Series Mania Forum returns stronger and bigger this year to connect and shape the future of series. For its 7th edition in Lille, event organizers expect about over 4000 professionals from 60 countries, representing the five continents. Over the course of three days, the Forum will bring together in one place the industry's decision-makers and all the international series community: the best fiction buyers, commissioners, distributors, producers, showrunners, screenwriters, institutions, and agents.
New this year, Series Mania Forum is expanding within Lille Grand Palais, with new 3000 m2 exhibition and networking zones offering even more meeting spaces for participants and exhibitors, and even greater comfort. The Business Square joins the Delegates' Hall and the Business Lounge, both of which are fully booked this year with over 60 exhibitors. Also new to the Forum this year is the IP Market focusing on literary adaptations, podcasts, and short formats. For the first time, we’ll be hosting a round table at the Forum on current trends and new voices in literary adaptation.
Given the tremendous response and success of last year’s inaugural launch of “Series Mania’s Creative Campaign Award”, Series Mania Forum has launched the creation of a newly named programme “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).
At the heart of the Forum are the Co-Pro Pitching Sessions. This event will highlight 15 series seeking international funding. These projects will be pitched in front of decision-makers of the TV industry. The best project will be awarded a 50,000€ prize to help develop the series, as determined by a professional jury of leading industry executives.
CONFERENCES
Series Mania Forum will focus on five major themes, including Series and Talent Pitches, Series Showcases, Insights into the Series Industry, Series Marketing & Innovation, and the Lille Dialogues. The round tables, masterclasses and keynotes will once again invite debate and reflection on a wide range of subjects and topical issues.
Finally, Series Mania is proud to be hosting the 6th edition of its Lille Dialogues, the much-anticipated day-long international summit that brings together European lawmakers and key industry leaders encouraging international cooperation and a joint reflection on the challenges facing the TV industry today. This year's Lille Dialogues will be devoted to artificial intelligence and its dazzling development, with the theme: "Gen AI, the technology we'd love to like".
THE CO-PRO PITCHING SESSIONS
For this 2024 edition, 413 series projects were submitted, from 57 different countries, including new territories such as Mexico, Cameroun, Panama and Chile. One series will also be presented out of competition as part of a partnership with the Berlinale's Co-Pro Series. The full selection and the international jury will be announced mid-February.
SOURCING STORIES
A curated selection of series pitches from Series Mania writing residencies programmes, from producers looking for financing and from IPs ready to be adapted into series will be held during Series Mania Forum.
IP Pitch: Podcast To Screen, IP Pitch: Book To Screen; IP Pitch: Shorts Series, Spot The New Talent To Watch ; Co-Pro Pitching Sessions ; Writers Campus Pitch; France/Israel Drama Series Co-Writing Residency Pitch; The Sam Spiegel Series Lab Final Pitching Event; The Red Sea Series Lab Pitch; Canada-France Series Lab Pitch; Authentica Series Lab Pitch; Taiwan Spotlight; Spot The New Voices For Adaptation; Face To Face With German Talents; High Potential Series From Ukraine And The Journey Of A-List Cinema Filmmakers Going To Series.
CONTENT SHOWCASES
BBC Studios, Disney+ EMEA Showcase, Netflix, and MAX original are some of the companies that will be launching new content in Series Mania Forum apart from “The Count of Monte Cristo” from Mediawan; the Keynotes from Domingo CORRAL, Movistar Plus+ Original Content and Wayne GARVIE, Sony Pictures Television and Coming Next From France, organized by Unifrance; Coming Next From Spain, organized by Audiovisual From Spain; Coming Next From Quebec, organized by SODEC; Coming Next From Finland, organized by APFI; Coming Next From Norway, organized by NFI; Coming Next From Korea, organized by KOCCA And Coming Next From Italy, organized By APA.
PANELS
A series of panels will invite attendees to in-depth analysis and insightful thoughts. “Scripted Format: How Much Leeway For Local Adaptation?”; “Daily Soaps : An Unexpected Ally For A Successful Vod Strategy?”; “Fifty Shades Of Copro: Choose The One That's Right For You!”; “All Eyes On The Balkans! A Fresh Wave Of Creativity For Series”; “Series Shaping A More Desirable Future: Spot The New Production Partners”; “Pre Sales Matter! A Global Series With A Local Lead “Rematch”: The Case Study”; “Series For Global Platforms - Understanding The Stake Of Owning The Ips.”
On the other hand, the Lile event will feature “Five Series Made By Women That Deserve A Shout-Out And Why?”, presented By Ewa Network. “Docu Series & Drama Series - Which Genre To Choose To Tell A Story?”, in Partnership With Fipadoc; “Solving The Equation Of Sustainability And Cost Savings”; “French Audiovisual Network Abroad, Your Gateway To International Cooperation”; “Key Trends In TV”, by The European Audiovisual Observatory; “The Drama Trends Report”, in Partnership With Content London and “Embracing Creative Collaborations”, with The CNC.