Viewpoints: acquisitions strategies

Nat Abraham
Head of Canadian Sales & Acquisitions
Breakthrough Entertainment
Canada

What are your acquisition strategies?

Breakthrough is widely known for its animation, factual and lifestyle programming.  We want to continue look for unique properties to add these genres to our roster as well as other programs that have strong storytelling and are distinctive in content.  

What products are you looking for?

Generally, we are always on the lookout for documentary series, and feature length programs with strong production value and international appeal that will also compliment our existing catalogue. But specifically, documentaries shot in high definition with computer generated graphics are increasingly becoming the trend. 

What were your key acquisition deals in 2007?

Key acquisitions deals include "What A Catch", a factual, Hi-Definition  adventure series that follows Kathryn Maroun to some of the world's most remote and exotic destinations in her quest to conquer top game fish. From Iceland to the Bahamas, this series takes viewers on breathtaking journeys to remote countries exploring prized game fish and some of the most diverse foreign cultures around the globe; "The World Without Us" is a Hi-Definition feature-length political documentary that asks the questions most of us ask … what would the world really be like without the USA's involvement in their political affairs? The film questions the reasons, benefits and consequences of U.S. military presence around the world. The film spans three continents and uses commentary and realistic futuristic scenarios to investigate how U.S. foreign policy affects the lives of millions of people globally; we also recently acquired the feature-length dramatic film, "The Artists".  A cleverly written whodunit caper, "The Artists", again shot in Hi-Definition,  follows Miles Morris and his group of Hollywood con artists as they wreak havoc on wealthy industry power players.  The plot takes a unique twist when federal agents start snooping around and one of the members is murdered.  Suddenly each player is a suspect and the viewer must decide who to believe in this group of professional liars.

What are your plans for MIPTV?

Our plan for MIPTV is to continue to expose the best array of programs in each of our key genres; animation, kids, drama, factual, lifestyle and feature-length to our international buyers and officially launch our new series "What a Catch", "Less Than Kind", "Jimmy 2 Shoes", "My Big, Big Friend".