Kids

RX France and Sinking Ship Entertainment today announced that new bold British school drama Phoenix Rise will be this year’s MIPJUNIOR World Premiere.

The International Kids Screening & Co-Production Market returns to its pre-MIPCOM schedule (15-16 October) at the newly renovated JW Marriot Cannes for its 30th edition, and its first since 2019.

Over 900 delegates including the industry’s most influential producers, distributors and buyers of kids and family programming are confirmed for two days of acquisitions, pitches, insight sessions, deal-making and access to the unrivalled MIPJUNIOR screenings library.

The MIPJUNIOR World Premiere will be staged on the first day of the market at 17.45pm. The contemporary Phoenix Rise champions the underdog, following a diverse group of six teens taking their first tentative steps back into mainstream education after exclusion and the unlikely friendships they form. Phoenix Rise depicts their opportunity to rise from the ashes and prove that sometimes, being an outsider means belonging to the best club of all.

Each episode of Phoenix Rise follows one of six as the optimism and fun of teen life is set against the challenges they face in and out of the classroom. The premiere will show a compilation of clips from the series.

Created by lead writers Matt Evans (Ackley Bridge, Riviera, Our Girl) and Perrie Balthazar (EastEnders, Coronation Street), Phoenix Rise was developed by the BBC Studios Kids & Family Scripted Development team led by Anna Davies and is produced by Joanna Hanley.

The series was commissioned by Sarah Muller, Head of BBC Children’s Commissioning and Acquisitions, 7-12 and is produced by BBC Studios Kids & Family productions. The 20x30’ series is set to debut exclusively on BBC iPlayer in 2023 with Sinking Ship Entertainment handling global distribution.

The series joins Sinking Ship’s slate of award-winning live action series being presented at MIPJunior this year, including the math comedy series ODD SQUAD, the preschool dinosaur series DINO DANA and the sci-fi conservation series ENDLINGS.

Lucy Smith, Director of MIPCOM CANNES and MIPJUNIOR said: “MIPJUNIOR is back! Returning on a wave of overwhelming sign ups and positive sentiment from a global kids community clearly keen to reconvene and reprise international deal-making in person. We’re delighted they will be the first to see this courageous, diverse and original production and are grateful to Sinking Ship and BBC Studios Kids & Family for helping make this world premiere possible.”

“We are thrilled to be partnering with BBC Studios on Phoenix Rise and honoured to be bringing it to MIPCOM this year. It’s an excellent example of a localised story with universal themes, and we know the authenticity of the characters’ experiences will resonate with kids all over the world.” added – Kate Sanagan, Head of Sales and Distribution, Sinking Ship Entertainment.

MIPJUNIOR immediately precedes MIPCOM CANNES (17-20 October). Billed as ‘the mother of all entertainment content markets’, the 38th edition of the annual International Co-Production and Entertainment Content Market is now tracking to welcome over 10,000 delegates in total with over 300 stand holders confirmed to exhibit.