TV Real Screenings Festival Now Live

Whether you’re searching for compelling history, stunning wildlife, buzzy reality or gripping true crime, you’ll find a standout selection in our latest edition of the TV Real Screenings Festival.

Visit TVRealScreeningsFestival.com for clips of a raft of new and returning factual titles that will be on offer at MIPCOM. Clicking on each show title below will take you directly to the trailer.

ZDF Studios arrives at MIPCOM with highlights across its key strengths of history, wildlife and science. Produced by south&browse for ZDF in association with ARTE and ZDF Studios, Unearthed–The Mystery of the Shaman Woman explores a key European archaeological discovery: the shaman woman of Bad Dürrenberg. “From a time when there were no written records, this site was first researched by the Nazis, who saw a physically strong male warrior from an ‘original Aryan race’ in the buried person,” says Ralf Rückauer, VP Unscripted. “It was, in fact, the most powerful woman of her time.” ZDF Studios is also unveiling the three-part Welcome to the Forest, which offers a unique perspective on battling climate change. Rückauer also highlights the five-part Fateful Planet, which “chronicles the history of our planet from its dramatic birth, through the cosmic and terrestrial forces that have shaped it.” Rückauer bills Time: A Journey Through Thousands of Years as a “groundbreaking two-part documentary focusing on the universal concept of time.” It is ZDF Studios’ first collaboration with the Film, Drama and Documentary Programming Center of China Media Group.

All3Media International is catering to the surging demand for true-crime fare with a selection of titles, among them the volume offering FBI True from Bright North Studios. “Revealing exclusive insight into stories of FBI agents and their most infamous cases, this is a brand-new high-profile and high-volume true-crime offering,” says Caroline Stephenson, senior VP for sales in the U.K. and Eire. The company is also showcasing the three-part The Body Next Door, which “launched as Sky Documentaries’ highest-rated series this year,” Stephenson says. “Forensically told and emotionally compelling, The Body Next Door is a globe-spanning story intertwining a gripping and tragic murder mystery with a dramatic family saga.” Another true-crime highlight from the company is Confessions of a Teenage Fraudster, a two-parter about con artist Elliot Castro.

Commissioned by Channel 4, MH17: The Plane Crash That Shook the World takes an in-depth look at the Malaysia Airlines flight shot down by Russian-backed forces a decade ago. “It examines the disaster and its legacy, uncovering a story that takes us right up to the present day,” says Tatiana Grinkevich, head of sales at BossaNova Media, which is launching the documentary at MIPCOM. Also in the history space, the company is showcasing Greatest Escapes of World War 2, a six-part series. Meanwhile, Professor Alice Roberts explores Greek history via rail through Greece and Turkey in Ancient Greece by Train. “Having explored Ancient Egypt and the Ottoman Empire by train, Professor Alice Roberts continues her journey as she learns about the Ancient Greek civilization that has had such a powerful effect on our lives today,” Grinkevich says.

Speaking to the broad variety of the All3Media International non-scripted slate, the company is also showcasing the fourth season of Race Across the World, which “combines a game show, a travel show and a reality show all in one,” says Peta Sykes, VP for the Nordics. In the dating/relationships space, the company is touting Bad Boyfriends. “Filled with humor, plenty of mischief and explosive drama along the way, Olivia Attwood’s tough love approach makes this series incredibly addictive and entertaining.” Also on offer is the 90-minute doc Guy Martin: Top Gun.

New natural-history titles rolling out at MIPCOM include the feature Norway—A Call from the Wild from filmmaker Asgeir Helgestad (Queen Without Land) and on offer from Albatross World Sales. “Norway—A Call from the Wild, already an award winner, offers breathtaking cinematography and a personal narrative that highlights the universal theme of nature’s vulnerability,” says Anne Olzmann, the company’s managing director.

NHK Enterprises also has a new blue-chip wildlife production on offer: Mighty Monkey (w.t.). “Shot in beautiful 4K UHD, the cameras travel through Japan to capture unique monkey groups displaying different localized food habits, including world-first footage of monkeys catching live fish, as well as how such new behaviors spread among individuals in the pack,” says Akiko Nakano, senior manager of content sales. The commercial arm of the Japanese pubcaster also heads to Cannes with Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron, chronicling the famed animator’s journey to make The Boy and the Heron.

Among Passion Distribution’s new MIPCOM launches is the four-part Love My Face, a factual-entertainment show about people with visible facial differences. “This warm, uplifting series deals with highly relatable themes of self-acceptance and personal transformation, which resonate globally,” says Emmanuelle Namiech, CEO.

See the TV Real Screenings Festival here.