / Nothing Personal Rodrigo risks his life in clandestine car races to raise money for his sister’s treatments in the action drama series Living to Race, a highlight from TV Azteca International/AZ Content.

The company is also presenting Iron Lady at DISCOP Johannesburg. Based on a true story, the series follows an attorney who witnesses the brutal murder of her father and years later takes on the challenge of capturing the country’s most wanted drug dealer, who was responsible for killing her dad. Another highlight is the action thriller Nothing Personal, about a woman who is caught up in a conspiracy involving a criminal organization after she witnesses the murder of two journalists. The company is also promoting Missing Bride, Among Us, Any Given Day and What Women Keep in Silence.

Living to Race

Universal Cinergía Dubbing Lip-sync language dubbing / Voice-over dubbing / Audio-description dubbing Universal Cinergía Dubbing has 28 state-of-the-art dubbing studios, with around 300 voice artists, a stream of qualified translators and experienced directors. In 2015 alone, Universal Cinergía dubbed more than 4,500 hours of content for 35-plus clients. The company, led by CEO Liliam Hernandez, will be at AFM and at DISCOP Johannesburg looking to meet with producers in need of post-production and dubbing services.

Among its services are lip-sync language dubbing, in which dialogue is translated and recorded in a way that matches the lip movements of the actors on-screen; voice-over dubbing, allowing the local language to be placed on top of the original track; and audio-description dubbing, which is additional narration intended for the blind or visually impaired. Languages offered include English, neutral Spanish, Portuguese and French.

“Dubbing and postproduction are essential services to all areas of the content industry.”

—Liliam Hernandez Universal Cinergía facilities

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SPOTLIGHT

FERNANDO SZEW MARVISTA ENTERTAINMENT

By Anna Carugati

MarVista Entertainment was founded in 2003 and has been producing, acquiring and distributing film and TV product around the world.

It has also been co-producing original movies with such major outlets as Lifetime, Hallmark Channel, Disney Channel and Disney XD. The company is a significant supplier of TV movies to international markets, where demand for telefilms remains strong—particularly in European countries where broadcasters have regular time slots for thrillers, romantic comedies and holiday movies. As MarVista’s CEO and founding partner, Fernando Szew, tells World Screen, the company is expanding its slate of movies, growing its digital entertainment division and bolstering its development and production of TV series.

WS: Has MarVista been expanding its slate of movies?

SZEW: We have significantly grown the amount and the quality of the movies we produce and distribute, from thrillers, romance and action-disaster to family and children’s movies.

We’ve also expanded a bit more into different genres. Recently, we announced a partnership deal with Elijah Wood’s company, SpectreVision, to produce four films over the next two years, and we already wrapped production on the first one, Bitch, starring Jaime King and Jason Ritter. It is a provocative tale of a woman who snaps under crushing life pressures and assumes the psyche of a dog.

We are also focused on expanding our tween and teen movie production slate. We have a long-standing relationship with Disney Channel and continue to co-produce original movies [for them], including our most recent collaboration, called The Swap, which premiered in the U.S. on October 7 and stars Peyton List. Also, we recently launched another movie for the same audience called Jessica Darling’s It List, which is based on a New York Times best-selling book series by Megan McCafferty and is executive produced by Disney darling Debby Ryan. That movie has been released on digital and we’re seeing some great results. We are also offering a movie at AFM starring Bailee Madison that is a mystery for tweens/teens called Annabelle Hooper and the Ghosts of Nantucket.

WS: What demand for TV movies are you seeing in the U.S. and internationally?

SZEW: The demand continues to be very strong globally. In the U.S. we tend to produce for and license to Disney Channel, Lifetime, LMN, Hallmark Channel and Hallmark’s new channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. We are also seeing, as we did with our strategy for It List, great traction domestically on VOD, SVOD and all the digital distribution platforms like iTunes, Netflix, Amazon, etc. As one of the market leaders, if not the market leader in original movies, we’re seeing great demand for a variety of genres from established players and newer players.

Internationally, we have also seen steady demand and new entrants, especially on the digital side. On the broadcast side, we continue to see solid ratings in several countries, particularly in Europe, primarily for the thrillers, romantic comedies and holiday movies. Those slots are extremely solid, and we are one of the main suppliers.

WS: Viewers, young and old, have so much scripted programming to watch and are becoming increasingly sophisticated. How has MarVista been elevating the quality of its movies to keep pace with viewers’ expectations?

SZEW: We love the challenge of having our stories shine within the golden age of television.

We continue to push the envelope with the stories and talent we are bringing into our fold. From creating production alliances with the aforementioned award-winning talent of Elijah Wood’s SpectreVision to producing

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A Deadly Adoption, starring Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig, Caught with Anna Camp and future projects with recording artists and top directors, MarVista definitely offers an ideal environment for creatives who want to tell their stories.

