Hugo Brisbois: "We nurture a close, collaborative partnership with producers"

French production and distribution outfit Oble has attended Unifrance-Rendez Vous market with French and French-speaking strong titles like "The Plague", "The Firebrands" and "No Return: Survival". On the other hand, it's preparing a diverse catalogue and newest international content for MIPCOM. Hugo Brisbois, co-founder of Oble brings more details about these French and International content offer and reveals the successful workflow the company maintains with producer from all over the world.

Oble participated at Unifrance Rendez Vous Le Havre in September and will be attending MIPCOM in October. How do you approach your sales strategy for both markets? Are your highlight titles different?
"Our approach to sales strategy for both Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Le Havre and MIPCOM is tailored to the unique focus and audience of each market. Le Havre being primarily focused on French and French-speaking content, it is the ideal event for Oble to highlight some of our strongest series. For this event, we’re putting the spotlight on titles like 'The Plague' ('La Peste'), which hit #1 in the ratings on France 2, the Swiss drama 'The Firebrands' ('Les Indociles'), and the latest season of the French-Canadian thriller 'No Return: Survival' ('Aller Simple : Survivre'). After Le Havre, MIPCOM is a major showcase for all our original and bold line-up. The market’s global reach makes it the perfect platform for us to present our diverse catalogue and pitch our newest international titles. This year, we’ll be showcasing content from all around the world, including exciting new series from Norway, New Zealand, Finland, Ireland and France, catering to the wide range of international buyers attending. We’re particularly focused on promoting both ready-to-air titles and upcoming series available for pre-sales. While our highlights in Le Havre and MIPCOM differ to align with each market’s focus, the core of our strategy remains consistent: ensuring visibility for unique series we’re working on with talented producers and building strong connections with buyers and commissioners."

Oble has a consolidated drama catalog, with the mix of original productions and acquisitions. In what new productions are you working on, and what are your latest acquisition on your catalog?
"The first half of 2024 has been an exciting adventure with our first major co-production 'Winter Palace' wrapping in the Swiss Alps. The series was just selected at La Rochelle’s Fiction Festival and we are thrilled to share the first episode with audiences during the event in September. 'Winter Palace' will premiere on RTS at the end of the year ahead of its multi-territory release on Netflix in early 2025. On the co-production side, we have recently partnered with New Zealand’s Great Southern Television and Scotland’s Sinner Films on the gripping thriller 'The Ridge' which is in its last stages of development. The series is a Sky New Zealand original series and a BBC Scotland co-production for which Oble has come aboard as both co-producer and international distributor. We are currently working on the series’ international pre-sales. We are also thrilled to be working with Belgian production company Artemis on the satirical slasher 'Backlash' - currently in development. The series is a survival show exploring the divide between two generations and how far Gen Z and Boomers are willing to go for their beliefs. On the distribution side, we recently added two contrasting but complementary titles to our slate: 'n00b' and 'Sunset Grove'. 'N00b' is a refreshing coming of age comedy series from New Zealand commissioned by WBD Three & Three Now and a love letter to anyone raised in the early 2000, when flip-phones and skyblogs were all the rage and the internet was a new territory to explore. It follows the journey of closeted cool kid Nikau who becomes an outcast when accidentally outed. For a change of scenery, the Finnish series 'Sunset Grove' on the other hand, adapted from Minna Lindgren’s novels, follows Siiri and Irma, the cool gals and detective queens of their retirement home, as they investigate the sudden death of their beloved cook. 'Sunset' Grove is a funny story about old age, its confusions and uncertainties but also friendship and captivating life in a not-so-ordinary retirement home. Apart from those fresh titles, we are currently closing distribution deals on very appealing series that we’ll soon share with the world."

How would you define the workflow with the producers you work with?
"Whether it is as a distributor or as a co-producer, we nurture a close, collaborative partnership with producers. As a boutique distributor, our approach is highly personalized, allowing us to build strong relationships with the content creators we work with. From the early stages of development and production, we are actively involved, ensuring that we deeply understand the series we will distribute globally. When working on the reach and impact of our series, we focus not only on traditional distribution channels but also on giving them the best possible exposure outside of our TV screens. This includes generating international press coverage, driving engagement on social media, and ensuring visibility at key festivals and market events. We are dedicated to creating conversations around the series we work on and seizing every opportunity to highlight all the talents attached that makes them unique. We aim to maintain open communication with producers, and stay attentive to the specific needs of each project. By aligning our efforts closely with the producers' vision, we aim to give their content the best possible platform to reach international success."

What's the balance of this year for the company? What new goals do you want to accomplish next year?
"2024 has been a positive and dynamic year for us at Oble so far. On the distribution side, we've continued to build a diverse and impactful lineup of series that resonate with audiences worldwide. Diversity remains our key strength, and we’re committed to exploring stories from all over the world and through different gaze, while also delving into new genres and themes. Our upcoming slate reflects this, featuring everything from satirical comedy-dramas to psychological thrillers and glossy comedies. We’re eager to share more details about these exciting titles in the coming months. Looking ahead to next year, we’re focused on further expanding both our distribution and development efforts. On the development front, we’re initiating new projects for series and TV movies targeting both the French and international markets. We’re committed to delivering fresh, engaging content, and we want to keep pushing boundaries, both creatively and geographically, while continuing to grow our presence on the global stage."