Worldscreen.com Ken Burns' PBS Series on National Parks Headed to Cannes

PBS Distribution Brings Ken Burns Epic to Cannes
By Mansha Daswani
Published: October 2, 2009
BOSTON: PBS Distribution, jointly owned by PBS and WGBH, is heading to MIPCOM with Ken Burns' latest doc series: The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.

The series recently premiered to critical acclaim on PBS in the U.S. PBS Distribution's worldwide co-production and distribution arm, PBS International, will be showcasing the series to buyers at its newly redesigned MIPCOM stand. “We are thrilled to return to MIPCOM with our new stand design and look, our growing catalogue of wonderful films, and, certainly, Ken Burns’ latest masterpiece, National Parks,” said Tom Koch, the VP of PBS Distribution. “Since PBS Distribution launched, we have been able to attract many of the best filmmakers and are looking forward to finding even more.”

In September 2007, PBS and WGBH announced their distribution partnership and the new division launched in January of this year. “We’ve been overwhelmed with positive feedback about the new partnership,” said Betsy LeBlanc, senior sales manager at PBS International. “Buyers have always come to us first when looking for a PBS showcase program and now we have the connection, the name and a brand new store front from which to sell.”

Other highlights from PBS International include Saving Luna, 65_RedRoses, Earth Days and new seasons of PBS’s flagship lifestyle series and children’s series.