Drive unveils first Mipcom slate

UK production funding agency Drive, which recently launched a distribution division, has unveiled its debut Mipcom slate and a number of pre-sales, coproduction and finished programme deals.

Lilla Hurst

C21 revealed sales arm Drive Media Rights last month, three years after the agency was established by international distribution executives Lilla Hurst and Ben Barrett.

The London-based company has secured pre-sale funding from SBS Australia and ZDF for Building Star Trek, a 50th anniversary special celebrating the cultural and technological impact of the iconic series.

The special is being produced by Yap Films for Smithsonian Channel and Discovery Canada, with Drive taking both 1×120’ and 1×60’ versions to Mipcom.

Drive will also be launching The World’s Deadliest Weather: Caught on Camera at the Cannes market. The series, a coproduction between Drive and UK producer Back2Back, was financed through a range of pre-sales and will be available in 13×60’ or 26×30’ formats.

Also on the slate is Hell Below, a 6×60’ series tracking the dramatic narrative of the greatest submarine battles of the Second World War.

The programme, produced by Parallax Film Productions, was commissioned by Smithsonian Channel and National Geographic Channels International in deals brokered by Drive, which will now handle worldwide distribution.

As previously announced, Drive has also signed an exclusive agreement with Barcroft Media to distribute more than 1000 short form films which will also launch at Mipcom.

“It’s very exciting to be going to Mipcom with a distribution slate of completed programmes, much of which comprises series and specials for which we have also secured the primary production funding,” said Drive co-founder Lilla Hurst.

Drive recently announced the sale of Ronachan Films’ one-hour documentary First Contact: Lost Tribe of the Amazon to Netflix.