Full Content London 2023 Agenda
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 4.10pm |
Venue: Hansom Hall,
St Pancras Hotel
In this Content London Case Study we go behind the scenes of upcoming documentary Keeping It Up. This is the astonishing untold story of the creation, promotion and exploitation of Viagra, the little blue pill that launched a sexual revolution 25 years ago. With intelligence, curiosity – and a sprinkling of humour – this feature length documentary will tell the remarkable story of Viagra’s unstoppable rise from failed heart drug to pharmaceutical and cultural phenomenon.
BBC Storyville join producer Two Rivers to discuss how with help from the BFI and All3Media International, the documentary was commissioned and created.
Registration will be open 4.00pm–7.00pm.
Date: Monday 27 November │
Start time: 5.00pm |
Venue: Music Foyer,
Kings Place
Date: Monday 27 November │
Start time: 5.45pm |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
A Studio Lambert in association with All3Media International for BBC.
BOARDERS
Created/ written by Daniel Lawrence Taylor
BOARDERS is a high energy, coming of age comedy drama which follows the lives of five talented black inner-city teenagers navigating their way through an alien world: the British public school system. Following a problematic viral video involving a student, our leads are offered sixth form scholarships to St Gilbert’s, in an attempt to rehabilitate the image of one of the country’s oldest and most prestigious schools.
Our five leads find themselves in a world they can only describe as something out of Harry Potter surrounded by lush playing fields, cloistered grandeur and complex social rules which they must decipher quickly in order to survive. They will go on a journey as they learn about themselves, their identity and what it’s like to live alongside the one percent - which they discover is nothing like life as they knew it.
Boarders is created and written by Daniel Lawrence Taylor and is produced by Studio Lambert in association with All3Media International for BBC.
BOARDERS
Created/ written by Daniel Lawrence Taylor
BOARDERS is a high energy, coming of age comedy drama which follows the lives of five talented black inner-city teenagers navigating their way through an alien world: the British public school system. Following a problematic viral video involving a student, our leads are offered sixth form scholarships to St Gilbert’s, in an attempt to rehabilitate the image of one of the country’s oldest and most prestigious schools.
Our five leads find themselves in a world they can only describe as something out of Harry Potter surrounded by lush playing fields, cloistered grandeur and complex social rules which they must decipher quickly in order to survive. They will go on a journey as they learn about themselves, their identity and what it’s like to live alongside the one percent - which they discover is nothing like life as they knew it.
Boarders is created and written by Daniel Lawrence Taylor and is produced by Studio Lambert in association with All3Media International for BBC.
Content London is proud to host The 62nd annual Rose d’Or Awards, which defines the gold standard for excellence and achievement in International TV and Audio programme making. The ceremony takes place on Monday night at Kings Place, celebrating the best in entertainment from around the world.
This is followed by the Rose d’Or Awards Afterparty. You can find out more about The Rose d’Or Awards by CLICKING HERE.
This is followed by the Rose d’Or Awards Afterparty. You can find out more about The Rose d’Or Awards by CLICKING HERE.
Date: Monday 27 November │
Start time: 8.30pm |
Venue: Music Foyer,
Kings Place
Registration will be open 8.00am–6.00pm, at Kings Place.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 8.00am |
Venue: Ladies Smoking Room,
St Pancras Hotel
A breakfast will be available at the St Pancras Hotel between 8:00am–10:00am, hosted by FRAPA in association with the David Lyle Foundation- davidlylefoundation.org
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 9.30am |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
Leading analysts discuss the current trends affecting the global content business and outline the key drivers for change in 2024. This panel features a set of presentations from the leading players which put the international market in perspective and provides a road map for development in the year ahead.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 10.00am |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
Branded entertainment entered a new era with the record-breaking release of the critical and commercial smash hit Barbie earlier this year. With broadcaster's budgets squeezed and streamers open to new models of financing, branded content is more attractive than ever. But how are producers, distributors, commissioners and brands working together to create original drama, factual and unscripted programming that doesn't feel like one big ad?
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 10.00am |
Venue: Hansom Hall,
St Pancras Hotel
Leading executives set the scene for three days of intense discussion and debate about the biggest trends, opportunities and issues facing the global unscripted business. From international entertainment formats to premium docs, what are the global ambitions for studios and producers and how will they realise them?