WS: How has MarVista Digital Entertainment been growing?

SZEW: On the digital side, we are seeing opportunities with various genres. One of the main ones we have been focused on is the tween/teen or young-adult-themed movies. Jessica Darling’s It List and Annabelle Hooper and the Ghosts of Nantucket are examples of that.

We will also be launching The Swap on digital platforms immediately after it premieres on Disney Channel. In addition, we are actively partnering with talent and digital influencers, digital natives, to do what are called in the current lingo “influencer movies.” So YouTube, Vine and Snapchat stars, people with major influence and followers on these platforms, will be the driving vehicles for long-form movies. This is a big focus for us at the moment. We are having several conversations and will soon be announcing projects with not just the talent but also with a marketing platform behind it. It’s a really exciting and culturally relevant area of growth for MarVista Digital Entertainment.

WS: That is quite innovative.

SZEW: This is something that we started to plant a flag in about nine months ago because we saw that our core capabilities are such that we can be one of the key players in the industry to bring those influencer-driven movies that are high quality but within the budget ranges that make business sense. We’ve been really navigating the digital world, talking to partners, agencies and a lot of the talent. Part of bringing Deena Stern on board as senior VP of marketing and communications was to bring solid marketing support to these initiatives. She has great experience having launched Esquire Network, but also with E! Entertainment, using digital and social media as marketing tools.

WS: What other types of products is MarVista producing and distributing?

SZEW: We are very much focused on growing our scripted series development. We are currently in post-production on two shows that are very likely to move forward: Rebel, a procedural drama with BET directed by John Singleton [Boyz n the Hood], and Sea Change, a supernatural drama, which we are producing with Piller/Segan for Lifetime.

WS: You have been interested in series for quite some time.

SZEW: Absolutely. Again, it’s all about looking at the natural expansion of what we have been able to accomplish with the business, taking our core competencies, relationships and abilities and asking ourselves, where do we expand as the world changes? We have made investments in that arena both in people and in the development of IP. Right out of the gate we have two significant series, Rebel and Sea Change, and we are rapidly expanding this area of our business with

more projects. We are very good partners for people to collaborate with because we offer a strong internal creative and production team, as well as solid relationships with a lot of external storytellers.

WS: Selling and windowing product is becoming increasingly complex. Are movies a little less complicated than series when it comes to carving out windows and choosing how to best exploit your product territory by territory?

SZEW: Generally speaking, there is the same level of complexity but perhaps the stakes are lower on a movie for obvious reasons. Most movies are “one and done” from a premiere perspective as opposed to series, especially if a series takes off and becomes very successful—for example, Mad Men or Breaking Bad were able to lift networks. When negotiating exclusivity or non-exclusivity, the stakes are much higher for a series but the complexity and the deal making is very similar.

The conversations are the same—[they are] highly complex. It’s part of what I deem a competitive advantage of ours; we’ve been having those conversations as to the best windowing strategies for a very long time. We try to help bring some clarity to the growing complexity of windowing and rights. It’s something our distribution [executives] do very well.

WS: Whether it’s a new territory or a platform, are you seeing emerging business opportunities?

SZEW: All the time. This is why I am so encouraged about MarVista’s growth path and our current and future business. This excitement and constant flow of opportunities have allowed us to recruit talent internally and externally. Among the driving forces of our expansion are the numerous new platforms looking to acquire content as a vehicle to grow. It’s not just the traditional platforms; we’re also seeing it with Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook, which are becoming content platforms as well.

So, you have the whole traditional broadcast market, the cable landscape and the established and growing over-the-top services—there is an explosion of platforms that require content!

And the driving force is that as content providers and distributors, we sit right in the middle of that intersection. We couldn’t have planned this any better. We had no idea when we started MarVista that we were going to be where we are today. It is an incredibly exciting time for us.

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MarVista and Piller/Segan teamed up to produce the supernatural drama Sea Change for Lifetime, with Szew among the executive producers.

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IN THE NEWS

By Mansha Daswani

JOSEPH HUNDAH

ECONET MEDIA In sub-Saharan Africa, where the pay-TV landscape has long been dominated by one player, telecommunications giant Econet is looking to be a game-changer with Kwesé TV. The group has been on an acquisitions tear for the soon-to-belaunched platform and its Kwesé-branded sports services.

Joseph Hundah, whose career in African media has included senior roles at MultiChoice and Modern Times Group, is leading Kwesé TV as the president and CEO of Econet Media. He shares his strategy with World Screen.

premised on quality, innovation and creating a platform for the best in African content. I believe that our business model allows us to be responsive to consumer needs in a way that many cannot be. Ours is a multiplatformcontent-focused business targeted at the urban African middle class. How you access it is up to you, but we can promise viewers premium content, and we will continue to pursue the best in both international and local content as we add to our portfolio.

