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Tag: Series Mania

  • Series Mania announces ambitious slate for television pitching forum

    Series Mania announces ambitious slate for television pitching forum

    MUMBAI: Europe’s largest television-series festival has selected 15 projects from a record 406 submissions for its coveted co-pro pitching sessions. Series Mania, to be held in Lille from 21-28 March, will see producers vie for a €50,000 development prize, reflecting the growing importance of international co-financing in the post-peak TV era.

    The selection, drawn from 72 countries including first-time entrants New Zealand and Uganda, spans an eclectic mix of genres. Projects range from Nest, a crime comedy about racing pigeons and the Taiwanese mafia, to Wool, a drama about a revolutionary knitting collective in 1960s Yugoslavia. A 16th project, Ruth’s Ghosts—a legal thriller about abortion rights in 2030 America—will be presented outside the competition.

    The pitching session’s jury includes notable industry figures, led by M-K Kennedy, executive managing director of TV series at StudioCanal. The Forum has been the launchpad for the release of such series as Unspoken (Ukraine), Off Season (Switzerland / France), No Man’s Land (France), Banking District (Switzerland), Eden (France), Keeping Faith (Great Britain), Manor House (Czech Republic), Stella Blomkvist (Iceland), Tabula Rasa (Belgium), Trepalium (France), Warrior (Denmark), Devils (Italy), The Head (Spain), Ever After (Italy), The Last Socialist Artefact (Slovenia, Finland) and We Got This (Sweden)  suggesting the event’s growing influence in Europe’s television landscape.

    “Co-financing is more crucial than ever,” says Francesco Capurro, director of Series Mania Forum. “It’s the key to securing higher budgets, boosting sales and staying competitive on the global stage.” 

    The forum, which launched in 2013, has become a vital bridge between European and international drama projects and potential financial partners.
    The event underscores Lille’s rising prominence as a hub for television development. Last year’s festival attracted 98,000 spectators and 4,200 industry professionals from more than 70 countries, cementing its position as Europe’s premier television-series gathering.

    ANTIPAROS – 6 x 45′ – Greece 
    Genre: Comedy, Crime
    Produced by Dionyssis Samiotis, Development Producer Alexandra Orfanidou, for Tanweer Productions, Co – Producer Mark Denessen, for Ginger Film Flanders (Belgium)
    Written by Alexandros Tsilifonis and George Zafeiropoulos
    Directed by Alexandros Tsilifonis
    Short synopsis: An overworked detective returns to his hometown in the island of Antiparos for a much-needed holiday. But once there, an overly law – abiding British policewoman drags him deep down into the mysterious disappearance of a foreign billionaire, and the most complicated case of murders in his entire career.
     
    CECILIE MARS – 6 x 45′ – Denmark
    Genre: Thriller
    Produced by Karoline Leth for Zentropa
    Written and directed by Christoffer Boe
    Short synopsis: In her pursuit of justice, Cecilie Mars, a brave police officer, faces a moral
    dilemma that pushes her beyond the confines of the law. She embarks on a treacherous path to fight evil.
     
    CONSULTANTS – 6 x 45′ – Germany
    Genre: Political thriller
    Produced by Alexis von Wittgenstein and Gilda Weller for Violet Pictures and Henning Kamm for Real Film Berlin
    Written by Richard Kropf, Bob Conrad, Hanno Hackfort
    Short synopsis: Carlo, a young political campaigner from Berlin, believes he’s landed the job of a lifetime: working at one of the world’s largest strategy agencies, he’s part of a digital campaign opposing a neo-fascist party. He sees himself as one of the good guys—until the day he discovers he’s merely a pawn in a plot of unimaginable scale.
     
    HEIST – 6 x 60′ – Belgium, France
    Genre: Action thriller
    Produced by Dries Phylpo for A Private View and Antoine Simkine for Les Films d’Antoine
    Written by Ben Braeunlich
    Short synopsis: Beirut, 1976. The civil war holds the Lebanese capital captive. And here, amid all this terror, the biggest bank robbery of all times is about to go down.
     
    INTIMACY – 8 x 42′ – UK/Israel
    Genre: Thriller
    Produced by Ariel Weisbrod for Sipur
    Created by:  Dan Berlinka, Maude Sandham, Dan Buckland
    Written by: Dan Berlinka 
    Short synopsis: Sex scene, death scene, crime scene. When an actress is found dead on set, the intimacy co-ordinator feels compelled to investigate, which means taking on the dead woman’s role… in more ways than one.
     
    INVISIBLE – 6 x 45’ – Ireland
    Genre: Mystery Drama
    Produced by Ciarán Charles, Darach Ó Tuairisg & Bernadette Hoban
    Written by Matt Harvey & Marteinn Thorisson
    Short synopsis: A girl no one respects. A man no one believes. A crime only they can solve.
     
    MASQUERADE – 8 x 55′ – Iceland
    Genre: Crime/Thriller
    Produced by Arnbjörg Hafli?adóttir for Glassriver, contact Andri Ómarsson
    Created by Andri Óttarsson & Baldvin Z
    Short synopsis: A young American reporter arrives in a small Icelandic village, investigating an old unsolved abduction case of a four-year-old girl—the granddaughter of the town’s most wealthy and powerful man—who vanished while on vacation in Florida 25 years ago. As she digs deeper, she begins to unravel the village’s darkest secrets, only to realize that those responsible for the abduction are probably still living in the village.
     
