18/02/2022 - The festival is reverting to its usual Lille-based timings, running 18-25 March and screening an abundance of titles, notably including 29 world premieres

After a 2021 edition which found itself postponed to the end of August, Series Mania is getting back to its usual timings for its 5th Lille-based edition, which will unspool 18 – 25 March.

Piggybacking off of the sustained rate of series production recorded all over the world (331 series hailing from 46 countries have applied for the festival), the event steered by CEO Laurence Herszberg and Artistic Director Frédéric Lavigne will field an impressive 60 series within its selection, 29 of which are set to enjoy their world premieres in the northern city, notably Drôle (created by Fanny Herrero for Netflix) in the opening slot and Oussekine (for Disney+) closing the festival. And the dazzling names on the guests of honour list include British showrunner Michael Hirst (The Tudors, Vikings), Mathieu Kassovitz, Isabelle Nanty and Nathalie Baye.

The international competition jury (composed of Belgian actress Cécile de France, her Israeli colleague Shira Haas, German actor Christian Berkel, Turkish creator and director Berkun Oya and French author-composer-actress Yseult, under the leadership of a president whose identity will be revealed very soon) will find themselves choosing between nine different series (seven in world premières and two in international premieres). Standing tall among these is the highly awaited French production Le monde de demain [+see also:
series review
interview: Olivier Wotling
series profile] (helmed by Katell Quillévéré and revolving around the hip hop scene and French band NTM, with Anthony Bajon up front in the cast and Arte and Netflix acting as broadcasters – read our article), Italy’s Il Re (carried by Luca Zingaretti in the lead role of a prison warden, and set to be screened following the series’ launch on Sky on 18 March), Finland’s Transport (directed by Auli Mantila on behalf of YLE - article) and another French series entitled Sentinelles (for OCS and plunging viewers into a fictional story based in Mali, in the midst of Operation Barkhane). Rounding off the selection are two British series, one Israeli work and two American titles (including We Own This City, created by the famous duo composed of David Simon and George Pelecanos).

The French competition, meanwhile, will consist of six series screening in world premières, while the Panorama International section (whose jury will be led by French author and screenwriter Anne Berest) will present 13 titles, including the Belgian series Des gens bien (article) and Two Summers, Sweden’s The Dark Heart, Germany’s Funeral for a Dog and Sunshine Eyes, and Ireland’s Kin.

Likewise worth a mention, among other events on the festival’s jam-packed agenda, are competitions for comedies and short formats, special screenings, a section entitled New Unseen Seasons (notably showcasing the second seasons of En thérapie and Bridgerton), round tables and conferences (notably paying tribute to Thomas Lilti and Ovidie), alongside a multitude of guests and the ever-popular, full-to-bursting professional Series Mania sidebar (featuring the Forum and the Little Dialogues – read our article).

The full selection is as follows:

Opening Series

Drôle (France – Netflix)

Closing Series

Oussekine (France – Disney+)

International Competition

Il Re (Italy - Sky)
Le monde de demain [+see also:
series review
interview: Olivier Wotling
series profile] (France – Arte/Netflix)
Sentinelles (France - OCS)
Transport (Finland - YLE)
The Baby (UK - SKY/HBO, OCS)
The Birth of Daniel F. Harris (UK - Channel 4)
Fire Dance (Israel - Yes TV)
We Own The City (USA - HBO/OCS)
Billy the Kid (USA - EPIX Studios and MGM International Television Productions, in association with NENT - Viaplay - and EPIX)

French Competition

Chair tendre [+see also:
series review
series profile] (France.tv Slash)
Hors saison (France/Switzerland - France Télévisions/RTS)
Les papillons noirs [+see also:
trailer
interview: Olivier Wotling
series profile] (Arte/Netflix)
Reusss [+see also:
series review
series profile] (France.tv Slash)
Syndrome E (TF1)
Toutouyoutou (OCS)

International Panorama

Des gens bien (Belgium – RTBF, Arte)
Funeral for a Dog (Germany - Sky Deutschland)
Kin (Ireland - AMC+, RTÉ, Viaplay)
Sunshine Eyes (Germany)
The Dark Heart (Sweden - Discovery+)
Two Summers (Belgium – VRT, éen, Netflix)
The Responder (UK – BBC, Canal+)
Magpie Murders (UK - Britbox, PBS Network)
Children in the Woods (Israel - Yes TV)
Gold Panning (China - iQIYI)
Le temps des framboises (Canada - Club Illico)
Station Eleven (USA - HBO Max)
Turbia (Colombia -TelePacìfico)

Comedy Competition 

All My Best Friends Are Racist (Australia - ABC)
Blood Murray (Israel - Yes)
Kasko (Norway – TV2)
Spreadsheet (Australia – Paramount+)
Sunset (Portugal - RTP)
Visitors (France – Warner TV)
Starstruck (UK - BBC Three)

Special Screenings Out of Competition

Becoming Elizabeth (UK – Starz, Starzplay)
Landscapers (UK – Sky, HBO Max, Canal+)
Parallèles (France – Disney+)
The Man Who Fell to Earth (États-Unis - Showtime)
This Is Going to Hurt (Royaume-Uni – BBC, Canal+)

Cult Seance

The Kingdom – remastered version

New Unseen Series

Atlanta, season 3 (USA – FX, OCS)
Doc, season 2 (Italy – Rai 1, TF1)
En thérapie, season 2 (France - Arte, Disney+)
HPI, season 2 (France – TF1)
Bridgerton, season 2 (USA – Netflix)
L’Opéra, season 2 (France - OCS)
The Art of Television, season 3 (France - OCS)

(Translated from French)