With US production down and another US writers’ strike underway, international distributors are lining up content already in the can for buyers looking to fill slots. Check out the latest Hot Properties playlist on C21’s Digital Screenings.
The drama genre is set to be in the spotlight this month, as international buyers start to see the impact of a US production downturn due to the economic situation and rising costs, as well as the US writers’ strike. However, this month’s playlist features plenty of dramas that are available to license.
The list includes Codex 632 (Bavaria Media International), in which an intrepid linguistics professor investigates a 500-year-old mystery that turns out to be a dangerous secret with national and international implications. There’s also Dear Vivi (ZDF Studios), described as “an emotional family drama and thriller combo that uncovers the mystery behind the shocking murder of a wife and mother.”
From French distributor StudioCanal comes cop series The Brigade, described as “an intense and action-packed crime drama that dives deep into the inner workings of the most prestigious unit in the French Police Force.” One of the Boys (Viaplay Group), meanwhile, follows a 16-year-old who struggles to live up to the masculine ideals and expectations of his peer group in smalltown Denmark.
From Australia comes The Messenger (All3Media International), an adaptation of Markus Zusak’s bestselling novel about a directionless teenager who inadvertently becomes a local hero, while a brace of Japanese series round out the dramas for this month: Wonder Food – From Fiction to Reality (Chukyo TV Broadcasting) is set in the world of cookery; and Death Cash (Tokyo Broadcasting System Television) focuses on a college student who suddenly learns of the freakish death of her friend, on whose corpse were found reams of 10,000-yen bills.
Animated sitcom Grimsburg (Fox Entertainment Global) is also on the playlist, centring on a man who may be the greatest detective ever, but there’s one mystery he still can’t crack: his family.
For factual buyers, this month’s playlist includes Take a Chance (Banijay Rights), about stalker Gert Van Der Graaf and his obsession with ABBA superstar Agnetha Fältskog, while History’s Greatest Heists with Pierce Brosnan (A+E Media Group) sees the former James Bond star uncovering the planning, execution and aftermath of some of the most elaborate heists in history.
Meanwhile, The Last Secrets of Humankind (Federation Studios) is from director Jacques Malaterre, 20 years after his acclaimed trilogy A Species Odyssey, and Afghan Women (France TV Distribution) paints a picture of Afghanistan as viewed through female eyes – a far cry from the caricatures we’re used to seeing in the media.
100 Days to Indy (Vice Distribution) offers an inside look at the journey of the drivers, teams and fans towards the Indianapolis 500, and Adventure Israel – Hiking the National Trail (Autentic Distribution) sees a young couple take viewers on their adventurous long-distance hiking trip along the Israel National Trail.
From GWR Studios comes Rumeysa Walking Tall, following the world’s tallest woman on her first journey to the US to meet other extraordinary women, while Mysteries From Above (Blue Ant International) sets out to investigate significant historic and contemporary sites from above with drone, satellite and aerial photography.
Rounding out the factual slate are The Royal Keys to Surplus (Kings Queens TV), which offers ways to transform and revolutionise your life, and Wedding Valley (DCD Rights), which follows the businesses in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire, hoping to give brides and grooms the best day of their lives.
New reality format Stranded on Honeymoon Island, which was launched by Red Arrow Studios International at MipTV last month, is also in the mix, following expert-matched couples who are stranded on a deserted island to see if true love will blossom.
For buyers of kids’ content, this month’s list includes The Smeds & The Smoos (Magic Light Pictures), about a couple on a faraway planet whose families cannot accept the match after generations of division. Meanwhile, Toru Superfox (Cake) is an adventure-packed preschool series that helps children to understand and deal with their feelings, and Crazy Fun Park (Australian Children’s Television Foundation) follows a shy teen who wants to fit in and enjoy his high-school years, if only his dead best friend would stop sabotaging him at every turn.
That’s all for May, stay tuned for more Hot Properties next month!
READ LESSWith US production down and another US writers’ strike underway, international distributors are lining up content already in the can for buyers looking to fill slots. Check out the latest Hot Properties playlist on C21’s Digital Screenings.
The drama genre is set to be in the spotlight this month, as international buyers start to see the impact of a US production downturn due to the economic situation and rising costs, as well as the US writers’ strike. However, this month’s playlist features plenty of dramas that are available to license.
The list includes Codex 632 (Bavaria Media International), in which an intrepid linguistics professor investigates a 500-year-old mystery that turns out to be a dangerous secret with national and international implications. There’s also Dear Vivi (ZDF Studios), described as “an emotional family drama and thriller combo that uncovers the mystery behind the shocking murder of a wife and mother.”
From French distributor StudioCanal comes cop series The Brigade, described as “an intense and action-packed crime drama that dives deep into the inner workings of the most prestigious unit in the French Police Force.” One of the Boys (Viaplay Group), meanwhile, follows a 16-year-old who struggles to live up to the masculine ideals and expectations of his peer group in smalltown Denmark.
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