By now, more than 10,000 people from 102 countries are selling their television wares on the French Riviera at the 33rd annual mipcom international film and program market.

From Oct. 9-13, more than 90 Canadian companies will join the throngs at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France. At press time, Telefilm Canada’s Michelle Bischoff said the number making the trip is almost identical to last year, making Canada the fifth largest presence at the television festival behind the u.s., the u.k., France and Germany.

For the first time this year, 12 members of the Saskatchewan production community will have access to the movers and shakers gathered at mip.

Saskatchewan’s International Marketing Initiative, sponsored by the Business Development Bank of Canada, the Saskatchewan Motion Picture Association and Telefilm, is providing funding for the trip as part of its commitment to introducing Saskatchewan producers to the international marketplace.

The trek follows a nine-month training and counseling program in which participants were taught a viable marketing strategy for the global marketplace. Dave Doerksen, a producer at The Edge Productions, and Gwen Harmen of Regina’s Birdsong Communications are among those attending

The Telefilm contingent consists of seven representatives, including Francois Mascerola, executive director, Noel Cormier, director of strategic development and planning, Karen Franklin, director of the television core business unit in Toronto, and Joelle Levie, director of television core business unit in Montreal.