Two projects from Stern & Wild client take centre stage at this year’s MIPCOM

Congratulations to Stern & Wild filmmaker Iain “Thompy” Thompson on a hugely successful trip to MIPCOM this year which saw two of his projects garner plaudits and applause.

Thompy was Showrunner on the hit reality series SHARK! CELEBRITY INFESTED WATERS which was announced as the winner of the Best International Reality Format at The International Format Awards on Sunday. The five-part series for ITV saw three world-renowned shark experts lead a group of famous celebrities on a dive expedition to The Bahamas, the shark capital of the world, to face their fears and to learn to love the most feared predator on the planet. It featured comedian and actor Sir Lenny Henry, actress Lucy Punch (AMANDALAND), comedian Ross Noble, actress Helen George (CALL THE MIDWIFE), TV presenter Ade Adepitan, McFly guitarist Dougie Poynter, and co-presenter of COUNTDOWN Rachel Riley. The show was produced by Plimsoll Productions and first aired on ITV1 and STV in July. It is distributed by ITV Studios.

Also making a splash was the wonderful Thompy-directed documentary for YouTube DISCOVERING: ROBBIE LYLE, which on Monday was the focus of a session at MIPCOM’s first-ever BrandStorytelling summit. Green lit by Ancestry Studios, the production arm of genealogy research specialist Ancestry, and produced by Thompy’s Appeal TV, the one-hour film follows YouTube star Robbie Lyle, founder of AFTV, as he travels from North London to Jamaica to uncover his family’s history – launching an exciting new family history format. 

The session brought together Robbie, Thompy and Exec Producer Brad Argent from Ancestry, to share how the project came to life, the challenges of telling such a personal tale, and why brands are increasingly stepping into the space of long-form storytelling.

We are thrilled to see Stern & Wild filmmakers continue to push the boundaries with innovative formats for entertainment content and embrace the brave new world of brand-funded programming.   

Best International Reality Format winner

L-R Brandstorytelling’s Jordan Kelley with Brad Argent, Robbie Lyle and Iain ‘Thompy’ Thompson