WS: Tell us about what Econet wants to achieve with Kwesé TV. HUNDAH: Our strategy is focused on sub-Saharan Africa.

It’s an exciting time to be in broadcasting and media on the continent. Viewers are increasingly looking for choice, quality and, importantly, access and convenience. We are well past the stage where African viewers were happy with whatever content they could access. As competition increases, we see that in order to succeed, broadcasters must be responsive and have a compelling value proposition. There has been an increase in homegrown African broadcasters and content producers, which is allowing for more tailored offerings specific to African audiences.

This is encouraging innovation in an industry that has traditionally set the agenda and the tone of its relationship with its consumers. Kwesé is

WS: How did you begin preparing for the launch of the service? What kinds of infrastructure and partnerships did you need in place?

HUNDAH: Fundamental to our entry in the market is ensuring that our offering is based on sound research.

Rather than dictating to the viewer, our aim is to fill a gap and address a latent need in terms of programming. So first and foremost we conducted extensive research to understand the trends shaping the media industry in sub-Saharan Africa. Our partnerships with rights holders as well as local content producers are critical to our business. We believe in the quality of our content, and we are extremely selective about who we partner with.

We have been fortunate to establish relationships with some of the leading content rights holders. Our proposition is premised on providing access and exposure to the best content across sports, entertainment and actuality/news programming. We have led with sports and introduced [coverage] which would likely be inaccessible to the majority of viewers on the continent.

Our portfolio is diverse and includes sports that enjoy huge interest on the continent, such as football—specifically the English, Brazilian and Argentinian leagues— and basketball, through our relationship with the NBA and NBA Africa. Also, we have rights to sports that have niche or region-specific fan bases but are growing in popularity, such as motorsports with F1 and Formula E, NFL, cricket and rugby. We look forward to introducing the rest of our programming portfolio to the market.

WS: How are you tapping into the resources of the Econet Group for Kwesé?

HUNDAH: Our ability to leverage the broader group is certainly of commercial value to us, and we believe that our strategic relationships and business model will stand us in good stead in navigating the industry across the continent. The details of our go-to-market strategy are still very sensitive at this stage, but we will be in a better position to expand on this in due course.

WS: What are the greatest challenges and opportunities facing the media sector in sub-Saharan Africa?

HUNDAH: Certainly infrastructure constraints are primary on that list. It is our constraints that are forcing us to think differently, and this is what encourages innovation. Kwesé’s model provides a solution to bringing programming to audiences in a way that is accessible and leverages the leapfrogging that has happened in terms of digital and mobile across the continent.

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BBC Worldwide’s The Collection.

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LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION Markets across Europe are one-upping each other to offer the best possible production incentives. By Jay Stuart n the global search for locations, there is good news from Europe on two fronts. One, the race between countries to offer higher incentives shows no sign of slowing down. Two, they increasingly want TV series.

“Governments want more than movies,” notes Jean-Frédéric Garcia, managing director of The Location Guide and co-founder of FOCUS, an annual event for sharing best practices in the production business. “They want Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad, productions that go on for three, four, five, six seasons. TV will shape the incentive competition. The name of the game is to make sure you get a television series. That’s the best business model. A James Bond movie every ten years is cool, but it’s not enough.”

Every dollar spent on the ground means double or triple in inward investment, according to John Hadity, executive VP at EP Financial Solutions, which assists producers in negotiating the maze of incentives around the world. And of course, there is the element of showcasing a country as a setting.

“The best ad in the world is a movie or a big TV series,” he says.

I

“Tourism is the ultimate value,” Garcia adds. “But more immediately, incentives are about keeping production in Europe. The Europeans saw the U.S. states stopping runaway production by offering incentives, and the model was working. So they began to follow suit.”

NEW BACKDROPS Indeed, the number of countries offering production incentives continues to rise. “Six years ago I started a conversation in Serbia,” Hadity says. “People went to Romania because it was so inexpensive and Prague because of the city settings. Nobody went to Serbia. Now they offer a 20-percent rebate and are attracting productions. Romania still does not have rebates because it’s still really inexpensive, but they’re considering it. Even a small country like Latvia already has a 25-percent rebate.”

An important new development is that the Nordic region, which has tended not to be too proactive at the national level, is now coming to life, with Finland taking the lead. A proposal to introduce a Finnish incentives program is on the table for the 2017 budget. If it doesn’t go

through this time, it will happen in 2018, according to Anne Laurila, of the North Finland Film Commission (NFFC).

“We need to have incentives,” she says. “It’s becoming harder to compete compared with other European countries. We’ve had to hold back our marketing in the U.S., for example. If you don’t have incentives, there’s just no point in trying to attract American productions. We would lose to other locations with incentives 100 percent of the time.”

