TV France International Export Award Winners Announced

PARIS: TV France International has selected the winners of the 11th Export Awards, which recognize the sales companies behind the best-selling French productions worldwide, this year honoring Xilam Animation, ARTE France and AB International Distribution.

Xilam Animation was recognized in the animation category for Oggy and the Cockroaches. The show has four seasons produced and it reaches some 800 million households in 150 countries worldwide. Marc du Pontavice, the president of Xilam Animation, said: “The global success of Oggy and the Cockroaches shows that with a strong lead character, comedy can be universal.”

In the documentary category, ARTE France was honored for Football Rebels. In this World Cup year, the doc, produced by 13 Productions/Canto Bros, offered “alternative programming that puts the emphasis on citizen involvement,” according to Cédric Hazard, head of international distribution at ARTE France.

AB International Distribution's Desperate Parents was awarded in the fiction category. Produced by Elephant Story, Desperate Parents has sold both as a finished show and as a format. Valérie Vleeschhouwer, the managing director of AB International Distribution, said, “Few French comedy series enjoy such success. With the universal theme of education, and very modern storytelling, Desperate Parents delights not only French audiences but also program buyers from around the globe with its blend of irreverence and emotion.”