Drama Series Days Begins at EFM

BERLIN: For two days, the European Film Market (EFM) brings the best of international drama series production to Berlin, and today the program was marked by industry-relevant panel discussions.

Launched in 2015 by EFM and the Berlinale Co-Production Market, this second edition of the Drama Series Days combines market screenings and a Co-Pro Series Pitching event with panel discussions on industry trends. The platform is hosted in cooperation with German official partner Film- und Medienstiftung NRW and HBO Europe. “This is a terrific addition to the annual calendar for drama people working [at the] crossover between film and television and established in the United States and in Europe,” Antony Root, the executive VP of original programming and production at HBO Europe, told World Screen Newsflash.

The program kicked off today. The opening debate, “Commissioning Strategies: The Trendsetters,” focused on recent developments within the television market from the perspective of broadcasters. Panelists Marcus Ammon (Sky Germany), Antony Root (HBO Europe) and Diego Suarez (Sony Pictures Entertainment) were invited to showcase some of their upcoming projects and analyze the latest trends in storytelling, genre, production and distribution. “Clearly audiences are experienced in drama series now on multiple platforms,” said Root. “The industry is reshaping and understanding its consumer better, and we all are responding in different ways, with different companies and backgrounds.”

The creative perspective of the industry was approached in the panel discussion “Cross-Atlantic Series Success: (Re)Making TV for Europe and the World.” The debate addressed the question of what international broadcasters are looking for and how to produce world-class series on a European budget. Invited panelists were Caroline Benjo (Haut et Court), Piv Bernth (Danish Broadcasting Corporation), Philipp Steffens (RTL) and Bruce Tuchman (AMC/Sundance).

In terms of market screenings, this year’s Drama Series Days broadened its scope by introducing two high-quality documentary series: I Am the Ambassador (Denmark, DR Sales) and Truth and Power (U.S., Participant Media) are representing the genre. Fifteen other international productions complete the screening program, one of them being Cleverman from Australia and New Zealand (Red Arrow International), which was presented as the International Co-Production Case Study.

The Drama Series Days runs until tomorrow, February 16, when the Co-Pro Series Pitching event takes place. The platform will present seven brand-new drama series projects that are seeking international co-production and financing partners.