Passion Scores French Option for 100 Mile Challenge

LONDON: Passion Distribution has optioned the Paperny Films format 100 Million Challenge to ITV Studios for France.

The format has also been optioned in Germany, along with confirmed production for the U.S. with Planet Green; Sundance International for Benelux, Central and Eastern Europe, France, Greece and Turkey and its pan-Asia feed; MTV3 in Finland; Gusto TV for Germany; Origo for Hungary; Ananey for Isreal; Global for Kuwait; The Living Channel & Country Channel for New Zealand; Kuchnia TV in Poland; Pop TV in Slovenia; Canal Cocina for Spain; Royal Channels in Africa; and NHK Satellite Broadcasting services in Japan. The format follows six families as they are challenged to eat only food produced within a 100-mile radius of their homes for 100 days.

Passion’s Maria Ishak said: "This completed program and format has really ignited the interested of many of our global buyers selling into 60 territories. The theme of eating local produce has become a hot subject for both economic and green issues. We are also completing further new sales post MIPTV in Japan and the Middle East. We have been working with Florence Florentiny for several years and his ambition and reputation to make things happen in his territory makes ITV Studios France a great partner."

Francois Florentiny, the managing director of ITV Studios France, added: "We optioned the format 100 Million Challenge from Passion Distribution and we are developing that concept for France and we believe that we will confirm the production for a French network in a few weeks."