    NEST – 8 x 60′ – Belgium, United Kingdom, Taiwan
    Genre: Flamboyant Crime Comedy
    Produced by David Vermander for Cartouche, Anouk Mertens for Neo Studios and James Chia-Hao for Reel Asia Pictures
    Written by Koen Van Sande, Sven Huybrechts, Daniel Lambo and Lai Kin Chang
    Short synopsis: When a charming charlatan and her intellectually challenged brother inherit a promising racing pigeon, they are thrust into a deadly game with the ruthless Taiwanese gambling mafia.
     
    NUCLEAR SUNSET CRUISE – 4 x 45′ – Germany
    Genre: Dramedy
    Produced by Martin Lehwald, Marcos Kantis, Philipp Goeser for Schiwago Film
    Written by Robert Krause and Florian Puchert
    Short synopsis: A clueless East German cruise ship accidentally sails straight into the Cuban Missile Crisis. With nuclear war looming and deck chair battles raging, the real question is: can they survive each other?
     
    PHENOMENA – THE SERIES – 8 x 50′ – Italy
    Genre: Horror/Soapy teen drama 
    Produced by Maria Grazia Saccà for Titanus Production
    Written by Nicola Guaglianone and Menotti
    Short synopsis: Jennifer Corvino, an American student at a fencing academy in the glamorous Dolomites, hides her psychic link with insects. When brutal murders strike, she must learn how to use her secret power to stop the killer, save her comrades and survive.
     
    THE CHAPLAIN – 8 x 30′ – Australia
    Genre: Drama
    Co-created and Produced by Jude Troy for Wooden Horse
    Co-created and Written by Elise McCredie
    Short synopsis: Airport Chaplain TOBIAS WALLACE has a constantly ringing mobile, a drawer full of cash, and a decidedly unorthodox approach to solving the daily crises of an airport. When new management threatens to terminate his contract, Tobias devises increasingly ingenious ways to keep his beloved chaplaincy – after all, it’s the only thing keeping his submerged demons at bay.
     
    THE INSTITUTE – 6 x 50′ – Germany, Denmark
    Genre: Thriller
    Produced by Irina Ignatiew-Lemke for Boxworks Media and Deborah Bayer Marlow for Nordisk Film Productions
    Created by: Esther Gronenborn
    Written by Esther Gronenborn and Astrid Ströher
    Short synopsis: The mysterious death of a PhD student draws a brilliant scientist into a deadly web of deceit and intrigue, exposing the dark side of power and equality in the academic world. 
     
    THE LOTTERY TICKET – 6 x 50′ – Spain
    Genre: Dramedy
    Produced by Secuoya Studios
    Written by Carlos Villa
    Short synopsis: Julia’s 50th birthday turns chaotic as she reveals her terminal cancer, reconnects with her adopted daughter, and a winning lottery ticket sparks a battle, unearthing old wounds and buried secrets.
     
    TOKYO CRUSH – 8 x 30′ – France, Japan
    Genre: Comedy, Romance
    Produced by Jonas Ben Haiem and Jean-Félix Dealberto for Salle Commune, and Hiroko Oda for Flag Inc.
    Written by Clémence Dargent
    Short synopsis: Mona, a bold Parisian chef, is hired to reinvent a struggling Tokyo izakaya – if only Toshiro, the talented (and annoyingly handsome) grandson of the founder, would let her.
     
    WOOL – 6 x 50′ – Serbia, Iceland
    Genre: Drama
    Produced by Milena Dzambasovic for Film Road Production, Jonas Margeir Ingolfsson & Milla Ósk for Act4, Danna Stern for In Transit Productions 
    Written by Milena Dzambasovic (creator), Mladen Maticevic, Birkir Blaer Ingolfsson and Milla Ósk 
    Short synopsis: In 1960s Yugoslavia, a woman transforms a village by uniting housewives into a knitting collective. Their designs catch global fashion attention, revolutionizing their rural lives.
     
     
    The 16th project, announced on February 18 during the Berlinale’s Co-Pro Series:
     
    RUTH’S GHOSTS – 6 x 60’  – US, Germany
    Genre: Legal thriller with supernatural elements
    Produced by Jennifer Fox for A Luminous Mind Production, Tara Grace for Temair Pictures and Jana Lotze for Oma Inge Film.
    Written by Jennifer Fox
    Short synopsis: Set in 2030: Ghosts begin to haunt a Christian pro-life lawyer in New Orleans when she is confronted with arguing in court for her 13-year-old granddaughter’s right to an abortion amidst a national ban.
     

  • Series Mania Forum announces ‘Series Mania Buyers Upfront’

    Series Mania Forum announces ‘Series Mania Buyers Upfront’

    Mumbai: Celebrating over a decade of contributions to global content development, Series Mania founder and general director Laurence Herszberg announced the launch of the “Series Mania Buyers Upfront,” a new initiative designed for buyers before the Series Mania Forum (25-27 March 2025). The Series Mania Festival will take place from 21-28 March 2025, and the Buyers Upfront event is scheduled for 24 March 2025, at the Chamber of Commerce (CCI) in Lille’s historic city center.

