Banijay Rights Lifts off with Sales of Apollo 8: The Mission That Changed the World and Announces MIPTV Launches

Banijay Rights, the leading distribution arm of Banijay Group, announces a raft of international sales of Apollo 8: The Mission That Changed the World to National Geographic Channel, Discovery Networks, Bell Media, VRT, RUV-Icelandic State Broadcasting and Discovery Corporate Services Ltd, ahead of MIPTV.

Apollo 8: The Mission That Changed the World, a special one-off documentary produced by factual specialist Touchdown Films, tells the greatest space story of them all. On 21st December 1968, the world held its breath as NASA controversially launched the first-ever manned mission to the Moon. As astronauts William Anders, Frank Borman and Jim Lovell blasted into space, our own planet was in chaos and in desperate need of a lift. Three days later, the Apollo 8 crew captured the first-ever colour photograph of Earth from space and changed our relationship with the world forever.

Also from Touchdown Films, and launching at MIPTV, is fascinating documentary series Photos That Changed The World (6 x 60′) which takes an uncompromising look at the past century through the eye of a lens.  From great historic events to tragedies and revolutions, these are images that set social changes in motion and transformed the way we live and think. Packed full of stunning archive, stills and exclusive, specially shot interviews with photographers, eyewitnesses, newspaper editors, broadcasters, politicians and historians, Photos That Changed The World explores how these photographs came to be and what happened after the camera shutter closed.

Further factual series showcasing at MIPTV from Banijay Rights are The Making Of Me (3 x 60’), an up-close and personal look at the experience of transitioning from one gender to another.  A group of people share their own incredibly personal and challenging journey to change gender. From the earliest stages of the initial decision, to the medical consultations and procedures that follow, this series offers an intimate perspective on all aspects of their changing lives.  An RDF Television production for Channel 4.

Looking For Rembrandt (3 x 60’), a Matchlight production for BBC. To mark the 350th anniversary of the death of legendary Dutch painter Rembrandt, this enlightening series unravels two mysteries about the great painter. Firstly, how did an incendiary talent like Rembrandt, end up in a pauper’s grave? How could an artist who once would have been considered rich from the income he received from his art students come to such an ignominious end? Today, Rembrandt is considered one of the most famous artists in European history. In 2015, two of his portraits sold for €160million. Why was his work so often misunderstood in his own lifetime? And why is his work so highly prized today?

The thought-provoking film, Abused By My Girlfriend (1 x 60’), about a 23 year old man, Alex Skeel, who survived the most abusive relationship with his girlfriend Jordan Worth. This film reveals Alex’s shocking testimony and meets his family and friends who share their stories as they watched him slowly slip away, powerless to stop it. Police described Alex’s case as one of the most extreme cases of domestic violence they had ever dealt with. Jordan was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison becoming the first female in the UK to be convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour.  A Century Films production for BBC Three.

London: 2000 Years Revealed (4 x 60’), Voltage TV for Channel 5. London is one of the largest and most successful cities on earth, yet 2000 years ago it was an uninhabited swamp. This programme tells the glorious, and sometimes gory, story of the city’s meteoric rise to power: how it faced daring invasions, catastrophic fires and deadly plague, and how it grew from a small Roman trading post to the capital of the British Empire, and ultimately to the thriving megacity we know today.

Tim Mutimer, CEO at Banijay Rights, commented, “We are delighted that Apollo 8 has already been acquired by a line-up of leading factual networks for pan regional distribution as well as by local channels.  The opportunities for factual programming in the global market are huge right now and we are delighted to be able to offer a new line-up of such high-quality, diverse and thought-provoking programmes at MIPTV.”