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 10.50am |
Venue: Hansom Hall,
St Pancras Hotel
The unscripted wish-list: what stories is WBD looking for in the UK and Ireland? Join the WBD UK & Ireland team to hear about the commissioning wish-list for the market, spanning discovery+ and linear channels, including Really, Quest, Quest Red, Food Network, and HGTV. Clare Laycock, SVP head of content, Networks and Streaming, Charlotte Reid, VP commissioning, and commissioning editors Steven Fullagar and Deirdre Dowling will talk about the kind of stories they’re looking for, what resonates with their audiences and how to pitch an unscripted idea.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 11.00am |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
In this one-on-one interview Lina Brounéus will take a closer look at Netflix’s evolving strategy around film and series acquisition and coproductions, and will provide a window into the current landscape, from flexible deal structures to Netflix’s ongoing partnership with some of Europe’s leading distributors and production companies.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 11.00am |
Venue: Hall 3,
Kings Place
The Content London Drama Series Pitch showcases some of the most exciting development projects from the professional community that are looking for partners to take them to the next level. With special focus on projects from Africa and India this year, out of more than 150 submissions, 12 projects have been selected to pitch live at Content London on Tuesday November 28 at 11am.
The winning project, selected by an esteemed panel of judges will be announced during Content London at the International Drama Awards on Thursday November 30 at 6pm. They will receive a £30,000 marketing prize from C21 Media to support development and pre-sales promotion of the show.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 11.00am |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
With budgets under further pressure, a year of strikes, changing studio landscape and demand for more global content, what does the future of the global scripted business look like? Leading executives working across the scripted space dissect the impact of the last 12 months and the latest challenges and opportunities facing an ever evolving business.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 11.40am |
Venue: Hansom Hall,
St Pancras Hotel
The appetite for premium docs shows no sign of waning but what are commissioners looking for in a climate of budget-tightening? We hear from some of the leading high-end doc commissioners.
This Hot Properties session shines a light on three upcoming dramas expected to have an impact on the international market over the next 18 months. We hear how the projects were created, developed, packaged and sold from those closest to the project.
This session features: So Long, Marianne, Dope Girls and Karantina
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 12.00pm |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
Following the recent launch of a major new North-West European drama collaboration, we hear from the partners that make up New8 about the reasons behind the new partnership, and heads of drama reveal the first slate of original content and detail their content plans and opportunities going forward.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 12.30pm |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
This session highlights some of the key trends impacting the scripted business, drawing on content from across C21’s range of products and Drama Quarterly’s ongoing coverage of the creative side of the international scripted business.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 12.30pm |
Venue: Hansom Hall,
St Pancras Hotel
Session description to follow.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 1.00pm |
Venue: Hall 4,
Kings Place
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 1.15pm |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
Presentation details and catalogue can be found here
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 1.15pm |
Venue: Hall 3,
Kings Place
Are you looking for a Canadian coproduction partner or to acquire Canadian programming? We invite international Content London delegates to our ‘Meet the Canadians’ business to business meeting and networking event. We are looking for delegates who are interested in meeting experienced Canadian producers for potential co-production opportunities, or buyers and commissioners looking for Canadian content. For more information and to apply, please click here .
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 2.15pm |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
One year on from the launch of ChatGPT and media coverage of AI remains dominated by its potential impact on jobs and existential fears about its threat to humanity. In this session, media & AI consultant Dan Taylor-Watt will explore how we can positively embrace AI as a creative partner and mitigate some of the issues it presents. Assuming no prior knowledge, this session will cover what AI is (and isn’t), how it works, some of the ways it’s currently being used, what it might mean for the content industry and how we might respond.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 2.30pm |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
In this headline session, Marco Bassetti, CEO Banijay, will provide his insights on the evolution of the European content model, organic growth and M&A, diversification, innovation and new technologies. In addition, he will address how to overcome industry-born challenges to drive maximum content value.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 2.30pm |
Venue: Hall 3,
Kings Place
The Studio21 Drama Series Script Competition, coproduced with Content London, Script Angel and WritersRoom, is designed to find the next big thing in scripted entertainment. We’re looking for an outstanding pilot for a one-hour drama from a fresh writer who has got what it takes to create a primetime series.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 2.30pm |
Venue: Hansom Hall,
St Pancras Hotel
In this session, leading unscripted producers and executives take us inside their innovative new models for coproducing formats and factual entertainment and opportunities for partnerships.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 3.00pm |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
A whistlestop tour, complete with demos, of the AI tools production companies and broadcasters can leverage to make their development process more efficient and creative. All these tools are suitable for complete beginners, and are cheap or completely free to use.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 3.10pm |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
After a drop off in M&As over the past 12 months, are we heading for a new round of megadeals, as some are predicting, and, if so, what is the best course of action for producers and creatives?
