Fremantle secures distribution deals for “Arctic Drift: A Year In The Ice” in over 170 territories

 Fremantle today announces sales for pioneering scientific expedition documentary, “Arctic Drift: A Year In The Ice,” to various broadcasters globally, including Amazon Prime Video for Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Channel 4 in the UK, PBS science series NOVA in the US, and France Televisions.“This is a brilliant, timely documentary with exclusive access to a once in a lifetime experience with a full spectrum of international scientists," Jens Richter, CEO, International said.

The project is a collaboration between two Fremantle companies; German production company UFA Show & Factual and London based Wild Blue Media. Spanning 385  days of filming days in the North Pole's most harsh conditions, the company's first high-end factual original is set to broadcast in the UK, US, and France, throughout October and November,  correlating with this year’s UN Climate Change Conference, scheduled to start on 1st November in Glasgow."The roster of broadcasters who have come on board highlights that there is the appetite for premium documentaries with an urgent message, and this is a film that is uniquely backed up with science, hope and the adventure of spending a year in the Arctic," Richter said.

Global territory sales include pan regional deals with National Geographic for Latin America, BBC Earth channels in Africa and Asia, OSN for Middle East and North Africa and AMC Networks International – Central and Northern Europe’s Spektrum for Czech, Hungary and Slovakia. In Eastern Europe, LTV (Latvia), LRT (Lithuania), Canal+ (Poland) and RTV Slovenija and Czech TV have acquired rights. Pubcasters, DR (Denmark) YLE (Finland) and NRK (Norway) have picked up rights in Scandinavia. "Arctic Drift: A Year In The Ice" will be launched in Spain on free to air channel TVE and AMC Networks International – Southern Europe’s Odisea /Odisseia for Spain and Portugal, in Italy Rai 4 have picked up premiere rights, and Sky Italia have also acquired the rights for Pay TV. The documentary has also sold to VRT Belgium, KBS Korea, Gain in Turkey and Cosmote TV in Greece. The film was originally produced for German broadcaster ARD.

“Arctic Drift: A Year In The Ice” tells the epic story of a vital, pioneering scientific expedition deep into the spectacular Arctic Circle, the epicentre of climate change. The film follows 300 international scientists led by the German Alfred Wegener Institute on board the icebreaker, Polarstern, the ship that is their home and research base, frozen into a fragile, drifting ice floe for almost an entire year. In one of the harshest environments on the planet, we follow the dangers, dramas and challenges that face the team, as they brave the brutal Arctic winter in their search for answers locked within the sea ice, ocean and atmosphere, allowing us to understand for the first time how this dynamic and enigmatic landscape regulates temperatures and climate across the globe.