    The Series Mania Buyers Upfront is an invitation-only event for buyers, showcasing exclusive excerpts from 12 eagerly awaited series that have strong global appeal. Curated by the Festival’s artistic team, the selection will include high-potential series about to be released or still in post-production. The selection will be based on both artistic merit and broad audience appeal.

    The event will kick-off with an exclusive invitation-only brunch followed by the series presentation. Adding to the excitement, a distinguished jury of top buyers will present the Buyers Choice Award for the most promising series. A jury of top buyers will present the Buyers Choice Award for the most promising series, featuring Mediaset Spain, director of cinema, fiction, sales, rights acquisition and distribution, Ghislain Barrois; Sky, group director of acquisitions for UK/ROI & Europe, Katie Keenan; Movistar Plus+, head of series acquisitions, Rubén Fernández Loa; SVT, head of drama, Johanna Gardare; and Arte, commissioning editor & series acquisitions, Virginie Padilla.

    “Series Mania Buyers Upfront will serve as a bridge between industry professionals and the Series Mania Festival, offering a top lineup of series selected by our Festival team. This new initiative offers buyers a unique opportunity for exclusive screenings, dedicated meetings and networking opportunities, and a full festival experience. We are designing a tailor-made experience just for the buyers,” commented Herszberg.

    “Given the recent changes in the international marketplace, Series Mania is now perfectly positioned as the leading European event for scripted content development, as well as a key hub for distributors and buyers looking for content. With our new initiative, we will be better able to connect these distributors and buyers while further strengthening the Series Mania Forum as the must-attend event of the spring for the scripted community” added Series Mania Forum director Francesco Capurro.

    Originally established around its renowned international co-production pitch, Series Mania Forum has evolved into a premier destination for the entertainment industry, expanding its scope to include an IP market, a showcase venue, comprehensive conferences, and dynamic exhibitions. The forum has become a must-visit destination each spring for leading broadcasters, streamers, and major scripted studios worldwide.

  • SERIESMAKERS reveals all ten projects of the second edition

    SERIESMAKERS reveals all ten projects of the second edition

    Mumbai: The creative initiative SERIESMAKERS, led by the prestigious TV festival Series Mania and supported by European content powerhouse Beta Group, has concluded its second edition with overwhelming success.

    A-list filmmakers from all corners of the world applied to participate in the second year of this tailor-made program for feature film directors who venture into the world of series.

    For the second edition of SERIESMAKERS, the following ten projects have been selected (in alphabetical order):

    BREACH by director Mijke de Jong, and writers Giancarlo Sanchez and Jan Eilander (4×50’, The Netherlands) When the unapproachable helmswoman Tisa (35) is tasked with ferrying a crowded boat of wealthy Dutch refugees to Dover, she is confronted with deep-seated traumas from her own past as a refugee, and her authority as captain is challenged by the Europeans who suddenly find themselves in a dependent position. The toxic mix of conflicting interests and mortal fear leads to war on board. Can Tisa and the passengers overcome their demons and complete the journey safely? Mijke de Jong’s LAYLA. M (2016) won several prizes at international film festivals and was the Dutch entry for the Oscars in 2018.

    DOCTOR’S OATH by director Mikko Myllylahti and producers Aleksi Hyvärinen and Taneli Mustonen (4×52’, Finland) Based on a true story, DOCTOR’S OATH is a highly realistic and suspenseful story of a side-tracked female dermatologist who became the face of Finland’s unlikely decision to choose an extremely soft approach towards the AIDS epidemic.

    Mikko Myllylahti’s THE WOODCUTTER STORY (2022) won the Gan Foundation Award for Distribution and was nominated for the Critics’ Week Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

    ELEPHANT with director-writer Hajni Kis and by creator-writer Dávid Csicskár (7×40’, Hungary) Anna (46) is the perfect mother of three, a fantastic wife and a highly skilled political spokesperson. She has a “little” flaw though – she needs to drink to do it all. Anna is a functioning alcoholic who gets through the day with concealed shots. One night, she causes a car accident that nearly kills her family, by drunk driving. She realizes she must quit drinking immediately. But keeping her life, family, and career on track without alcohol turns out to be unexpectedly difficult. Since her family relies on her in every way possible, Anna’s sobriety triggers chaos in the house. Can she save herself while watching everything fall apart around her or will she sacrifice herself for the sake of her perfect family?  Hajni Kis’s WILD ROOTS (2021) was nominated at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

    FREEDOM ACADEMY by director Kaouther Ben Hania and producer Nadim Cheikhrouha (8×45’, France) In the competitive world of television, a cunning producer and his optimistic wife battle for control of a daring reality TV show set in a high-security prison, hoping to capture the intense competition among incarcerated radicals all while the jury grapples with their divergent opinions on prisoners’ rehabilitation.

    Kaouther Ben Hania’s Cannes Film Festival competition entry FOUR DAUGHTERS (2023) is currently nominated for an Oscar® for Best Documentary Feature Film. With THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS SKIN (2020), Ben Hania was nominated for an Oscar® for Best International Feature Film.