The current Finnish proposal is for a 25-percent tax rebate, covering TV drama and movies and extending to post-production as well as filming. “We have evaluated different models in operation elsewhere,” Laurila says. “We decided to go for a full program rather than just a pilot project with limited funding. Our aim is to have €10 million ($11.2 million) to begin with.”

Denmark is also looking at introducing incentives. “But they’re about two years behind us,” Laurila says. “We collaborate a lot across the Nordic countries, so we know what each other is doing. At the regional level, we’re not as strong as Sweden and Norway. Ideally, it would make

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sense to have a joint Nordic incentives program eventually.

But first, we have to get the national systems in place.”

In countries that have already introduced incentives, the impact has been significant in generating production growth.

“We lost a lot of business to countries around us and to U.S. states before we introduced incentives in 2010,” says Ludmila Claussová, film commissioner at the Czech Film Commission.

“Before incentives, they wouldn’t even consider us. Since then, international production is up 500 percent. But now the pressure is on again. Other countries have raised their rebates. Hungary is up to 25 percent and Ireland is up to 32 percent. Now we have to ask ourselves if we offer enough.

Where is it going to end?”

CZECH BOOKS The Czech incentives scheme offers filmmakers cash rebates on qualifying Czech and international spend. Rebates of about €40 million ($44.6 million) are currently allocated to 61 new projects. Since the rebate was introduced in 2010, the Czech government has paid out more than €88 million ($98 million) in rebates

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Point by Amazon Prime U.K. and France Télévisions, with Federation Entertainment as a co-pro partner, it benefited from both French and British tax breaks.

FRENCH FLAIR

Berlin has begun offering production incentives for TV series, helping to attract the Showtime drama Homeland for its fifth season. to a total of more than 170 film and TV projects.

In the Czech Republic, several big international television productions are under way, including Sky’s Britannia, which is set in ancient Rome; HISTORY’s Knightfall, focusing on the Knights Templar in the Middle Ages; and National Geographic Channel’s Genius, about Albert Einstein.

While the Czech rebate remains at 20 percent of local expenditures for now, the Czechs have taken steps to make the process of applying for the incentives easier.

“We had difficulties because the state film fund had only one call [for applications] in January of the year,” Claussová says. “Now it’s possible to apply at any time.”

And the size of the rebate may go up too. The Czech Film Commission is discussing an increase with the government. “We will continue to discuss how much to offer and how it will work,” Claussová says. “If we want to remain competitive, something will have to happen.”

In France, the tax rebate for international production (TRIP) is now 30 percent, having been increased from 20 percent at the

start of 2016. “This has had an immediate impact,” says Valérie Lépine-Karnik, the CEO of Film France. “For example, we’ve started to attract feature-film productions from Bollywood.”

France is now hosting Riviera, a ten-part series directed by Neil

Jordan for Sky Atlantic, which started shooting in August with John Bernard of local outfit Peninsula Film as producer. It also hosted some of the production of The Collection, a Paris-set period drama sold by BBC Worldwide.

Commissioned from Lookout

Film France works with local and regional agencies across France to welcome and help French and foreign production. It also monitors tax rebates and incentives, working closely with the CNC. Film France receives the applications and validates them and the CNC takes things to the next stage. Film France is also the point of contact for French executive producers working on international productions. There are two types of international activity. One is coproduction and the other is international production shot in France with a French executive producer like Peninsula’s Bernard.

You cannot access the tax advantages of both—it’s one or the other.

“What we don’t have is eligibility for foreign salaries as part of the cost for the rebate,” Lépine-Karnik says. “Above-the-line expenses are not taken into consideration. If there’s a big star with a big salary in an international production, that does not count [toward the expenses eligible for the rebate].”

The period drama The Last Kingdom from Carnival Films, the second season of which is being co-produced by Netflix, was largely shot in Hungary.

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HBO’s Game of Thrones has tapped into incentives in a number of locations, heading to Northern Ireland, Croatia, Iceland, Morocco and Malta, among others, to stage its lavish backdrops.

Ireland has seized on this important element in the latest upgrade of its incentives in 2015. Not only did the tax break increase from 28 percent to 32 percent, the rules were also changed to make Ireland’s incentive scheme allow nonEuropean talent to count as part of the qualifying expenditure.

This was an issue that the Irish had wanted to address for years, and it might be more relevant to attracting big studio feature films, which Ireland has not been as successful in bringing in as it has smaller films and TV. Another change is that post-production qualifies for relief all by itself.

IRISH CHARMS “Our incentives are not just about physical production in Ireland,” says Steven Davenport, inward production manager at the Irish Film Board (IFB). “You can do the filming anywhere and if you do the SFX or other post-production in Ireland, that expenditure qualifies. We’ve opened the incentives to digital.”

