EVA, Media-Max in TV-Movie Deal

February 9, 2009 World Screen

MUNICH: Entertainment Value Associates’ EVA Finance subsidiary has inked a 12-title TV-movie production deal with Canada’s Media-Max, with each film budgeted at about $5 million.

All films will be in the action and thriller arena, with the producers promising a theatrical-quality slate. Media-Max will oversee the physical production of the films as well as sales to U.S. and Canadian broadcasters. EVA-Group, which has been involved in approximately 100 international film productions in recent years, will handle distribution to the rest of the world. Media-Max, headed by Karine Martin and Roger Frappier, was formed as a joint venture between Mediabiz and Max Films. Martin has the financial and legal expertise, while Frappier is a production veteran. Media-Max will be advised by U.S. producer Mark Gordon.

"Most of the theatrical movies are not delivering the audience a commercial TV station needs to recoup their investment," said Michel J. Vandewalle, the head of development at the EVA-Group. "Therefore we decided with Media-Max to produce a slate of theatrical movies specially made for TV under one brand. The same genre of movies will enable the TV stations to promote and approach their broad target group easier. With the brand we want them to build an evening slot retaining their audience longer than the common series and keeping the audience for that evening tuned on their channel… just see it as a weekly 90-minute prime-time series with theatrical movies specially made for TV."

Kai R. Grueneke, the CEO of EVA-Group, added: "New partnerships and creative models are the way to get through these hard times. We wanted a high international quality product where local actors can fit in for their market and making sure of the financial upside for the stations. It shows the importance we give to the continuity of our international productions. Canada and Germany have proven to produce high-quality programs which are sold worldwide. We are happy to be part of this joint venture and looking forward to the outcome."