Amir Ben Sira has 20+ years of experience in television. Creator, creative executive and once upon a time director and writer. Specializes in non-scripted formats, comedy, stand-up and entertainment.
1) Is it your first MIPTV? What are looking for? Are you buying or do you also have your own programs to sell?Yes, this is my first MIPTV. I'm looking for Non-Scripted, and trying to focus on finding quality formats suitable for production & localization here in Israel, for prime-time slot only.
Even though my channel has many Ips worthy of international distribution, each and every IP of ours, is distributed separately by the producer (or his partners), and not by us directly. I can send you our company profile next week, where you can find about those shows.
2) What are the trends right now in Israel both scripted and unscripted?
Trends in Israel are very diverse. Here, on the public channel we have successful comedy shows, quality dramas and dramedys, some very high profile docs and some feel good and wholesome reality TV. In the commercial channels you'll see a lot of reality shows and big shiny celeb formats such as Dancing with stars, Survivor, Married at first sight etc. The cable networks produce mainly dramas and comedies and some docs. Scripted trend is telling little stories in a big way, meaning not really dealing with nationally important stories, but rather personal and fictitious.
3) How is the Israeli landscape? Do you think that Israeli is a key territory in the TV market?
As for the landscape: we have been injecting a lot of content into international markets in the recent years. Mainly dramas, but not only. Titles like Fauda, In Treatment, False flag, Power couple and many more travel very nicely across many territories. In addition major giant distributors (Banijay, Red Arrow, ITV and more) have acquired local prodcos here and see Israel as development and proof of concept center.
