iWorld
MIPTV & ZDF Studios announce finalists for MIPFormats Pitch 2024
Mumbai: MIPTV revealed the five finalists of the MIPFORMATS PITCH 2024 staged in partnership with ZDF Studios, each of whom will present their original unscripted entertainment formats in front of a renowned industry jury in Cannes on the second day of MIPFORMATS (6-7 April).
Finalists were shortlisted based on a potential universal appeal by an international jury of format experts who will also judge the pitches on the day, comprised of Ilan Astrug, VP, Formats Acquisition and Sales, Warner Bros. Int. TV Production; Siobhan Crawford, Content and Founder, GLOW MEDIA; Julien Degroote EVP, Head of Content Development, TF1 Group; Ella Umansky, VP Format Acquisitions, ITV Studios and Ralf Rückauer, VP Unscripted, ZDF Studios.
With 89 submissions for the 2024 competition received from a record 29 countries, the finalists are:
‘Villa Incognito’, Tuvalu Media (Netherlands)
‘25’, LGH Entertainment (Norway)
‘A.I Of The Beholder’, David Tobiasz (Canada)
‘The Stupid House’, Chulapo Pictures (UK)
‘Unknown Champions’, Phillip Sindermann (Germany)
The popular annual session will be staged in the world-renowned Palais des Festivals on Sunday 7th April at 16:30. One winner will be selected live on stage receiving a financial contribution of €2000 to development, in addition to complementary accreditation to a future MIP Market and access to coaching and mentoring expertise from within the ZDF Studios Group for a year.
ZDF Studios vice president unscripted Ralf Rückauer said: “There is a tendency in the market to revive existing formats that audiences are familiar with. This makes it all the more interesting to look at fresh, unusual and completely new ideas. We were pleasantly surprised by the number of submissions and their diversity and originality. I look forward to meeting the five finalists of this exciting competition in person in Cannes.”
Last year’s competition saw the Turkish talent show format ‘The Show Must Go On’, created by Format Workshop triumphing over concepts from Italy, the UK and Ukraine.
MIPFORMATS will take place within the MIPTV pre-opening weekend (6-7 April), which alongside an extended MIPDOC strand creates ‘the biggest weekend in Unscripted’ in Cannes ahead of the three-day MIPTV exhibition market (8-10 April) set to welcome over 130 exhibitors and delegates from 85 countries.
The MIPTV conference programme will feature returning renowned elements including keynotes from leading industry players, The MIP SDG Award (in partnership with the United Nations), and MIPLAB summits focusing on the future of the industry. International Series Festival CANNESERIES will run alongside MIPTV from 5-10 April.
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
