Series Mania Forum, the festival’s industry sidebar, is joining forces with Jan Mojto’s Beta Group to launch Seriesmakers, a creative initiative to support feature film directors venturing into scripted drama.
Seriesmakers will select 10 projects which will participate in a tailor-made training program focused on the development of a full pitch deck. Mentored by renowned directors, showrunners, writers and producers, each team will deliver a series bible.
Those eligible for Seriesmakers include directors who have had their first or second feature film play in the official selection of A-category film festival.
A special jury will award two projects during the Series Mania Forum in 2023. These will receive a Beta Development grant of €50,000 each to develop a pilot script and a full package. The winning teams will receive additional support, such as script consulting and packaging, offered by Beta’s content division, led by chief content officer Koby Gal Raday. In addition, they will be invited to Series Mania’s Forum to present their projects to broadcasters, platforms, co-producers and financiers.
“Television series have become a desirable destination for feature filmmakers thanks to the dramatic evolvement of the industry, which has witnessed an increase in the creative and production quality of programs in recent years,” said Laurence Herszberg, general director of Series Mania. “We want to help filmmakers as they embark on this journey into a new realm of creative opportunities and we are thrilled to be partnering with BETA who have always supported high-quality storytelling.”
Gal Raday added that, “Beta was and is the independent European home for independent filmmakers who wish to realize their ambitious artistic visions.”
The executive said “focusing for the first time on feature film directors will enable unique filmmakers to focus on the development of their new series in a supportive and encouraging environment.”Further details on the program, mentors and registration will be released in early summer at the group’s website. (Variety)