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 3.20pm |
Venue: Hansom Hall,
St Pancras Hotel
With the arrival of huge shows such as Squid Game: The Challenge and 007: Road to a Million, IP from the worlds of scripted drama and feature films is now being exploited in the unscripted space. This panel hears how this new content trend has inspired producers and studio executives to create ambitious formats based on hit scripted brands.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 3.40pm |
Venue: Hall 3,
Kings Place
Set against the backdrop of a year of of strikes and budget cuts across the global entertainment business and an increasingly unsettled world we explore why creating content that resonates with domestic and global audiences is crucial and how content creators are going about doing this. Leading creators and executives discuss how they are finding new ways to tell stories on screen that speak to and reflect both audiences around the world as well as local and niche communities. How they are finding the right voices to create and tell these stories, how they are financing these projects , where is the balance really shifting and where is there still work to be done?
Commissioners working across the UK drama space reveal details of their content strategies, how this is driving decision-making and what’s on their shopping lists.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 4.00pm |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
Creatives and AI don’t mix…or do they? By embracing potent Story Intelligence, filmmakers can supercharge their decisions with insights that answer unanswerable questions about a script, characters and more. Drawing from experience collaborating with creatives on the global stage, StoryFit’s visionary Monica Landers will walk us through real-life use-cases of how creative decisions can be assisted by the new technology. Additionally, the presentation will unveil recent research that StoryFit has done on topics such as the subtle variations in humor between the US and UK, all illustrated through compelling examples from recent productions. Don’t miss this opportunity to witness the seamless fusion of artistry and technology, propelling storytelling into a new era.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 4.10pm |
Venue: Hansom Hall,
St Pancras Hotel
With global environmental issues and events increasing at pace and commissioning budgets ever decreasing how are some of the worlds’ leading producers changing their business models to enable the production of big budget natural history content, that helps educate and influence audiences while remaining environmentally sustainable in production.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 4.30pm |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
How can AI help reimagine the content and media industry, balancing the hi-tech with the human touch.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 4.50pm |
Venue: Hall 3,
Kings Place
As the demand for original, authentic and globally appealing content continues we hear from some of the most progressive writers about what they have in development, who they are working with and what stories they think international audiences really want to see on screen.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 5.00pm |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
Content London goes behind the scenes with the coproduction partners of Those Who Stayed, which was filmed earlier this year in Kyiv as the war raged. We will hear more about the series and why the Nordics came on board as official coproducers of a series shot in Ukraine and in Ukrainian. Going behind the scenes of how the series got made, lessons learned, the Nordic experience and the importance of telling this story.
The panel discussion will then be followed by a 35 minute screening of the first episode.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 5.00pm |
Venue: Hansom Hall,
St Pancras Hotel
Factual commissioners from across the globe reveal details of their content strategies, how this is driving decision-making and what’s on their shopping lists.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 5.00pm |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
From IP and regulation, through strategic applications of AI, to content creation and distribution, to the existential threat to mankind, this ‘super session’ gathers together a line-up of speakers who are engaged with the issues on a daily basis to share their thoughts on the threats, opportunities and future changes and applications of AI in relation to the content business.
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 5.30pm |
Venue: Music Foyer,
Kings Place
Networking Cocktail in partnership with the David Lyle Foundation, davidlylefoundation.org
Date: Tuesday 28 November │
Start time: 6.00pm |
Venue: Sweeties,
The Standard Hotel
A+E Cocktails are taking place on the 10th floor of The Standard Hotel, At Sweeties. Enter via the private entrance located to the left the hotel main entrance.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 8.00am |
Venue: Hall 3,
Kings Place
Breakfast hosted by Screen Ireland celebrating an incredible year in Irish screen. Meet the story makers, producers, and creatives and some of the new international work coming to screens in the next year.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 8.00am |
Venue: Hall 4,
Kings Place
Breakfast hosted by New Zealand On Air. Meet the producers, distributors, and financiers of some of the new international work coming to screens soon, or in development now.
Registration will be open 8.00am-6.00pm, at Kings Place.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 9.30am |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
With broadcasters and online streamers slashing their drama commissioning budgets, what innovative funding models can producers turn to in order to get their scripted shows over the line?
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 9.30am |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
European drama commissioners discuss their upcoming drama slates, what they are on the look out for next and the opportunities for coproduction and collaboration.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 9.30am |
Venue: Hansom Hall,
St Pancras Hotel
With a number of new premium doc-focused production initiatives launching across the business, leading international executives discuss current funding models, where the money is coming from, which genres are pulling in the bucks and how?