Among the TV productions shot in Ireland are HISTORY’s Vikings, renewed for a fifth season; Into the Badlands, shooting its second season for AMC; and Penny Dreadful, which wrapped

its third and final season on Showtime and Sky Atlantic. Ireland also has a new studio with Troy Studios in Limerick, the famously scenic western part of the country.

The new Irish incentive regime will expire in 2020 unless it’s renewed. The way the competition around Europe is going, it’s hard to see it disappearing.

Of the 28 countries in the EU, 23 currently have production incentive programs, but TV is not always part of the picture. In Germany, for example, the incentives program run by the German Federal Film Fund does not cover TV-only productions.

Expansion is being discussed.

However, some German regions do offer support for TV, helping to attract Showtime’s Homeland to shoot in Berlin last year.

“Rules vary from region [to region], especially when it comes to television, which has come much later into the picture after theatrical movies,” says Christiane Raab, the head of the Berlin-Brandenburg Film Commission. “In our region, TV series have been eligible since last year. We support the development and production of serial programming in all genres, regardless of whether the content is intended for linear or nonlinear viewing, and that includes enter-

tainment and fact-based formats as well as drama.”

The most important rule for incentives is that in order to be eligible, the project must have a German co-production partner.

Regional support usually takes the form of soft loans, while federal support for movies is up to 20 percent on cash spent in Germany.

MOTIVATING FACTORS Incentives need to be seen against a bigger economic backdrop, according to Dawn McCarthySimpson, the director of international development at Pact, the U.K. trade association for independent producers.

“Incentives are always welcome, but the big picture is that they are usually introduced because there is a market failure.

Governments intervene when there is a problem. British production incentives are limited to tax breaks for children’s programming and high-end drama. The reason they exist for high-end drama is that it has become so expensive that broadcasters need more help in carrying the cost. It exists for animation because broadcasters weren’t buying enough to support the market, and now they have been intro-

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duced for live-action children’s programs for the same reason.

There’s a perception that these production areas would fade away without support.”

There’s an argument to be made that a relative lack of support makes British producers more self-sufficient and ambitious, she says. “They need to think globally rather than in terms of our domestic market.”

Part of that global outlook, of course, is being able to access the advantages of being in Europe.

In all EU countries that offer incentives, the European Commission requires a cultural test, which the countries design. The basic rules are that projects must have a cultural element and should have some connection to Europe.

The question for many now is how the production sector and content quotas will be impacted once the U.K. is out of the EU. “One place where Britain leaving the EU would have an impact is on talent,” says Film France’s Lépine-Karnik. “Currently, U.K. nationals working on a project in France are treated the same as the French. But they would become foreign labor unless a bilateral agreement is put in place.”

Would the U.K. want to go down the route of substituting EU

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The Czech Republic has been offering production incentives since 2010, attracting a wealth of projects, including Interlude in Prague, a feature film about Mozart that shot in the capital this year. membership with treaties? This is doubtful, as such high-level government agreements are timeconsuming to negotiate. The British government, like most others, avoids getting entangled in treaties where possible. Treaties are not usually about financing production or accessing incentives: “They are about dismantling trade barriers,” says Pact’s McCarthy-Simpson. “If you look at Brazil, for example, without a treaty the Brazilian partner would have the controlling stake in any co-production and the foreign company would have to give up IP. That’s the sort of situation you might need a treaty to rectify.”

Incentives also require supporting investment. Serbia is training and investing in crews, as is Malta.

EP Financial Solutions’ Hadity predicts that countries that don’t already have tax breaks at a national level will introduce them, and those that do have them will start offering them at a regional level, too. Regional incentives are another dimension of the incentives picture.

These breaks effectively enable you to double up on benefits with national incentives.

“Producers will be able to benefit at two levels,” Hadity says.

“Naturally, it will also mean opening up a new phase of competition as regions try to attract productions. Bear in mind that a regional benefit is not normally going to be enough to attract a production by itself. So there have to be national incentives first. There will be two layers.”

However, the future of the incentives competition is hard to predict.

“Incentives are totally political,” FOCUS’s Garcia says. “In the

U.K. the politicians get it. In France, they have learned. But who knows what’s going to happen? Protectionism might kick in, not for economic reasons but because of security fears. We may see tightening access.”

In the meantime, the competition to attract production continues. “Yes, it’s a buyer’s market because of incentives,” Hadity sums up. “Producers can shop around. But the competition also keeps people engaged in conversation, which is very positive for both sides.”

MORE THAN MONEY The availability of incentives is just one factor in the equation for producers. “You can offer a 100-percent incentive,” FOCUS’s Garcia says. “If you don’t have local crews and infrastructure, if you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s not going to work. People may come once, but they won’t come back.”

