Stars, glamour, and 21 programs from twelve countries! The Monte-Carlo Television Festival unveiled on Monday the enticing line-up for its 61st edition, which will take place in the Principality from June 17 to 21, during a press conference at the Brach Hotel in Paris. “After two years of global health crisis, the festival has regained its high international level with a competition of very high quality including many world previews”, welcomed Laurent Puons, deputy vice-president of the event. .
This year, during the opening ceremony, presented by Genie Godula, the Honorary President, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco will award a brand new prize: the Golden Nymph for the best international hope. French actor Theo Christine (War of the Worlds, SCAM,, Supremes) will be the first winner.
The world premiere “Last Night” opening
The ceremony will be followed by the world premiere screening of two episodes of the five-part miniseries lastlight, produced by MGM International TV Productions, in association with Peacock, Viaplay, MBC Group, Stan and distributed internationally by MGM.
This thriller, carried by a five-star cast (Matthew Fox of LostJoanne Froggatt of Downton Abbey and Tom Wlaschiha of Game Of Throneswho have already confirmed their arrival), evokes the consequences of a possible collapse of the oil supply.
“Being here and opening the festival is a pleasure and an honor. We have a mission, to create series that could transcend borders and create new ones. We’d like to start a conversation, and last night is perfectly in this credo. Inspired by Alex Scarrow’s bestseller, last night highlights our independence from oil. As we know, this is a very concrete subject today, ”said Rola Bauer, president of MGM international television productions, during the press conference.
Neal McDonough of “Desperate Housewives”, president of the fiction jury
American actor and producer Neal McDonough (Desperate HousewivesArrow, American Horror Story: Double Feature: Dwight D. Eisenhower) will chair the fiction jury. At his side, the British screenwriter Richard Fee, the actress and host Adriana Karembeu, Anna Marsh, general manager of Studio Canal and member of the management board of the Canal + group, Danna Stern, founder of Yes Studios, to whom we owe the series israeli Fauda or On The Spectrum, and Darko Peric, the unforgettable Helsinki of Money Heist.
“I attended this festival last year for the first time, it was amazing! I think this television festival embodies the future, because people are watching more and more series. This festival has been a great discovery, I am very honored to be part of the jury, ”said the Spanish cardboard star, present at the press conference.
Amandine Petit and Eric Antoine, masters of ceremonies
Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO of National Geographic, will chair the documentary and news jury. Alongside him are Bernadette McDaid, international manager of Red Bull Studios (United Kingdom), M6 journalist Marie-Ange Casalta, documentary filmmaker and producer Tristan Chytroschek, winner of an international Emmy Award, Norwegian documentary filmmaker Tonje Hessen Schei, and Radomir Šofr, development manager of Ceska Televize (Czech Republic).
These two juries will have the task of awarding Golden Nymphs to the best of international television production during the closing ceremony, presented by Amandine Petit, Miss France 2021 and “humourillusionist” Eric Antoine. A new prize will be awarded on this occasion, the public prize, in partnership with BetaSeries. “I wanted to do something with this rather hoarse voice in a blue-eyed blonde body. I will be able to carry this voice loud and clear, ”rejoices Amandine Petit.
“I’m just too happy. I’m a fan of fiction. Telling a story is one of the most beautiful things in the world. I like to tell stories, I like to write them, to reflect on them, to see the impact it has on people, the way a story can transform a moment in life,” said Eric Antoine.
Danny Glover, Jason Priestley and Jane Seymour
To mark the turning point of this 61st edition, the festival will also invite a delegation of former jury presidents, including actors Danny Glover, Ron Perlman, Eric Close (FBI: Missing), Jason Priestley (Beverly Hills 90210), Jane Seymour (Doctor Quinn, female doctor), Ricky Whittle (The 100) and Michael Hirst, the creator of the series The Tudors and vikings.
A very promising selection
This 61st edition will host the world premieres of A Private Affaira Spanish series for Amazon Prime Video set in Galicia in the 1940s, Martha Liebermanthe German TV movie about the escape of painter Max Liebermann’s widow from Nazi Germany and the Italian miniseries vincenzo malinconicobased on the best-selling novels by Diego De Silva.
The selection also includes the international premiere of the Hungarian production Ida’s Novelthe European premiere of The Terminal List, Amazon Prime Video series, starring Chris Pratt, based on the novel of the same name by Jack Carr, and The Offer, miniseries by Michael Tolkin for Paramount +, which recounts the gestation and production of the film The Godfather by Francis Ford Coppola.
Also in the running for the Golden Nymphs in the fiction category, The TouristBritish miniseries which stars Jamie Dornan as a victim of a car accident who wakes up in hospital with amnesia, Tromthe first-ever drama series from the Faroe Islands, which follows a journalist’s investigation into the disappearance of an animal rights and environmental activist, and Made in Osloa Norwegian series featuring a gynecologist ready to do anything to get pregnant.
Two French works in the running in the documentary category
As for the series, the festival will also screen the first two episodes of Studio Canal’s fiction in a world premiere. All those things we didn’t say to each othertaken from the bestseller by Marc Levy, in the presence of the actors and the author of the book.
Among the ten documentaries and reports competing in the documentary and news category, two French works, China: The Uyghur Tragedy and the report of Further investigation, “Zelensky: The Clown Turned Warlord”. We also mention Lucy and Desithe Amazon Prime Video documentary, directed by Amy Poehler which looks back on the journey of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and how their sitcom I Love Lucy revolutionized Hollywood.
Out of competition, the documentary breaths of lifewill highlight the problems of the impact of man on a marine environment as fragile as that of the Mediterranean, and on cetaceans in particular.
The stars of all the French soap operas
Festival-goers will be able to meet the heroes and heroines of their favorite soap operas. The stars ofSuch a Great Sun, Tomorrow Belongs To Us, Here It All Begins and More beautiful life will participate in autograph sessions.
M6 will offer two exclusive events: a Behind The Scenes on the show’s filming secrets Beijing Express and a signing session with the actors Scenes of households and With family.
A Behind the Scenes will feature talent from Dick Wolf’s hit shows like Chicago Fire, Law & Order: Revival, Chicago Med and FBI: Wanted. SLA Paris, partner of the festival, will offer a make-up animation for festival-goers.
35 years of “Love, Glory and Beauty”
A first ! The Monte-Carlo Television Festival is setting up a cycle of conferences dedicated to professionals, called “Business Content”, which will bring together showrunners, producers and senior industry leaders around themes such as “Soap-operas: A success story on several decades”, “Distribution of formats: How to create international success” or “The rise of OTT services and the transition to responsible production”.
An unmissable meeting place for stars of the small screen for more than sixty years, it is quite naturally in Monte-Carlo that the talents ofLove glory and beauty have chosen to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the soap opera. The Grimaldi Forum will also host a meeting with the stars of Flames of love.