Cannes, France: Record numbers streamed to MIPCOM 2004, the international TV market celebrating its 20th year in Cannes, France Oct. 4-8, and Canada was well represented with a record 205 companies attending the market, including a best-ever 93 participating in the Telefilm Canada Pavilion.

‘It was nuts, just nuts. But it was a fantastic market,’ says Lise Corriveau, manager of festivals and markets for Telefilm. ‘The signs are the worst is over. It’s not back to normal as far as pricing but we’re heading in the right direction.’

With a new 10-year deal with Cannes municipal officials to continue holding its trade fairs in the city, organizer Reed MIDEM announced that a record of 3,557 companies, 30% above 2003, had attended MIPCOM. The previous high-water mark was 2,918, set in 2000. The market also boasted the second highest levels of executive participation at 10,924, including 3,296 program buyers.

‘We saw the first signs of recovery in the television business this time last year. Twelve months later, MIPCOM has confirmed that there is a renewed confidence in the industry,’ says Paul Johnson, director of the television division at Reed MIDEM.

The new deal with the city includes a commitment for a 3,000-square-meter extension to the 18,500 square meters of exhibition space within the Palais des Festivals, which was almost fully occupied this year. The new extension will be completed in 2006, and 10,000 square meters of new exhibition space will be online in 2008.

For Canadians leaving the Riviera city on the final day of the market, there was a renewed sense of optimism.

‘It was the most incredible market that Breakthrough has ever had,’ says an emphatically buoyant Ira Levy, executive producer at Toronto’s Breakthrough Films & Television. Among Breakthrough’s accomplishments at the market, the prodco closed several more deals on the red-hot Atomic Betty, bringing the cartoon’s total territories to over 100. The company inked a deal with Warner Home Video to distribute the first two seasons of the show in the U.S. and international home video markets. Tanya Kelen, head of distribution, also closed a deal with U.S. gay and lesbian pay-TV channel Here!TV for all 78 eps of Paradise Falls.

Montreal-based Galafilm Productions executive Arnie Gelbart also left sensing a change in the wind from the market that has been struggling to regain its footing since 2001.

Galafilm was in Cannes selling a range of docs, including Race to Mars, along with youth drama 15/Love and MOW End Game in Kosovo: The Louise Arbour Story.

‘It seemed like a better market than it’s been – in terms of just general optimism – but also for new and fresh demand for kids programming,’ he says. ‘Generally we saw interest in documentaries and docusoaps – some of the things that we’re involved in – so it’s been generally a positive market for us.’

Likewise, MIPCOM proved positive for many of the Canadian distribs at the market.

‘A clear indication that the market is strong is we’re closing deals,’ says Kevin Byles, VP and GM at CHUM Television International, who finalized about a dozen deals, including five with the U.K.’s Extreme Sports Channel for such shows as Gonna Meet a Rock Star, Exposed and Egos & Icons. ‘Usually they just kick the tires, but we’re closing deals.’ CHUM also sold celebrity makeover show Look-a-Like to Thailand and Star! Inside to Japan’s TFC.

This year’s MIPCOM Junior, held Oct. 2-3, saw 807 entries screened for prospective buyers, including 356 new programs. Notable Canadian programs included Dragon (Cite-Amerique), which was the third most screened show, and Atomic Betty, which placed eighth. 6Teen: The Big Sickie (Nelvana) was 11, Harry and His Bucketful of Dinosaurs (CCI Entertainment) placed 21 and Being Ian (Studio B Productions) was 27.

-www.mipcom.com