The Czech Republic has an international reputation for highquality production personnel and infrastructure, as well as very good post-production and visual effects. The Czech Film Commission’s Claussová says, “What we can offer on the ground is so good that usually international productions that come here only bring the heads of the various production departments and hire all the rest of the people they need locally.”

Parts of Star Wars: The Force Awakens were filmed in Ireland, where the Irish Film Board is stepping up its efforts to attract international projects.

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ONE-ON-ONE

obert Redford launched Sundance Channel back in 1996 as an extension of the Sundance Film Festival.

The network’s mission was to celebrate unique voices in independent film. Through the years the channel has branched out to include television storytellers, showcasing critically acclaimed series and miniseries from the U.S. and around the world, such as Carlos, Rectify, The Honorable Woman, Les Revenants (The Returned), Deutschland 83 and Gomorrah, just to name a few.

The network rebranded to SundanceTV in 2014 and is part of AMC Networks’ portfolio of channels, which also includes AMC, BBC America, WE tv and IFC. Original series are a critical component of SundanceTV and of sister channel AMC. Producing, co-producing and acquiring the best scripted drama from around the world are top priorities, and both channels have recently set up an international programming team, whose aim it is to find and forge relationships with the best writers and producers.

For all the attention and buzz the original series garner, films remain the pillar of SundanceTV’s schedule, and the channel continues to curate a variety of movies. Very often, films and original series are tied together thematically and support each other in the schedule and in branding efforts.

Curating is an important concept for Charlie Collier, the president of AMC, SundanceTV and AMC Studios. Well aware that viewers have many shows and movies to choose from, and that they are watching them on a variety of screens and devices, Collier believes that the strength of linear television lies in assembling the best series and films and creating trusted brands and destinations. Better still is when an original TV series, miniseries or film becomes an event, because must-watch events drive viewership whether on the linear channel, online or on an app.

Collier talks to World Screen about the evolution of SundanceTV and its commitment to building loyal audiences through distinctive storytelling.

CHARLIE COLLIER AMC NETWORKS

By Anna Carugati

WS: SundanceTV celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

When Robert Redford founded Sundance Channel, he stated that its mission was to celebrate creativity and distinctive storytelling by finding unique voices. Through the years, how has the channel remained true to its mission?

COLLIER: Bob has remained an amazing supporter of our growth. He has not only stayed true to the mission, but he has also worked with us as we have expanded upon it. Certainly before I started working for the channel, the folks who worked for SundanceTV had become market leaders with the kind of programming they were bringing to American television—Carlos, The Honorable Woman and Top of the Lake. I think that uniquely SundanceTV was a place that could not only find those original voices and stories but also elevate them in a meaningful way.

WS: How did the strategy of openness to series from outside the U.S., even those in a foreign language, come about?

COLLIER: Under the mission of finding unique voices and phenomenal stories, regardless of their birthplace, it’s been remarkable how Sundance, from its earliest days with AMC Networks, worked to find storytellers who had a different point of view and perspective. I was not working with the network when The Honorable Woman first aired, but I have to tell you, seeing something like that coming to American television, with such a specific point of view, really was one of the finest examples of exactly what the mission of Sundance was from day one and how the network has grown under AMC Networks.

WS: SundanceTV has been active in international coproductions and co-financing series. How has this strategy paid off?

COLLIER: I mentioned Carlos as the first example of international programming and it was a wonderful look at what has become a more pervasive strategy for SundanceTV. Carlos was a foreign co-production. It won the Golden Globe [for best television limited series or motion picture made for television] the year after it premiered. We looked at that history and thought there are so many more types of stories like that that SundanceTV could 11/16 WORLD SCREEN 27

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uniquely elevate. In many ways, these transcend the language barrier and are just great storytelling.

We did it both on Sundance and on AMC, and when we hit it right we’re building passionate, loyal audiences.

WS: I hear from British and European producers and writers that they learn from the American way of writing and producing TV series. What does the U.S. have to learn from the way the Europeans or the British produce series?

COLLIER: We’re all learning from each other; there is a lot of learning back and forth at this point for sure. I will say, however, while the creative approaches on either side of the Atlantic are not different now, they are still very different with respect to the way shows get made. There are very different lengths to the talent deals for the actors, and obviously, there’s greater reliance internationally on the individual writer versus the writers’ room, which is more traditional in the U.S. But truly, we are starting to see more overlap in both directions as the co-production model increases in popularity.

Cleverman is produced by Goalpost Pictures and Pukeko Pictures for Australia’s ABC TV in co-production with SundanceTV and Red Arrow International.

WS: It’s also interesting to see how in the U.S. the number of episodes per season is shrinking for a number of reasons, and in Europe, where four or six episodes used to be considered a lot, now they are stretching to reach eight or ten.

