Documentary producers aim to move the needle. Shift the conversation. Make an impact. And hopefully make some money, too. But only one documentary producer has been the catalyst for a far-reaching shift in American governance. That’s Citizens United! Citizens United’s determination to promote its film, “Hillary: The Movie” during a presidential primary season led to …
An invaluable and unique resource for producers who are seeking international partners and commissioners. Created for the Hot Docs Forum 2014. 94 Network Buyers. 163 Contacts. 47 distributors. 11 funds. 8 digital players. 15 Countries. 200+ pages The slots. The deciders. Their filters. Special June Offer: $119.60 – Save 20% Regular: $149.95 Order and Download …
Realscreen Summit 2014 was a smashing success, at least for me. Why? 1. Location! Location! This year Realscreen moved to the Washington Hilton, where there was plenty of seating space, and this made it relatively easy to carry on a comfortable meeting. We used to call it “Real Scream” because there were so many glaring …
Al Jazeera is doubling down on documentaries within its strategy to expand its role in television programming worldwide. I meet regularly at international markets with Ahmed Mahfouz Nouh, the highly respected MD of Al Jazeera Documentary, and we discuss his network’s strategy, scale and operations. Following is a snapshot based on our conversations: Distribution AJ …
What Do the Channels Want? The International Documentary Buyers’ Guide answers these questions: Which channels worldwide buy documentaries and specials? How many do they buy? What are their dedicated slots? What are they looking for? What are their filters? And: Are the buyers open to international partnerships? Who are the key contacts? How can you reach them? …
One of the most persuasive presentations I ever saw was by Discovery Canada founder Trina McQueen. The pitch was to the CRTC, the Canadian body that regulates cab/sat carriage and subscriber fees. Her lead-in was a hippie/cowboy character who brought a live cheetah to Ottawa. It snoozed on the conference room table as the cowboy …
In four decades of attending MIP, I’ve never seen a coming out like the one organized by CCTV in Cannes earlier this month. Luo Ming, CCTV’s VP for economic affairs captured China’s strategy when he was reported saying: “Size is important at MIPTV. “And the higher the profile of Chinese content in general, the more …
Discovery’s new, Male-targeted Velocity digi-net replaces HD Theater in October 2011. HD Theater was launched in 2002, but outgrew its value as a premium channel when HD became the “the new Standard Def.” Branding Velocity is a Lifestyle channel “for the Rich Man — the successful, college-educated man who earns $150,000 or more a year and who …