TV France International Unveils 2015 Export Award Winners

PARIS: TV France International has revealed the winners of this year's Export Awards, which recognize the sales companies behind the best-selling French productions around the world.

The victor in the animation category was PGS Entertainment for ALVINNN!!! and the Chipmunks. The other nominees were Millimages for Mouk and Xilam Animation for Zig & Sharko.

In the documentary category, Terranoa won for Picasso, The Legacy, defeating ZED for Naturapolis and ARTE Sales for How Chaplin Became the Tramp.

Newen Distribution took home the fiction prize for Witnesses. The other nominees were Film & Picture for The Churchmen and 100% Distribution for The Line.

Philippe Soutter, the president of PGS Entertainment, commented: "The success of ALVINNN!!! and the Chipmunks is beyond expectation. It's a true family comedy which appeals to all ages. Thanks to strong characters, a high production value, a unique storytelling and the long history of the franchise, the series is back on TV and has already established itself as a timeless classic."

Isabelle Graziadey, the head of international sales and acquisitions at Terranoa, noted: "Picasso, the Legacy is one of those landmark documentaries on leading figures of the century. It reveals the secret world of the most famous artist of the 20th century through exclusive testimonies and never-seen-before footage. Over 30 buyers worldwide have praised the documentary for getting to the heart of Picasso's creative process and for giving us some fascinating clues to his life."

Christophe Nobileau, the president of Newen Distribution, added: "Newen Distribution is very proud to be rewarded for Witnesses, which we have been promoting worldwide for the last 18 months. It all began at the end of 2013 when we fell in love with the script, the unique atmosphere and the strong characters of the series. We initially focused on finding a broadcaster in the U.K. We had offers from BBC, Sky and Channel 4. After signing with Channel 4, we convinced a dozen other leading channels to pick up Witnesses, and many more are currently being negotiated."

The 12th Export Awards were presented yesterday in Paris at the PROCIREP Award Ceremony for the French Producer of the Year.