Series Mania Unveils Lille Dialogues Speakers, Participants

The third annual Lille Dialogues is to take place at this year’s Series Mania Forum on March 26, bringing together political decision-makers and leading industry executives.

The one-day summit will open with a speech by Margrethe Vestager, executive VP of the European Commission for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age. Franck Riester, the French Minister of Culture, will close the event, which will also have Bénédicte Linard, the Belgian Minister of Culture in attendance.

Further highlights of the conference program include keynotes by Fremantle COO Andrea Scrosati; Giorgio Stock, president of WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks, distribution and advertising sales in EMEA and APAC; and Matt Brodlie, senior VP of international content development at Disney+.

The event will also feature a session entitled “Can series save democracy?” Among the panelists are the French philosopher and author Sandra Laugier, Israeli screenwriter Hagai Levi and James Poniewozik, a New York Times journalist and author. Another session—featuring the CEOs from France Télévisions, Czech Republic’s CME, France’s TF1 Group and M6 Group and Germany’s ARD—will discuss TV channels entering the streaming era and how best to remain competitive and attract high-end projects.

Madeleine de Cock Buning, VP of public policy for EMEA at Netflix; Beta Film CEO Jan Mojto; Lucia Recalde, head of unit for the European Commission; Justine Ryst, executive director for YouTube France; and Finnish executive producer Alan Sim will take part in a debate on the risks and opportunities for the circulation of European works online, in partnership with the European Film Forum of the European Commission.

Laurence Herszberg, founder and general director of Series Mania, said: “Our global and changing TV world needs an informal summit to discuss future business trends and antagonist positions. These dialogues can help to bridge the differences for a better mutual understanding. We are delighted to be welcoming this esteemed group of individuals to Lille and look forward to a stimulating day of dialogue and debate.”