COLLIER: It’s true. You’re seeing different order patterns and certainly different cadences to the air, but what I like the most is that you’re seeing collaboration and flexibility.

We have shows like Humans, which very much has a British cadence in terms of its airing schedule, but we were able to turn it into an event on

our air [on AMC] a few months after the episodes appeared in the U.K. WS: What are the other highlights on SundanceTV? COLLIER: We’re so excited about where SundanceTV is because, in an era when the gravitational pull of ratings on domestic linear channels has been widely reported, SundanceTV has grown dramatically. And we think it’s because we are really hitting our stride with a mix of films, the programs we talked about, and the scripted originals that have joined our air and are

upcoming. Hap and Leonard, which was a high-water mark in terms of our originals this year, is returning for a second season. I believe Rectify is an enduring series, and not unlike The A Word, also on Sundance, or Mad Men or Breaking Bad on AMC, will be something SundanceTV is proud to have in its DNA for years to come.

The final season of Rectify premiered on October 26, which was a terrific moment for Sundance original series. The A Word has already been renewed for season two and it really is the type of story that is uniquely SundanceTV. It’s charming, it’s internationally based but it’s absolutely a global story, and you’ll be seeing more of that. Cleverman comes from ABC in Australia and we’re thrilled to have that come back for another season. So it is a diverse slate and there is quite a bit of original scripted programming that we are going to elevate over the next year.

WS: You also aired the Italian crime series Gomorrah.

COLLIER: It is a terrific piece of storytelling. You learn a lot when you speak to your audience but, before that, we pass it to people we think will be fans of it here at the network. It’s fun to walk by and talk to people about a series like Gomorrah and know that they are as passionate about that as something in their own language.

The SundanceTV original Hap and Leonard will return in 2017 for a six-episode second season with a new showrunner, John Wirth.

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WS: What role do feature films still play on SundanceTV? COLLIER: With feature films, first and foremost, purely based on the

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number of hours, you have to say that SundanceTV very much still has film at its core. We curate all sorts of films through the original mission and again, based just purely on the numbers, it is primarily a movie network. We not only brand around movies, we also use them to help elevate some of the original programming. And by having such a diverse library of films at its core, Sundance is able to curate intelligently to help support its original series.

WS: What about unscripted series?

COLLIER: In terms of nonfiction programming, I’m very proud of what happens on Sunday morning with Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter because it allows us to reinforce every angle of Sundance’s creativity. It has interviews with filmmakers and is obviously heavy on the area that is longest in our legacy, which is the creative voice around film, but it also beautifully weaves in television storytelling and every aspect of the filmed arts. It really complements our air beautifully.

WS: Are all the viewing options that technology gives consumers, such as binge-watching, impacting scripted television and the way you program shows?

COLLIER: I do think the impact of technology is pervasive, whether it’s that emphasis on bingeing or just the ability to time-shift and have more of an on-demand world. At the same time, I still do believe in some fundamental tenets that make linear television great, like the power of event television. When you see it, it stands out more now and in many ways is more valuable than it was, but it very much still exists. What has happened is that all these new ways of watching have put more pressure on us to create programming that has some urgency to it and captures those passionate audiences, who will help, by the way, not just make our programming successful on our linear platforms but across all platforms that we now design and distribute to.

All these new ways of watching are absolutely a pervasive change and

have created an opportunity to market to people not just during the linear event, but what we call Live+365—live TV, and the event nature of it, and then the second that’s over, really trying to get people engaged on whatever platform is their preferred platform.

[For example, recently] we wrapped season one of Preacher, which we are incredibly proud of, on AMC. It was a very successful launch on American television this year. The day it ended we started promoting the binge of that series on all of our apps and alternate platforms. We take very seriously having that type of success not just contained to linear, but also transitioned to the other platforms. We hope to have people back for the next live Preacher television event.

WS: You hired a cultural anthropologist to help understand shifts in television, from escapist fare back in the ’70s to immersive content today. What were some of the findings of the study?

COLLIER: I do think that immersive content rises and connects with a passionate audience in a way that is different than so much great television that doesn’t hit those heights. So we very much wanted to study what it was that was making people feel so passionate about the types of stories that we’re telling and that so many others are telling. But very few shows have risen to the level where they get into your soul, and when that happens I think it’s pretty magical.

We looked at some of the ingredients that our cultural anthropologist and other researchers have helped us study and we learned that it has to do not just with the great storytelling led by great writing, but also very much what’s going on in the world [cultural forces such as diversity, less religiosity and the power of individual voices on social media] that would make people be open to those messages in a far more personal and enduring way than it was back in the days of The Waltons and Kung Fu.

SundanceTV was the first broadcaster outside of the U.K. to air the BBC One series The A Word, a drama based on a Keshet International format about a boy with autism.

