Doc Buyers Form Coalition to Acquire Sundance Film Festival Projects

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BBC Storyville and Sweden’s SVT are among the partners in a coalition of global documentary media buyers pooling resources to acquire docs at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.

U.S.-based ro*co films is representing the coalition, which for the first time will include a U.S. broadcaster. Independent Lens, presented by Independent Television Service, has signed on to opt into the coalition offer.

BBC Storyville (U.K.), ITVS (U.S.), NPO (Netherlands), YES (Israel), DR (Denmark), NRK (Norway), RTÉ (Ireland), SVT (Sweden) and The Film Collaborative (global festival rights) are all part of the coalition. Each has agreed to commit to paying a premium license fee to support the competitiveness of a coalition offer for a Sundance film. The offer will present sales agents and filmmakers with an option that guarantees up-front revenue and audiences in the territories represented.

This is the third year that ro*co films has assembled a coalition of broadcasters for Sundance.

Annie Roney, ro*co films’ founder and managing director, said: “We are walking into Sundance with broadcast commitments, executed licensing contracts in hand, pre-negotiated to allow second window digital play as well as educational and semi-theatrical opportunities. We understand the muscle that these broadcasters bring to the table; their support brings a commitment to on-the-ground press and marketing of the film in their territories, building awareness, profile and most importantly, audience for the film.”