Antony Root and Laurence Herszberg
As a part of a presentation held at the Series Mania Forum, Laurence Herszberg, Founder and General Director of Series Mania; Pierre Ziemniak, Project Manager of the Series Mania Institute; and Antony Root, EVP and Head of Original Production, WarnerMedia EMEA, of HBO Max, announced that in addition to the previously announced partners of Newen, France Télévisions, and Entreprises et Cités, HBO Max has finalized a three year agreement and will come on board as one of the Institute’s founding partners.
HBO Max has agreed to invest one million dollars over the next three years. The Series Mania Institute, launched last year, is an initiative devoted entirely to training the professionals of tomorrow's European TV series. The organization also benefits from the support of the Lille European Metropolis (MEL), the Hauts-de-France Region, and the CNC, as well as partnerships with some of the leading European schools, including La Fémis and Sciences Po Lille. Its European course Eureka Series is supported by the Creative Europe MEDIA programme of the European Union.
“Since its creation, our mission with the Series Mania Institute has been to be the incubator for creating new talent and developing an impressive European network, while reinforcing the training of these professionals in the field of series and audiovisual content, including scriptwriters, directors, producers, and broadcasters. Now, thanks to HBO Max and their generous funding, along with all of our partners, we are well positioned to devote the necessary training to these new talents who will create the European series of tomorrow. I could not be prouder than to be making this announcement today,” said Laurence Herszberg, General Director of Series Mania.
Christina Sulebakk, General Manager of HBO Max EMEA, added: “Europe is home to an incredible breadth and depth of talent, and in partnership with the Series Mania Institute, we’re thrilled to provide the support and resources to nurture the next generation. At HBO Max, we recognise that programming is only as good as those who are empowered to make it, and through this initiative, we’re excited to play a meaningful role in helping creatives to do their best work”.
Lastly, Lucia Recalde, Head of Unit Audiovisual Industry and Media Support Programmes, European Commission, added: "Creative Europe MEDIA is proud to be a partner of the Series Mania ecosystem, first through Series Mania Forum, and now with Eureka Series, the European training programme of Series Mania Institute. HBO Max supporting the Institute marks an important step in the integration of international SVOD platforms to the European industry, and a major creative opportunity for European series professionals".
● CO-PRODUCTION AGREEMENT WITH TAICCA
Moreover, Series Mania announced an agreement with Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA). This strategic alliance would offer a fast track for creators, producers, investors, and distributors from both sides to ensure market access in Asia and Europe.
Under this partnership, Series Mania and TAICCA will co-organize co-production workshops for project teams to present at the annual Series Mania. Top European decision makers will be invited to attend Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF), the flagship industry festival and market by TAICCA in November.