Keshet International (KI) is establishing a European Drama Initiative which will see it looking to fund three to four new drama productions per year. KI is seeking to build on its existing partnerships with European drama producers and creative talent across the continent, in order to co-develop and co-produce projects which leverage its international talent network and cater for the international market.

KI is financing the projects in order to meet the growing demand for high quality drama which it supplies around the world. It has become known for its willingness to tackle unusual and challenging subject matters, delivering powerful human stories and is keen to honour this criteria going forwards.

Keshet UK and Atlantique Productions last year announced a co-development deal for the Keshet UK originated premium drama project Crater Lake. The series (8 x 52 mins), billed as ‘a life-affirming, character-driven show about death’, was created by the Israeli Academy Award-nominated screenwriter (MICE; Beaufort), author, journalist and TV executive Ron Leshem. Atlantique CEO Olivier Bibas and creative director Patrick Nebout are executive producing for Atlantique, with Keshet Media Group CEO, Avi Nir, KI CEO Alon Shtruzman and Keshet UK EP and Head of Co-productions Sara Johnson, serving as executive producers for Keshet.

Keshet has also enjoyed success exporting its scripted content internationally, in addition to Homeland, of which season five is currently in production, DIG, Tyrant, Your Family or Mine and Allegiance have all aired in the U.S. this year. The psychological thriller False Flag and The A Word, which tackles the subject of autism in the family, are in development for Fox International Channels and BBC One respectively. As it establishes a creative talent ecosystem across multiple territories, KI will also look to bring the group together to encourage exchange and knowledge-sharing across all regions.

This initiative is managed by Keshet’s Scripted Executive Producer and Head of Co-productions, Sara Johnson and Sebastian Burkhardt, KI’s Head of Business Development and Acquisitions.

Sebastian Burkhardt, commented, “It’s a great time to launch our Euro Drama Initiative formalising our existing presence in the market. We are excited to partner with existing and new producers who share the same creative vision and passion for quality drama. By harnessing our existing pool of creative talent, matching that with development funding and KI’s international reach and ability to deficit finance, we are confident that we have all the ingredients to build a robust co-production vision in Europe.”