CINEFLIX CLOSES SEVERAL DEALS FOR ICELANDIC DRAMA “THE MINISTER”

Cineflix Rights has signed  a series of deals with SBS in Australia, AMC Networks International in Southern Europe, and TVO in Canada for the Icelandic political drama "The Minister." “We are very pleased with how 'The Minister' has hit home here in Iceland with a large portion of the Icelandic population turning into the show on Sunday nights prime time in linear programming and discussing live on social media while the show is running, even Icelandic politicians,” Hilmar Sigurdsson, CEO of Sagafilm, said.

The sales follow the recently announced acquisition of the series by North American streamer Topic. More sales are said to be scheduled. "The Minister" was produced by Sagafilm for RUV Iceland, DR Denmark, NRK Norway, SVT Sweden, and YLE Finland. The deal with SBS Australia was brokered by Chris Bluett, SVP, Sales, Asia Pacific and Benelux; Sabrina Ayala, SVP, Sales, France, Italy, Iberia, and Latin America brokered the deal with AMC Networks International Southern Europe; and the TVO Canada deal was brokered by Lucinda Gergley-Garner, SVP, Sales, North America and German Speaking Territories.  

“The Minister” recently launched on RUV Iceland, SVT Sweden, and YLE Finland, with RUV reporting a 41.1% rating and 94.4% share for the premiere of the first episode. “The Minister showcases Sagafilm’s success in combining an exceptional cast, led by Darri, with a compelling plot about populist politics which echoes the current zeitgeist,” James Durie, Head of Scripted, Cineflix Rights said. “These latest deals reflect the huge international interest we’ve already had as we continue to roll out the series to global buyers.”

The eight 60-minute episodes of “The Minister”  stars Ólafur Darri Ólafsson who plays a populist Prime Minister whose worsening mental health condition threatens the stability of the government and the lives of those around him. The series was recently nominated in the TV Fiction category at the Prix Europa and by the Venice TV Awards for Best TV Series.