The Feds storm the global content stage with MIPFormats International Pitch victory in Cannes

The Feds, Australia’s next generation, screen content production house has secured the top prize at the MIPFormats International Pitch competition in Cannes, France for the ground breaking format ‘Zombie Bootcamp’.

The MIPFormats International Pitch is the global pitching event for creators and producers around the world with original, non-scripted entertainment formats and is exclusively sponsored by Warner Bros. International Television Production. Warner Bros. ITVP has committed to invest up to €25,000 to develop the winning project of the 2014 MIPFormats Pitch, ‘Zombie Bootcamp’.

The Feds secured the win against strong international competition from five finalists from across Italy, Spain and Ireland. Creators, The Feds head of content, Lisa Gray, and associate producer – development Claire Marshall pitched the project in Cannes to a full house of global television delegates. The international jury of formats experts included: Nick Emmerson, CEO, Ricochet (UK), Taco Ketelaar, senior vice president, Prime Time, Entertainment Sat.1, Prosieben Sat.1 TV Deutschland (Germany), Sandra Kleinfeld, director of development, studio & unscripted content, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (Canada), Cathrine Wiernik, head of development & format acquisitions, TV4 (Sweden).

Says Andrew Zein, Warner Bros. International TV production SVP, creative, format development and sales: “This year’s finalists showed a great variety of original and entertaining ideas and they all did a brilliant job pitching to our jury. Zombie Boot camp is definitely a unique idea. We look forward to working with production company, The Feds, on developing their format further for the international market.”

The Australian developed reality TV format, ‘Zombie Boot Camp’, is a disruptive play on an endurance challenge with a morbid twist, pitting sixteen contestants against each other and the end of the world in the Zombie Apocalypse.

Says Lizzy Nash, The Feds, founder and director of content & broadcast: “This win is a testament to the rich and diverse content that is coming out of Australia right now and The Feds are proud to be taking our innovation globally with such a supportive development partner in Warner Bros.”

The Feds, recently secured a portion of Screen Australia’s funding under the Enterprise Program which will assist them in taking Australian content innovation across global borders. 

Says Reed Midem UK, managing director and OBE, Peter Rhodes: “This is a great recognition of the power of Australian story telling and an illustration of the international opportunities that are available to Australian content producers. This win is particularly significant as it sets the tone for MIPTV which features a strong Australian contingent and will be honouring Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner with the Médaille d’Honneur Award.”

MIPFormats, takes place ahead of MIPTV, the world’s most powerful and dynamic market and creative incubator for content on every screen, held 7-10 April at the  Palais des Festivals, Cannes, France.