SalesAutumn has been extremely successful for Espresso TV with extensive sales covering a variety of genres to a range of territories. Issues of masculinity consistently reverberate within society, hence we are proud to distribute refreshing documentaries that shed new light on this subject.
Firestorm (1 x 54’
HD) explores the role of the American fire service as they assist hospitals in the face of paramedic shortages. Russia Today have licensed this fascinating documentary, on a controversial topic. We are also delighted with deals made with channels in New Zealand, that includes the sale of
Middle Men (1 x 70’/60’
HD), an extensive exploration of new circumstances facing middle aged men in the UK, which will air on the Arts Channel. Country 99 TV NZ will broadcast an insightful study of Rodeo culture with
Hell on Hooves (10 x 24’
HD). The series
Urban Chef (10 x 30’), which follows the struggles of talented chef Oliver Rowe as he discovers the strains of 21st century business management, was sold to Canal Plus of Poland, and the Dutch company Vara.
Current affairs are dealt with in
Windfarm Wars (4 x 60’) and
Spoilt Rotten (1 x 58’), which tackle sensitive issues about renewable energy and child obesity. Espresso TV are happy to announce that these were sold to Arts Channel New Zealand and anticipate further global success. These titles are complemented in our catalogue by the exportation of several historical documentaries, all of which develop a greater understanding of modern issues including science.
Apollo 17: The Untold Story of the Last Men on the Moon (1 x 55’), is a unique documentary film detailing the memories of the people involved in the launching of the December 1972 space shuttle and was sold to Discovery UK. There is also a historical perspective on inner city design in a doc about Slovakian architect Ladislav Hudec;
The Man Who Changed Shanghai, (1 x 52’/68’,
HD), which was acquired by SBS Studios Australia.
An understanding of society would not be complete without an exploration of the arts. Espresso TV distributed three cultural programmes to SBS Studio Australia.
Cantors: A Faith in Song (1 x 70’/55’
HD) which explores the sacred role of song in religion, with a concert from the Portugese Synagogue in Amsterdam. SBS also acquired
Walk with Us (1 x 56’) and
A Day to Remember (1 x 47’/1 x 82’); two exciting documentaries that delve into the lives of artists, studying their inspiration and significance of their work.
Finally, we are pleased to announce a deal with UKTV fo
r Charlotte: A Royal War (1x98’, 1x52’, 2x49’), catering for viewers interested in the resistance movements towards the Third Reich.
Acquisitions We have had a particularly busy fourth quarter in terms of acquisitions and are very excited about our newly acquired titles including a fresh addition to the Horse and Country collection,
Getting to Greenwich [8 x 30’
HD] –a fantastic series which offers a unique insight into how some of the top British equestrians are preparing for the 2012 Olympics.
Another brilliant new title in our crime section is
K9 Mounties [6 x 30’] –an action packed series following the 17-week training programme at the RCMP’s Police Dog Service Training Centre in Canada.
We have also decided to extend our remit in terms of genre and are delighted to announce the gripping TV drama
Father’s of Girls [1 x 52'] starring the fabulous Ray Winston. Ray plays a mourning father on a desperate quest to find out why his bubbly, happy daughter took her own life.
Memories in Mud [1 x 51'
HD] is another great addition to our history programming, a poignant and emotional documentary that follows the salvage operations trying to locate both wreckages, and people never found after WWII. We also have another new war film in our catalogue -
As Close as Brothers [1 x 45’] which tells the story of mid-upper gunner Andrew Mynarski's life and heroic end.
Our Arts and Culture section is also developing nicely with two new titles acquired this quarter namely the heart warming
I am Going to Make a Miracle [1 x 60’
HD] which follows the life and work of the compelling Mehmet Ergen and his beloved and highly acclaimed Arcola theatre, as well as
A Brush with the Landscape -a charming series following Glyn Macey, and his vibrant paintings of 100 of the most beautiful National Trust Landscapes in the country.
Escapeseeker [18 x 30’], a new release for our Adventure and Travel category is a series, which not only reveals some of the most luxurious and awe inspiring destinations on the planet but also encourages people to explore the world and embrace the unexpected. Another fantastic addition to this section is
The Forgotten Himalaya [1 x 52’] which follows the efforts of two special people on their epic journey to distribute over 10,000 baseball caps to some of the poorest people on the planet to help protect them against cataracts.
And finally we are proud to present
Aged to Perfection [1 x 45’]. A documentary which looks at the life of Jaring Timmerman, a remarkably fit and active man at nearly 100 years old. This documentary also tackles wider issues and age-old questions such as whether the aging process can be slowed down and whether mindset and spiritual outlook can affect our life expectancy.
We have plenty more great programmes in the pipeline and hope to continue to extend our exciting catalogue even further in the 2012!
Markets and FestivalsThe last quarter of 2011 has been a busy time for the Espresso team.
In September Managing Director David Hooper and Head of Sales Elfyn Morris travelled to Cannes for MIPCOM, one of the most prominent entertainment content markets in Europe. David and Elfyn had successful meetings with a wide range of broadcasters and producers to discuss some interesting new projects and sales of fresh content.
Mid October saw David off to the Televisual Conference at BAFTA in London. There he participated in an industry discussion called Show Me The Money: How To Win The Co-Production Game.
Furthermore David represented Espresso TV at IDFA in November. There, we were proud to present four of our inspiring new programmes in Docs for Sale:
Apollo 17 (1 x 55’),
Beads On One String (1x 60’
HD),
The Buddha Wallah (1 x 87' / 60') and
Windfarm Wars (4 x 60'). Espresso TV is pleased to say the festival was a great success and is looking forward to returning to Amsterdam in 2012.
The final festival of the year for the team was the World Congress of Science and Factual Producers in Paris, which ran from the 29th-2nd December. Here we drew attention to some of our fantastic latest releases including
Aged to Perfection (1 x 45’) and
Mindfield (6 x 60’
HD). David also gave a talk, Close Encounters of the Funding Kind, which went down very well. He had many fruitful meetings with buyers and producers as well.
We are currently preparing for new and exciting events at the beginning of 2012!