For its third edition, the creative initiative Seriesmakers, led by the TV festival Series Mania Forum and supported by the European content powerhouse Beta Group, has announced the ten selected projects that emerged to participate in the tailor-made program for feature film directors who venture into the world of series. 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.
On March 26, the winning team will be announced during Series Mania Forum (March 25–27) and awarded the Beta & Kirch Foundation Award in collaboration with HFF Munich, endowed with €50,000. The winning team will work closely with Beta’s Content and Co-Production Division to develop a pilot script and a full package.
The creative initiative Seriesmakers is headed by Laurence Herszberg, General Director of Series Mania, and Ferdinand Dohna, Head of Content & Co-Production of Beta. Seriesmakers was initiated by Laurence Herszberg and Koby Gal Raday, CEO of Janeiro Studios, and was first launched in 2022. Let's now review the selected projects for the third edition of Seriesmakers.
"A Person of Interest" by director/writer Michael Kinirons and writer Fergal Rock (Ireland, 8x50’, crime/thriller) follows Detective Laura Aspel, who assumes she has an open-and-shut case when the boyfriend of a murdered woman vanishes. However, retired detective Martin McDaid links the case to an unsolved triple homicide, turning their search for the truth into a dangerous game—chasing a fugitive who may be a murderer or the only one who can expose the real killer.
"Cow’s Tongue" by director Aly Muritiba and creator/writer Marc Bechar (Brazil, 8x60’, crime/thriller) tells the story of Maíra, who returns to her lawless Amazonian hometown seeking the truth about her brother’s murder. She soon uncovers a ruthless, politically entrenched crime syndicate responsible for the disappearance of hundreds of truckers, along with shocking secrets about her own identity. Inspired by true events, "Cow’s Tongue" explores the cost of silence and complicity—and the blood-soaked path to revenge in a cycle of violence that refuses to die.
"Death Becomes Him" by director Joseph A. Adesunloye and writer Gabriel Winter (Nigeria, 8x30’, dark comedy/fantasy) follows Jaye, who is killed by a car and resurrected with the powers of Jesus Christ. Initially tempted by get-rich-quick schemes, he soon realizes he must use his abilities for good. Alongside his best friends Madonna and Petey, Jaye must stop the devilish Lekan from taking over their Lagos neighborhood, Isale Eko. But will Jaye’s materialistic temptations prove too strong?
"Falke Motors" by director/writer Jens Dahl and producer Anders N.U. Berg (Denmark, 6x45’, crime/drama) takes place in rural Denmark, where 22-year-old YouTuber Camilla Falke tries to outrun her family’s tarnished reputation. Her father Kenneth’s startup used-car dealership, Falke Motors, becomes an unexpected success—until its dark underbelly is revealed, with stolen vehicles, drugs, and ruthless gangsters lurking beneath the surface. As Camilla’s online fame grows, she must choose between loyalty to her family and securing her own future.
"Le Bouton D’Or" by director Mika Kaurismäki and co-writers Anastasia Pashkevich and Anna Andersson (Finland, 6x45’, drama/comedy) follows an unsuccessful food influencer from the Finnish countryside who leaves everything behind to enroll in a prestigious culinary school in France. Amid the fiery rivalries of haute cuisine, she stumbles upon an even more startling discovery—the woman she always thought was dead: her mother.
"Pigs’ Disco" by writer/director duo Joseph Bull and Luke Seomore (United Kingdom, 4x60’, drama/biopic) is inspired by real events in early ‘90s Belfast. It follows Griff, a young British paratrooper torn between the brutality of military life and the euphoria of the burgeoning rave scene. When he is involved in a fatal shooting that amplifies local tensions, he must choose between loyalty and truth. "Pigs’ Disco" reveals a generation trying to escape the scars of their divided communities as Catholic and Protestant teenagers unite under the beat of rave music.
"Stick’em Up" by writer/director duo Gísli Örn Garðarsson and Björn Hlynur Haraldsson (Iceland, 8x40’, dramedy/biopic) is inspired by true events and follows Harpa Sigurðardóttir, a fiercely independent 48-year-old fishing company owner in Reykjavík. As the government seeks to reclaim privatized fishing quotas, Harpa’s livelihood is at stake. She realizes that seizing control of a bank could be her only chance at survival, but she faces resistance from childhood friends turned adversaries who will stop at nothing to take her down.
"The Interregnum" by creator/director/writer Simón Casal and producer Mariela Besuievsky (Spain, 6x50’, political thriller) is set in 2031, as the EU faces a decisive referendum to approve an AI system that would replace human judges. As opposing campaign managers Inma and Lyda battle for victory, a dark secret surrounding the death of the AI system’s creator, Alicia, threatens to reshape not only the campaign but also their own identities.
"The Wonderful Golem" by director/writer Ofir Raul Graizer and producer David C. Barrot (United Kingdom, 8x60’, drama/fantasy) follows Simon Low, a 26-year-old British runaway in Prague, who accidentally awakens an ancient creature of immense power. As a new tyranny rises, Simon finds himself at the center of a conflict far beyond his understanding.
"Unequal" by director/producer Carolina Jabor and writer Claudia Jouvin (Brazil, 6x45’, thriller/heist/drama) tells the story of a young girl from a humble background who possesses a talent for small-time cons against the wealthy. When she encounters the millionaire responsible for ruining her life, she decides to use her skills to seek revenge.
The four prolific mentors of the third 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"), international development producer 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 Christian Schwochow ("The Crown," "Bad Banks"), Quoc Dang Tran ("Drops of God," "Call My Agent!"), multiple award-winner Frank Doelger ("Game of Thrones," "The Swarm"), showrunner Bryan Elsley ("Skins"), Frank Spotnitz ("The X-Files," "Medici"), and Lila Byock ("Watchmen," "Castle Rock").
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