2026 Buyers
Upfront

SECOND EDITION OF SERIES MANIA FORUM initiAtivE DeDICATED TO BUYERS

On March 23, 2026, in the heart of Lille’s historic city center and the Series Mania headquarters at the Chamber of Commerce (CCI), this event offers an exclusive look at highly anticipated series.

ABOUT

The Series Mania Buyers Upfront is an invitation-only event for buyers, showcasing exclusive excerpts from 10 to 12 eagerly awaited series that have strong global appeal. Curated by the Festival’s artistic team, the selection will include high-potential series about to be released or still in post-production and will be based on both artistic merit and broad audience appeal.

The event will kick off with the BETA Brunch, an exclusive, invitation-only event, renowned in the industry and a must-attend on the international market.

• A selection of first look series: up to 12 exclusive series curated for buyers by Series Mania
• 10-12mn per series: each series is given a presention slot (an intro, an optional but highly recommended 2mn trailer & 10mn reel) to present exclusive content
• Enjoy the full Festival experience: red carpet & gala screening in the evening
• Mingle and network with your peers: after screening cocktail to kick off the Series Mania Forum
• A Buyers Choice Award
• Meet the distributors: leverage your presence at Series Mania Forum and meet with the distributors behind the series

ATTENDANCE & CONTACT

BUYERS

The event gives you access to exclusive new series and their creators before anyone else. Join a panel of experts and a prestigious jury to discover and get into position for the next big hits.

2026 Selection

ALICE – 6 x 45′ – France, Belgique, Canada – 2025
Genre : Drama, Other
International Sales: Wild Bunch TV
Production Company: Wild Bunch & Ligne de Front (France) / Panache Productions & La Compagnie Cinématographique (Belgium) / Sphere Media (Canada)
Synopsis : From France to the US, the incredible journey of Alice Guy, a pioneer and the first female fiction filmmaker in cinema history. The series explores the extraordinary life of Alice Guy—a woman who was an artist, entrepreneur, wife, and mother. It delves into her struggles, her thwarted loves, and her quest for freedom and recognition.

BLIND – 6 x 52′ – Switzerland – 2025
Genre : Thriller
International Sales: OneGate Media GmbH
Production Company: Zodiac Pictures
Synopsis : Bern, today: In the middle of the night, the blind bartender Nathaniel shows up at a police station covered in blood and claims that a pregnant woman has been kidnapped in his bar. At the crime scene, the police finds signs of struggle—and take Nathaniel into custody. While Inspector Sandro Bandini considers him the prime suspect, the investigative journalist Milla Nova takes Nathaniel’s side, having known him since their shared hospital stay…

COUNSELS – 8 x 60′ – United Kingdom – 2025
Genre : Drama
International Sales: All3Media International
Production Company: Balloon Entertainment – ZDF NEO – Bbc – Bbc Scotland
Synopsis : Five young lawyers trained together at an elite law school in Glasgow.
Six years later, they’ve spread out across the legal profession. This legal environment is ground level, stylish and sexy, weaving the personal stories of the main characters with propulsive defense and prosecution. Business relationships, friendships and love affairs will be tested to destruction as these young and ambitious lawyers and friends lock horns.​

GNOMES – 6 x 30′ – Australia – 2025
Genre : Comedy, Other
International Sales: Happy Accidents
Production Company: Screen Invaders – Total Fiction
Synopsis : Set in a fading small-town on the eve of their first annual Gnome-a- Palooza festival, Senior Sergeant Arnold Kipps is reunited with his ex-partner from the force (and ex-love) Senior Constable Ellie McKay, who has returned to shut down his beloved station. But when the town’s gnome population is brought to life by an ancient evil, the pair must lead a motley crew of locals in a desperate fight to save their home from the coming gnome-apocalypse.

