Series Mania

Series Mania
Name	Series Mania
Location	Lille, France
Established	2010
Founders	SECOM, Hauts-de-France
Language	French, English
Website	seriesmania.com

Series Mania

Series Mania is an international television festival and market held annually in Lille, France. Founded in 2010, it brings together creators, producers, distributors, broadcasters and audiences to showcase and develop episodic storytelling across drama, comedy, documentary and animation. The event features premieres, competitions, industry conferences and a market that intersects with festivals such as Canneseries, MIPCOM, SeriesFest and institutions like Arte and Canal+.

Overview

Series Mania stages public screenings, professional panels, and pitching sessions that attract delegations from United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Japan, South Korea, China, India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa. The festival partners with public broadcasters like BBC, ITV, Channel 4, RAI, ZDF, SVT, DR, NRK and streaming platforms including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max to present series from both independent producers and studios such as HBO, Showtime, Hulu, FX, AMC Networks, Bauer Media Group, Endemol Shine Group, Fremantle, Banijay.

History

Series Mania was created with support from regional authorities like Nord-Pas-de-Calais and media agencies including CNC (France), Procirep, SACD and institutions such as Institut Français. Early editions highlighted series from Scandinavia and the Benelux region, showcasing works from creators linked to Ingmar Bergman-influenced auteurs and the revival associated with Nordic noir. Over the years the festival screened premieres connected to auteurs and showrunners who have worked with Vince Gilligan, David Simon, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Lars von Trier-adjacent creators and producers associated with Peter Morgan and Stephen King adaptations. Series Mania expanded alongside industry events like SeriesLab and festivals such as Séries Mania Forum.

Festival Program and Awards

The festival program includes competitive sections, non-competitive showcases, retrospectives and themed strands often programmed with partners like Arte, BBC Studios and CNC. Awards have been presented by juries comprising figures from Television Critics, creator collectives and commissioning editors from Netflix, Canal+, Sky, The Walt Disney Company, Paramount Global and public service broadcasters. Notable prizes parallel recognitions such as Primetime Emmy Awards, BAFTA Television Awards, International Emmy Awards, and festival-specific honors akin to Cannes Film Festival prizes. Categories include Best Series, Best Screenplay, Best Performance, Best Direction and Audience Awards supported by entities like SACEM and SACD.

Industry Events and Market

Series Mania Market runs alongside the public festival with a marketplace for rights negotiations, co-production meetings and financing talks involving companies such as StudioCanal, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures Television, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. Television Studios, ITV Studios, Keshet International, Red Arrow Studios, ZDF Studios and agencies like United Talent Agency, Creative Artists Agency, WME and ICM Partners. The market hosts pitching forums, speed meetings and a co-production incubator that attracts commissioners from France Télévisions, RTBF, TV5Monde, Rai, Televisa and independent financiers including Eurimages and the European Commission’s MEDIA programme. Parallel events include masterclasses with showrunners linked to Shonda Rhimes, Matthew Weiner, David Chase and sessions with distribution specialists from MIPTV and MIPCOM.

Notable Participants and Productions

Series Mania has screened and promoted series involving creators, actors and producers such as Noah Hawley, Sam Esmail, Donald Glover, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Cécile de France, Isabelle Huppert, Jared Harris, Lena Headey, Clive Owen, Benoît Poelvoorde, Omar Sy, Mads Mikkelsen, Alexander Skarsgård, Julie Delpy, Michael Haneke-adjacent auteurs and production companies connected to Canal+, Gaumont, Studiocanal, Newen Group and M6 Group. Series premieres have included works financed or distributed by Netflix, HBO, BBC, Canal+, Sky Atlantic, Arte and independent European producers, with many titles later competing at Venice International Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival television showcases.

Organization and Governance

Series Mania is organized by a non-profit association governed by a board that includes representatives from regional authorities such as Hauts-de-France, cultural institutions like Institut Français, trade organizations including Syndicat des Producteurs Indépendants and industry partners such as CANAL+ Group, France Télévisions and Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée. Artistic direction has been held by programmers and critics linked to Canneseries juries, and management collaborates with European networks like Eurimages and funding bodies such as European Union MEDIA sub-programme. Governance structures incorporate advisory committees of commissioners from broadcasters like BBC, ZDF, DR and streaming platforms.

Reception and Impact on Television Industry

Series Mania is credited with elevating European series visibility alongside platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, influencing commissioning trends observed at Ofcom hearings and in programming strategies at France Télévisions and BBC. Critics and trade publications such as Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Le Monde, Libération, Télérama and Les Inrockuptibles have tracked its role in promoting cross-border co-productions, talent discovery and format sales to markets like Latin America, Asia and Africa. The festival’s market activity has been linked to distribution deals reported at MIPCOM and development pipelines involving institutions such as EAVE and training programmes like SeriesLab and Sundance Institute labs, shaping global television financing and creative collaborations.

Category:Television festivals