Ofelya Tovmasyan
Central and Easter Europe is a key territory for GoQuest Media and they approach it very strategically not only from sales but also from an acquisition perspective. "We have established and nurtured relationships with key players in the region who are shaping content that are locally rich and attract platforms who want stories with deep roots and international impact," said Ofelya Tovmasyan, GoQuest Media's sales executive for CEE, CIS, and Western Europe to Señal News. "We have had great success taking these titles literally across the world from Australia, to Japan, USA, Brazil, Mexico, India, Africa, and South East Asia. Our partners trust us with their content and we take their ambition forward to put their content on the global map," she expressed.
GoQuest has been doing business in the CEE region for over a decade, and they have worked with almost all major players in the region."Viewership demands are quite diverse in the region and the programming can vary from long-running melodramas to short premium series," observed Tovmasyan. GoQuest Media catalogue is curated keeping this in mind and include some of the biggest productions coming from countries like Poland, Serbia, Estonia, Slovenia, Lithuania etc.
NEW CONTENT
"We are really excited to bring to CEE one of the most demanded content of the region our first Turkish co-production 'Kuma/The Other Wife' (100x60’), which will make its European debut at NATPE Budapest," anticipated the executive. “Kuma” traces the journey of Ceylan who runs away from home and meets Karan, a wealthy young businessman. They fall in love and are soon set to be married. But when Ceylan is framed for murder, Karan marries his brother’s widow instead and forces Ceylan to become his kuma, a second wife to bear his children.
GoQuest will also bring a slate of exciting new titles to the region such as "South Wind" (12x60’) from Telekom Srbija. It's a story about a drug lord from Belgrade who is in conflict with Red, the powerful state curator of the Serbian criminal world and "Absolute 100" (6x60’) where Sonja, an archer with Olympic dreams, protects her family from a criminal's wrath, leading to a cycle of violence.
"We also have a new series from Slovenia, 'Bridges of Us' (150x45’) from Pro Plus where Kristjan returns to Vipava Valley, sparking secrets and love entanglements, confronting family and the past, amid picturesque backdrops and modern dilemmas. Rounding it up is a brand new season of the romantic drama 'Secrets of the Grapevine' (3 Seasons, 36x50’) also from Telekom Srbija," she added.
PROVEN HIT TITLES
CEE dramas like "Ruby Ring" or "Traitor" has resonated in several countries. The first one is led by two strong female leads who tell a story of sibling rivalry turned into a revenge drama when a near fatal accident causes the sisters’ faces to be exchanged and their fates to be intertwined forever. "The story at the core is a human story that resonated with audiences worldwide, especially lovers of melodrama," explained Tovmasyan. "Traitor’s slick production, the political angle of the story and strong characterisation set it apart from other political espionage stories and appealed to international crime drama lovers who were keen to explore shows with new settings and contexts," she said.
GoQuest's executive asserted that they are looking forward to present 'Kuma' to the NATPE Budapest audience as well as "meet with our beloved partners to understand their programming plans and demands for the upcoming year," she concluded.