As part of today’s Series Mania Buyers Upfront, the new initiative and prelude to the Series Mania Forum designed to provide the industry’s top buyers with exclusive access to highly anticipated series, Laurence Herszberg, Founder and General Director of Series Mania, announced “The Deal” as the winner of the first annual “Buyers Choice Award”. The winner was selected from ten titles, previously announced, which were curated by the Festival's artistic team and based on both artistic merit and broad audience appeal. The event, which marks a new chapter in the evolution of the Forum, kicked-off with the exclusive invitation-only BETA Brunch.
“The jury and I were very impressed with the variety of genres and the quality of productions for the titles that were presented this afternoon. We chose ‘The Deal’ as the winner as it is a very timely drama given the state of world affairs which adds to its market appeal. Alongside the dynamics of diplomacy and the tension it brings to the drama, there were also human and personal stories that we are certain will unfold,” commented Keenan.
Presenting the award this evening was jury President Katie Keenan, Group Director of Acquisitions, UK/ROI & Europe, Sky, along with the five other jury members: Ghislain Barrois, Director Cinema, Fiction, Sales, Rights’ Acquisition and Distribution, Mediaset Spain Communication Audiovisual Group (Spain); Marina Chiaravelle, Head of TV Rights Acquisition, RAI Cinema, (Italy); Rubén Fernández Loa, Head of Series Acquisitions, Movistar Plus+ (Spain); Julia Fidel, Head of International Fiction - Acquisitions, ZDF (Germany); and Virginie Padilla, Commissioning Editor, Arte (France/Germany).
"THE DEAL"
Original Title: "THE DEAL"
Country: Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium
International Sales: Gaumont
Production Company: Bande à Part Films, LES FILMS PELLEAS, Gaumont Télévision, Bidibul
Productions, VERSUS PRODUCTION
Format: 6 episodes x 46 minutes
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Year of production: 2024
Synopsis: 2015 – Switzerland hosts last-chance nuclear talks between the US and Iran, with Europe, Russia and China. Swiss diplomat Alexandra Weiss leads the mission, where rising tensions and delegates’ hidden agendas threaten fragile diplomacy. But when her former love
Payam—a threatened Iranian engineer—appears, Alexandra finds herself crossing lines to protect him. The world’s peace is at risk, how far will she go?