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Pascal Breton Launches Federation Entertainment

French television executive Pascal Breton launches Federation Entertainment, a mini-studio created to control all aspects of original straight-to-series event programming for the global marketplace.

French television executive Pascal Breton has partnered with a group of globally-recognized film and television producers and multi award-winning prime time series showrunners to establish Federation Entertainment, a culturally diverse, fully-integrated ‘mini-studio’ created as a new model to control production, financing and distribution of original straight-to-series event programming for the global marketplace. Based in Paris with development and marketing offices in Los Angeles, Federation Entertainment signals a new era in production and distribution -- an independent studio uniting and empowering a group of top executives, producers and showrunners in television entertainment under one distribution banner led by noted television sales executive Jean-Michael Ciszewski.

Breton, who helped guide Marathon Entertainment into one of France’s most prolific and successful television production companies, heads up the new studio. Joining with Breton are many of the most respected names in television production to develop and produce innovative original programming with universal themes and strong international market potential, including:

  • Alex Berger and Eric Rochant, who join Federation Entertainment through their company, The Oligarchs Productions (TOP). A former Canal+ senior executive, Berger is recognized industry-wide for his innovative work as a television and film producer. Rochant is a César award –winning writer-director responsible for an extensive roster of movies, as well as the Canal+ hit primetime television series Mafiosa;
  • Stephane Sperry, who comes to Federation with his entertainment company Liaison Films & Television. The former President of Canal + US, Sperry is also executive producer of the Steven Spielberg-produced feature Tintin;

Ciszewski brings a distinguished career in television sales and marketing to his position as head of worldwide distribution for Federation Entertainment. His extensive track record includes high-profile tenures as President of Alliance International Television and President of Jean Chalopin’s Movie plus. Ciszewski also served with Cookie Jar Entertainment, heading up the company’s international sales and co-productions. Ciszewski is based in Federation Entertainment’s Paris headquarters.

Overseeing Los Angeles operations for Federation Entertainment is Ashley Stern who brings to her new post years of experience developing with a number of prestigious US entertainment companies, such as Scott Free Productions, DreamWorks TV, Fox TV, Starz Network and HBO. Together with her mentor-turned business partner at Ensemble Entertainment, veteran producer Tony To, she worked on such acclaimed series as The Pacific, Boardwalk Empire and Magic City, collaborating with top-tier showrunners, producers, studio executives and talent. As VP of development & production at Ensemble Entertainment, Stern also served co-created a number of series sold as international co-productions and in the premium cable space.

At the time of its launch, Federation Entertainment has already closed an original series deal with Canal+ for the primetime drama Le Bureau des Légendes. Eric Rochant will showrun the series, which follows the plotting, manipulation and intrigue of the clandestine branch of the French Secret Service -- the Office of Legends where elaborate false identities are created for secret undercover agents active throughout the world. Canal+ in association with Federation Entertainment & The Oligarchs Productions has ordered an initial 10 episodes of the series, which stars Mathieu Kassovitz.

In addition to Le Bureau des Légendes, Federation also has a number of series projects underway, including the recently-announced first original series production for NETFLIX France, Marseille, and The Replacements, a co-production between Federation Entertainment and Fisher King Productions which is being distributed worldwide by Federation.

“Federation Entertainment is a new kind of company to meet the demands of a new era in entertainment. Federation is an industry game-changer, offering producers and showrunners unique partnership opportunities and offering programmers worldwide an unprecedented wealth of major creative talent. We are thrilled to bring together an unparalleled executive team that includes recognized industry leaders in all areas of production and distribution,” said Breton.

At MIPCOM, Federation Entertainment is located on the Croisette Village (C16.A2) near the exterior entrance to the Riviera section.

Source: Federation Entertainment

Jennifer Wolfe's picture

Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.