Katie Benbow
Director of Strategy, BBC Studios Productions - Factual
Connected ROUND TABLES
NEW to the Festival for 2025, these sessions will demystify key elements of co-production, distribution and branded entertainment. Hosted by experts at the top of their game, this is a chance to learn from the best about the opportunities presented by new, creative funding models.
Tuesday 19 August - ConnectED Round Tables
ConnectED Round Tables are open to Festival delegates only so make sure you have booked your Festival pass before applying for a spot!
Applications are open now and will close on Wednesday 6 August. We expect a lot of demand for these sessions but will do our best to give as many delegates as possible the opportunity to participate.
Global Storytelling, Shared Budgets: New Frontiers in Scripted Co-Productions
Join hosts Rebecca Dundon, SVP Scripted Content for Global Drama and Fremantle International, and Kate Harwood, Executive Producer at Element Pictures to learn how to navigate the funding ecosystem and align creative visions across different cultures and partners.
Reality, Docs and Formats: Financing and Partnering in a Crowded Market
Hear from Katie Benbow, Director of Strategy, BBC Studios – Factual and Table41 Founder Francesca Johnson on managing creative control and localisation challenges and understand the shifting roles of broadcasters, streamers and brands in financing unscripted content.
Brands as Broadcasters: Financing Storytelling Through Partnerships
Hosted by Head of Ancestry Studios Brad Argent, BENLabs SVP Global Content & Integration Stephanie Dade, and Jack Newman, MD Bullion Productions, this session will shed light on the opportunities available through creative collaboration with brands. Join them to discuss how to navigate the balance between authenticity and brand messaging and how to create ongoing partnerships.
Demystifying Distribution: Unlocking Value Through Rights, Sales, and Windows
Hosted by Mark Young, EVP, Distribution & Networks, EMEA, Sony Pictures Television, and Josephine Fontaine, VP Scripted Acquisitions and Co-Productions, STUDIO TF1, this session will guide you through the evolving art of financing through distribution, and discuss how to maximise revenue without giving away the farm.
See our Round Table Host's full profiles below, with more to be confirmed soon!
Josephine Fontaine
VP Scripted Acquisitions and Co-Productions, STUDIO TF1
Rebecca Dundon
SVP of Scripted Content for Global Drama and Fremantle International, Fremantle
Kate Harwood
Executive Producer, Element Pictures
Brad Argent
Head of Ancestry Studios, Ancestry
Francesca Johnson
Founder / Development Executive & Executive Producer, Table41 Entertainment
Jack Newman
MD, Bullion Productions
Stephanie Dade
Senior Vice President, Global Content & Integration, BenLabs
Mark Young
EVP, Distribution & Networks, EMEA, Sony Pictures Television
Alix Jaffe
President, Television, Miramax