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 9.30am |
Venue: Hall 3,
Kings Place
Senior broadcast executives and producers discuss producing and coproducing scripted content with Africa and take us inside their recent successes. We hear more about what’s hot coming out of Africa right now, new creative and business models and what the opportunties are for new partnerships and coproductions.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 10.20am |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
Against a backdrop of cut-backs in commissioning from global streamers, national broadcasters from the Nordic countries outline their latest drama commissioning strategies, who they’re looking to partner with and the key new projects on their upcoming slates.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 10.20am |
Venue: Hall 3,
Kings Place
This Hot Properties session shines a light on three upcoming African dramas expected to have an impact on the international market over the next 18 months. We hear how the projects were created, developed, packaged and sold from those closest to the project. This session features: White Lies, Soon Comes Night and The Morning After.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 10.20am |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
Having achieved success with a diverse slate of global hits such as The Crown, The Last of Us, The Boys, Gen V, The Night Agent, Sex Education, Who Is Erin Carter?, Twisted Metal, The Killing Kind and The Winter King, unscripted formats like Shark Tank/Dragon’s Den and Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and franchises like Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy! and 90 Day Fiancé, Sony Pictures’ Chairman of Global Television Studios, Ravi Ahuja, looks ahead to how the only independent major studio, plans to navigate a rapidly changing entertainment business in the next 12 months.
In his first international keynote appearance, Ahuja, who previously held key leadership positions at Disney and Fox, will discuss Sony’s strategy for standing apart with acclaimed IP, major TV franchises and hit shows captivating audiences on nearly every major streaming platform.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 10.30am |
Venue: Hansom Hall,
St Pancras Hotel
After big hits like Too Hot to Handle, F1: Drive to Survive, and Sins of our Mother, in this keynote interview Riegg will look back at the growing slate of non-fiction titles that have captivated fans around the world and will deep dive into Netflix’s strategy and the exciting upcoming series and films.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 11.10am |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
In this Sky Studios keynote session, we hear from CEO Sky Studios’ Cécile Frot-Coutaz, and team on their approach to producing unmissable TV and building global partnerships in an ever-changing content landscape.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 11.10am |
Venue: Hall 3,
Kings Place
As the Writers Guild of America strike puts renewed focus on the long-standing tradition of writers rooms behind the majority of US scripted series, we discuss to what extent this method of storytelling has crossed the Atlantic and how it has been adopted, successfully or otherwise.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 11.10am |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
Key executives from platforms and broadcasters around the world discuss how they are innovating to keep their position in an increasingly competitive landscape and delve into their content strategies and plans for coproduction and international partnerships.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 11.15am |
Venue: Hansom Hall,
St Pancras Hotel
In this Content Strategies session, Aurelie de Troyer, head of regional content for Europe, Audible will discuss how audio content trends continue to grow and why factual programming and documentaries are a key priority for the platform over the next 12 months. Clare Chadburn, content director at Audible will join her on stage along with key production partners to discuss highlights from their upcoming slate and further explore the opportunities for established TV creators and producers to diversify into the world of audio.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 12.00pm |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
Drama heads from across the globe outline their scripted content strategies and the types of coproduction opportunities and partnerships they are seeking out.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 12.00pm |
Venue: Hall 3,
Kings Place
The AI revolution is coming – but in one sector of the industry, is it already here? As visual effects (VFX) play an increasingly important role in television, we lift the curtain on this part of the business to examine the pressures and demands facing VFX creatives and how they are utilising advancing AI capabilities, virtual production and video game technology to create a seamless viewing experience for viewers at home, as well as exploring the challenges posed by both time and budget as VFX artists become increasingly integral to the creative process from development to post production.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 12.00pm |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
As the next generation of content creators continues to attract growing audiences across digital channels, building direct relationships between their audience and brands, we consider how will these disruptors will evolve to own more of the content value chain while considering what that means for the traditional ‘television’ business. In this session leading next gen creators discuss their content strategies and business models. We also take a deep dive into partnership opportunities between the new and old guard storytellers.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 12.15pm |
Venue: Hansom Hall,
St Pancras Hotel
In this Content London Case Study session we delve into the successful reality TV series, A New Kind of Beautiful. We hear from creator, of The Fashion Hero Caroline Bernier and host of the series AJ McLean about how the TV series came about, it’s purpose and ambition and how the show is touching audiences and being sold around the world.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 1.00pm |
Venue: Hall 4,
Kings Place
Adolescence is a big mess. Mean schoolmates, unrequited loves, parents who don’t understand you anymore, and every certainty you had up until then is swept away by the fear and the desire to grow up.
