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Congress Hall

As the level of partnership between U.S. buyers and UK prodcos (and conversely, UK buyers and U.S. producers) intensifies, there is a slew of myths, half-truths, and plain old misinformation that producers keen to explore new territories need to wade through. Here, our panel of no-nonsense, myth-busting executives will reveal the most common misconceptions about the U.S. and UK markets, and offer their insight into how to actually work and succeed within the realities of both.

Featuring

Jana Bennett
Senior Advisor and Executive-at-Large
FYI and LMN Channels

Phil Fairclough
Executive Producer
Earth Touch USA

Victoria Fitzpatrick
Head, Alternative TV
Creative Artists Agency

Dan Korn
VP Programming, History and H2, Head of Blaze
Discovery Networks Western Europe

Steven Lerner
SVP, Programming & Development
HGTV, DIY Network and Great American Country

Jane Millichip
Chief Executive Officer, BAFTA
Sky Vision

Jane Root
Founder & CEO
Nutopia

Congress Hall

It’s been a decade since the Terms of Trade model came into force in the UK, and while many (if not all) U.S. prodcos would eagerly embrace this model and retain IP ownership, the reality is that the "work for hire" model rules the roost in the Land of the Free. Here, you'll hear from executives about the impact the Terms have had on the content industry and creativity in the UK. You'll also hear from UK producers who have opted to embrace the realities of producing in the U.S. and their reasons for doing so, as well as U.S. producers looking to explore partnerships that will enable them to keep a bigger slice of the pie.

Featuring

Danny Fenton
CEO
Zig Zag Productions

David Frank

Dial Square 86

Richard McKerrow
Chief Executive & Chief Creative Officer
Love Productions

John McVay
Chief Executive Officer
PACT Producers Alliance for Cinema & TV

Eric Schotz
CEO
LMNO Productions

Bertram van Munster
Executive Producer
Profiles Television Productions

Sponsored by

Congress Hall

While the multitude of channels at play in the U.S. might make it seem like its streets are paved with gold (or at least with greenlights), there are many factors that come to the fore when it comes to making an impact in America as a production company, especially when you're coming from a different territory. Here, you'll hear from network execs, production companies of varying sizes, and other industry notables about the challenges and potential triumphs that exist within the U.S. factual and unscripted market, and how to maximize your chances of cutting through the stiff competition and making your mark.

Featuring

Roy Ackerman
Creative Director
Fresh One Productions

Sarah T. Davies
SVP, Development
Discovery Networks International

Dimitri Doganis
Founder
Raw TV

Debbie Manners
Board of Directors
Keo Films

Laura Marshall
CEO
Icon Films

Matt Robins
Creative Director
October Films

Robert Sharenow
President of Programming
Lifetime

Congress Hall

What if you don’t want to work in the ‘work for hire’ model, but still want to have a wider reach with your shows (and still need that extra boost in financing)? Hear from production companies from other regions that have worked on copros with the UK while they reveal their experiences of working with different countries and territories, and learn of the different models and approaches available that can make coproduction a viable option.

Featuring

Christian Beetz
CEO
beetz brothers filmproduction

Emily Dalton
Managing Director
Darlow Smithson Productions

John Farren
Founder and Creative Consultant
360 Production

Paul Heaney
CEO
TCB Media Rights

Loren Mawhinney
VP Factual Entertainment
eOne Television Canada

Rita Mullin
Senior Creative and Content Director
Science Channel

Danny Tipping
Head of Factual Television
Sky Vision

Congress Hall

In a market dominated by reality and formats, what place does specialist factual have in the U.S.? With the American network focus on returnable series and big characters, how can you find the balance between “smart” and “loud” that makes for a specialist factual hit in both markets? Here, you'll hear from producers and network executives from both the U.S. and UK markets who will dissect and explore the most exciting trends and treatments of specialist factual content and provide insight into what is working in their territories and what could work abroad.

Featuring

Martin Davidson
Head of Commissioning for TV Specialist Factual
BBC

Bill Gardner
VP, Programming & Development
PBS

Anthony Geffen
CEO & Creative Director
Atlantic Productions Limited

Carl Hall
Managing Director
Warehouse 51 Productions Limited

Chris Hoelzl
SVP Program Development
Smithsonian Channel

Hamish Mykura
EVP, Programming & Development
National Geographic Channels International

Ellen Windemuth
CEO
Off the Fence

Sponsored by

Congress Hall

While shiny-floor talent and game formats are tailor-made for global consumption, factual entertainment and docureality/docusoaps don't tend to travel as well. What are the "culture clashes" between the U.S. and the UK that producers need to be mindful of when their properties get greenlit in a new territory? Can producers keep some semblance of their original show alive when it crosses the pond? Can the American penchant for big characters ever work in the UK? How much noisier does a UK producer have to make a program to have it click in the U.S.? Here, you'll learn more about what's working and what's not in each market, and the reasons why having a big success in your home territory doesn't guarantee a home run abroad.

Featuring

Sean Cohan
President
A+E Networks

Jonathan Hewes
CEO
Wall to Wall

Stephen Lambert
Chairman
CEO, Studio Lambert & Chairman, All3Media America

Sally Miles
Founder & CEO
Passion Distribution

Jason Sarlanis
President, TBS, TNT, truTV, ID & HLN - Linear & Streaming
ABC

Barry Walsh
Editor-in-Chief & Content Director
Realscreen Magazine