ButNetflix led an Israeli charm offensive late last month, when EMEA vice president and original series head Larry Tanz spent five days in the country talking to talent, executives and key financiers in what has become a regulatory battleground.
Along with a delegation including Anna Nagler, Director of Local Language Origins Central and Eastern Europe, Deadline understands that Tanz, based in Netflix’s Dutch office, was in Israel from April 28 to May 3.
The visit focused mainly on Netflix’s work in support of young Israeli talent, but it also included some tough talks about regulations and potential streaming quotas, which Deadline revealed last month to be a hot topic in Israel.
Producers of commercial organizations in the country that made Chaos And sitzl It is working on amending a bill they hope to send to the government soon, which would include live broadcast quotas for local programming and India’s ability to retain 50% of the rights to its own programmes.
However, sources close to the streaming device believe that requiring US players to consume a certain amount of local content would be too restrictive and could have unintended consequences. Since its launch in 2016, Netflix has shown over 100 Israeli/Hebrew movies and TV series through a mix of self-produced, licensed and co-produced content.
Several European countries such as France, Italy and Switzerland are in the process of implementing legislation similar to what Israeli producers are proposing, but there is no law outside Europe.
During the trip, Netflix expressed its full support for the new 25% discount for international TV and film productions in Israel, which is understandable.
Tanz and Nagler faced tough questions about these topics, but they used the visit to underscore Netflix’s commitment to investing in Israeli content, talent and the local ecosystem, attendees said.
The big executive duo met with a group of top producers, writers, directors, and financiers and gave over 150 people a first-hand conversation about the power of authentic storytelling, and they directed it. Chaos Director Assaf Bernstein.
They also focused on the work being done in support of the Sam Spiegel School of Film and Television Series Lab, a four-month incubator program for six to eight Israeli creators looking to expand globally.
Netflix sponsors and sends an award for one exceptional project friends Author Jill Condon attends school to teach advanced text development classes and to mentor participants.
