Next March, the city of Lille will once again become one of the main decision-making centers for the global television fiction business. Series Mania Forum confirmed the formal start of preparations for its 2026 edition, which will be held from March 24 to 26, with the opening of the call for entries for the Co-Pro Pitching Sessions, one of the market’s key events.
The initiative is aimed at producers and distributors looking for international partners for the development of fiction series. For 2026, up to 15 projects will be selected, with a minimum duration of 26 minutes per episode, and each company may submit a maximum of two proposals. The call for entries will remain open until December 15th and will culminate in the awarding of a €50.000 prize to the winning project, chosen by a professional jury.
The forum’s track record confirms its importance as a launch pad. Series such as The Head (Spain), Blackport (Iceland), and Off Season moved into production after passing through Lille. The 2025 edition received more than 400 projects from 72 countries, with Tokyo Crush as the winning pitch, reflecting the event’s growing international appeal.
At the same time, the Series Mania Festival, which will take place from March 20th to 27th, 2026, has opened registration for its International, French, Panorama, and Short Forms sections, also closing on December 15th. In the last edition, only 50 titles were selected from more than 400 submissions from 19 countries. It was a particularly outstanding year for the Spanish industry, with Querer, an original Movistar Plus+ production created by Alauda Ruiz de Azúa, winning two awards.
The 2026 agenda will also add a strong strategic component with the participation of key figures from the sector. On Wednesday, March 25th, Fremantle will present a special conference led by Jennifer Mullin and Andrea Scrosati, along with two new keynotes: Angela Jain, Head of Content at Disney+ EMEA, and Monty Sarhan, CEO of SkyShowtime. Both will share their vision of the present and future of the international market, reinforcing the balance between creative festival and business forum that distinguishes Series Mania.