IN VITRO – 6×45′ – Spain – 2026
Genre: Drama, Comedy
International Sales: Beta Film GmbH
Production company: Moiré Films, Rodar y Rodar, and Bullfrog Pictures, in co-production with 3Cat, with the participation of HBO Max
Synopsis: A heartwarming, innovative, and witty look at how babies are made: When 37-year-old microbiologist Blanca takes on a job at a fertility clinic, she is forced not only to get to the bottom of the needs and risks of her clients, but her own, as well.

LOST AND FOUND – 6×45′ – Japan, Singapore – 2025
Genre: Drama
International Sales: Empire of Arkadia
Production company: Empire of Arkadia, Mocha Chai Laboratories, TVU and NHK
Synopsis: Introverted Singaporean gamer Richie’s world is turned upside down when his caring online Japanese gamer girlfriend,”Sakura” disappears without a trace. On a whim, Richie decides to head to Tokyo to search for her, enlisting the support of his new-found gamer friend, Yuka, on arrival. Despite their different backgrounds, they are thrown together in their shared mission-finding Sakura-only to become further embroiled in the city’s dark underworld…

NUMBER 10 – 6×60′ – United Kingdom – 2026
Genre: Drama
International Sales: ITV Studios
Production company: Hartswood Films
Synopsis: Multi -award-winning writer Steven Moffat (Sherlock) and the acclaimed team at Hartswood Films deliver a bold, witty take on life at 10 Downing Street. Stars Jenna Coleman, Rafe Spall, and Katherine Kelly.

R91 – 6×52′ – France – 2026
Genre: Thriller, Action
International Sales: SND Groupe M6
Production company: Next Episode
Synopsis: Mediterranean Sea. France’s nuclear aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R91) has just set sail on a strategic mission. When a crew member is found dead and another goes missing, military investigator Paul Fischer is rushed aboard. With second-in-command Helena Duval, they must hunt for the truth before the
killer strikes again. In a floating fortress of 2,000 souls, suspicion spreads and a murder investigation turns into a global security crisis.

THE DARK BOOK : THE SECRET OF THE EGERIAS – 6×45′ – Spain – 2026
Genre: Thriller
International Sales: Studio TF1
Production group: Studio TF1
Synopsis: Unai, a former top criminal profiler, left the police after his daughter was kidnapped and now lives quietly as a professor in Vitoria. His life is turned upside down when two rare book owners are murdered and he receives an enigmatic call: his mother, Ithaca, presumed dead for forty years, is alive. To save her, he must
find a legendary medieval book, one that could expose secret societies of obsessive collectors, and ultimately reveal the truth about his own family.

THE TRAITOR WITHIN – 4×45′ – Norway – 2026
Genre: Drama, Thriller
International Sales: Fremantle
Production company: Miso Film Norge
Synopsis: A gripping WWII thriller based on the true story of Norway’s most notorious Nazi collaborator and the man sent to kill him. In occupied Norway, two young men choose opposing paths. Salesman Henry Rinnan becomes the Gestapo’s deadliest agent, dismantling the resistance through lies, betrayal
and murder. Resistance fighter Odd Sørli is tasked with assassinating Rinnan, triggering a relentless cat-and-mouse pursuit.

BUYERS CHOICE AWARD

Adding to the excitement, a distinguished jury of top buyers will present the Buyers Choice Award for the most promising series.

The jury will evaluate the selected series and announce the winner during Series Mania Forum.

Program

• BETA BRUNCH
  Monday, March 23 | 12:45-14:30 | CCI
  A brunch followed by a presentation by BETA
  By invitation only
  
• BUYERS UPFRONT
  Monday, March 23 | 14:30-17:30 | CCI
  An invitation–only event for buyers, showcasing exclusive excerpts from10 eagerly awaited series.
  By invitation only
  
• WELCOME DRINKS
  Monday, March 23 | 18:00-20:00 | CCI
  In partnership with Unifrance
  By invitation only
  
• BUYERS UPFRONT OFFICIAL DINNER
  Monday, March 23 | 20:30 | Hôtel l’Hermitage Gantois
  In partnership with Samuel Kissous and Pernel Media
  By invitation only