Sometimes you wished you had superpowers to survive your teenage years.
Well, now you do. But things aren’t much better, right? We Are Legend is the story of a group of kids with huge problems and immense powers. Powers that can be traced back to their own fears and deepest desires. Powers capable of turning their lives upside down, forcing them face their limits, their wishes, their responsibilities.
And then nothing will be like it was before.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 1.15pm |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
Experience the captivating world of Finnish drama like never before, as we present the hottest upcoming series from Finland's creative talents. Join us for an exclusive opportunity to explore carefully selected productions actively seeking international partners. Our esteemed talents will personally introduce these projects in conversation with Marike Muselaers.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 2.15pm |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
Bringing together some of the most exciting creatives and projects in the business this AI Case Studies block takes you on a journey that showcases best practice and best use of the new technology.Panellists share practical use of AI across every aspect of content development and production featuring leading players at the cutting edge of generative AI creativity.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 2.30pm |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
Marking one year since SkyShowtime launched in Europe, CEO of the Comcast and Paramount Global joint-venture, Monty Sarhan, will discuss his vision for the streaming service across its 20+ markets along with the successes of the past year. He will be joined by chief content officer, Kai Finke, who will share content strategy insights, including the importance of original programming and their fast-growing slate, as well as partnership opportunities.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 2.30pm |
Venue: Hall 3,
Kings Place
In this Content London Case Study, Lauren Anderson, head of AVoD originals, unscripted and targeted programming with Amazon MGM Studios, Shahina O’Mahoney, head of 3P content, Amazon Freevee UK, and Jamie Lynn, EVP co-production and distribution, EMEA, Fremantle, will discuss the decision to save Neighbours after it’s 38-year run, the re-branding of the series on its new home, Amazon Freevee, and its success in the UK and US since launch.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 2.30pm |
Venue: Hansom Hall,
St Pancras Hotel
The Content London Global Entertainment Formats Pitch 2023, is a cornerstone of the three day Formats and Factual strand at Content London and is designed to discover and develop a brand new international hit format in one of the following two categories: ‘Primetime Entertainment’ or ‘Reality & Social Experiment’.
Out of more than 80 submissions, 10 projects have been selected to pitch live at Content London on Wednesday November 29 at 2.30pm.
The winning pitch, selected by an esteemed panel of judges will be announced during Content London on Wednesday December 29 at 5.20pm. They will receive a £30,000 marketing prize from C21 Media to support development and pre-sales promotion of the show.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 3.20pm |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
In this fireside chat session, we talk to the co-executive chairmen of Boat Rocker Media and co-chairmen of Boat Rocker Studios, Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier, about their vision and strategy for the global entertainment company and its creative engine, Boat Rocker Studios.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 3.20pm |
Venue: Hall 3,
Kings Place
This Content London Case Study session features We Might Regret This, a character driven comedy-drama about intimacy, independence and the boundaries that people are willing to break, from Roughcut TV in association with Village Roadshow for BBC Two. In this session we go behind the scenes of We Might Regret This with Ash Atalla, CEO of Roughcut Television, Alix Jaffe, executive vice president, Village Roadshow Television and Jon Petrie, director of comedy commissioning at the BBC.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 4.00pm |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
In recent years we’ve seen hits like Call My Agent, The Bureau and HIP adapted into local markets around the world, including major markets like the US and the UK. Call My Agent, with local versions in the UK, Poland, India, South Korea, Turkey and elsewhere, has also driven growth in comedy adaptations, traditionally a genre that doesn’t travel well. This panel will explore why local adaptations of French scripted content are suddenly in demand. What does it reflect about the state of the global market; which platforms are buying/selling the formats; how are those adaptations performing; how is this changing the distribution plans for the original series, and the international strategies from their distributors; and what new shows launching in RendezVous, Mipcom or CL23 are being primed for local adaptations? Also, what lessons can international producers/distributors learn from this French success story?
Further speakers to be announced.
Further speakers to be announced.
This Hot Properties session shines a light on new scripted projects expected to have an impact on the international market over the next 18 months. We hear how the projects were created, developed, packaged and sold from those closest to the project.
