MIPCOM round-up: BeyondTNC eyes copro partners; Wag unveils the ‘Unexplained’; Dutch Features rebrands & hires in LA

Nick Cave with The Birthday Party

BeyondTNC eyes copro partners

Music documentary firm BeyondTNC is heading to its first MIPCOM with a new special featuring DJ Norman Cook, as it seeks new coproduction partners.

The music-focused production outfit, which was launched in 2019 by Beyond Entertainment and UK-based TNC Media Holdings, is taking Right Here, Right Now to Cannes, with the 1 x 90-minute special produced by BeyondTNC and BMG Films.

It focuses on the end-of-an-era free rave in Brighton, UK, in 2002, which saw Norman Cook (aka DJ Fatboy Slim) perform in front of a quarter of a million people. The show is being distributed by sibling firm Beyond Rights, which is currently being eyed for acquisition by Banijay.

Other shows on the slate include Mutiny In Heaven, which tracks Nick Cave and Rowland S. Howard’s band, The Birthday Party. It is being produced in partnership with BMG Films and Australia’s Eyewhite, while Wir Sind Maschinen (We Are Machines) is a three-parter exploring how German electronic music changed the world. Spring Films is developing the show with BeyondTNC.

Also in production is Alien Time Capsule (40 x 30 minutes), which uses the major news, cultural, sports and current affairs footage from the time and sets it to soundtracks from that year.

BeyondTNC added that it is seeking fellow producers that have music projects looking for co-production support. Michael Murphy, executive producer at BeyondTNC, added: “In the past few years, music documentary has evolved from niche programming to an in-demand genre, driven by an increase in new platforms looking for interesting titles and a growing appreciation of the role that music documentary plays in capturing contemporary culture at different points in time.

“This is successfully taking music programming from arts channels and specialist slots to more main-stream viewing. And, of course, artists or genres of music with a big fan base ensure a ready-made audience – and buyers are finding that increasingly appealing.”

BeyondTNC has previously been behind Memory Lane, Blitzed! and three-parter, They All Came Out To Montreux.

Wag unveils the ‘Unexplained’

Asacha Media Group-owned Wag Entertainment has added a raft of shows for its MIPCOM slate, including Evidence Of The Unexplained.

The 10 x 60-minute show from Wag Entertainment examines alleged evidence behind the increasing number of unidentified aerial objects reported in our skies.

Elsewhere, World’s Best Electric Cars is a 1 x 60-minute special from BriteSpark Films for Channel 5 in the UK that seeks to answer questions for those buying new vehicles, while Out Of Stock: Supply Chain Crisis is a 3 x 60-minute series from  Wag Entertainment for Science in the US.

Wag’s returning series include weather shows Weird Earth and What On Earth, as well as “bizarre sightings” show, Strange Evidence.

Dutch Features expands in LA, rebrands as Skoop Media

Amsterdam and LA-based sales agent Dutch Features Global Entertainment has renamed itself Skoop Media and hired a new LA-based sales exec.

The company, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, specialises in development, financing and distribution of European drama series and feature films. Its portfolio consists of around 75 feature films and TV drama series, encompassing two labels: Skoop Prime and Skoop Family.

Erika Larson, based in LA, joins the team as international sales manager. Pim van Collem will remain CEO, with Fulko Kuindersma as head of acquisitions & marketing, Muriel Horvers as controller and Jacqueline Ruinen as marketing & traffic manager.

Shows on the MIPCOM slate include Scandinavian mystery crime series Evilside by Finnish streaming service Elisa Viihde and Finnish horror series Raspberry Hill, produced by Helsinki-based Soder Films and Victory.

More follows.