Ken Burns’ Leonardo Da Vinci Series to Launch at Mipcom, U.K.’s BBC, Germany’s ZDF Arte and Sky New Zealand Pre-Buy Show (EXCLUSIVE)

PBS Distribution will launch Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon’s documentary series on the life and works of Leonardo da Vinci next week at TV market Mipcom in Cannes.

Burns was Oscar nominated for “The Statue of Liberty” and “Brooklyn Bridge.” His series “The Civil War” won two Emmys. He also took Emmys for “Baseball,” “Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson” and “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.”

His latest series, “LEONARDO da VINCI,” has already sold to broadcasters around the world, including the U.K.’s BBC, Germany’s ZDF Arte and Sky New Zealand.

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The series will offer a comprehensive look at Da Vinci’s contributions to art, science and technology. Set against the rich and dynamic backdrop of Renaissance Italy, at a time of skepticism and freethinking, regional war and religious upheaval, the series brings the artist’s achievements to life through his notebooks, primary and secondary accounts of his life, and on-camera interviews with modern scholars, artists, engineers, inventors and admirers.

Joe Barrett, vice president of global sales at PBS Distribution, said, “Leonardo da Vinci was a man ahead of his time. His insatiable curiosity and boundless creativity continue to inspire us today. We’re thrilled to bring this insightful documentary series to Mipcom this year.”

Peter Allenbacher of ZDF said: “The combination of topic, director and broadcaster was an almost irresistible combination for me. Not only from a professional point of view, but from a personal one, as I am a great lover of art, particularly painting. ‘LEONARDO da VINCI’ was bought by leading German broadcaster ZDF for broadcast as part of Arte’s holiday programming, when audiences will be at their leisure to indulge themselves in the calm rhythm of Ken Burns’ latest work.”

PBS Distribution will hold a screening during Mipcom on Oct. 22 in the Le Palais des Festivals, when attendees will be able to watch clips from the series and participate in a Q&A with the producers.