    GEORGE BLAKE by director Kevin Macdonald and producer Femke Wolting  (6×52’, United Kingdom/The Netherlands) What makes a person turn against everything they ever stood for? The untold true story of one of the most prolific double agents of not just the Cold War, but British history, George Blake. Kevin Macdonald’s THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND (2007) won an Oscar® in the category Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role and multiple BAFTA’s, among others. His documentary ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER (1999) won an Oscar® for Best Documentary Feature.

    PLAY by director Yorgos Zois and producer Stelios Cotionis (8×52’, Greece) A lonely cinephile joins a mysterious group of strangers who reenact movie scenes in real life. Yorgos Zois’s second feature film ARCADIA (2024) world premiered at 2024 Berlin International Film Festival’s section Encounters. His feature INTERRUPTION (2015) was nominated at Venice Film Festival, among others, and won the Best Newcomer director from the Greek Film Academy.

    SLEEPING SWANS by director Barbara Albert, writer Ulrike Tony Vahl and producer Martina Haubrich (8×52’, Germany) In a coastal town in Eastern Germany, idyll turns into a sinister nightmare when children inexplicably fall into a mysterious condition. Renowned expert Ellen Lennardsson is called in to decipher the secret. In a desperate race against time, she fights against inexplicable forces and the insurmountable resistance of the community. As the number of affected children rises unstoppably, Ellen uncovers a sinister conspiracy encompassing not only the supernatural, but also the darker side of human nature. Barbara Albert’s NORDRAND (1999) was nominated for the Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival. FREE RADICAL (2003) was nominated for the Golden Leopard at Locarno International Film Festival and MADEMOISELLE PARADIS (2017) was nominated at Toronto International Film Festival, among others.

    THE SQUATTER by director Erik Matti and producer Ronald Monteverde (8×52’, The Philippines) A dead body in a rural town. A fraudulent London charity. An East-meets-West crime story. With their hopes and futures at stake, a secretive Filipino maid and a tenacious Ukrainian detective have to unravel the mysteries of a crime just as the crime itself unravels who they truly are. Erik Matti’s ON THE JOB 2: THE MISSING 8 (2021) was nominated for Best Film at Venice Film Festival and won in the category Best Actor at Venice Film Festival.

    THE WILLOW SONG by writer-director Guy Myhill and writers Tony Phillips and Sophie Vaughan (8×50’, United Kingdom) A young Black American GI leaves the segregated Jim Crow South for 1940’s Britain to join the war against fascism. He grows politically, falls in love across the race line and learns firsthand that his biggest battle is not against Nazi Germany, but the pervasive brutality and bigotry of the United States Army. Guy Myhill’s credits include THE GOOB (2014). It was nominated at the Venice Film Festival and won the British Independent Film Award, among others.

    WILLZ by director-writer Amir Manor and director-writer Guy Raz  (10×40’, Israel) Following his friend’s unexpected layoff, an impulsive and highly persistent courier unites the rival courier tribes in the Willz food delivery syndicate to improve their working conditions. When the couriers realize they could never beat Willz by playing by the rules, they join forces, banking on their transparency and the tools at their disposal – to rob a bank. As their plan takes shape, it will become clear that the robbery comes with a cherry on top – exposing Willz’s greedy and unscrupulous ways. Amir Manor’s EPILOGUE (2012) was nominated at the Venice Film Festival (Venice Days) in the category Best Film, among others.  

    The eligible director/producer or director/writer teams from all over the world have been closely mentored and guided by experienced and awarded creatives while working on their series and developing a full pitch deck.

    The prolific four mentors of the second edition are award-winning German producer Janine Jackowski (TONI ERDMANN, SKYLINES), Israeli writer and script doctor Ronit Weiss-Berkowitz (THE GIRL FROM OSLO, A TOUCH AWAY), the international development producer from France/Denmark Isabelle Lindberg Pechou (TROM, LAST LIGHT), and Brazilian producer, director, and showrunner Felipe Braga (SINTONIA, LOV3).

    The speakers included showrunners, writers, and producers such as NARCOS creator Chris Brancato (GODFATHER OF HARLEM, PUSHING DAISIES), multiple award winner Frank Doelger (GAME OF THRONES, THE SWARM), showrunner Bryan Elsley (SKINS), Hagai Levi (THE AFFAIR, OUR BOYS, SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE, IN TREATMENT), Ron Leshem (EUPHORIA, NO MAN’S LAND), and Stefan Arndt (THE WHITE RIBBON, RUN LOLA RUN, BABYLON BERLIN, GOODBYE LENIN).

    The three winning teams will be announced on March 20 in Lille during Series Mania Forum (March 19 – 21). Two teams will each be awarded a €50,000 Beta Development Award and will be working closely with Beta’s Content and Co-Production Division to develop a pilot script and a full package. An additional award of €20,000, courtesy of the Kirch Foundation in collaboration with HFF (University of Television and Film Munich), will be given to a third project.

    The creative initiative SERIESMAKERS is headed by Laurence Herszberg, General Director of Series Mania, and Koby Gal Raday, Chief Content Officer of Beta Group. 

