Fred Media looking to expand international sales team

Nascent international distributor Fred Media is to expand its sales team around the world after receiving funding from Screen Australia.

This comes as the Australian funding body has earmarked A$2.7 million worth of new funding to local producers and distributors through its Enterprise investment scheme.

Fred Media is the international distributor arm of producer WTFN and launched at MIPCOM with over 400 hours of Australian factual, reality and drama series including Bondi Vet and The People Speak.

It will now grow both its domestic and international sales as part of an aggressive expansion strategy.

Heath Watt, Fred Media’s CEO, said “We are delighted by Screen Australia’s belief in our business model and are pleased to be able to work with them in the internationalisation of our business. Enterprise funding will allow WTFN to rapidly accelerate the growth of Fred providing a strong international platform for the exploitation of our growing catalogue.
With a larger, more targeted and specialised sales force, FRED will surely prove to be a very attractive distributor to unaligned third party producers as well.”

Meanwhile, factual producers Bearcage and Joined Up Films both received funding as they focus on new business, particularly increasing their factual slates across Asia and Jungleboys, which started life as an advertising agency, will increase its moves into production with a full time development and research team.

Separately, Screen Australia is funding a second season of Jimmy Mcgovern’s ABC drama Redfern Now as part of a A$5.5 million funding round. The series, which is produced by Blackfella Films, launched its first season of six episodes in November.

Screen Australia’s CEO Ruth Harley said: “Redfern Now is one of several partnerships between ABC TV and Screen Australia’s Indigenous department and I’m very proud of the work we’re achieving together. This is compelling television drama at its very best, showcasing extraordinary talent both in front of and behind the camera.”