MipTV/Canneseries: WBITP Hires Harry Gamsu, Partners With Glow Media, EST Studios to Sell Fae Pictures Series, Vietnam Takes ‘Blind Duet’
Warner Bros. Intl. Television Prod. (WBITVP) has appointed former Fremantle exec Harry Gamsu as new VP, creative, for format, development and sales. He will report to Andrew Zein, SVP creative, for format development and sales and oversee relations between WBITVP’s international division and the WB’s U.S. TV production units Warner Horizon, Telepictures and Shed.
Gamsu will also evaluate formats in WB’s catalogue for international exploitation and format sales to Canada. He succeeds Adam Steinman, who ankled WBITVP earlier this year.
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In his previous role as VP of non-scripted content acquisitions at Fremantle, Gamsu managed the U.S. content acquisition team and working on factual and entertainment series.
WBITVP distributes “The Golden Egg”
In related news, WBITVP is partnering with Belgian format house Glow Media on the newly launched format “The Golden Egg.” WBITVP will represent the format in selected territories, including the U.K. and Australia.
Produced by Glow Media parent Free Kings for Belgian pubcaster VRT, “The Golden Egg” has contestants search for a golden egg, hidden among 100 objects in an immersive studio, in the hopes of winning a cash prize.
“The Golden Egg” premiered this week at MipTV’s as part of The Wit’s Fresh TV Formats showcase.
EST Studios boards Chinese-Canadian family drama “Streams Flow From A River”
Los Angeles-based EST Studios, which focuses on the Asian market, acquired international sales rights for the series “Streams Flow From A River” from Canadian production company Fae Pictures.
The news follows its international premiere at the Canneseries Short Form Competition on Wednesday during MipTV.
Created by Christopher Yip, “Streams Flow From A River” follows a Chinese-Canadian family that owns a laundromat in the tiny rural town of Frank, Alberta. When a freak snowstorm traps the dysfunctional family together in their hometown, they are forced to confront events from a decade ago that tore them all apart.
EST Studios will introduce the six-episode short-form series (or six-chapter feature film) to buyers at the Cannes Film Festival’s Marché du Film in May.
Vietnam stages Global Agency song contest show
“Blind Duets,” the song contest format from Turkish sales company Global Agency, is heading to Vietnam, where it is being produced by Mega GS Communications for Vinh Long TV.
The show, which is set to premiere in primetime on May 6, will be hosted by singer-actor Bach Cong Khanh, with celebrity juries on board.
Created by Gila Kantar and Global Agency CEO Izzet Pinto, “Blind Duets” places four celebrity singers in the jury together to perform with 12 contestants over 13 episodes. The identities of the contestants, who are hidden in cabinets in the studio, are only revealed when they are chosen by a jury member to emerge and perform on stage with the celebrity.
“Blind Duet” marks Global Agency’s second format to premiere in Vietnam following the success of “The Remix” music competition show. Vietnam is therefore “the right country to kickstart the franchise,” said Pinto.
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