  • Series Mania announces creation of ‘Best Marketing Initiative Award’

    Series Mania announces creation of ‘Best Marketing Initiative Award’

    Mumbai: Given the tremendous response and success of last year’s inaugural launch of “Series Mania’s Creative Campaign Award”, Series Mania founder & general director Laurence Herszberg (15-22 March 2024), has announced the creation of a newly named competition “Best Marketing Initiative Award,” a prize awarded by Series Mania to celebrate creativity in series’ marketing, not only for the promotion to the viewing audience (BtoC), but also initiatives undertaken by producers and distributors to raise awareness toward commissioners and buyers (BtoB).  The Call for Submissions for this Best Marketing Initiative Award opens on 20 November, and closes on 23 January, 2024.

    As with last year’s award, this new initiative responds to the need for producers, distributors, broadcasters and platforms, faced with the dizzying number of series available, to create innovative and unique marketing campaigns so that the series are noticed and have every chance of gaining attention.  The best ideas submitted, and the winner will be selected by a Series Mania committee and presented as part of the program during the 2024 Series Mania Forum (19-21 March 2024).

    “With a tremendous number of submissions entered last year, and with prices awarded to ‘Doctor Who: Flux’ from BBC Studios, and ‘Lupin’ from Netflix (Jury Special Mention), we knew we were on the right track with this award,” commented Herszberg. “Creativity in series’ marketing is more important than ever before given the sheer number of programs available today and we think it is a natural evolution to also open the stage to BtoB initiatives for 2024.”

    “Best Marketing Initiative Award” will be given to the most effective marketing initiative to promote a series, be it original, groundbreaking, or impactful for the audience.  The committee will be looking for the best marketing promotion, which may include communication campaigns, experiences, digital/social initiatives, or a striking visual or promo/trailer developed for the launch of a new series or a new season.

    https://seriesmania.com/forum/en/best-marketing-initiative-award/

    The eligibility requirements for this award include: Creative / social / influencer agencies, producers / studios, international distributors and/or broadcasters / streamers who have set up BtoB or BtoC promotional initiatives for the launch of a series or a new season can apply for this award. For this new edition, campaigns launched in 2022, 2023 and 2024 are eligible. The application must be for a marketing initiative around a fiction series.

    Additionally, it was announced that registration is now opening for the 2024 Series Mania Forum, the industry arm of Series Mania.  Series Mania Forum head Francesco Capurro added, “It is with great pleasure that we announce that registration for the Forum is now open.  We are expecting 4,000 participants from over 60 countries at Lille Grand Palais this year.  The 2024 edition is shaping up to be our biggest event yet and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to Lille.”

  • Series Mania 2023 announces ‘Call for Series’ and ‘Call for Projects’ for its forum

    Series Mania 2023 announces ‘Call for Series’ and ‘Call for Projects’ for its forum

    Mumbai: Following a hugely successful 2022 edition, the festival’s founder and general director, Laurence Herszberg, announced the ‘Call for Series’ for the 2023 edition, as well as the ‘Call for Projects’ for the festival’s industry arm, the Series Mania Forum (21-23 March, 2023).

    The ‘Call for Series’ for the festival has a submission deadline of 6 January, 2023, while the ‘Call for Projects’ for the forum has a deadline of 16 December, 2022.

    “Today I am delighted to be announcing our ‘Call for Series’ and ‘Call for Projects,’ marking the beginning of Series Mania 2023. Our 2022 edition brought together more than 70,000 participants for the festival and 3,300 accredited professionals on-site from 64 countries for the Forum,” commented Herszberg.

    “Our festival continues to showcase top series from around the world, while the forum—including Lille Dialogues—is truly one of today’s premiere meeting places for showrunners, screenwriters, producers, broadcasters, key executives, and talent. I have no doubt Series Mania 2023 will be even larger,” added Herszberg.

    More than 60 series will be chosen to participate in the Series Mania programme on the festival side.

    During the closing event of the eight-day festival, 14 prizes will be given out by the various juries. The Baby (HBO/SKY), We Own This City (HBO), Kamikaze (HBO Max), Unorthodox (Netflix), The Virtues (Channel 4), The Rain(Netflix), The Split (BBC1), I Love Dick (Prime Video), I’m Dying Up Here (Showtime), and Ride Upon the Storm are just a few of the prestigious series that have debuted as a result of the Series Mania international competition (DR).

    Visit here to submit online proposals

    https://film.series-mania.festicine.fr/en

    Producers can submit their proposals for the annual co-pro pitching sessions, the Series Mania Forum’s main event and the idea behind it in the first place. 15 concepts will be chosen from these entries to take part and present themselves to TV industry decision-makers.

    The winning proposal will get a prize of 50,000 euros as chosen by a distinguished jury of top business leaders. The forum has served as the premiere location for a number of international television series, including No Man’s Land(France), Banking District (Switzerland), Eden (France), Keeping Faith (Great Britain), Manor House (Czech Republic), Stella Blomkvist (Iceland), Tabula Rasa (Belgium), Trepalium (France), Warrior (Denmark), Devils (Italy), The Head(Spain), Ever After (Italy), The Last Socialist Artefact (Slovenia, Finland), We Got This (Sweden), Des Gens Bien (Belgium), The Dreamers (Israel), Off Season (Switzerland) and Blackport (Iceland).

