Germany’s thriving TV celebrated

MIPCOM: The strength of the German TV industry was praised at Mipcom last night, as more than 320 delegates flocked to the biannual German cocktail event.

Bruce Paisner (International Emmys), Petra Müller (FMS), Anke Schäferkordt (RTL Mediagroup) and Camille Bidermann-Roizen (International Emmys)

The reception, held for the 10th time, is now an established event at both MipTV and Mipcom for German and international delegates, according to host Petra Müller, CEO of funding body Film- und Medienstiftung NRW.

“Every Mip Monday, 18.00-20.00, we host the reception where everybody comes on the first day and it has become a regular part of the market,” Müller said.

Joining forces to host the cocktail at Club21 were the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and Deutsche Welle Transtel, along with Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie, the ZukunftsAgentur Brandenburg (ZAB), the Entertainment Master Class (EMC), MFG Filmförderung Baden- Württemberg, Nordmedia – Film- und Mediengesellschaft Niedersachsen/Bremen and German Films.

DW Transtel, the sales arm of Deutsche Welle, participated as an exclusive cooperation partner to mark its 50th year of operations.

The cocktails, attended by companies such as RTL, WDR, Sky Deutschland, TNT International, Super RTL, Endemol Shine Group and Red Arrow, were sponsored by Telekom Deutschland and Audio Network, while C21Media was the media partner.

Simone Lenzen, Arno Schneppenheim (both Endemol Shine, Germany), Arne
Kreutzfeldt (MME Entertainment), Katharina Rickers (Endemol Shine, Netherlands)

Müller spoke to C21 at the event about the current state of German TV production, which she said had evolved from the last German cocktails at MipTV in April.

“Deutschland 83, for example, has been sold to 20 international broadcasters and RTL and UFA Fiction are maybe planning to do a Deutschland trilogy,” said Müller. “There are also shows like The Valley, from TNT, Sky and Bantry Bay Productions, which is the first series to be told in a horizontal narrative and was funded by us and sells very well. We are completely happy with the results.”

Müller also said the German TV market is now open for high-quality fiction – TV movies, series, miniseries and formats – which could be funded in NRW as well as in Berlin-Brandenburg and other German media regions.”

Anna Sarah Vielhaber (MBB) and Regina Ziegler (Ziegler Film)

Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg’s Anna Sarah Vielhaber, who is head of marketing and funding media development at the organisation, said the German TV industry was now “embracing” the MCN culture. “In Berlin, we have many creative people around the city and it’s a place that is very attractive to young creatives,” she said.

She added that her organisation’s new media funding programme had given the local TV community a boost in developing programmes. “We launched a new funding programme this year and we can now fund the development and production of high-end series as well as entertainment and non-fiction formats,” says Vielhaber.

“We are also funding web series – the new kind of television. TV is no longer what it was. In Berlin, MCNs and start-ups are working alongside big companies like Vice and Axel Springer.”

Other companies in attendance included Ziegler Film, FremantleMedia, Beta Film, Talpa Germany, RTL, StudioCanal, Netflix and Sony Pictures Film & TV.

Martin Moszkowicz (Constantin Film), Oliver Berben (Constantin Film Produktion)
and Christian Franckenstein (Bavaria Film)

Joe Neurauter (Occupant Films) and Dirk Schürhoff (Beta Cinema)

Pictures: Eric Bonté