The 64th edition of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, the world’s oldest TV festival, opened Friday. Variety spoke to Laurent Puons, the festival’s general manager, about what he has planned.
The festival, which Puons says exists to “celebrate excellence in global television,” is a triple threat: first, it’s a public festival and encourages a high level of engagement with the fans; second, it is a gathering point for European press, where TV companies can promote their shows; and third, it provides an opportunity for members of the industry to meet each other and attend topical panels as part of the Business Content program.
The festival has a trump card up its sleeve: its patron is Prince Albert II of Monaco, who attends both the opening and closing ceremonies. Among the festival guests he will welcome at the Grimaldi Forum this year are Robin Wright, Judith Light, Rachel Griffiths, Jaz Sinclair and Sope Dirisu.
In three respects, this year’s edition will standout: First, it is the first time that the heads of both the fiction jury and the factual jury – Light and French journalist Mireille Dumas – have been women; second, it sees the launch of the Digital Award, created to honor “innovation, creativity and the cultural impact of digital-native talent”; and third, it sees the launch of the Young Creator Pitch.
This year’s recipient of the Digital Award is Squeezie, who is France’s leading content creator with over 19 million YouTube subscribers. He is “the best in this field,” Puons says. The award is being introduced because “the audiovisual landscape is changing fast,” and the festival “must always stay ahead [of developments],” Puons says.
Other high points at the festival, Puons says, include the Crystal Nymph Award going to Wright to honor “an individual from the television world for their exceptional career and lasting impact on the industry; the Golden Nymph for most promising talent going to Sinclair; and the Crystal Nymph Award for French actor Pierre Arditi, a tribute to his television career.
Among highlights of the Business Content program is a session with executive producer Rola Bauer in conversation with Wright talking about turning points in their careers, titled “Embracing Challenges: Journey Thru the Lens of Two Women.” Wright stars, directs and is an executive producer for the upcoming psychological thriller “The Girlfriend” for Prime Video, which Bauer had a major role in kick-starting when she was at Amazon MGM Studios.
Another standout is a conversation between David W. Zucker, chief creative officer of Scott Free and executive producer of the crime drama “Dope Thief” for Apple, and “Alien: Earth” for FX, and Bauer. In the session, titled “Embracing Chaos: Journeys Thru the Television Multiverse,” they will discuss their partnership on pioneering international co-productions such as “The Pillars of the Earth” (Starz/Channel 4), “The Company” (TNT) and “Labyrinth” (Channel 4), on through their current collaboration with writer Michael Hirst (“Vikings”) for the Amazon MGM Studios limited series “Pompeii: A Day of Fire.”
The festival opened with the French premiere of “Watson,” a medical show with a strong investigative spine. The show, produced by CBS Studios, stars Morris Chestnut who is attending the festival. “Watson” has “already proven itself in the U.S. and I’m sure it will be an international success too,” Puons says.
variety.com
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