4 April, 2008
FIREWORKS INTERNATIONAL MIPTV NEWS newsletter
View our online MIPTV Newsletter here.
THE ASSISTANTS HIT CANNES MIPTV sees the arrival of The Assistants, an hilarious 13 x 30’ comedy series set amidst the exaggerated world of Tinsel Town. Struggling to survive one another and the unpredictable whims of their eccentric movie mogul boss, how far will four Hollywood assistants go to succeed as they look up at the world from the lowest rung of the Hollywood ladder? A Tom Lynch Company production.
CANADA HEADS TO THE BORDER From White Pine Pictures comes this compelling and fast paced 26 x 1 hour drama series (available in High Definition), following members of the elite Immigration and Customs Security (ICS) Unit as they face the most dangerous and complex border security cases – from human trafficking and terrorism to drug smuggling and political corruption. Airing on Canada’s CBC, the series is attracting an exceptionally high audience rating, which continues to gain weekly. Season 1: 13 x 1 hour, Season 2: 13 x 1 hour
INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCES WARM TO HEARTLAND This 31 x 1 hour family drama series (available in High Definition) is proving a runaway success worldwide. Set in the Rocky Mountains, Heartland follows the Fleming family as they deal with the ups and downs of running a horse ranch that’s been in the family for generations, but is now so deep in debt that they’re one bank payment away from losing it all. The series, a huge ratings success on Canada’s CBC, is adapted from Lauren Brooke’s best-selling novels, now published in over 14 countries. Season 1: 13 x 1 hour, Season 2: 18 x 1 hour.
AN ICON LIVES ON 2008 marks the 15th anniversary of the death of Audrey Hepburn – the Academy Award-winning film and stage actress, fashion icon, and humanitarian, recently ranked as the third greatest female star of all time by the American Film Institute. To complement your schedule, Fireworks International presents The Audrey Hepburn Story starring Jennifer Love Hewitt as Hepburn and Frances Fisher as her mother. This 2 x 2 hour mini series will reveal the dramatic life led by this most appealing of performers – her childhood in Holland, her meteoric rise to stardom, her doomed love affair with William Holden, her troubled marriage to Mel Ferrer, and her life-long search for her father, a collaborator during the war. A
FACTUAL FEAST The ever-popular ‘Confidential’ strand continues with the release of three brand new 1 x 1 hour titles at MIPTV. Dating Confidential presents a no-holds-barred look at our obsession with dating; meeting the winners, the losers and the profiteers in the race to find the key to our hearts. Wine Confidential pops the cork on the burgeoning industry of fine wines – once produced only behind the closed doors of European chateaux – the secrets of fine wine are out and the drink that was once kept for priests and royalty has gone mainstream. Finally, Gardening Confidential takes us on an international exploration of one of our most obsessive hobbies – from trendy Manhattan rooftops to virtual gardens in cyberspace – the ancient craft of gardening has become a multi-billion dollar industry.
FIREWORKS INTERNATIONAL UPGRADE TO SEA VIEW AT MIPTV Fireworks International moves to a new location at MIPTV. Enjoy the sea views and stunning location at RB.44, our new “stand on the sand” in the Sunset/Riviera Beach Hall.
IT’S ALL REAL WITH THESE SCI-FI WINNERS! The Fireworks International catalogue contains a host of unique and compelling science-fiction shows – now available as a package to international buyers. Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda (88 x 1 hour) chronicles the efforts of Captain Dylan Hunt and his crew onboard the salvage ship Eureka Maru as they attempt to restore peace to a civilisation plunged into chaos. In Mutant X (66 x 1 hour) a team of human mutants possessing extraordinary powers as a result of genetic engineering must outwit their creators, who are hunting them down after an urgent ‘product recall’. Family fantasy drama A Wrinkle In Time (4 x 1 hour) tells the extraordinary tale of two children’s dangerous quest through time to outwit the evil force that has imprisoned their father. Set in a mystical, fantasy land, Beastmaster (66 x 1 hour) follows Dar the son of a king who must use his magical gifts wisely to defend all living creatures and rescue his beloved Kyra. Alien Abduction (93’) is a fascinating story depicting the disturbing abduction of a typical American family by alien beings. Finally, in the outrageous urban comedy drama Destiny to Order (‘97) down-and-out mystery writer J.D. learns never to let his imagination run away with him when the characters of his story come alive!
FROM PISTOLS TO PETTICOATS! High profile, sassy, feisty and female! Fireworks International presents a collection of programming for MIPTV all with one subject in common – strong leading ladies! Highlights include supernatural crime drama Blood Ties’ feisty ex-cop turned private investigator Vicki Nelson (Christina Cox); Relic Hunter’s Sydney Fox (Tia Carrera), the unorthodox history professor with a lust for excitement and a passion for adventure and Blue Murder’s Deputy Chief of Police Kay Barrow (Mimi Kuzyk), charged with the responsibility of handling high profile, messy cases that could damage the reputation of the very police force in which she serves. Other shows featuring women of power include: Queen of Swords, Zoe Busiek: Wild Card, Following Her Heart, The Diviners, Fall Into Darkness, Loss of Faith, Nothing But The Truth and Poison starring Rosanna Arquette.
