German channel hands Gil Formats first sale

German digital channel ZDFneo has ordered a factual entertainment series from Gil Formats, the new content creation and distribution arm of Israeli producer Gil Productions.

The commission of Capturing the Moment marks a first sale for Gil Formats, which launches its first slate at MIPCOM.

The format sees individuals reveal their personal experiences and learnings around love, family, careers and sex. Each episode focuses on one particular precious image, which may have been shot decades before, that is later recreated by a top photographer.

The show will debut next week in Germany under the title Zurück zum Augenblick in a 10.05pm Sunday slot to coincide with the 25^th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which the episode will focus on.

Former Endemol Germany producer Verena Schueren be executive producer for show producer Seapoint.

“In Zurück zum Augenblick, a photo triggers the narration of a unique, touching life story, which casually allows us to gain insights about a more recent episode of German history,” said a ZDF spokesperson. “We are convinced that this emotional storytelling will resonate positively with our audience.”

“This first commission for Gil Formats shows that emotional storytelling is high on the broadcast agenda,” said Gil Formats founder Assaf Gil. “We’re in talks on Capturing the Moment with other territories so we’re confident this is the first deal of many.”