This session features: Volcano and Sight Unseen.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 4.30pm |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
With several exciting projects in the works for 2024 and beyond, Universal International Studios president, Beatrice Springborn will set out her creative vision. She will be joined by newly appointed head of studio, Roma Khanna. Together they will unpack the UIS model and discuss the studio’s tailored approach to global storytelling.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 4.40pm |
Venue: Hansom Hall,
St Pancras Hotel
How do you find the next big ideas that will get a green light and attract audiences around the world? Leading executives in the entertainment formats space share their thoughts and discuss where next for the formats business.
In this exclusive Content London Case Study Steven Knight takes us behind the scenes of his new six-part BBC series, This Town. This Town tells the story of an extended family and four young people who are drawn into the music scene which exploded from the grass roots of Coventry and Birmingham in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, uniting black, white and Asian youths. The series will star Levi Brown (Loss and Return), Jordan Bolger (The Woman King, The Book of Boba Fett), Ben Rose (Line of Duty, The Innocents) and Eve Austin (You, Our Ladies) as its four young leads.
The series is produced by Kudos (a Banijay UK company) and Nebulastar for the BBC, co-produced with Mercury Studios, in association with Kudos North, Stigma Films and Nick Angel. Filming is now underway on location in the Birmingham area, and at Steven Knight’s new Digbeth Loc. Film and TV Studios. Mercury Studios (part of the Universal Music Group) will bring in a range of high profile musical artists to help lay the backdrop for Knight’s story. Acclaimed producer Dan Carey, and Brit and Mercury nominated musician, novelist and poet Kae Tempest, have written the songs performed by the band in the series.
The series is produced by Kudos (a Banijay UK company) and Nebulastar for the BBC, co-produced with Mercury Studios, in association with Kudos North, Stigma Films and Nick Angel. Filming is now underway on location in the Birmingham area, and at Steven Knight’s new Digbeth Loc. Film and TV Studios. Mercury Studios (part of the Universal Music Group) will bring in a range of high profile musical artists to help lay the backdrop for Knight’s story. Acclaimed producer Dan Carey, and Brit and Mercury nominated musician, novelist and poet Kae Tempest, have written the songs performed by the band in the series.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 4.50pm |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
In a hostile environment of strikes and overall contraction in the scripted market we hear from producers across the international business about how they have continued to develop and produce shows in 2023. What has changed in the business, what are the challenges in terms of financing and selling shows now and how can producers adapt to new successful models for the future?
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 5.00pm |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
The leaders of MGM+ Chris Brearton and Michael Wright take part in this fireside chat session at Content London. Brearton is the vice president, Prime Video Studios corporate strategy, and oversees MGM’s global business operations, as well as the legendary studio’s business development and strategic growth initiatives. Wright serves as head of MGM+ (formerly EPIX), a premium commercial-free linear channel and streaming service delivering a broad lineup of content, including quality original series and docuseries. In this content strategies session, Brearton and Wright will discuss the service’s origin and early success, the programming slate and strategy, international expansion, and future vision.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 5.20pm |
Venue: Hall 3,
Kings Place
In the age of eco-thrillers, where Planet Earth is fighting back, how is the television industry looking after the world we live in amid increasing climate change concerns? We hear from producers putting sustainability at the heart of their work, both on and off screen.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 5.20pm |
Venue: Hansom Hall,
St Pancras Hotel
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 5.30pm |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
A Spotlight on Hotel Cocaine - Chris Brancato, a prolific showrunner who has co-created Narcos and Godfather of Harlem, will debut a new scripted crime thriller, Hotel Cocaine on MGM+ in 2024. In this Case Study session Brancato will join Michael Wright, head of MGM+, to explore, from concept to screen, the story of Cuban Exile Roman Compte, a CIA operative and general manager of the The Mutiny Hotel, the glamorous epicenter of the Miami cocaine scene of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. The series stars Danny Pino (Mayans M.C., Law & Order: SVU), Michael Chiklis (The Shield, Winning Time), Mark Feuerstein (Power, The Baby-Sitters Club), and Yul Vazquez (Severance, Godfather of Harlem). In addition to the discussion, the audience will get an exclusive sneak peek at the new series.
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 5.30pm |
Venue: Music Foyer,
Kings Place
Networking Cocktail (Music Foyer - Kings Place)
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 6.00pm |
Venue: Sweeties,
The Standard Hotel
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 6.00pm |
Venue: Music Foyer,
Kings Place
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 6.00pm |
Venue: Ladies Smoking Room,
St Pancras Hotel
Date: Wednesday 29 November │
Start time: 9.00pm |
The Standard Hotel
The Content London Party at the Standard Hotel (sponsored by Mediawan)
Registration will be open 8.00am-6.00pm, at Kings Place
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 8.15am |
Venue: Hall 3,
Kings Place
When it comes to film and TV, Wales is an international success story. We’re committed to driving growth in the industry - from homegrown TV dramas, shot in both Welsh and English, to Hollywood blockbusters. We provide support, funding and infrastructure to turn ideas into reality.
