The inclusion of a Buyers Upfront as part of this year’s Series Mania Forum is an important step in the event’s continued evolution, says Francesco Capurro, director of the industry arm, as it now covers all aspects from content creation through to sales and distribution.
“Ten years ago, we started with 100 participants back in Paris, and now we have 4,600 registered participants for this year’s event in Lille,” says Capurro. “So, it has grown a lot. Now, it’s a one-stop shop—from content creation, which has been our DNA since the beginning, to international distribution and sales with this new layer in the Buyers Upfront.”
This year, buyers were invited to screen ten global series, curated by the Festival’s artistic team. “It strengthened our event because now all the people in the business can really find what they need—from the very beginning to the end.”
As for attracting buyers to the event, Capurro says: “We established a great reputation. They already knew us because there were already some buyers coming. We have all the main distributors in the Palais. So, there was already something happening. And this year, with the ending of MIPTV in Cannes, it was the perfect moment for us to position ourselves also in the sales and buying market.”
The 2025 lineup for the Forum features everything from pitching to content showcases and looks at creative business inspirations, the IP market and the marketing of series and innovation. “We have a 360 approach,” Capurro says. “In the same place, attendees can find a new writer from Taiwan or from Africa or France, watch the last shows from Fremantle or Beta, listen to a masterclass from James Norton or meet top buyers—if you are in the series industry, you need to be here.”
The final day of the Forum will again feature the Lille Dialogues, which has become a staple event where industry leaders exchange views on major strategic issues facing the business. This year will touch on post-peak TV and the challenges ahead, AI and the impact of the implementation of AVMSD decree of the AVMS directive in Europe.
“For me, the highlights include, of course, the Co-Pro Pitching Session because this was the first step that we made, and everything started from there,” Capurro says. “I know that there is a lot of attention from the international press about the selections. And, for sure, the Lille Dialogues. We are welcoming really top-level speakers, including Gerhard Zeiler from Warner Bros. Discovery, and then, of course, all the panels and the sessions—and the ZDF Studios party, which will be fun!”
