Mumbai: Celebrating over a decade of contributions to global content development, Series Mania founder and general director Laurence Herszberg announced the launch of the "Series Mania Buyers Upfront," a new initiative designed for buyers before the Series Mania Forum (25-27 March 2025). The Series Mania Festival will take place from 21-28 March 2025, and the Buyers Upfront event is scheduled for 24 March 2025, at the Chamber of Commerce (CCI) in Lille’s historic city center.
The Series Mania Buyers Upfront is an invitation-only event for buyers, showcasing exclusive excerpts from 12 eagerly awaited series that have strong global appeal. Curated by the Festival's artistic team, the selection will include high-potential series about to be released or still in post-production. The selection will be based on both artistic merit and broad audience appeal.
The event will kick-off with an exclusive invitation-only brunch followed by the series presentation. Adding to the excitement, a distinguished jury of top buyers will present the Buyers Choice Award for the most promising series. A jury of top buyers will present the Buyers Choice Award for the most promising series, featuring Mediaset Spain, director of cinema, fiction, sales, rights acquisition and distribution, Ghislain Barrois; Sky, group director of acquisitions for UK/ROI & Europe, Katie Keenan; Movistar Plus+, head of series acquisitions, Rubén Fernández Loa; SVT, head of drama, Johanna Gardare; and Arte, commissioning editor & series acquisitions, Virginie Padilla.
"Series Mania Buyers Upfront will serve as a bridge between industry professionals and the Series Mania Festival, offering a top lineup of series selected by our Festival team. This new initiative offers buyers a unique opportunity for exclusive screenings, dedicated meetings and networking opportunities, and a full festival experience. We are designing a tailor-made experience just for the buyers," commented Herszberg.
“Given the recent changes in the international marketplace, Series Mania is now perfectly positioned as the leading European event for scripted content development, as well as a key hub for distributors and buyers looking for content. With our new initiative, we will be better able to connect these distributors and buyers while further strengthening the Series Mania Forum as the must-attend event of the spring for the scripted community" added Series Mania Forum director Francesco Capurro.
Originally established around its renowned international co-production pitch, Series Mania Forum has evolved into a premier destination for the entertainment industry, expanding its scope to include an IP market, a showcase venue, comprehensive conferences, and dynamic exhibitions. The forum has become a must-visit destination each spring for leading broadcasters, streamers, and major scripted studios worldwide.