We are Creative Wales and we welcome you to join us to learn who we are, what we do and how we can help you.
A light breakfast will be provided.
Speaking in this session will be Gerwyn Evans, Deputy Director Creative Wales
RSVP : Creative Wales
Speaking in this session will be Gerwyn Evans, Deputy Director Creative Wales
RSVP : Creative Wales
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 9.30am |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
In the rush to original production, content licensing was downgraded by platforms and channels to lesser slots/importance. But now, with the economic situation, soaring production costs and the dual strikes in the US, content licensing is back in fashion. After keeping their shows behind their own walled gardens for years, US studios are refocusing on third-party licensing; following years of overspending on originals and with Wall Street investors breathing down their necks, struggling SVoD streamers are now licensing their originals to other platforms as they switch focus from gaining market share and winning awards to RoI and economic survival; and US networks like The CW have axed original dramas in favour of licensing content from the global market. But how will this impact the streamers long term; will they start to share their catalogues; what kinds of deals are being forged; how will US networks survive on licensed content; and have international buyers found new suppliers?
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 9.30am |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
Legacy broadcasters and social media players come together to outline how they are adapting their content strategies to grow their youth audiences, what new content they are commissioning and coproductions they are forging to keep their youth audiences engaged.
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 9.30am |
Venue: Hansom Hall,
St Pancras Hotel
Head of unscripted for Amazon Studios UK, Fozia Khan, and unscripted executives from the division, Cat Lynch and Harjeet Chhokar, will be joined by Hannah Blyth, head of TV for Prime Video UK, to discuss the global streamer's UK content strategies for the year ahead, drilling down on key new titles in the factual and formats space.
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 10.20am |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
Top execs at BBC Studios outline their content strategy and discuss the new programming they are creating to stay relevant and engaging to global TV audiences, as well as how they are working with the wider creative community to achieve their ambitions.
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 10.20am |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
In this keynote interview, AMC Networks’ CEO Kristin Dolan will discuss the current television landscape, the company’s content and monetization strategies and its partnership-focused approach to an evolving marketplace. Dolan will highlight the rapidly expanding FAST and AVoD space and how the company views these new platforms as an important element of a converged advertising and distribution footprint.
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 10.30am |
Venue: Hansom Hall,
St Pancras Hotel
Sports docs focusing on star names or professional clubs are proving such subscriber drivers for streamers that private equity firms are now investing in projects without a broadcaster attached knowing access will likely equal profit. But as the genre proliferates it’s becoming rare to find a football club without it’s own ride-along obs doc, and star names like Michael Jordan and David Beckham are seeking to tell their stories on their terms. What makes a good and bad sports doc? What terms and conditions are being attached to access? And are traditional documentary ideals of impartiality, journalistic rigour and critique being sacrificed in order to get cameras into somebody’s life, career or dressing room?
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 11.00am |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
Adam Lewinson, chief content officer, Tubi, will share his content acquisition and commissioning strategies and coproduction opportunities at the Fox-owned free streaming service.
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 11.10am |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
ITV Studios is now the largest producer in the UK, one of the largest unscripted producers in the US and one of the top three in the majority of the remaining international markets in which it operates. It's also one of the world's largest International distribution businesses. Managing director Julian Bellamy is joined by leaders across the business to share key insights into industry trends and how they are embracing the new as the market evolves. New ways of deal making; new ways of distributing the 90,000 hour catalogue and the opportunity new technology offers in content production.
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 11.20am |
Venue: Hansom Hall,
St Pancras Hotel
The world of celebrity has always been of interest to the public and with high profile figures like Coleen Rooney, Pamela Anderson, Boris Becker and David Beckham all releasing major documentaries this year, is something fundamental shifting in the streaming landscape? These shows have proved they can capture the public imagination, dominate conversation and go viral online, these life stories are as ripe for TV adaptation as any factual drama. But with every production company chasing the same names, how do you get access? What conditions come with that? Can you produce the project without the subject's blessing/cooperation? And how much does dramatic licence win out in the battle of fact vs fiction? As the balance between scripted and unscripted continues to shift we hear from leading producers at the heart of some of the most recent and popular celebrity biopic and documentary series to discuss their approach, the business value and find out how these shows have become the go to choice and are dominating ratings across all the major streamers.