KIDS REAL APPEAL The Fireworks International kids’ catalogue continues to perform strongly worldwide with a host of recent deals concluded. Cartoon Network will be premiering live action kids series Scout’s Safari in Latin America. 13-year-old Scout is psyched about starting Junior High … until her parents decide to move to South Africa to run a remote safari lodge. How will this smart and savvy New Yorker cope when she swaps central heating and hot dog vendors for prowling lions and wildebeest stampedes? Emmy Award winning Shia LaBeouf heads to the Caribbean as all three seasons of tween series Even Stevens, produced by Brookwell-McNamara Entertainment, are picked up by TV Jamaica. 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd continues to prove a hit, with a host of territories signing up for a repeat run – including Ho Chi Minh City TV in Vietnam and Artear in Argentina. Bully Eddie McDowd gets his comeuppance when a mysterious drifter puts a curse on him and turns him into dog – can Eddie perform the required one hundred good deeds to lift the curse and retain his boyhood?
FIREWORKS INTERNATIONAL ONLINE AND IN DEMAND! CREATING A STIR IN THE DIGITAL WORLD Fireworks International’s Digital Division continues to market a raft of titles to a variety of emerging media platforms. Long form titles achieving great international success include thrillers Blood Ties and Relic Hunter as well as science fiction series Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda and Mutant X. Also going down a storm with digital clients are short form titles such as the Mondo Mini Shows catalogue, consisting of over 430 of the best animated shorts; Happy Tree Friends, featuring the cute, cuddly animals whose days always end in mayhem; Suicidal Squirrels, following the adventurous, daring and adorable creatures on their endless journey to shorten their lifespan and Heavy Worldwide, smart, funny and hip programming from the number one digital entertainment site in the US. CAT BASTARD Cat Bastard (12 x 45 seconds) is a cat and – well, somewhat hot tempered! This fiery feline doesn’t like dogs, so he puts himself on a mission to take them out, one by one. Cat Bastard is a series of fresh, wild and rib-tickingly funny cartoon animations. Edgy, gory and hugely funny!
TRAILERS FROM HELL Showcasing classic previews of coming movie attractions punctuated with humorous commentary by iconic filmmakers, Trailers from Hell is tailor made for new media outlets. With over one hundred trailers already available, including Joe Dante (Gremlins) on horror movie The Terror and Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) praising one of his seminal influences Danger: Diabolik, the Trailers from Hell team plan to release new trailers every week. HAPPY TREE FRIENDS From the leading animation studio Mondo Media, Happy Tree Friends (50 x 2 minutes and 39 x 7 minutes) are cute, cuddly animals whose daily adventures always end up going horribly wrong. No matter how innocently their day begins, it always ends in mayhem. As the Happy Tree Friends travel through picturesque settings and speak their own unique kooky language, we never know what chaos might be lingering just around the bend. Also available: 13 x 21 minute TV series. SPY GAMES From dynamite bricks to bombastic boomerangs, Spy Games (20 x 30 seconds) follows the never-ending battle between Agent Black and Agent Red as they try to outsmart each other with disguises, gizmos and gadgets. Thanks to their visual storylines, these hilarious shorts translate into any language. From NBC Universal Global Networks and Tit-For-Tat productions.
BLOOD RED The traditional fairytale gets a modern racy twist – animated in black and white with shades of ‘blood red’ – as Little Red Riding Hood flirts and teases the poor old wolf leaving him a gibbering, frustrated fool. Offering fresh and addictive viewing featuring 1920’s – 1940’s style music with a 21st century injection, Blood Red (10 x 1 minute) is a ZAC Toons Production.
DIGITAL CATALOGUE IN DEMAND Babelgum have launched a Paranormal TV branded channel signing up a raft of wonderfully strange programming delving into spooky subjects such as ghosts, witchcraft, aliens, UFOs and reincarnation. The platform has also acquired a bundle of factual content from Fireworks International for broadcast on the global internet television network. Mobile media company Player X has also explored the Paranormal TV catalogue picking up a range of short features for broadcast on their global mobile distribution network. Real Networks Asia via ITA has concluded a deal for classic anime series Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles and Robotech: Macross Saga as part of a package of titles also including various series, factual programming, mini series and features. Other deals include the acquisition of the crime thriller with bite Blood Ties and animations such as The God and the Devil Show, Like News and Mr. Patel by BT (UK). All seasons of action adventure Mutant X have been acquired by Free Iliad via the Box Distribution and Tiscali Italy have picked up Blood Ties, Andromeda, Mutant X and Relic Hunter for its IPTV service. Finally, Broadmedia in Japan has committed to further seasons of science fiction series Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda.
ABC WID DA MOB Spoofing early learning programming, themes such as co-operation, compassion, feeling sad and sharing are taught by a host of misplaced Mafiosi types with unusual ways of demonstrating these valuable life lessons. Just a few of the many important things you will learn are – why The Little Mermaid sleeps with the fishes and how Hansel and Gretel disposed of the witch’s body. ABC Wid Da Mob (10 x 1 minute) is a ZAC Toons Production.
CRAZY CABBIES From Igor the mad Russian and stinky Steve to filthy Phyllis and hungry Lugi, Crazy Cabbies (10 x 1 minute) is a fly on the wall look at the bizarre antics of crazy cab drivers, whose behaviour entertains, bemuses and terrorizes their unsuspecting passengers. Dynamic camera positioning and witty dialogue coupled with over the top antics drive the humour in this fast paced, exaggerated animation. A ZAC Toons Production.
Fireworks International
19 Heddon Street, London, UK, W1B 4BG. T: +44 (0)20 7851 6500, F: +44 (0)20 7851 6504 www.contentfilm.com
1337 Third Street Promenade, Suite 302, Santa Monica, CA 90401, USA T: +1 310 576 1059, F:+1 310 576 1859
