Versailles Takes Home Export Award

PARIS: The winners of the 13th annual Export Awards, which recognize the best-selling French TV productions worldwide, have been announced, with Banijay Rights’ Versailles winning in the fiction category.

“Versailles is a resounding international success, with sales to over 135 territories, including to the main broadcasters, and translation into nine languages,” said Tim Mutimer, the CEO of Banijay Rights. “It’s a tremendous honor for us to receive the award.”

Mutimer continued, “Congratulations to the team at Banijay Rights for their achievement on the global market with this prestigious series. We are very grateful to Capa Drama, Banijay Studios France, Incendo and Canal+ for accompanying us along this amazing journey which is still ongoing.”

Mediatoon Distribution won in the animation category for Trotro. “We are particularly delighted and proud to receive the 2017 Export Award for Trotro,” said Jérôme Alby, the company’s managing director. “The series is now reaching its fifth generation of children 2- to 4-years-old throughout the world.

“The award recognizes the long-term popularity of series distributed by Mediatoon, including series from third-party producers such as Trotro. The award also highlights the strength and the long shelf-life of series made in France on the international market, and the key role played by TV France International and by CNC through their support of international distribution. These tools are most envied by our foreign competitors. We wish to thank TV France International and its institutional partners, CNC, the French Ministry of External Affairs and Procirep.”

In the documentary arena, Balanga won for Face to Face. “Face to Face is an emblematic example of the editorial and commercial strategy of Balanga,” said Christophe Bochnacki, the company’s president. “Our aim was to create a strong international brand with the 16 films included in the Face to Face collection. The response from broadcasters and digital players has been amazing. The experience has also helped us develop a new relationship between producer and distributor.”

Hervé Michel, the president of TV France International, said: “International sales of French programs have continued to increase and reached their highest level ever in 2015 (164 million euros). Screenopsis, TV France International’s online screening platform, was successfully launched. It presents a comprehensive, enriched, targeted and editorialized array of programs to international acquisition executives. Thanks to the distributors’ association SEDPA, international sales agents of TV programs now have a legal status in France.”