MIPTV, one of the leading international television conferences and markets, stands cancelled due to concerns related to the coronavirus (Covid-19). The organising committee, Reed MIDEM, has also announced that besides MIPTV, MIPDoc and MIPFormats and Canneseries 2020 have been cancelled.
The event was scheduled between 30 March to 2 April in Cannes. The next edition of MipTV will take place from 12 to 15 April 2021, while season three of Canneseries, the Cannes International Series Festival, originally scheduled to run parallel to MIPTV, will now take place in October from 9 to 14, alongside MIPCOM.
The news of MIPTV being cancelled comes after the French government put restrictions on gatherings of more than 5,000 people due to the global pandemic.
Reed MIDEM chief executive Paul Zilk said, “In the current context, many of our clients have expressed concerns about travelling at this time. Rescheduling MIPTV in the coming months is not feasible, so the most appropriate course of action is to cancel MIPTV for 2020. The well-being of our clients, partners and staff is our priority. We are grateful to clients for their support and constructive input during this challenging period. We look forward to welcoming everyone to MIPCOM from 12 to 15 October and we are delighted that Canneseries will be at our side again this year.”
The cancellation of MIP events marks another big blow for both Cannes and Reed Midem, which had to postpone MIPIM, its real estate showcase initially scheduled to take place between 10 to 13 March in Cannes, to 2 to 5 June, where it will coincide with music industry conference MIDEM.
The Lille-based Series Mania, however, is still on as it stands. It is set to open its doors on 20 March and organisers signalled that it was business as usual by announcing that HBO’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge show Run will receive its world premiere during the event. Behind the scenes, organisers sent a letter to participants Friday outlining the Coronavirus measures being taken to ensure people “enjoy their visit and fully profit from the festival.”
The danger would have been even greater as the entire market, including screenings, events and company booths, was to be contained this year within the Palais, making for a more confined, and potentially infectious, atmosphere.
