Lille Dialogues Lineup to Include Cécile Frot-Coutaz, Casey Bloys

The lineup of guests and speakers for Series Mania’s Lille Dialogues has been unveiled, with Sky Studios’ Cécile Frot-Coutaz and HBO’s Casey Bloys among those giving keynotes.

In her keynote, Frot-Coutaz, CEO of Sky Studios, will discuss building a thriving home for European creativity. Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and HBO Max Content, will talk about how the two platforms are diving into the future.

Additional keynote speakers are Delphine Ernotte Cunci, CEO of France Télévisions, who will discuss the future and ambition of public-service broadcasting; Rodolphe Belmer, CEO of TF1 Group, who will talk about building the group strategy on editiorial ambition, new models and engagement; James Farrell, head of local originals at Prime Video, who will focus on how hyper-local stories and programming are loved by audiences globally; and Jan Mojto, CEO of Beta Film, who will cover European stories made in Europe.

Panel discussions that will take place during the Lille Dialogues are “Why We Must Win the Battle of Narratives,” “Audiovisual Companies & Sustainability: What Strategies to Amplify Our Echo?,” “Which Tools to Better Take into Account the Impact of Our Productions?,” and “Stories that Change the World: How to Tell Desirable Futures?”

Among the speakers confirmed to take part in the panels are Susan Newman-Baudais, executive director of Eurimages; Lisa Perrin, managing director of international productions at ITV Studios; Marcus Ammon, managing director of content at Bavaria Fiction; Ingvild Daae, CEO of Monster; David Donoghue, chairperson of Screen Ireland; Frank Doelger, executive producer and showrunner at Intaglio Films; Donna Sharpe, writer and creator; Derek Wax, managing director of Wild Mercury Productions; and Dr. Tilly Collins, deputy director of the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London.

The Lille Dialogues are set to take place on March 23.

In addition to the Lille Dialogues, the Series Mania Forum will bring together key figures for three days of sessions and panel discussions, including Marco Nobili, executive VP and international general manager at Paramount+; Cameron Dillavou, international chief marketing officer at Paramount+; Ron Leshem, executive producer of Euphoria; Patrick McManus, showrunner of Dr. Death season one and executive producer of The Girl from Plainville; Cathy Payne, CEO of Banijay Rights; Louise Pedersen, CEO of All3Media International; and more.

“With the theme for 2023, ‘Shaping the Future with the Audiovisual Sector,’ the program will be forward-looking and resolutely optimistic,” said Laurence Herszberg, founder and general director of Series Mania. “Reflecting on the upheavals that have affected our world in recent years, the day will aim to imagine a new tomorrow while inequalities continue to grow and environmental and societal crises follow one another with increasing intensity. The Lille Dialogues offer an opportunity to explore the possible levers for continuing to make us dream, while contributing to the construction of a more responsible, collaborative and caring society.”