    To submit online, please go to

    https://seriesmania.com/forum/en/co-pro-pitching-sessions-2023/

  • Le Monde De Demain, Dark Heart, and Chair Tendre win at Series Mania Festival

    Le Monde De Demain, Dark Heart, and Chair Tendre win at Series Mania Festival

    PARIS & LILLE, FRANCE: Series Mania 2022 has come to an end. The international TV Series festivals that started on 18 March and concluded on 25 March garnered potential attention. The 2022 edition brought together 70,000 participants and 3,300 accredited persons from 64 different nations this year.

    In the previous years, there were 2,100 accredited persons on-site in 2021 and 2,700 accredited persons on-site in 2019. The visits to the Series Mania Website and Series Mania Digital Platform totalled 260,000 views.

    Speaking about the event, the founder and general director of Series Mania, Laurence Herszberg said, “As we close the doors to an incredibly successful edition, we would first like to thank the public and the professionals who attended in record numbers, but also want to thank the city of Lille and the Hauts-de-France Region for their unwavering support of Series Mania.” 

    She said, “We are delighted to be announcing our new dates for 2023, and in terms of final numbers, our numbers far exceeded our expectations for the Forum, and we could not be prouder.”

    “While the highlights are numerous from this year for the Festival, Forum, and Lille Dialogues, I certainly want to acknowledge our Jury President and my dear friend, Ukrainian producer film producer Julia Sinkevych, who was truly an inspiration to everyone who met her. I’d also like to congratulate all the Festival winners, as well as the team from Paradys, winner of the Forum’s Co-Pro Pitching Sessions. We look forward to welcoming everyone to Series Mania 2023, ” she added.

    The Series Mania 2023 dates will be announced shortly. Herszberg also announced on Friday the winners of the Series Mania Festival and the final number of participants.

    We have listed below the Series Mania Winners:

    French show Le Monde De Demain bagged the grand prize in the International Competition, which was created by Katell Quillévéré, Hélier Cisterne, Vincent Poymiro and David Elkaïm. The jury was chaired by Ukrainian producer Julia Sinkevych. The production from Les films du Bélier and Arte France airs on Arte and Netflix.

    Michelle De Swarte was named best actress for The Baby (UK) broadcast on HBO and Sky, while for the Israeli show Fire Dance, Yehuda Levi won the best actor, which will be broadcasted on HBO and Sky.

    Sweden’s Dark Heart won the best series created by Oskar Söderlund and Gustav Möller in International Panorama and is broadcast on Discovery+ in Sweden with Reinvent International Sales on sales.

    Maria Von Heland’s Sunshine Eyes from Germany produced by Maze Pictures, Red Balloon Film GMBH and Tindra Film received the special jury prize. Another German show, Funeral For A Dog created by Hanno Hackfort, Bob Konrad and Thomas Pletzinge, bagged the best series that was awarded by the student jury. Sky Studios/NBCU represented international sales and Sky was the broadcaster. 

    Created by Yaël Langmann, the Chair Tendre won the best series honours in the French Competition. France TV airs it and sales are handled by France TV distribution. 

    The best actress was won by three actresses Inès Ouchaaou, Charlie Loiselier and Assa Sylla from Reusss. It is broadcasted by France. tv Slash and sold by France TV Distribution. 

    Moreover, Axel Granberger was named best actor for Les Papillons Noirs created by Bruno Merle and Olivier Abbou. Mediawan Rights handled the sales and represented it. Arte and Netflix are the broadcasters.

    The best original music was won by Clement Doumic, Antoine Wilson, Sebastien Wolf from the group Feu! Chatterson.

    Besides the above, in the Night of Comedies section, Kastina Communications’ High School Jury-Bloody Murray from Israel won the best series. The best series in short formats was won by Black Camel Pictures’ Float (UK) directed by Arabella Page Croft.

    The Audience Prize is awarded to the audience’s favourite series among all the titles in competition – except for Short Formats- voted on at the end of the screenings went to The Birth Of Daniel F. Harris (UK). It is created by Pete Jackson and directed by Alex Winckler and Alexandra Brodoski. The broadcast is on Channel 4 and BBC Studios handles sales.

  • No such thing as historical accuracy: ‘Vikings’ creator Michael Hirst

    No such thing as historical accuracy: ‘Vikings’ creator Michael Hirst

    With international successes and critically acclaimed hits such as “The Tudors,” “Vikings” and the hotly anticipated forthcoming series “Billy the Kid,” English screenwriter and producer Michael Hirst’s talent for capturing an era, a specific atmosphere, and singular characters are well established. Hirst is also the owner of Green Pavilion Entertainment, a production company he launched in 2017.

    At the Series Mania Forum 2022, Hirst revealed his writing secret, his beliefs as well as the method and madness to recreating the historical universe on-screen through serialised dramas. In a session moderated by journalist Perrine Quennesson, he talked about the joy of writing for TV, owning his characters, and his next – the Epix/MGM project “Billy the Kid” which he described as a ‘new kind of western.’ The show had its world premiere in the Series Mania International Competition.

    Is authenticity your golden rule when scripting a show?

