DISCOP East Organizers Confirm 2011 Details

PARIS/LOS ANGELES: Though DISCOP East just wrapped last week, the event organizers are already looking ahead to 2011, with dates and location confirmed and a shift in the schedule for the DISCOPRO conference and pitching sessions.

The 19th edition will take place again at the Sofitel in Budapest and will be held from June 21 to 23 (Tuesday to Thursday). DISCOPRO this time though will take place after the market, on June 24 (Friday).

This year’s event drew in 304 companies participating as sellers from 36 countries and 406 companies participating as buyers from 31 countries. Of these, 265 companies represented TV stations and pay-TV platforms, with additional representatives from territorial agents, home-video distributors and alternative new-media platforms.

Attendance at the DISCOPRO training and pitching program, this year held a day prior to the official DISCOP kickoff, was up by 20 percent. During the day-long event, six short-listed producers pitched their projects to a panel of commissioning executives. The two winning projects were Paradis Perdu (Lost Paradise) from France’s Shooting Prod and The Institution from Hungary’s Szupermodern Studio.

Patrick Jucaud, the general manager of DISCOP commented, “The 18th edition of DISCOP highlighted the increasing importance of the region’s local programming both on the domestic and international stage. All attendees reported strong business activity on the market floor and we also saw more attendance from the production community looking for investment opportunities. DISCOPRO also continues to grow in popularity, with the pitching sessions proving the vibrancy of the region’s production sector.”

“We are delighted to be able to respond to attendees comments by moving the 2011 DISCOPRO event to after the market,” he added, “which many have indicated will be more convenient”.