– MIPCOM

Participation at this year’s market, running Oct. 7 to 11, shows a significant increase over last year’s numbers. Confirming the growing ties between MIP Asia and mipcom: Korean Animation Producers Association, Taiwan-based Golden Card Culture Enterprises and Grand Brilliance, a division of Malaysia’s leading private channel TV3 are taking a stand for the first time.

Other fresh mipcom attendees are M-Net and pronet, subsidiaries of the worldwide pay-tv group nethold, Pro Sieben, Germany’s third largest broadcaster, Soviet distributor Central Partnership, and the recently formed RTL4 RTLL5/Veronica joint venture from Holland.

Company launches at the market include Carsey-Werner International a global distribution division of l.a.-based Carsey-Werner. The company will offer such programs as Cosby, Townies and 3rd Rock From The Sun. Other Carsey-Werner programs include Roseanne, Grace Under Fire and Cybill, which will continue to be internationally distributed under existing agreements. Intermedia Film Equities, an entertainment investment company with offices in Beverly Hills and London, has formed Intermedia Television, which will provide distribution and financing for a range of tv programming and multimedia in the international market. Justin Hatfield, formerly executive director of Walt Disney International Television, will head the new company.

Also on the agenda is the upcoming launch of TPS – Television Par Satellite, the new French satellite digital network; a luncheon hosted by Metro Goldwyn Mayer/United Artists where the Hollywood company will unveil its future plans; and a presentation of a new game show, Hugo Sport, from Denmark’s Interactive Television Entertainment, which incorporates the latest in 3d animation with technology allowing viewers to participate in the show during broadcast.

In association with i.m.c.a. and the Banff Television Festival, mipcom ’96 will host the fifth edition of the Bourse de Coproductions-Market Simulation, with sessions on children’s and youth programs, documentaries and fiction.

MIPCOM Junior, Oct. 5 and 6, hosts 51 countries, with first-time participation from Algeria, Bosnia, Chili, Cuba, Indonesia, Ireland, New Zealand, Slovakia, Uruguay and Venezuela.

An additional feature to this year’s lineup is a conference organized by Europe’s Association of Commercial Television (act) on children’s exposure to tv violence and the social and market implications of new attempts at legislation.

– Little Criminals wins big

The CBC TV movie Little Criminals from director Stephen Surjik (The Kids In The Hall) has taken the grand prize and the youth’s jury prize at the Cinema Tout Ecran Film Festival in Geneva.