ORF-Enterprise Hosts Showcase to Present Highlights

ORF-Enterprise showcased its top nature and drama highlights at the ORF Apéro at MIPTV on Monday.

The presentation began with wildlife documentaries from the UNIVERSUM Nature strand, which has been celebrating its 35-year anniversary.

“After 35 years of producing some of the world’s most acclaimed nature documentaries, we at UNIVERSUM Nature remain as committed as ever to our mission of showcasing the wonders of the natural world,” said Gernot Lercher, head of Natural History UNIVERSUM at ORF. “We believe that there will always be a place for high-quality nature programming that inspires and educates, especially in a period of time, where the conservation of our only habitat, planet Earth, should become a number one priority.”

New titles showcased at the event included Transylvania’s Wild Side, delving into Romania’s untouched wilderness; Desert Phantoms—Surviving the Skeleton Coast, depicting the journey of three orphaned desert lion cubs as they learn to hung along the Skeleton Coast; Secret India—The Real Jungle Book, following the daily and seasonal struggles of India’s animals such as tigers, wolves, elephants and black panthers; and Untamed Vietnam—Wilderness Reborn, taking viewers deep into Vietnam’s northern forests and mountains to the tropical Mekong Delta in search of the last endemic species.

Additional nature programs on offer from ORF-Enterprise are Corridors of Life, documenting the challenges that wild animals face as they navigate disrupted migration routes caused by human interference; Nicobar Islands—A Monkey’s Long Tale, exploring the row of 24 islands in the Indian Ocean that are mostly uninhabited by humans; Green Island, Grey Desert, showcasing the wildlife and beauty of the Burren, a limestone desert on Ireland’s west coast; and Arlberg—A Wild Celebrity, focusing on the flora and fauna of a famous skiing destination.

After presenting its available nature titles, ORF-Enterprise presented a trailer for the new ORF/ARD drama co-production Days That Never Were, a miniseries that tells the story of four women who have known each other since their elite school days as they friendship is put the test when a team of investigators shows up and examines an accident that suddenly turns into a murder case.

ORF Apéro attendees were also shown first glimpses of the new series School of Champions, set to go on sale later this year. It follows the struggles of ten young talents who push themselves to their limit at an elite ski boarding school. While facing immense pressure to succeed, tough training schedules and the usual struggles of adolescence, some of them must pay a high price in order to succeed against the odds.

“ORF Originals—high-end fictional productions made in Austria—are one of the main pillars of our offer as a public broadcaster,” noted Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz, program director at ORF. “The collaboration with our partners in Germany, Switzerland and other European countries is essential for us. Together we manage to produce state-of-the-art movies and series with some of Europe’s best creative minds.”

Armin Luttenberger, head of content sales international at ORF-Enterprise, added, “The past years have shown a tremendous shift: Whereas traditionally, ORF-Enterprise has always been a known supplier of blue-chip factual content, recent success stories of ORF original dramas in other language markets proves the audience’s love for German-language drama and encourages us to expand our catalog respectively.”

“We are thrilled to present high-quality content that educates, entertains and inspires audiences around the world,” said Oliver Böhm, CEO of ORF-Enterprise. “I am truly humbled by the overwhelming response to our Apéro and I couldn’t be more proud of our team for making it happen.”