CEE prodco Paprika taps David Ciaramella for formats acquisition role

CONTENT WARSAW: Central and Eastern European (CEE) prodco Paprika Studios has hired David Ciaramella as a content acquisition and licensing exec, tasking him with picking up scripted and unscripted formats for the company to produce in the region.

David Ciaramella

Ciaramella, who previously worked at UK research outfit K7 Media before launching his own media consultancy, Boxed Off Media, last year, told C21 here at Content Warsaw that he would be acquiring formats for all the CEE territories in which Paprika produces.

“Lithuania, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania,” Ciaramella listed. “So I’ll be looking for formats for across the region. In the scripted space, it’s mostly limited series but we work with more than 30 broadcasters across those territories, both public and commercial, so we’re always looking for something a bit different in terms of size and scope.”

Ciaramella said Paprika currently has “a very strong presence in Poland,” following the recent appointment of former Rochstar exec Alicja Czarnecka-Suls as head of non-fiction production at its Polish arm in March. “Alicja is spearheading the entertainment and reality division here, supplementing [Paprika Studios Poland MD] Kristoffer Rus, who covers the scripted side,” he noted.

Scripted formats that Paprika has adapted in CEE include UK drama Liar for TV Markiza in Slovakia and French drama HPI for RTL in Hungary, while unscripted formats the company has adapted include The Traitors for RTL in Hungary, The Farmer Wants a Wife for Pop TV in Slovenia and Love Island for Nova in Czechia.

Ciaramella will remain based in Manchester in England, reporting in Akos Erdos, CEO of Paprika Studios Group. Boxed Off will continue to operate for the duration while Ciaramella covers maternity leave for Paprika content acquisition and licensing exec Reka Gaspar.