Seriesly Berlin, a new series festival, has revealed the first topics and speakers of its two-day conference program. The conference will take place from Sept. 16 to 18 at Fotografiska Berlin.
Topics to be covered range from storytelling in the age of AI, genre as a Trojan horse and flawed female characters, to person as property, and literary and podcast adaptations.
The festival will also include screenings of new shows, which will be open to the public over three days.
Eike Faecks, director of Seriesly Berlin, said: “The industry doesn’t need another cookie-cutter TV event. We want to build a community of diverse, bold talent and visionary decision-makers, bridging culture and commerce. Real talks. Fresh voices and formats. No BS or algorithms dictating creativity.”
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In her opening keynote, titled “Real Imagination,” creative consultant Tatjana Samopjan of Fractal Volcano in Stockholm will examine authentic, impactful storytelling.
The opening panel, “All Eyes on Me,” jumps into the battle for attention in the digital age, starting with an overview by Ampere Analysis, followed by a discussion looking at the latest trends, challenges and opportunities, and featuring among others Marc Lorber of The Art of Coproduction, and Nataly Kudiabor of UFA Fiction.
In another panel, Ljubica Lukovic, creator and writer of “Awake” (Canneseries winner in 2021), and author, creator and journalist Caroline Rosales (“Miki Unchained”) examine the evolution of female leads and how to balance strength and vulnerability without being too perfect, too flawless.
In a session titled “Person as Property,” writer and co-creator of “Becoming Karl Lagerfeld,” Isaure Pisani-Ferry and Christian Beetz of Beetz Brothers Filmproduction, producer of “Young Berlusconi” and “Juan Carlos,” will explore the challenges of using IP based on a real person, and how to balance fact versus fiction.
Seriesly will also put a spotlight on stories born and produced in Berlin. “Created by Berlin” will explore the untapped potential of the city. This session will feature Henning Kamm of Real Film, among others, and will explore Berlin’s creative landscape.
“Breaking the Cycle: Innovating Conference Programming” brings together festival and event masterminds such as Gaia Tridente of MIA in Rome, Francesco Capurro of Series Mania Forum in Lille, and Marge Liiske of Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, who will share their secrets of keeping their programming fresh and exciting.
Genre has often been considered a second-tier form, but the success of non-English language shows like “Dark,” “Squid Game” and “Casa de Papel” suggests otherwise. The session titled “Genre as a Trojan Horse – Balancing Art and Mainstream” will feature Spanish creator Alvaro Carmona (“Show Yourself”), writer and director Olivier Fox (“Nu,” “Osmosis”) and Anna Rhode-Seyfried of Beta Film, who will be examining how creators can maintain their voice while achieving mainstream success.
The panel “Wild at Heart. Is indie filmmaking becoming the new mainstream?” will include Lucas Ochoa, producer of “American Honey,” “The Witch” and “Gangs of London,” and writer and producer Anthony Alleyne. They will ask: Could the indie spirit drive creativity and resilience in an evolving market with fewer commissions and tighter budgets?
The session “Adaptation Alchemy: From Page and Sound to Screen” will feature Josie Cyrus of Ink Factory, who handles John le Carré’s adaptations such as “The Night Manager,” and Jorgo Narjes of X Filme Creative Pool, producer of the acclaimed series adaptation of true crime podcast “Zeit Verbrechen.” They will explore how to translate stories from one medium to another while maintaining the original’s essence.
