The EFM Goes Serial

As of February 2015, Berlinale’s industry platform – the European Film Market (EFM) with its Berlinale Co-Production Market division - will provide creators and producers of television series with the opportunity to present, sell and buy new high-profile television content.

On February 9 and 10, 2015, the EFM is organising special market screenings and a business lounge for buyers and sellers of television content. The Berlinale Co-Production Market is extending its programme for one day (February 10, 2015) and is in addition presenting a selection of new projects for television series. The Berlinale Co-Production Market is collaborating in this context with the Forum des Images, the organisers of the popular Séries Mania Festival for international TV series in Paris and its co-production forum.

Key players from the industry who have become well-known for their successful TV series in the past years will speak at EFM events or attend the Berlinale Talents Summit. This thriving platform for emerging film professionals will welcome for the first time young talents with a background in developing and producing television series.

“These new initiatives at the EFM acknowledge the fact that serial stories have become an integral part of audio-visual culture. Moreover, we want to improve how we accommodate the needs of our visitors for such projects in the next years,” explains Matthijs Wouter Knol, Director of the European Film Market.

This year the EFM will focus primarily on presenting TV series from North American and European countries, including the latest productions from a number of Scandinavian, British and German channels.

“Since many of our festival guests and filmmakers work both for the big screen and television, this new EFM initiative is a natural development,” says Festival Director Dieter Kosslick. “The Berlinale is an audience festival, which makes Berlin the right place to introduce our visitors to the best and most interesting series, and gives them the chance to experience these stories during the festival.”

Partner of this EFM initiative is the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW. “As Germany’s leading site for television and a core region for creative filmmaking, North-Rhine-Westphalia plays an increasingly important role in international co-productions,” says Petra Müller, head of the funding institution. “We believe that by including top-quality TV series a significant new dimension will open up for the festival and the film industry as a whole. We are looking forward to accompanying the Berlinale and the EFM in developing this exciting initiative.”

Having paved the way in previous years with successful screenings of In Face of the Crime (Dominik Graf, 2010), Top of the Lake (Jane Campion, 2013) and episodes of the second season of House of Cards (Carl Franklin, 2014), the Berlinale itself will also continue to present outstanding serial works in its film programme for the public.

The EFM will be held from February 5 to 13, 2015.