New disaster doc to be launched at Content Budapest, alongside season two of Line in the Sand & new TV hour of Tale of the Sleeping Giants feature doc 

Keshet International (KI) has acquired Flicker Productions’ disaster documentary 38 Minutes to Live (1x60’) - which investigates the events of January 13, 2018, when people across Hawaii received an emergency alert to their phones informing them of an incoming ballistic missile attack - to launch at the inaugural Content Budapest (27-29 June). 

The global producer and distributor will unveil a slate of new content that also includes the second drama from Keshet 12’s 100M NIS slate of eight scripted shows, Koda Communications’ Line in the Sand S2 (8x60’); and the TV adaptation of Matila Röhr Productions’ award-winning feature doc Tales of the Sleeping Giants (1x60’). 

KI’s new MD of Distribution Kelly Wright says, “Content Budapest offers us a great opportunity to launch some newly acquired titles to buyers before the summer break, including the second season of Line in the Sand, which is even bigger and more explosive than the first, which sold incredibly well for us following a record-breaking debut on Keshet 12. In addition, 38 Minutes to Live is a fascinating look into what might really happen should tensions between North Korea and the US result in a missile attack.”    

KI’s SVP of Acquisitions and Co-productions Anke Stoll comments, “I’m thrilled we’ve been able to pick-up another documentary from Flicker Productions, following the recent acquisition of both BBC One‘s Ellie Simmonds: A World Without Dwarfism and Channel 4’s Finding the Cornish Dream for our burgeoning factual catalogue.” 

Flicker Productions’ 38 Minutes to Live: This is Not a Drill focuses on the 38 minutes during which the entire population of Hawaii, and visiting celebrities including Jim Carrey, faced the end of the world and their own mortality after receiving an emergency alert to their phones: “BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.”. Featuring exclusive interviews and emotional first-person accounts, it examines how Hawaiians responded to this existential threat - from the social media influencers who were live-broadcasting when the message came in, and all the way to the governor. Public officials, journalists, and elected representatives finally reveal how such a mass-traumatizing mistake occurred, and what they are doing to ensure it never happens again. 

KI’s scripted slate at Content Budapest is headlined by the latest installment of Koda Communications’ crime drama Line in the Sand for Keshet 12. Co-created by Yuval Yefet and Rotem Shamir (both Rough Diamonds, Fauda), the first 8x60’ season is still Israel’s highest-rating drama since 2015, and went on to sell in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and the UK. Season two (8x60’) premiered on Tuesday 13 June to strong ratings and reviews in the face of stiff competition (12.6% TVR and 21% share). Described by TVBee as having “enough action and shooting to justify its position at the top of the viewing charts” and by Walla as being “fast-paced, well-acted, and engrossing”, the second season of this modern-day western picks up where the first left off - with Alon (Tsahi Halevi: The Grave, Fauda) and his team of heroes being released from prison having served their time, to discover a new criminal kingpin is running the streets of Nahariya.    

With the collaboration of MRP Matila Röhr Productions, KI is also presenting the 1x60’ broadcast version of MRP’s latest natural history feature, Tale of the Sleeping Giants (Tunturin Tarina), which recently opened in Finnish cinemas to critical acclaim and strong ticket sales, having taken three years to film in the arctic wilderness of Lapland. Described by Seiska magazine as “breathtakingly beautiful” with an “epic soundtrack” by award-winning composer Panu Aaltio, screenwriter Antti Tuuri’s vision of the Lapland fells as “sleeping giants” is a journey into the rich mythology of ancient Scandinavians told in the form of a nature movie. Following the four vibrant seasons of the fells, and the lives of animals such as wolverines, reindeer, foxes, weasels, bears, and humpback whales living within them, Tale of the Sleeping Giants (Tunturin Tarina) celebrates the mythical mountains, skies, lakes, rivers and creatures of Lapland’s arctic wilderness. KI is also representing a wider package of natural history content from MRP that includes the two earlier features in the trilogy: Tale of a Forest (2013) and Tale of a Lake (2016), the biggest box office documentary in the history of Finnish cinema; the award-winning feature Nature Symphony (2019); alongside 20x4’ wildlife shorts. 

For more information on KI’s Content Budapest slate or for meetings, please email Sales Coordinator Kate.Olovsky@keshet-tv.com.