LAGARDÈRE S.A.
Lagardère Entertainment is formalizing the partnership it formed several months ago with the distribution platform DIFFA (International Distribution of Films and Fiction from Africa).
DIFFA has built up a catalogue of 500 hours of programs and a network of 24 producers from a dozen African countries.
Following the signing of the agreement on May 5 last year, the DIFFA label and all its activities were incorporated into a new company that will take the name DIFFA.
Launched 3 years ago by Alain Modot (Media Consulting Group) and Jean-Hubert Nankam (Martika Production, based in Ivory Coast), DIFFA will now be majority-owned by Lagardère Entertainment. Its original mission-to provide opportunities for film and television production from Africa-will remain DIFFA's main strategic direction.
In light of this, Lagardère Entertainment is announcing the upcoming opening of two offices-one in Abidjan and the other in Johannesburg.
Lagardère Entertainment and DIFFA will attend DISCOP in Abidjan this year, on 2-6 June. The event will be an opportunity for DIFFA to persuade new producers and talent from Africa to entrust DIFFA with the international distribution of their work.
"Lagardère Entertainment's positioning in Africa coincides with the growing need for content on the continent," says Takis Candilis, President of Lagardère Entertainment and of DIFFA. "We wish to offer the production means capable of responding to this demand, and accompany the growth of the audiovisual market. We are very pleased that Alain Modot-whose first-rate knowledge of the African market is unanimously recognized-is joining our group."
"The new DIFFA is a synergy of shared goals and values dedicated to African creation," says Alain Modot, Managing Director of DIFFA.
Jean-Hubert Nankam, Managing Director of Martika Production, adds: "With the diversification of its productions, our continent will step forward, show itself as it is, and take center stage with pride. The rise in demand for content produced by African professionals must be accompanied by structures created by people from a range of backgrounds, all who believe in this potential. Along with other initiatives providing a structure for these new opportunities, the new DIFFA-besides an immediate increase in revenue from the market it enables and the support it facilitates for its members' productions-will help in building a pan-African community of producers who exchange, share and develop common values and best practices. These are major issues in a sector that is a shared passion for all involved."
DIFFA's corporate headquarters will now be located at 7, rue du Dôme, in Boulogne, on the Lagardère Entertainment premises.
- Virginie Lafleur - + 33 (0)1 40 74 78 02 - vlafleur@lagardere.fr
About DIFFA :
In 2012, Alain Modot (Media Consulting Group, Paris) and Jean Hubert Nankam (Martika Production, Abidjan) created DIFFA in response to the challenges of the audiovisual program market in Africa. In 2015, Lagardère Entertainment became a majority shareholder of DIFFA. Today, 26 African producers from 14 different countries have joined the company. Under Alain Modot's leadership, DIFFA put into action an ambitious development plan, with the opening of offices in Africa and the support of its African teams working toward three key objectives:
- To enhance the distribution of programs "made in Africa" in a market in full expansion, with the arrival of digital terrestrial technology;
- To ensure the continuing development of production companies that entrust us with their catalogues and projects;
- To provide African networks a diversity of content while guaranteeing the smooth promotion and distribution of works, and ensuring the technical quality of the programs purchased.
DIFFA is also a platform for dialogue and exchange among our producers and directors.
As a partner DIFFA is open to joint discussions on the necessary advancement of the sector in the areas of regulation, and the development and promotion of African creativity.
About Lagardère Entertainment :
Founded in 2008, Lagardère Entertainment (Lagardère Active company) manages all of the Lagardère group's film and television production. Lagardère Entertainment is France's leading film and television producer (fiction, entertainment programming) with Ango, Aubes, DEMD, De Père en Fils, GMT, Image & Compagnie, Kelija, Merlin, idFiction, for productions in French; Atlantique Productions for international productions; Maximal, Carson, Angel, 909 Productions, Electron Libre, Réservoir Prod , Telmondis Productions, Léo Vision, Add-On Factory and Tempora.prod for non-scripted programming; and Lagardère Entertainment Rights, Telmondis Distribution, and les Editions Musicales François 1er for rights and distribution. Lagardère Entertainment is now a major player in the production and management of artistic content. Its leading programs include, Josephine Guardian Angel, C Dans l'Air, Nos Chers Voisins, Mafiosa, Borgia, Jo, Clem, Céline Dion le grand show, Pep's, Toute une histoire, Les chansons d'abord, Caïn, the International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo, the Concert pour la Tolérance, C Politique, Recherche appartement ou maison, Vaugand, Foster Family, the Concert of Paris, Las Vegas Academy, In ze boite, Maison à vendre and the series The Transporter.
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