ONSeries Lisboa Unveils 2020 Event Details

ONSeries Lisboa, the only event exclusively dedicated to Portuguese fiction TV, is slated to take place from April 28 to 29 at the Belém Cultural Center.

The showcase will spotlight content and production as well as projects looking for funding, aiming to provide a platform to celebrate and promote local talent on and off the screen and publicize Portugal’s facilities as sets for international fiction. Portuguese independent producers and the executives of the main TV channels will present firsthand everything the country’s fiction can offer to the international market.

A select group of buyers, co-producers, streaming platforms and international press will have the opportunity to discover a selection of new Portuguese television series. They can also meet the companies that sell Portuguese content and negotiate international co-production agreements. The one-on-one meetings will give Portuguese producers a new strategic look at how to be competitive in the current content market, identifying new business opportunities for Portuguese content and new international partners with whom to collaborate.

The Portuguese Showcase is designed and produced by Inside Content, the company that organizes Conecta FICTION in Spain. Under the high patronage of the Portuguese government through the Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of Lisbon, ONSeries Lisboa is supported by Independent TV Producers Association (APIT), Copyright Collective Management and Cinematographic and Audiovisual Producers Association (GEDIPE), Belém Cultural Centre Foundation (CCB), Portugal Film Commission, Lisboa Film Commission, Institute for Cinema and Audiovisual (ICA) and the public broadcaster RTP.

Luis Chaby Vaz, president of the Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual (ICA), said: “This is an excellent opportunity for the Portuguese companies and creators to show the potential of our creativity and diversity to a highly-qualified and relevant audience for the future of our audiovisual industry. This is the reason why the ICA, together with the Portugal Film Commission, is associated with this event, proceeding with the Portuguese cinema and audiovisual internationalization plan, which has been implemented with good results.”

Gonçalo Reis, president of RTP de RTP, said: “We believe it’s a great initiative, at the right moment, in the right place, in the right industry. Audiovisual production in Portugal, especially regarding fiction, is going through a phase of strong evolution, with an increasing level of quality and a diverse and interesting catalog. With a growing global ambition, RTP has been in charge of several international co-productions and we will keep investing similarly. In this context, an event such as ONSeries can be an excellent example of the national creative capacity and an opportunity for the development of international partnerships.”

Géraldine Gonard, director of ONSeries Lisboa, said: “We want to connect the key decision-makers of the industry with the incredible resources of Portugal directly, and this showcase plays a vital role in making Portugal a viable option for many actors in the international industry. Lisbon is a vibrant and modern city that is very proud of its rich heritage and internationally recognized for the warmth of its people and the quality of its services compared to cost. ONSeries Lisboa will promote the facilities and versatility of Portugal and its professionals by showing what they are capable of doing and the richness and variety of the physical environment. We think it is the best way to see the viability of a co-production and of course, this will attract foreign investment to the country. On the other hand, there has always been a cultural link between Portugal and Navarra, and as organizers of Conecta FICTION we will generate a very fast physical link between the producers of Portugal and Navarra. Both parties feel that it is the right time to put together the first project exchange program between Portugal and Navarra.”