MIPTV to Spotlight the Nordics

PARIS: MIPTV has lined up a special Focus on the Nordics, to feature more than 20 broadcasters, producers, creatives, distributors and digital media players from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

The conference lineup will include the Show-and-Tell: The Nordic Innovators, which will examine the Nordic culture of innovation that has yielded such superbrands as Ericsson, Spotify, Skype and Nokia. It will also present the new media players that are set to carry on this tradition.

The Reinventing Broadcasting session will explore how Nordic broadcasters have rethought their business models earlier than their global counterparts. Panelists include Casten Almquist, the CEO and president of Sweden’s TV4 Group. Magnus Mandersson, the executive VP and head of business unit global services at Ericsson, will also share how the global IT giant is playing a leading role in shaping the future of broadcasting.

The Reinventing Content session will try to pin down what excites the Millennials. Risto Kuulasmaa, the head of TV and online at Finnish broadcaster Yle, will take part.

Another session, The Hottest Drama from the Cold, will provide a sneak peak at the latest Nordic drama titles. Speakers include Dulse Gry Jensen, the head writer of The Legacy and showrunner of season two of Summer; Henrik Björn, the director of Jordskott from Palladium Film; and Piv Bernth, the head of fiction at DR, who produced The Killing I-III.

The pan-regional initiative, which marks the first of its kind staged by the Nordic content industry, is curated by industry veterans Annie Wegelius, former director of programming at Swedish public broadcaster SVT, and Thomas Hedberg, the founder of Titan TV.

“The Nordics have a story to tell that the global industry would be interested to hear,” said Wegelius. “Because the digital revolution came early to our region, we are not only comfortable with next-generation technology, but we have had more than ten years of experience in understanding how it impacts consumer behavior, rights issues and the challenges of piracy.”

Laurine Garaude, the director of the television division at Reed MIDEM, added, “The Nordic countries are a breeding ground for some of the hottest drama, border-breaking formats, cutting edge web series and frontline mobile innovation. They have moved onto the international media landscape with a mixture of powerhouse energy and purpose that is unparalleled. We are delighted to add this fresh breath of Nordic air to MIPTV 2015.”