MIPTV Boss Says Emotional Farewell To 61-Year-Old Cannes Market

Max Goldbart
·2 min read

MIPTV boss Lucy Smith grew visibly emotional as she said farewell to the 61st and final MIPTV late Tuesday afternoon.

Smith, who runs MIP organizer RX, acknowledged negative feedback from attendees about MIPTV’s end such as “It’s about time” and “What were you waiting for?,” as she talked a packed Palais des Festivals through what they can expect from next year’s MIP London, which will take place at the same time as the London TV Screenings.

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“We do believe the time is now,” she said. “Refreshingly, I hear people say, ‘How exciting,’ but I also hear, ‘Will it work?.’ We firmly believe it will and that there is an appetite for a market. The distribution calendar has moved forward to London in February.”

Footfall at MIPTV 2024 was well down on last year, Smith revealed earlier today.

Visibly emotional, Smith said her goodbyes to MIPTV in its current form with images from the first ever market 61 years ago and paid a tribute to German producer and director Reiner Moritz, who is believed to be the only delegate to have attended every one since its launch.

“It’s the last dance,” added Smith. “Thank you for all the magical moments you’ve created. But we believe the time to make a change is now, although it is of course not a goodbye to Cannes.”

She ended with a rousing commitment to October’s much larger MIPCOM Cannes, which she called “the mother of all entertainment content markets.” It regular attracts a five-figure crows, including the U.S. studios and almost all major TV distributors from around the world.

Inside MIP London

MIP London will take place concurrent with the London Screenings from February 24-27 2025.

Smith and RX SVP Robert Marking reiterated that MIP London will be “complementary” to and not a competitor of the London Screenings, which attracts virtually all major European and American distribs.

MIP London will bring together smaller buyers who will be able to rent out areas, suites and join networking hubs in London’s Savoy Hotel and an adjoining venue. Images of the space were shown to some of this year’s 3,500 attendees for the first time.

Smith said conversations are taking place over the future of MIPDoc and opportunities for the children’s TV community, with more updates incoming. Canneseries, which runs just before MIPTV, is also known to be continuing but details of its future haven’t yet emerged.

“We believe there is a real opportunity around unscripted in February, and are working on developing that,” Smith went on to say. “This could take the form of screenings, showcases and market intelligence sessions.”

Deadline revealed MIP London’s creation several weeks back. This year’s MIPTV market ends in earnest tomorrow, for the final time in its current iteration.

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