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Die bisherigen acht Jahrgänge der Masterclass Non-Fiction an der ifs Köln hat schon einige Erfolge hervorgebracht. Am 25. Oktober startet der neunte Jahrgang.

Nadja Radojevic, Geschäftsführerin der ifs Köln (Credit: Fotostudio Neukölln)

Am 25. Oktober startet die Masterclass Non-Fiction an der ifs Köln in ihren neunten Jahrgang. Wie die ifs Köln heute mitteilt, konnten für die berufsbegleitende Weiterbildung, in deren Rahmen Journalisten und Filmemacher unterstützt von Mentoren und Dozenten ein Jahr lang dokumentarische Stoffe – vom Kinofilm bis zur TV-Doku oder Webserie – bis hin zur Finanzierungs- und Produktionsreife entwickeln, „erneut profilierte Partner“ gewonnen werden. Neben der Mediengruppe Rtl Deutschland und dem Wdr sind dies die Produktionsfirmen Zeitsprung Pictures und Gruppe 5 Filmproduktion.

Geleitet wird die Masterclass Non-Fiction von ihrem Initiator Uwe Kersken, freier Produzent und Developer. Kersken sagt anlässlich des bevorstehenden Starts des neunten Masterclass-Jahrgangs: „Ich danke unseren Partnern für das Vertrauen, das sie in die ‚Masterclass Non-Fiction‘ setzen. Diese fruchtbare – oft schon viele...

Portuguese film-tv production and services company Cinemate Productions is in negotiations with Germany’s G5 Fiction to co-produce true-life adventure TV series “La Señora: The Woman Who Defied The Inquisition.”

The co-production pact would see Loures-based Cinemate line-producing “La Señora’s” key scenes in Portugal and bringing to the table new cash rebates from the country. Cinemate would also retain rights for Portuguese-language territories.

“La Señora” is executive produced by Uwe Kersken at G5 Fiction, the TV drama house the producer established in 2014 alongside Zdf Enterprises, German pubcaster Zdf’s commercial arm.

England’s Gavin Scott, writer of Emmy-winning mini-series “Mists of Avalon,” penned the script, based on a treatment by Kersken. It is supported by powerful German regional fund Film- und Medienstiftung Nrw.

Described by Kersken as a “Schindler’s List of the Renaissance,” the project portrays the extraordinary life of Gracia Nasi (1510-1569), a Jewish noblewoman, later called La Señora,...

Exclusive: Historical mystery book trilogy Morbus Dei, by Bastian Zach and Matthias Bauer, has been acquired by G5 Fiction, a division of Germany’s Zdf Enterprises. The bestselling thrillers will be developed as an English-language TV series by G5’s Uwe Kersken who will produce with Corinna Eich of Bavaria Fernsehproduktion. With a screenplay by Zach and Bauer, the project is currently out to U.S. co-production partners. Morbus Dei was originally published by Austrian…...

Berlin -- Michael Hirst, the writer behind The Tudors and the History Channel’s upcoming Vikings series, has signed on to pen the script to Alexander, a new limited series on the life of Macedonian commander Alexander the Great, which is being co-produced by Germany’s Zdf Enterprises, Beta Film and Gruppe 5 Filmproduktion. Gruppe 5 managing partner Uwe Kersken, who initiated the project, will work closely with Hirst on finalizing the concept and first scripts for the production, which the companies say will run 8 to 12 one-hour episodes. The plan is to have a three-season run for Alexander

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Cannes -- German TV production giant Studio Hamburg has taken a 25.1% stake in Cologne-based Gruppe 5.

  The boutique production house run by Uwe Kersken and Christel Fomm, specializes in high-end documentaries and non-fiction series. Zdf Enterprises, the commercial arm of German public broadcaster Zdf, holds a 49% stake in the company.

Upcoming Gruppe 5 productions include four-part miniseries "Dynasty Zero" on the history of ancient Egypt, which will air on the History Channel in the U.S. as well as Euro pubwebs Zdf and Arte; and the three-part doc "The History of the Ocean," which National Geographic, Zdf and Arte have picked up.