FEIGE, SKOGLAND AT BANFF

The Banff World Media Festival​​ (BANFF)​​ has​​ announced an exclusive​​ “In Conversation With”​​ session featuring Kari Skogland, award-winning director and CEO of​​ Mad Rabbit​​ and Kevin Feige, President,​​ Marvel Studios​​ and Chief Creative Officer,​​ Marvel.​​ The virtual Festival will take place June 14–July 16, 2021 via an all-new bespoke online platform that will connect the global media industry to ignite new projects and support business development.​​ Presented in partnership with the​​ Director's Guild of Canada, this exclusive conversation will take place between Skogland and Feige, who’ve joined forces as director and executive producer, respectively, of​​ Marvel Studios'​​ new series​​ “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,”​​ streaming exclusively on​​ Disney+. Don't miss this discussion as Skogland and Feige delve into the making of the​​ Marvel Cinematic Universe​​ series and share their thoughts on the future of storytelling.​​ BANFF​​ recently announced​​ ​​ that​​ Netflix's​​ co-CEO and Chief Content Officer, Ted Sarandos, will be featured as a keynote speaker.​​ 

CONTACT:​​ Banff World Media Festival/Brunico Communications, Toronto, Canada.​​ Tel. 1-416-408-2300. Email:​​ mwilkins@brunico.com ​​​​ Web:​​ www.banffmediafestival.ca​​ 

NEW NATURE SERIES

Humble Bee Films​​ and​​ SeaLight Pictures,​​ “Life in Colour with David Attenborough”​​ is an awe-inspiring series that sees Sir David on location from the rainforests of Costa Rica to the snowy Scottish-highlands to reveal the extraordinary ways that animals use color. Sir David has always been fascinated by the way color plays a part in the natural world and now using new camera technologies (some developed especially for this series) we will be able to see colors usually invisible to our eyes. From the UV signals on a butterfly’s wings and facial markings on a damselfish, to the strange​​ polarization​​ patterns sported by a mantis shrimp,​​ “Life in Colour”​​ will be a truly visual feast for audiences worldwide​​ (3 x 60’,​​ all​​ right​​ available outside of UK).​​ 

CONTACT:​​ Flame Distribution,​​ Artarmon,​​ NSW,​​ Australia.​​ Tel.​​ 61-2-8065-4899.​​ Email:​​ sales@flamedistribution.com​​ ​​ Web:​​ www.flamemedia.tv​​ 

ZDF, OFF THE FENCE CLOSE DEAL WITH UKTV​​ 

ZDF Enterprises​​ and its wholly owned subsidiary,​​ Off the Fence, have closed a major volume deal with​​ UKTV, one of Britain’s largest commercial broadcasters. The deal will see​​ UKTV​​ acquire 40 hours of premium factual content for two of its specialist factual channels,​​ Eden​​ and​​ Yesterday.​​ ZDF Enterprises’​​ new World War II history documentary,​​ “Frontlines”​​ (8 x 50’), produced by​​ Impossible Factual Ltd​​ will air on​​ Yesterday, and​​ Off the Fence’s​​ nature series,​​ “Wild Edens”​​ (3 x 60’, 4K) is​​ set​​ for​​ Eden.​​ ZDF Enterprises​​ has​​ also​​ secured pre-investment from​​ UKTV​​ for two natural history series for​​ Eden,​​ including​​ “Africa from Above”​​ (10 x 50’, 4K/UHD), produced by​​ Off the Fence, a stunning production covering every aspect of this fascinating continent, and​​ “Rescued Chimpanzees of the Congo with Jane Goodall”​​ (5 x 50’), an enlightening series that looks behind the scenes at one of the largest great ape sanctuaries in Africa, produced by​​ Off the Fence Productions​​ for​​ Curiosity Stream​​ in association with​​ ZDF Enterprises. Also licensed to​​ UKTV​​ for​​ Eden​​ is​​ “Equator—The​​ Line of Life”​​ (3 x 50’), filmed in 4K/UHD, a three-part series exploring what is known in science as the “cradle of nature,” produced by​​ Primitive Entertainment​​ and​​ Spiegel TV​​ in association with​​ ZDF,​​ ARTE,​​ NHK,​​ Discovery Canada​​ and​​ ZDF Enterprises.​​ 

