Series Mania Forum Sets Lineup for Co-Pro Pitching Sessions

Series Mania Forum has revealed the projects selected for this year’s Co-Pro Pitching Sessions and the international jury of industry professionals who will be taking part.

This year, the 15 projects were selected from 406 applications from 72 countries, including new territories such as New Zealand, the Philippines, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Uganda and Eswatini. The 16th project, Ruth’s Ghosts from the U.S. and Germany, which was announced as part of Berlinale’s Co-Pro Series Market, will be presented but excluded from the competition for the grand prize.

Laurence Herszberg, founder and general director of Series Mania, said, “The Co-Pro Pitching Sessions are always a highlight of the Forum given their goal of helping high-end European and international drama projects find potential financial partners. Since its inception in 2013, we have seen great success with these pitches, and it is certain to continue this year, given our stellar lineup of tiles from around the world. We look forward to welcoming our esteemed jury to Lille and awarding the winner of the Best Project Award with €50,000.”

Francesco Capurro, director of Series Mania Forum, said, “In the post-peak-TV era, co-financing is more crucial than ever. It’s the key to securing higher budgets, boosting sales and staying competitive on the global stage. This year’s selection includes many thrillers along with comedies, dramedies and horror with colorful themes ranging from racing pigeons, creepy insects, an unorthodox chaplain and a revolutionary knitting collective to more traditional subjects such as abductions, murders and troubled past.”

The 2025 international jury of industry professionals includes M-K Kennedy, executive managing director of TV series at STUDIOCANAL, as jury president, alongside André Béraud, head of scripted programs and feature films at ICI Radio-Canada Télé; Henriette Marienlund, head of drama at Denmark’s DR; José Pastor, head of drama and fiction at Spain’s RTVE; and Frank Seyberth, head of co-production for international fiction at Germany’s ZDF.

The projects to be pitched by their producers to a panel of potential financiers and are eligible for the Best Project Award of €50,000 are: the comedy/crime series Antiparos (Greece), the thriller Cecilie Mars (Denmark), the political thriller Consultants (Germany), the action thriller Heist (Belgium/France), the thriller Intimacy (U.K./Israel), the mystery drama Invisible (Ireland), the crime thriller Masquerade (Iceland), the crime comedy Nest (Belgium/U.K./Taiwan), the dramedy Nuclear Sunset Cruise (Germany), the horror/soapy teen drama Phenomena—The Series (Italy), the drama The Chaplain (Australia), the thriller The Institute (Germany/Denmark), the dramedy The Lottery Ticket (Spain), the romantic comedy Tokyo Crush (France/Japan) and the drama Wool (Serbia/Iceland).

Regarding Ruth’s Ghosts, Herszberg commented: “We are witnessing a global context where individual freedoms are increasingly under threat. Women have fought long and hard for the right to abortion, particularly in the United States, where it is now at risk. It is our collective responsibility to defend hard-won rights, and we are committed to supporting this project to ensure its realization. This time, Europe has the opportunity to stand with the United States and offer its support.”