01/04/2016 - The industry event in Cannes is a platform aimed at the production of documentaries and factual content

Writer-director-producer Morgan Spurlock will deliver the keynote speech at MIPDoc

Before the global entertainment tradeshow MIPTV kicks off on 4 April, documentary filmmakers, producers and commissioning editors are getting together at MIPDoc in Cannes. The two-day event on 2-3 April provides a platform where new documentary content can be discovered. 

Just before the conferences on documentary and factual content start, award-winning writer-director-producer Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) will deliver a keynote speech. With reference to his digital projects such as the AOL series Connected as well as the premium branded content channel Smartish for Maker Studios, he will discuss original digital content, digital distribution and channels, and how to make an impact and engage with people – especially the younger generations – as well as how to call them to action. As an example, he will present his new female-focused Smartish series What We Teach Girls, Present Tense & Sexish. Meanwhile, the filmmaker is working on his next feature project, Rats, which he describes as “a modern-day horror film” that will take a look into the secret life of the globally vilified rodents.

Another highlight at MIPDoc is the international premiere of National Geographic’s series The Story of God with Morgan Freeman. In this six-part series, the Oscar-winning actor takes the audience on a global journey to explore the five great world religions and to understand how faith has shaped our lives.

For the first time, MIPDoc is also hosting a series of six training sessions led by Munich-based Documentary Campus. The topics that will be covered include where to look for finance beyond licence fees, an examination of the producer-distributor relationship, and a showcase to present companies following innovative paths towards content creation and business. “Documentary Campus is all about bringing people together to partner up in business and storytelling,” says Donata von Perfall, director of Documentary Campus.