    It is, pretty much, but also emotional truth… If someone would come up to me and say, ‘I have been reading a book (“Vikings”) and they did or said this; why are you not showing it’? I would say I am not making a documentary; it’s a drama.

    It all begins for me with the thought and the research. Then I would start to write and shape the material. Creating drama is about shaping material. Life has no shape, but drama has to have a shape. There are always gaps in the narrative. I always say to myself and my advisor, because we both know there is no such thing as historical accuracy… ‘Is it plausible,’ ‘is it authentic,’ and ‘in your opinion is it true,’ or ‘does it feel true.’ If he assures me, then I can go ahead and tell my stories.

    One of the characters I am most proud of in “Vikings” is Lagertha. The History Channel, who commissioned the show is a male-skewed studio, so it obviously felt that it would appeal to their male viewers. But I wanted a female lead as well, and I wanted someone who is persuasive in that role. Katheryn Winnick, who I finally chose is a black belt, so I had all reason to believe she could carry it off, which she did incredibly well. Last we were making “Vikings” there was a new discovery. There’s a skeleton, I believe, in a museum in Sweden of an iconic warrior Viking. It was buried with all these weapons. They had brought a new curator, who looked at it and said ‘that’s not a man, it’s a woman skeleton’. So the iconic warrior figure of the Swedish Vikings was a woman. I felt totally vindicated (laughs).

    I am happy to say that by the end of the series, the audience was 50:50 male and female. That, for a show called “Vikings” which everyone thought will just be about male violence.

    Looking at those scenes in “Vikings” and “Tudors,” I was just wondering about your relationship with budgets…

    The accountant would often ask me if I had any relationship with reality. I do believe that if you start dreaming with economics in mind, then you are repressing a part of your imagination. You shouldn’t do that. What you should do, is leave it to others to figure out how they work around it. The very first show I did “The Tudors”… literally the beginning of “Tudors” was one exterior of the palace, two studio-built rooms, and a boat disappearing into the distance with the help of some special effects.

    Similarly, for “Vikings,” I was doing some more research. I came upon this fact that when the Vikings were prevented from sailing by the enemy by putting some obstacle in the river, they would dismantle the boats and hold them physically over the mountains, and put them down on the other side of the obstruction. I got very excited about it and told the production design team. They said, ‘it’s wonderful, but we can’t do it.’ I asked if we could do something like it. Though I didn’t know then what ‘like it’ would look like.

    But in actual fact, two months later when we were shooting in Wicklow mountains, we got the cast to hold a Viking ship up a huge cliff, and then hold it back down the other side. We had permission from the landowner to cut some trees down by the side. So they just found a way of doing it. That’s what I mean about giving people the opportunity to figure it out.

    Why do you prefer being the only writer on every series that you are working on?

    I was a film writer. When I started nobody wanted to work in TV. It was cheap. It was about soap operas. Everyone wanted to do movies. I too wanted to do movies. But after “Elizabeth,” a young American executive came to me in London and said, ‘do you think you can turn this into an American soap opera’. I said show me some shows for me to see the sort of standard. He sent me lot’s of them and they were all…The point was ‘you got to be entertaining, but you can also talk, write about serious things.’

    So I began to write, and I just didn’t stop. It was good. The joy was that in movies you reveal characters. You don’t have the time to develop them, which is something that long-form TV dramas give. In TV, you can have characters with contradictions; you can dive a little deeper. I was having a good time. You have to work very hard in TV. Do four scenes a day. But I enjoyed the pressure. It was magical to see how it all worked. So, I really didn’t want to stop.

    When I started doing “Vikings,” if anyone had told me that this is going to be 89 hours of TV…I mean, who knew. They often cancel the show after the first season if it’s not working, if it doesn’t have enough audience. So with every season we did, we didn’t know it’s going to be picked up again. By that stage the characters were friends. And I didn’t want anyone else to take my friends and characters away.  

    How do you know when it’s time to end a show? If “Vikings” ended at season 5 would it be the same end?

    No No, I knew how I wanted it to end, but I had to get there.

    How do you pick your cast? What was it like for “Billy the Kid”?

    It’s very rare to find a resemblance to the real person or character. In this case, Tom Blyth (“The Gilded Age”) seemed to have strong empathy for Billy. We had to go through the process. We were looking in many countries including America, but he kept coming back into our consciousness. I kept throwing stones in his path and he kept responding. I told him that Billy sang and played musical instruments. The next thing I get from Tom is a tape of him singing and playing guitar.  He is perfect for the role.

    Billy is a very special drama for me, much more intimate than the other dramas we have been working on for the last 15 years. It’s lean, lyrical, and character-driven. It’s about big issues as well – immigration, corruption, formation of the west, Dutch Americans kicking out the Mexicans. It’s a real and edgy human story and Billy is at the core of it. It’s a new kind of western; pre-western that starts just before the west as we have seen in movies was actually created.

    People think they know Billy, just like they thought they knew about Vikings, but they actually don’t. They don’t know him as an immigrant, as a very sensitive guy, as someone who got his moral compass from his mother…she taught him to read, and more. I have loved Billy since I was seven, so I have redeemed my childhood with this show.

