Urban Frye

May 5, 2008 World Screen

World Screen Weekly, May 1, 2008

Managing Director

Rose d’Or Festival

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This year marks the 48th edition of the Rose d’Or Festival, which kicks off this Friday, May 2, in Lucerne, Switzerland, and runs through May 6. Under new management since late 2006, the event, led by Urban Frye as managing director, has been working hard to maintain its tradition of celebrating the best in entertainment programming.

Its call for submissions for the annual Rose d’Or Awards resulted in a record 402 programs entered, of which 75 were nominated to compete across eight categories: Arts Documentary, Comedy, Drama, Sitcom, Entertainment, Game Show, Performing Arts and Reality. The nominees hail from 55 companies in 19 countries, including the U.K., Japan, France, Poland, South Africa, Spain and the U.S.

In addition, the event will give out awards for Best Entertainer—to be presented by Kiera Chaplin, the granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin—and Best of 2008. Plus, Ben Silverman, the co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios, will receive this year’s Honorary Rose. Frye notes that Silverman was a natural choice for this award, which celebrates individuals who have made a significant impact on the television industry. “He was one of the first producers to bring successful TV programs from Europe to the U.S. market, such as The Office, and he was also the first to bring telenovelas, with Ugly Betty,” Frye notes. “This is personification of the ideal. He did exactly what the Rose d’Or stands for.”

While the Rose d’Or is perhaps best known for its awards presentation, the festival also features a range of conferences, with sessions that include “Developing Shows for Prime Time Audiences,” “Entertainment is a Serious Business” and “New Media—What TV Did Next,” featuring a lineup of executives from around the world.

Another highlight is the Film Kiosk, with more than 100 screening booths available for attendees to view some of the best entertainment programming available on the international market.

“I’m very happy with the lineup,” says Frye, adding, “One of the goals of the Rose d’Or is to be the place where different TV cultures can meet each other.”