The Italian TV festival will dedicate a day to the talent and output of the U.K. public broadcaster's commercial arm, for the first time it has put the spotlight on a single international distributor.
LONDON – BBC Worldwide, the public broadcaster's commercial division, is teaming with the RomaFictionFest, a festival dedicated to television fiction, for a day's programming with writer David S. Goyer touted as a draw.
It will be the first time the Italian TV shindig has dedicated an day to one specific international distributor.
Running Sept. 30 through Oct. 5 in Rome, Goyer (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises) will present a masterclass on Da Vinci’s Demons, the eight-episode historical fantasy series produced by BBC Worldwide Productions for Starz Network and distributed by BBC Worldwide.
BBC Worldwide also plans to bring Gillian Anderson (Bleak House, The X Files) in for the Italian premiere of Great Expectations where she will receive the RomaFictionFest Excellence Award and Matthew Macfadyen (Pride and Prejudice, Spooks) will walk the red carpet at the premiere of new crime drama Ripper Street.
BBC Worldwide president and managing director, sales and distribution, Steve Macallister described the BBC's commercial arm as being "extremely honored to be the first distributor to partner with the festival for a bespoke day."
RomaFictionFest festival director Steve Della Casa said: "During the BBC Worldwide Day different business models will be discussed at two panels demonstrating to industry attendees co-production processes and building fan engagement beyond the TV screen."
BBC Worldwide's day will be Oct. 1 and will also feature two panel sessions in addition to the masterclass and drama premieres.
Program premieres will also take place for Hartswood production Sherlock season two, the seventh series of Doctor Who, the Impossible Pictures production Sinbad and the Left Bank Pictures detective series Zen.
BBC Worldwide has previously landed at the RomaFictionFest with premieres of Moonshot with Buzz Aldrin in attendance, 10 Days to War and Wallander with Kenneth Branagh and a special Misfits event with Iwan Rheon.
RomaFictionFest is promoted by the Lazio Region and the Rome Chamber of Commerce and is organized by Sviluppo Lazio and the APT - Television Producers Association.