Series Mania Lines Up Netflix’s Reed Hastings, TF1’s Gilles Pélisson

The first annual Lille Transatlantic Dialogues, set for May 3 as part of Series Mania’s European Project and Talent Forum, has lined up as speakers Netflix’s Reed Hastings, Endemol Shine’s Sophie Turner Laing and TF1 Group’s Gilles Pélisson, among others.

The Lille Transatlantic Dialogues is a joint initiative between Series Mania, the French Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC) and the program Europe Creative—MEDIA of the European Union with the collaboration of the Hauts-de-France Region. It brings together representatives from U.S. studios and platforms; European creative industries, producing and broadcasting companies; and European institutions, governments and funding bodies.

Among the speakers for the inaugural initiative are Hastings, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Netflix; Turner Laing, CEO of Endemol Shine Group; Stéphane Richard, CEO of Orange; Paul Lembrechts, CEO of VRT; Delphine Ernotte Cunci, CEO of France Télévisions; and Pélisson, CEO of TF1 Group.

Panelists confirmed for the event include Paula Vaccaro, founder, producer at Pinball London; Veena Sud, showrunner of The Killing and Seven Seconds; Caroline Benjo, producer at Haut et Court TV; Sarah Treem, showrunner and co-creator of The Affair; Anna Croneman, head of drama at SVT; Alessia Sonaglioni, network director for EWA; Alex Berger, producer at The Oligarchs; and Antony Root, VP of programming and production at HBO Europe. Also lined up for panels are Claire Sumner, director of policy for the BBC; Doreen Boonekamp, CEO of the Netherlands Film Fund; screenwriter Séverine Jacquet; Pascal Rogard, general director of SACD; and screenwriter Tony Grisoni.

The discussions will be closed by Françoise Nyssen, French Ministry of Culture, and Andrus Ansip, VP of the European Commission.

“Our goal with the Lille Transatlantic Dialogues is to create a club for media and policy-makers, a regular high-level rendezvous inspired by the Sun Valley Conference, that has brought together political and economic leaders along with philanthropists every year since 1983,” commented Laurence Herszberg, general director of Series Mania. “The event will benefit from both the appeal of Series Mania and the location of the city of Lille, at the heart of Europe between Paris, London and Brussels.”