Jon Avnet and WIGS Partners Launch Indigenous Media, Backed by ITV, WPP

The three filmmakers who launched digital studio WIGS — Black Swan executive producer Jon Avnet together with his son Jake Avnet and Rodrigo Garcia — have formed a new venture: Indigenous Media, backed by British broadcaster ITV and global advertising giant WPP.

Indigenous Media will produce original content for digital and emerging platforms worldwide as well as branded content, centered on scripted half-hour and hour-long series. WPP and ITV will contribute advertising and distribution expertise, and Indigenous Media will focus on creating original entertainment properties.

WIGS, one of the first YouTube-funded channels, has produced several female-centric series, including Blue, about a mother with a secret life as a call girl starring Julia Stiles. Originally launched on YouTube, Blue and other WIGS series have subsequently launched on Hulu and Fox.com.

SUSANNA, Starring Anna Paquin and Maggie Grace, Debuts Friday, June 14, on WIGS

WIGS today announced the premiere of the all-new drama SUSANNA. Exploring the issue of postpartum depression, the series launches Friday, June 14 (9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT) with six new episodes. The remaining six episodes will debut Friday, June 21 (9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT).

Starring Academy Award winner Anna Paquin (TRUE BLOOD, X-Men, The Piano) and Maggie Grace (LOST), SUSANNA is the story of two sisters, Katie (Paquin), the mother of a newborn and her younger sister, Susanna (Grace), an investment banker on the rise, who has no interest in becoming a mother. But when Katie develops acute postpartum depression and is hospitalized, Susanna must take care of her sister and her sister's child, while trying to keep the biggest business opportunity of her life from being derailed by her sister's illness. In the process, she unexpectedly falls in love...with Katie's child.