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WORLD’S END

IN THE STARS Almost every national constitution forbids the establishment of an official state religion. But this secular bent doesn’t stop people from looking to the heavens for answers to life’s most troublesome questions: Will I succeed? Will I find love? Will I get distracted

by Simon Cowell’s big toe?

Every day, papers, magazines and websites worldwide print horoscopes— projections for people born in a specific month, based on the positions of the stars and planets. While many people rely on these daily, weekly or monthly messages for guidance in their lives, some readers skip over them entirely.

The editors of WS recognize that these little pearls of random foresight occasionally prove pro phetic.

But rather than poring over charts of the zodiac to pre-

Billy Bush

Simon Cowell

CHRISSY TEIGEN

Global distinction: American TV presenter.

Sign: Libra (b. October 13, 1971) Significant date: October 7, 2016 Noteworthy activity: A 2005 video is released of the

Global distinction: Professional eye candy.

Sign: Sagittarius (b. November 30, 1985) Significant date: October 4, 2016 Noteworthy activity: While appearing on The Ellen

TV host, then at Access Hollywood, engaging in a crude conversation about women with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. The comments caught in the hot-mic discussion land The Donald in hot water, while Bush is suspended from his hosting duties on NBC’s Today show for his role in the lewd exchange.

Horoscope: “Past actions may come back to haunt you now. Do what you can to redress genuine grievances of others caused by shortcomings on your part.” (mydailymoment.com)

DeGeneres Show, the Lip Sync Battle commentator and wife of musician John Legend admits to opening mail meant for Rihanna, who used to live in their house.

DeGeneres explains how that’s illegal, prompting a confused and embarrassed Teigen to reply: “But it’s my house now! Can you not? Are we going to edit this? This is why I can never run for president.”

Horoscope: “Best to mind your own business and to look to other things in your life to occupy your mind.” (asktheastrologers.com)

SIMON COWELL

TORI SPELLING

Global distinction: British media mogul.

Sign: Libra (b. October 7, 1959) Significant date: October 1, 2016 Noteworthy activity: During an episode of The X Factor

Global distinction: TV-movie queen.

Sign: Taurus (b. May 16, 1973) Significant date: October 3, 2016 Noteworthy activity: According to court documents, the

UK, the TV presenter is featured sitting on a couch alongside Spice Girls Mel B and Emma Bunton. Eagleeyed viewers are convinced that his pants are unzipped in the segment, revealing his privates, and Twitter erupts with screenshots of the gaffe. Upon closer inspection, it can be seen that it’s actually Cowell’s big toe creating the illusion of an embarrassing exposure.

Horoscope: “Let it all hang out and win kudos. Resist the urge to work from a position of modesty.” (metroweekly.com)

daughter of famed Hollywood producer Aaron Spelling has been ordered to pay nearly $40,000 in a lawsuit with American Express for unpaid credit card debt. This is not the first sign of money troubles for the former Beverly Hills, 90210 actress, who’s now expecting her fifth child with husband Dean McDermott.

Horoscope: “You do deserve all the best things in life, Taurus—everyone does. Still, try not to spend more than you can afford.” (sasstrology.com)

ASHTON KUTCHER

dict world events, our staff prefers to use past horo-

Global distinction: Brown-eyed beauty.

Sign: Aries (b. April 17, 1972) Significant date: October 3, 2016 Noteworthy activity: While out and about with a

legitimize the science.

As you can see here, had some of these media figures remembered to consult their horoscopes on significant dates, they could have avoided a few surprises.

Ashton Kutcher

BILLY BUSH

JENNIFER GARNER

scopes in an attempt to

Chrissy Teigen

friend in Los Angeles, the 44-year-old Alias alum— who has split up with actor hubby Ben Affleck— jokingly tells a group of paparazzi that she’s romantically involved with the newly single Brad Pitt. “Brad and I are dating,” Garner says, while bursting into laughter. “Isn’t that great?”

Horoscope: “It seems too easy to create the wrong impression on others. Note: If things go wrong, do not confront others—confront yourself.” (chicago.suntimes.com) 30 WORLD SCREEN 11/16

Global distinction: That ’70s Show alum.

Sign: Aquarius (b. February 7, 1978) Significant date: October 6, 2016 Noteworthy activity: The actor accidentally discloses on the Today show that he and wife Mila Kunis are expecting a baby boy. The couple, already parents to a 2-year-old girl, had been keeping the gender a secret. “She points to Mila and she’s like, ‘baby brother’ when she points to the belly, and then she points to dad and she goes, ‘beer,’” he says when discussing his daughter’s soon-to-be bigsister status.

Horoscope: “You are doing a good job at keeping things under wraps, but the intensity of your feelings is likely to show. How long can you keep it on the down low?” (californiapsychics.com)

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