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 11.40am |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
Against the background of an ever-expanding FAST sector, we take a deep dive into the content acquisition and originals strategies for some of the key players in the business.
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 12.00pm |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
David Madden is head of global entertainment for Wattpad Webtoon Studios, the fan-driven global entertainment and publishing arm for Webtoon and Wattpad. He oversees development, production, and sales for the company’s global TV, feature film, and animation businesses. In this conversation Madden will share his thoughts on Wattpad Webtoon Studios’ slate and also outline the opportunities for partnership with the fast-growing business.
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 12.00pm |
St Pancras Hotel
In this session we hear from the BBC’s heads of factual commissioning about their latest content strategies and how this is driving decision-making, what’s in store on their upcoming slates and opportunities for collaboration.
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 12.30pm |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
In this Content Strategies session, Lisa Hamilton Daly,executive vice president, programming at Hallmark Media, will discuss her content strategy, what new programming she is looking for and opportunities for partnerships across the three linear cable networks Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, and Hallmark Drama, as well as its SVoD service, Hallmark Movies Now, and AVoD platform, Hallmark Movies & More.
This Content London Case Study session features La Mesías from Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi. Actors, directors, and producers, Calvo and Ambrossi are considered by many as two of the most influential young showrunners in the business. Their HBO Max coproduction Veneno, was recognised as one of 2020’s best TV series by The New Yorker and Variety and they have won numerous awards for their work. In this intimate session we go behind the scenes of La Mesías with Calvo and Ambrossi.
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 1.15pm |
Venue: Hall 4,
Kings Place
Speaking in this session is Isla MacGillivray.
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 2.30pm |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
Navigating new stories in Europe: Warner Bros. Discovery’s approach to original content. Laura Carafolio, SVP Content Networks & Streaming Local Productions (Italy & Iberia), Vera Peltekian, Commissioning Editor & Head of Original Productions (France), Ragnhild Thorbech, SVP programming and acquisitions, HBO Max EMEA and Pil Gundelach Brandstrup, VP Content and Programming (Nordics) come together to discuss Warner Bros. Discovery’s approach to content creation and programming strategy. From unscripted to scripted, commissions to acquisitions, and linear to streaming, find out how Warner Bros. Discovery pioneers original programming across Europe.
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 2.30pm |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
Olivier Jollet, EVP and international general manager Pluto TV, will talk about the increasingly competitive FAST market and share his content strategy at the Paramount-owned AVoD and FAST streamer.
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 2.30pm |
Venue: Hansom Hall,
St Pancras Hotel
Blue Light and True Crime programming is one of the most popular and resilient unscripted genres worldwide on linear TV, Streaming platforms, FAST Channels and as the most successful podcast genre. It’s also a very challenging area of programming with complex issues about access and editorial and legal responsibility. In this session we explore how to get it right and how to make it pay with some of those closest to the genre.
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 3.10pm |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
With the exponential growth in FAST we hear from some of the major studios and players about why this is the business model to back, what their strategies and approaches are to FAST and what FAST will look like in 12 to 18 months time.
As an increasing number of actors turn their attention to behind the camera, we explore the inner-workings of actor-led production companies to find out how stars of the screen are now creating the stories they want to tell.
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 3.20pm |
Venue: Hansom Hall,
St Pancras Hotel
Major broadcasters from across Europe outline their latest entertainment formats strategies, new slates and what they’re looking for to create their next big hit.
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 4.00pm |
Venue: Hall 2,
Kings Place
Reemah Sakaan was appointed CEO of the BBC and ITV’s BritBox International in February of this year. In this moderated discussion she will set out her vision and content plans for the subscription streamer as it pushes into new territories.
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 5.30pm |
Venue: Music Foyer,
Kings Place
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 6.00pm |
Venue: Hall 1,
Kings Place
Kings Place, Hall One
6.00pm – 7.00pm(All delegates welcome)Featuring 12 categories and judged by over 100 of the world’s
leading drama commissioners, C21’s International Drama Awards are
by the business, for the business.In 2023 we received over 500 entries from around the globe. Now
celebrating our eleventh year, we invite drama summit delegates to
celebrate the best in the business.Join us for drinks on the Conference Level after the ceremony.Click here for more information.
Date: Thursday 30 November │
Start time: 7.00pm |
Venue: Battlebridge,
Kings Place
