New offerings from the multi-genre distributor will deliver diverse, impactful new titles that include long-running returning hit shows, ripped-from-the-headlines documentaries and premium access series that are proven ratings drivers
Dubai: Buying the Dream, pictured above.
(Toronto, ON – March 23, 2023) – Global distribution group, Blue Ant International, announced today more than 450 hours of premium content with thrilling new titles and engrossing new seasons of long-running favourites for international buyers at MIPTV. The independent distributor will premiere fresh content across multiple genres offering a diverse blend of stand-out storytelling from top-tier talent and producers.
“Blue Ant International’s catalogue continues to evolve with engaging, high-end, multi-genre content from world-class creatives reflecting our global scale and mass appeal,” says Solange Attwood, EVP, Blue Ant International. “We are looking forward to talking to buyers and partners attending MIPTV about our new catalogue of premium series and documentaries, as well as how we can create bespoke deal structures that include creative financing solutions for co-productions or presales of new projects.”
Blue Ant International’s offering of premium documentaries spreads across many genres. The slate has the potential to transform public perception on major issues by exploring compelling themes told in captivating ways. This year’s MIPTV highlights include:
Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies (3 x 60’; 4K; Blue Ant Studios) provides unprecedented access to Casey Anthony herself and offers a jaw-dropping new perspective on the death of two-year-old Caylee Anthony.
Dubai: Buying the Dream (6 x 60’: HD: Angel Eye Media) is set in the most luxurious, hottest, property market in the world. An aspirational, superglamourous reality series, showcasing the high-stakes drama and fabulous properties of Dubai’s No. 1 real estate company. This real-world format sees a group of massively ambitious agents, both established and new, compete for eye-watering commissions – often over £100,000 tax free for just one sale.
Citizens At War: A Year in Ukraine (6 x 60’; HD: GTV, Tilt, Film.UA) For the last year, the filmmakers of Kyiv’s most prestigious film production house have fanned out to the frontlines to record the fate of their nation. The result is a documentary series, which features exclusive and very personal interviews with the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, and his wife, Olena and details the trauma and triumphs of the war-torn Ukrainian nation and of its people.
The Real Spies Among Friends (1 x 60’; HD; Wingspan) is an espionage thriller that tells the real story behind the hit drama series A Spy Among Friends. This documentary on Kim Philby and his fellow Cambridge traitors, reveals the worst spy ring in history and shows how old-school ties blinded the British establishment.
Launching weeks before His Majesty King Charles III’s coronation, Born to Be King (1 x 60’; HD; Touchdown Films) is packed with drama, heartache and scandal. This unique film is told exclusively through an extraordinary collection of archive footage, revealing the life, loves, and passions of King Charles III.
Bollywed (10 x 30’; HD: Hearthat Entertainment) is a heartwarming and humorous series centred around the Singh Family, who have been operating their bridal shop, Chandan Fashion, for the past 37 years. The series shines a fascinating light on the booming and colourful world of Bollywood culture and the $70 billion a year South Asian wedding industry.
Mission Unexplained (8 x 60’: HD: Catalyst & Blue Ant Studios) explores mystifying lights to terrifying apparitions, to mechanical mysteries and more. With the recent declassification of military records, service women and men are coming forward for the first time to share eyewitness tales of unexplained events from the front lines – events for which no training could have prepared them.
Mysteries From Above, Season 2 (10 x 60’; HD: Saloon Media) the second season of this proven ratings driving series continues to investigate significant historic and contemporary sites from above with drone, satellite, and aerial photography. Each story begins with a view from above, which allows a unique perspective to understand the site below and dramatically changes the way we see these mysteries, ourselves and the world around us.
Three Mothers, Two Babies and A Scandal (3 x 60’: HD: Firecrest Films) tells the complex and compelling story of the internet adoptions of twin babies, by two separate families on two different continents, and the Trans-Atlantic custody battle and media storm that ensued. Through intimate testimony, the women at the heart of what happened speak together to tell their stories for the first time.
Brink of Disaster (3 x 90′ HD | 6 x 60′ HD: Wildflame Productions and Saloon Media) shows how our man-made metropolises are at constant risk of destruction from these elemental forces.