CONTACT:​​ ZDF Enterprises, Mainz, Germany. Tel. 49-6131-991-1601. Fax 49-6131-991-1612. Web:​​ www.zdf-enterprises.de

MYSTERY/THRILLER

Produced by​​ Telekom Srbija​​ and​​ Monte Royal Pictures International,​​ “Debt to the Sea”​​ follows the​​ arrival of a mysterious stranger​​ who​​ triggers an unstoppable wave of events for the unsettled inhabitants of a beautiful but deadly​​ village on the coast of Montenegro. Fractured families, old friends and young lovers are forced to find answers in their tragic pasts and uncertain futures. All inexplicably intertwined with dark secrets, ancient myths and an unrelenting sea​​ (11 x 50’).​​ 

CONTACT:​​ GoQuest Media Ventures, Mumbai, India. Tel. 91-22-495-591-00. Email:​​ contact@goquestmedia.com ​​ ​​ ​​​​ Web:​​ www.goquestmedia.com

ECO-ADVENTURE​​ 

Each animated episode​​ of​​ “Sea Believers”​​ leads kids on an​​ eco-adventure. Whether in the sea or on shore, the positive Sea​​ Believers characters with their distinct seaweed hair, seashell nose, sea-colored eyes and webbed hands and feet, problem-solve and take action around key environmental issues. Each Sea​​ Believer carries a​​ magic​​ sand​​ dollar which ignites his or her unique super powers–fueled by their self-belief!​​ (52 x 11’).​​ 

CONTACT:​​ Studio 100 Media, Munich, Germany. Tel.​​ 49-89-960855-0. Email:​​ distribution@studio100media.com ​​​​ Web: ​​ www.studio100group.com

DESIGN FAUX-PAS​​ 

HGTV​​ has greenlighted a new one-hour pilot,​​ “What Not To Design”​​ (working title), starring singer, actress and design enthusiast Raven-Symoné. Based on the wildly popular​​ TLC​​ show​​ “What Not To Wear,”​​ the pilot follows Raven and her team of experts, designer Nina Ferrer and craftsman James Worsham, as they lead a style intervention to overhaul home design disasters. From homes with outdated, over-the-top decor to ones with out-of-control memorabilia collections, the houses – and the owners – are in for a major change.​​ During the pilot, Raven and her team will meet with homeowners who are stuck in a style rut. They will survey what items to keep, toss and sell online to maximize the budget. After that, it’s out with the old as the rooms are emptied of everything, including carpet, drapes and wallpaper.​​ “What Not to Design”​​ is a new format based on​​ BBC Studios’​​ global format​​ “What Not to Wear.”​​ The pilot is being produced by​​ BBC Studios’​​ Los Angeles production arm​​ (format,​​ 60’).​​ 

CONTACT:​​ Discovery Networks, Silver Spring, MD, USA. Tel. 1-240-662-5900. Fax 1-240-662-1986. Web ​​ www.discovery.com​​ 

SERIAL KILLER’S SURVIVORS

Few have survived a face-to-face meeting with a murderer and lived to tell the tale.​​ “Surviving a Serial Killer”​​ delves into the personal stories of the people who have done just that. ​​ Be they a stranger, a friend, or a lover, these brave individuals have decided to speak out about their close encounter with evil. Primary source interviews, pertinent archive and atmospheric​​ visualizations​​ bring their stories of near death, to life. ​​ We flip the traditional narrative of a crime documentary on its head – the focus is not on the perpetrator but instead on the people whose lives they so affected​​ (6 x 60’).​​ 

CONTACT:​​ Woodcut International,​​ Eastleigh, UK. Tel.​​ 44-0-845-355-0858.​​ Email:​​ info@woodcutinternational.com​​  ​​​​ Web:​​ ​​ www.woodcutinternational.com​​