Press

Swedes take a bite of The Big Apple

The Swedish television production community is bidding to outshine other European territories as 'the coproduction partner of choice' at next week's New York Television Festival (NYTVF), with a dozen top players leading a Nordic onslaught on the US market.

The festival has joined forces with MediaXchange to bring the Swedish companies to The Big Apple for a series of Swedish programming sessions.

Representatives from free-to-air networks SVT and TV4, production companies Metronome and Yellow Bird, and distributor Nordisk, as well as 2008 International Interactive Emmy winner The Company P will attend.

The companies will present themselves and the projects and formats they are bringing to market.

"The NYTVF is thrilled to provide a forum introducing top names in Swedish television to their US counterparts," said NYTVF founder Terence Gray. "The Festival's primary mission is to provide access to the TV industry, and we are proud to establish a pipeline to new international markets, via their top-tier creators, producers and networks."

MediaXchange CEO Katrina Wood said: "MediaXchange's partnership with NYTVF is the foundation of an exciting new platform designed to engage overseas entertainment industry executives in a productive business and creative exchange with local US interests.

"It is especially gratifying to launch this new initiative with an impressive group of companies from Sweden, a very dynamic territory that is increasingly taking the focus away from the UK as the destination for TV interests in Europe. We look forward to a long relationship with NYTVF as we share in new opportunities overseas with those attending the Festival."

Participating delegates include:

Anne Wegelius, director of programmes, SVT
Christian Wikander, head of drama, Gothenburg
Asa Sjoberg, director of programmes, TV4
Anton Ganzelius, head of development, TV4
Christopher Sandberg, CEO, The Company P
Michael Poseryd, executive VP and COO, Metronome Group
Lasse Halberg, VP, Metronome Film & TV
Mattias Olsen, creator/producer, Friday TV
Michael Wallen, president, Yellow Bird Group and MD, Yellow Bird Entertainment
Marianne Gray, executive producer, Yellow Bird Entertainment
Jan Salling, head of international sales and business development, Nordisk.

Jenny Davidson
10 Sep 2008
© C21 Media 2008