Across the world, hurricanes, storm surges, earthquakes and rising sea levels are leading to increasing natural catastrophes. Brink of Disaster shows the devastation that occurs when these natural disasters hit and what the latest science and technology can do to help.
The Black Death with Dan Snow (2 x 60’; HD | 1 x 120’ HD: History Hit) British Historian Dan Snow and archaeologist Raksha Dave investigate how the Black Death devastated Britain 700 years ago. This terrible plague killed around 3 million people across the country, 50% of the population. Visiting outbreak hotspots and unearthing evidence from the time, Dan and Raksha explore its horrific spread month by month as it crippled the country.
Britain’s Most Luxurious Train Journeys (4 x 60’; HD: Candour) lets viewers step inside a world of fine dining, silver service and opulent vintage carriages to experience the UK’s most stunning scenery. From the highlands of Scotland, the lush mountains of Wales, the azure shoreline of the English Riviera and the rugged terrain of the Yorkshire Dales, each episode transports viewers along a different route aboard a unique luxurious train.
I Have Nothing (6 x 30’; HD: Catalyst & Blue Ant Studios) is a show about amateur abilities and enormous ambitions. The series follows Carolyn Taylor (Baroness Von Sketch), fuelled by her unhealthy obsession with the 1988 Winter Olympics, as she attempts to choreograph the perfect pairs figure skating routine to Whitney Houston’s iconic song “I Have Nothing.” Supported by her friend and professional comedian, Mae Martin, Carolyn dives into the routine with guidance from legends Sandra Bezic, Brian Orser, Kurt Browning, Katarina Witt, David Pelletier, Ekaterina Gordeeva, Tara Lipinski, Kristi Yamaguchi and Adam Rippon.
Filmed over a year on the Greek island of Skiathos, Home Greek Home (6 x 60’; HD: Friel Kean) follows TV presenter Sarah Moore as she fulfills her dream of owning a house abroad. After buying a house online, Sarah takes on a derelict renovation project in a foreign country, while dealing with all of the complications that can arise from different building rules and regulations.
Ireland’s Wild Islands (3 x 60’; 4K HDR Hosted | 2 x 60’; 4K HDR Blue Chip: Crossing the Line) Filmed in savage storm-ravaged locations, this enthralling series illustrates the challenges wild creatures face in order to survive on and around Ireland’s isolated outposts. In the hosted version, Eoin Warner, one of Ireland’s leading wildlife and outdoor television presenters, voyages by sailboat through these secluded islands.
Apocalypse Plan B (1 x 60’; HD: Grand Passage Media) As the world begins to panic about global warming, what was once unthinkable is now becoming undeniable, and a perilous chapter opens in the climate crisis debate. Narrated by Jane Fonda, the film journeys to the edge of science and science-fiction to meet the prophets of “geo-engineering” who hope to avert climate doom by dimming the sun, duplicating volcanoes, transforming ocean clouds and re-greening billions of acres of the world’s landscape. Are they desperate delusions that distract us from reality, or do they bring real hope for the future?
Deep In The Heart (1 x 60’; 1 x 120; 4K HDR: Fin & Fur Films) Matthew McConaughey narrates this visually-stunning masterpiece exploring America’s diverse landscapes and remarkable wildlife.
Staying Wild (6 x 30‘; 4K: Overtime Studios) The series follows a dedicated and diverse rescue team in a fight to treat and save over 2,000 wildlife species each season.
Wild Dogs: Packs vs. Pride (6 x 30’; 4K HDR: Icon Films) In the second season of Wild Dogs, Julz Braatvedt is back to follow two wild dog packs and one lion pride. He is the first cameraman to follow and chart the conflicts and interactions between these two top predators in the Luangwa Valley.
Wildlife ER Season 2 (6 x 60’; 4K HDR: Wild Bear Productions) continues to follow the dedicated professionals and volunteers on the front lines of rescuing and caring for sick and injured wild animals in Australia’s busiest wildlife hospital as they perform life-saving treatments on koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, lizards and possums.
Under the creative guidance of master of horror Eli Roth, each episode of the Urban Legend (8 x 60’; HD: Cream Productions) anthology series is a mini-horror film full of suspense and tension, featuring stories of lurking psychopaths, murderous mysteries, creepy creatures and twisting tales that happened to a “friend of a friend.”
Blue Ant International’s digital New Release Catalogue can be found online here.