Canadian director Clement Virgo poses for a photo on the set of "The Book of Negroes" mini-series being shot in Cole Harbour, N.S., on Monday, April 28, 2014. If you accept MIPCOM is the Olympics of television, Canada is working hard to "own the podium." "The Book of Negroes," the upcoming CBC miniseries directed by Clement Virgo and based on the bestseller by Lawrence Hill, was the big theatrical presentation at MIPCOM. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Pittman

CANNES, France - If you accept MIPCOM is the Olympics of television, Canada is working hard to "own the podium."

Mexico was the official "country of honour" at MIPCOM, the 30th annual international television marketplace which concludes Thursday. Next year it will be Turkey, but anyone powering through the massive Palais des Festivals — the same venue as the Cannes Film Festival — saw plenty of red-and-white Maple Leaf flags.

The government of Canada, through the Canada Media Fund and Telefilm Canada, is right there with Netflix, Facebook, Twitter and 4K Sony as major sponsors and partners of the event.

"The Book of Negroes," the upcoming CBC miniseries directed by Clement Virgo and based on the bestseller by Lawrence Hill, was the big theatrical presentation at MIPCOM. A world premiere screening was held Tuesday night at the Palais' Grand Auditorium. Cast members Cuba Gooding, Jr., Louis Gossett and Aunjanue Ellis walked the red carpet along with invited stars such as Donald Sutherland and Liz Hurley.

"'The Book of Negroes' was calling out for co-production," says Carolle Brabant, Telefilm Canada's executive director. The story of British efforts to circumvent African slavery at the time of the American revolution was shot in Nova Scotia and South Africa. Gooding joked about surviving the cold while shooting last spring near Halifax. "I didn't know what ice rain was," he told an international press gathering.

"Canada practically invented co-production," says Brabant, noting the country has film and TV production treaties with 54 nations.

"Vikings," for example, is a Canada-Ireland co-production. The upcoming miniseries "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell," also showcased at MIPCOM, is a U.K.-Canada co-production with funding coming from Bell Media and The Rogers Fund as well as agencies from Quebec and elsewhere in Canada. Battle scenes were shot in Montreal as part of a complicated process in order for production to qualify for funding. Eddie Marsan ("Ray Donovan") stars as Mr. Norrell in a Dickensian tale which will eventually be seen in Canada on Space.

Executive producer Nick Hirschkorn says the tale of magic and intrigue "needed quite a lot of money to make it work." International funding is more and more the way these grand TV visions, especially the historical dramas, are being realized.

Telefilm is not just at MIPCOM to facilitate co-productions. Selling existing Canadian shows to the world is also a top priority. Brabant points to "Murdoch Mysteries" as the biggest Canadian TV success story on the international scene. Passing the 100-episode mark makes the Toronto-lensed historical drama that much more exportable. Shaftesbury CEO Christina Jennings confirmed that her booth was swamped with demand for the series, already exported to 110 markets. In France, where three episodes in a row aired Sunday night, a dubbed version of the series is among the top draws in the country.

"Murdoch" star Yannick Bisson signed autographs and cheerfully posed with restaurant owners in Cannes, proof the series has been embraced outside of Canada.

Beyond promoting individual shows, Telefilm, CMF and various provincial agencies host the Canada Pavilion at Cannes, a red-and-white, food court-like series of booths and meeting areas where 65 Canadian production companies conduct business. Companies such as Breakthrough Entertainment, Marblemedia, Portfolio International and Prodigy Pictures all do business under the Canadian tent.

Meetings take place like speed dating as groups try to find the right partners. Telefilm, says Brabant, "is the Viagra" that helps the process along.

Quebec has its own pavilion spread out on an upper floor at the Palais. Montreal-based Muse Entertainment booked 140 meetings over MIPCOM to promote "The Kennedys: After Camelot," a sequel to their 2011 miniseries hit. The four-hour venture, with star Katie Holmes, will shoot in Toronto and be available in spring 2016.

Some larger Canadian production companies set up their own individual stalls alongside major players Fox, CBS, Viacom, Disney, Sony and HBO.

Other Canadian fare is being sold at the festival from various foreign distributors. Eugene Levy, star and co-creator of the upcoming CBC comedy "Schitt's Creek," was shaking hands and greeting buyers at the ITV Studios booth where his show is being shopped. A large poster for the new CBC drama "Strange Empire" dominated the DRG booth.

DRG senior sales executive Joel Atley had shopped creator Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik's previous drama "Durham County" and jumped at the chance to rep her new drama outside of North America. "It's totally different from anything else on the market," he says of the dark, female-driven western. "Female-skewing is very good for international sales," he adds. "They're attractive girls as you can see from our poster."

Atley says he already had "a couple of deals closing" on the series and noted how Netflix and other digital providers were changing the sales landscape at MIPCOM.

Halifax-based DHX Media set up their "floating sales office" in the harbour next to the Palais aboard the 36-metre yacht the "Clara One." "The advantage is entertaining," explains senior vice-president of distribution Josh Scherba. "We can host dinners here. Restaurants in Cannes are very expensive. "

Scherba calculates he personally takes 60 to 70 meetings over the course of the weeklong conference, all booked well in advance. "It's not really a big walk-up market," he says.

DHX recently acquired Epitome, the company behind the "Degrassi" franchise. Owning a brand with international recognition is a big advantage at this market. "They know the pedigree," says Scherba of potential customers.

This extends to TV content from across Canada. "If you ask Disney, Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon, they would point to Canada as the country they get the most independent production from," says Scherba.

DHX's big show this market is "Open Heart," a youth series already commissioned for both YTV in Canada and Teen Nick in the U.S. A North American commitment makes foreign sales that much easier. "They know you're financed and they know you're in production," says Scherba, also shopping a reboot of "Inspector Gadget."

Scherba adds he's been doing "lots of digital deals" in this changing marketplace. "The new digital platforms are definitely encouraging competition among the traditional platforms. There's just a bigger demand for content overall."

With the TV business changing by the week, even Canadian network executives are getting into the content act. Representatives from Bell Media announced a landmark deal at MIPCOM with producer Mark Burnett and his United Artists partners as well as Toronto-based seed money specialists Highway Entertainment to create, own and sell future format shows. The move means CTV will no longer just bid on and buy rights on foreign properties it could turn into the next "Amazing Race Canada" or "MasterChef Canada." It will be a partner in the development and distribution of new shows it could franchise around the world.

"If we were fortunate enough to get a real hit," says CTV president Phil King, "this would be a bit revolutionary in Canada."

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While in Cannes, Bill Brioux was a guest of the Canada Media Fund and Telefilm Canada. He is a freelance TV columnist based in Brampton, Ont.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2014