TV Real Screenings Festival: MIPCOM Edition

Buzzy true crime, insider access, historical reenactments and uplifting factual entertainment feature in the latest edition of the TV Real Screenings Festival.

Highlighting a wealth of new and returning series that will be made available in Cannes, the virtual festival delivers new content launches from All3Media International, BossaNova Media, PBS Distribution, Escapade Media, NHK Enterprises and more.

The non-scripted lineup that All3Media International is showcasing at MIPCOM reflects the breadth of the company’s strengths, from lighthearted factual entertainment to hard-hitting true crime and insider access. American Prince: JFK Jr. leads the slate, delivering a detailed biography of John F. Kennedy, Jr. “Steeped in vivid ’90s nostalgia and featuring A-list contributors, including Robert De Niro and Cindy Crawford, the series transports audiences back to the halcyon days of 1990s New York while also offering compelling contemporary history and biography that expands on the broader Kennedy legacy,” says Peta Sykes, VP for the Nordics. In entertainment, the lineup includes season two of Bad Boyfriends, which Sykes bills as “a fantastic addition to our Olivia Attwood slate.” In lifestyle, the company is touting Wild Homes with George Clarke and Beyond Bali: The World’s Most Exotic Islands, while the history slate is led by Rich Lives, Poor Lives with Rob Rinder and Ruth Goodman. In true crime, meanwhile, there’s Hunting the Yorkshire Ripperfrom Story Films.

toplines the new MIPCOM highlights for BossaNova Media. It uses digital technology and reconstructions to investigate how historical figures such as Cleopatra and Alexander the Great may have met their end. “Professor Suzannah Lipscomb weighs up the evidence and reveals the truth around the deaths of these renowned characters, which will have a broad appeal,” says Holly Cowdery, head of sales. “World-renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Richard Shepherd uses cutting-edge digital autopsy technology—thankfully with none of the gore of an actual post-mortem!” With a lineup that also includes Guy Martin: Proper Jobs, Martin Compston Living Las Vegas and more, “We are delighted to be returning to MIPCOM for the fifth time as a company to proudly bring our latest varied and quality slate to the market,” Cowdery adds. “Compared with last year, we have a much larger selection of launch titles, a number of which are BossaNova commissions or shows we have contributed finance toward.”

The American Revolution, a six-parter by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, is set for a screening at MIPCOM by PBS Distribution. “Over a decade in the making, this epic series examines the founding of the United States and examines the complex domestic and global events that transformed the very idea of self-governance, liberty and freedom,” says Joe Barrett, VP of global sales, touting Burns’ signature storytelling, the celebrity voice cast and its global perspective. With highlights that also include The Orient Express: A Golden Era of Travel and Trump’s Power & The Rule of Law, “PBS Distribution is proud to present a powerful slate of new programming that exemplifies the values and variety of world-class storytelling, global relevance and enduring appeal.”

Ahead of MIPCOM, Escapade Media lined up the distribution rights to A Season with Isabella Rossellini, a one-hour documentary about the award-winning actress. “Isabella Rossellini is one of the world’s most iconic artists, and this documentary film offers an intimate insight into her life on screen and her incredible life on the farm,” says Natalie Lawley, managing director of Escapade. “It appeals to a number of different slots and certainly provides insights that viewers have not seen before.” Also on the slate is Food Diary, “a beautiful journey of food, travel and adventure, where Colin Fassnidge joins families at their dinner tables, gaining intimate insights into the raw culture of the country, experiencing food and cooking traditions. This series speaks to the rise in adventure cooking series, with the perfect chef at the helm.”

NHK Enterprises’ Innovators of Japan Anime not only captures Kiyotaka Oshiyama’s personal creative process but also offers a rare look inside MAPPA, the studio behind worldwide anime hits like Chainsaw Man, Attack on Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen. “This program appeals both as a cultural deep dive and as premium content for platforms seeking anime-related documentaries with proven global demand,” says Shuji Yamada, deputy manager at NHK Enterprises. “At MIPCOM, we aim to present NHK’s full spectrum of creativity—programming that is rich, varied and globally relevant,” says Yamada.