  • Series Mania and Beta join forces to launch Seriesmakers

    Series Mania and Beta join forces to launch Seriesmakers

    Mumbai: The international TV series industry event Series Mania Forum and European content powerhouse Beta Group have joined forces on Seriesmakers – a new creative initiative that will focus on feature film directors who venture into the world of series.

    Eligible for this initiative are teams of director-producer and/or director-writer, who have a first or second feature film screened in an official selection of A-list film festivals and want to create a new series project.

    Seriesmakers will allow ten selected teams with an idea for a TV series to participate in a tailor-made training programme focused on the development of a full pitch deck. Led by A-list directors, showrunners, writers, and producers, they will guide new series creators as they develop a series bible. “The objective is to support talents working on a new scripted series and will offer two of ten selected projects a €50,000 grant each,” said the statement.

    “Television series has become a desirable destination for feature filmmakers thanks to the dramatic evolvement of the industry which has witnessed an increase in the creative and production quality of programmes in recent years,” commented Series Mania general director Laurence Herszberg. “We want to help filmmakers as they embark on this journey into a new realm of creative opportunities, and we are thrilled to be partnering with Beta who have always supported high-quality storytelling.”

    At Series Mania Forum 2023, a special Jury will award two projects with a Beta Development grant of €50,000 each to further develop a pilot script and a full package. These two projects will also enjoy further support, such as script consulting and packaging offered by Beta’s content division, led by chief content officer Koby Gal Raday. The two winning teams will furthermore be invited to Series Mania’s prestigious Forum to present their projects to the industry’s most influential decision-makers, broadcasters, platforms, co-producers, and financiers. 

    “Beta was and is the independent European home for independent filmmakers who wish to realise their ambitious artistic visions,” stated Koby Gal Raday. “This initiative, focusing for the first time on feature film directors, will enable unique filmmakers to focus on the development of their new series in a supportive and encouraging environment.”

  • Lille Dialogues set for 24 March under Series Mania Forum

    Lille Dialogues set for 24 March under Series Mania Forum

    Mumbai: Series Mania’s president Rodolphe Belmer and founder & general director Laurence Herszberg have announced the guests of honor for the 2022 Lille Dialogues. Lille Dialogues is all set for 24 March and this year, the summit is themed around ‘Empowering the Audiovisual Industry with Creativity.’

    The one-day summit brings together European lawmakers and international TV industry leaders to encourage joint reflection on the challenges facing the industry and to promote international cooperation. Sharing the idea behind this year’s theme, Herszberg said, “now more than ever, our goal is to promote a culture that fosters pluralism, diversity, and social cohesion.”

    Belmer added that creativity is the starting point for the influential stories that end up on our screens, therefore, it’s an essential topic to explore in the industry. “We look forward to welcoming our esteemed guests to Lille to share their ideas and expertise,” Belmer said.

    The event, which is part of the ‘French Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2022,’ is organised in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, the CNC, and the European Commission. The 2022 edition will feature panel discussions, plus several keynotes delivered by top industry executives, exploring the crucial role of creativity in the international audiovisual industry and asking the question of who governs it.

    Meanwhile, the hotly anticipated Series Mania Forum is set to unwind between 22 and 24 March within the fifth Lille-based edition of the Series Mania Festival.

  • Series Mania: The French TV festival unveils its 2021 slate

    Series Mania: The French TV festival unveils its 2021 slate

    Mumbai: Series Mania, the French television festival held in Lille, has announced its 2021 line-up ahead of the event set for 30 August. Series Mania’s president Rodolphe Belmer, founder and general director Laurence Herszberg recently unveiled details for the upcoming event.

    Series Mania 2021 offers exclusive world premieres of the greatest international series from more than 20 countries. At the same time, the festival welcomes 3,000 international professionals from the television industry at Series Mania Forum and Lille Dialogues summit set for 30 August-1 September. Two key events for networking and business are now extended online with the creation in 2020 of Series Mania Digital Forum.

    The 2021 international jury includes: Entertainment One, head of Drama, Polly Williams, producer and creator of “Masha” Maria Feldman, France Televisions’ VP-digital Sened Dhab, Indiana Productions’ film & TV head and partner Daniel Campos Pavoncelli.

    The festival will open with the world premiere of British thriller “Vigil,” a World Production for BBC, in association with ITV Studios in partnership with ARTE, starring Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie.

    The international competition jury will be chaired by screenwriter, director and producer Hagai Levi (BeTipul, The Affair, Our Boys) and contenders include “Kamikaze” (Denmark, HBO Max), “Anna” (Italy); “Blackport” (Iceland), “Furia” (Norway, Germany), “Germinal” (France, Italy), “Hamlet” (Turkey), and “Jerusalem” and “The Echo of Your Voice” (both Israel).

    The festival will also see premieres of several American series, including the AMC dramedy “Kevin Can F**k Himself” starring Annie Murphy, and Peacock’s true-crime thriller “Dr. Death” starring Alec Baldwin, Christian Slater, Carrie Preston, and Joshua Jackson.

    Other premieres include season five of Netflix’s hugely anticipated, “Money Heist”.

    Series Mania ’21 will host guests of honor including “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan, “Dexter” showrunner Clyde Philipps, and “The Good Fight” actress Audra McDonald.