ZDF Studios to Rep Von Fock

ZDF Studios has sealed a deal with Zolba Productions to serve as international distributor of the period drama Von Fock.

ZDF Studios will handle distribution of the show, consisting of two four-episode seasons, worldwide, excluding the Baltics and Italy. Set in the early part of the 19th century, it is based on the books by Ain Kütt, who created the show with Leana Jalukse and Lillian Von Keudell.

Kütt is an Estonian writer and historian who penned five detective novels that form the basis of the series. Von Keudell is a German screenwriter, producer and co-director. Jalukse is an Estonian screenwriter and co-director. The series was filmed on location in Estonia, Latvia and Italy and directed by Arun Tamm. It is co-produced by Zolba Productions, Latvia’s Berghein Production and Nafta, Italy’s Movie.Mento, Albolina Film and Eesti Telefilm, the drama production arm of Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR). The drama was commissioned by Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR) and Eesti Telefilm, Latvia’s LTV and LRT in Lithuania.

“There is always a demand for period mystery dramas, especially ones like Von Fock that are set in beautiful locations featuring grand houses and upper class society but most importantly of all, have great storytelling that keeps you guessing right until the end,” said Mirela Nastase, Director Drama at ZDF Studios.

“Our mission with Von Fock has been to open doors and pave the way for other Baltic productions and prove to the rest of Europe that Baltic countries are capable of producing high-quality series that can travel universally,” noted Jevgeni Supin, producer at Zolba Productions. “We look forward to establishing long-term relationships with our partners on this production, who have been hugely supportive, as we continue to develop other high-budget projects with broad appeal.”

Toomas Luhats, executive producer of Eesti telefilm/ERR, added, “Commissioning Von Fock was both an easy and a complicated decision for us. To have a drama series of this quality, created by local talent and depicting an important period in Estonian history, will probably be a big hit with our viewers. At the same time, the financing that we had to put together with all the partners was quite a task. Nevertheless, Zolba has shown brilliant quality throughout the production process and we are happy with the result.”