November 27, 2017 – Having announced in July of this year the exciting move to Lille, France, Laurence Herszberg, founder of Series Mania, now in its ninth year, along with the European Project and Talent Forum, now in its sixth year (formerly Co-Production Forum), today confirmed that dates of April 27 to May 5, 2018 for Series Mania with the European Project and Talent Forum set to take place at Lille Grand Palais from May 2 to 4. In addition, the European Project and Talent Forum officially announced its 2018 “Call for Series Projects” with a deadline of February 23 for producers to submit their projects online at http://www.seriesmania.com/.
Since 2013, the Forum has seen many projects become a series, including: Liar, Tabula Rasa, Stella Blomkvist, Keeping Faith, Banking District with many others currently in production or in advanced development. As a part of the Forum, 16 projects in development will be selected to participate in the Co-Pro Pitching Sessions in front of more than 400 decision makers of the TV industry including, co-producers, distributors, and TV channel representatives.
“The Series Mania Co-Production Forum has proven to be the preeminent meeting place in Europe to co-finance TV series projects in development,” commented Ms. Herszberg. “ The newly renamed European Project and Talent Forum will now go a step further to create a unique marketplace not only to find projects in development but also to meet original talent and gifted scriptwriters, to discover new series available for the international market, to network with the best European enterprises, to offer an intense program of pitching sessions, training programs, film and TV school presentations, and conferences all in one exceptional hubidentifying the best content yet to come.”
“Our goal with the European Project and Talent Forum is to be the preeminent showcase of what’s best in European television development and production,” commented Mr. Francesco Capurro, Head of the Forum. “This year, for the first time, the Forum will offer a unique journey through the stages of Creating a Series. Each stage will be organized in collaboration with a recognized expert in its sector. In addition, there will also be the Co-ProPitching Sessions with the best project awarded 50,000 € (among 16 series projects in development), SeriesLab (in partnership with the TorinoFilmLab, 9 European authors' pitch), Script Doctoring (selection of author projects by recognized showrunners), European Preview (the latest European series available for acquisitions), Digital Project Pitch and many other events,” added Mr. Capurro.
Ms. Herszberg is credited with hosting the first Series Mania Festival in 2010 in collaboration with artistic director Frederic Lavigne while both at Forum des Images. The event, has grown from 5,000 to more than 50,000 spectators, including over 1200 industry executives as recorded this past April.
SERIES MANIA in numbers:
- 50 unreleased series selected from 350 watched by the team
- 50,000 spectators in 2017
- Over 100 screenings per season
- 10 awards awarded
- 20 countries represented
- 60 international guests
- More than 10 successful series projects following their participation in the European Forum of Projects and Talents, created in 2013
- 1,200 accredited professionals from 35 countries in 2017
