26 VIDEOAGE May 2024 MIPTV Review (Continued From Page 24) time. The weather that time of year and EFM happening just prior are not good elements.” Similarly, for Entertainment Studios’ Tom Devlin: “[At MIPTV] I was busy and had great catch-up meetings, [but] many people I would have liked to see didn’t come. [As for MIP London] it makes no sense. [It is] expensive, and buyers will be focused on screenings, not on independents like me trying to get 15 minutes of their time. MIP is less complicated.” Ken DuBow of DuBow Media Distribution had this to say: “From my point of view, we had lots of meetings. The market was productive, regardless of the attendance.” As for the new venue, according to him, “the London move is not smart. Too close to Berlin and the London series market will mean the big companies (a.k.a. studios) will dominate to everybody else’s detriment. Also, with its proximity to Berlin, it means sellers would be spending three weeks in Europe.” To Chevonne O’Shaughnessy, president of ACI, “MIPTV was very good for us. It gave a chance to close with our European clients and have talks with them. I don’t think I would have closed with these clients without being here.” And what about London? “I don’t like the timing of the new market, but I have to see what the cost is going to be,” she said. Moving to Europe, comments from executives were mixed. Dermot Horan, director of Acquisitions and Co-productions, RTE Ireland, said: “It was a quieter market, but I still had a full diary and met up with several companies I have difficulty in fitting in at MIPCOM. And I made a few new contacts, which may lead to future business. Sometimes smaller, less frenetic markets allow for that.” About London, Horan said: “People have known for several years that MIPTV has been under pressure from specialized markets, so teaming up with one has a logic to it. The challenge will be for scripted buyers (the vast majority who attend the London Screenings) and that challenge will be of time. With 29 distributors screening this year in London, buyers split up their traveling teams and were screening all day and well into most evenings. So, maybe some distributors will team up with MIP London and will screen at the Savoy. Format and non-scripted buyers will have more time to spend at MIP London. Either way, it is going to be an incredibly busy week.” Also from Ireland, 101 Films International’s Eoghan Burke said: “[MIPTV] ended up being a good market, but I had very low expectations before attending.” What about the move to London? “Not good,” he said. “It’s too close to EFM in Berlin. A lot of my clients would have attended both EFM and MIPTV. I can’t see them traveling to the U.K. after attending EFM the week before.” And when asked whether he thinks the E.U. Creative will support the London market, he answered: “It’s too early to say just yet. The U.K. is no longer in the E.U., so let’s wait and see.” Phil Ox, head of Film and TV Production, Distribution, and Digital Services, Europe, at Luckymatrix, said: “Clearly, it [was] a mixed bag: attendance had dropped precipitously. On the other hand, in a crisis, opportunities for smaller players arise, or they need to be created ex nihilo. Surprisingly, international co-production is still significant. We have had advanced conversations with Spain, Poland, and France.” About the move to London, Ox, who is based in Portugal, prefaced his comments with: “Markets also need to reinvent themselves.” He then added: “It’s not the most innovative idea, but at least London is still a place where you want to engage in creative and business endeavors. Certainly, Madrid would have been a good alternative and a gateway to Latin America.” About whether the E.U. Creative will support MIP in London the way it did in Cannes, Ox answered: “It seems that until a new [U.K.] Labor government rebuilds arts, culture, and media bridges with the E.U., shares some of the costs, and becomes partners again, I’m not sure that London will be a priority.” Armin Luttenberger of Austria’s ORF Enterprise commented, “We look back on the last MIPTV in Cannes with a bit of nostalgia. Although the fair was much slower than in its heyday, it still offered [us] numerous opportunities to make quality appointments with our partners and to present the highlights of our catalog. As a matchmaking platform between global content buyers and our diverse portfolio, and a kick-off to the spring sales season, it will be missed.” He then continued: “At this point in time, the transfer of MIP to London is challenging to assess. Even if the motives and arguments of the trade fair organizers seem coherent, we will have to reflect carefully about the extent to which the early date in the year on the one hand and the relationship to the competing events on the other hand correspond to our considerations. In any case, we will carefully think through our options as soon as more information becomes available.” And from Turkey, Sangerim Zhakhina of The MediaHub commented: “Attending the last MIPTV was a mix of emotions as we bid farewell. Moving to London sounds exciting and we’re looking forward to hearing more about it. Our hope is that this relocation will not only provide a fresh backdrop for industry professionals but also serve as a catalyst for fostering new connections and collaborations. Overall, we view this move as a positive step forward.” Huace held a special screening at the China Pavilion stand Global Agency’s Izzet Pinto and son Aksel at the One Love presentation “We look back on the last MIPTV in Cannes with a bit of nostalgia. Although the fair was much slower than in its heyday, it still offered [us] numerous opportunities to make quality appointments with our partners.” Armin Luttenberger, ORF Enterprise
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