The Serielizados Festival, a key event for television series in Southern Europe, concluded its main awards ceremony with significant wins for shows pushing genre boundaries. Israeli creator Hagai Levi, known for 'The Affair' and 'Scenes From a Marriage,' earned the Best International Series award for 'Etty.' This French-Dutch-German co-production offers a modern, six-part take on the period piece, chronicling the spiritual and emotional journey of Etty Hillesum in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. Backed by Arte France, 'Etty' has already garnered attention at Venice and Series Mania, with international sales handled by Studio TF1.
On the national front, the Spanish duo Jorge and Alberto Sánchez-Cabezudo's 'Killing a Bear' ('Matar a un oso') secured the Best National Series prize. This six-part crime drama innovates by making a bear the victim and unfolding the mystery through multiple character perspectives within a tight-knit Pyrenean community. Juror Roosa Toivonen, co-head of Tallinn TV Beats, praised the series, stating, "With this series, we felt really lucky to have been invited into a world so fully realised, so distinctly Catalan but portrayed with a confidence and a muscularity that left us astonished." 'Killing a Bear,' a Movistar Plus Original produced by Kubik Films, is set to premiere in Spain on December 1, further cementing Arte France's successful collaboration with Movistar Plus.
Beyond the top categories, other notable series received accolades. Arte France also celebrated a win for Best Screenplay in the International Selection for the French comedy 'Camarades,' co-created by Benjamin Charbit and Dominique Baumart. The BBC's hit 'Ann Droid' saw its creator, Diane Morgan, recognized for Best Performance for her portrayal of the second-hand robot Linda.
In the national competition, all four nominated series were honored. 'Segunda Temporada,' from the creators behind Filmin's 'Autodefensa,' Miguel Ángel Blanca, Berta Prieto, and Víctor Diago, won Best Screenplay. Spanish acting legend Carmen Machi received Best Actress for her role as tax inspector Sara Santano in 'Celeste' Season 2, a Movistar Plus-100 Balas production. Additionally, the HBO Max-3Cat dramedy 'In Vitro,' offering a witty look at fertility treatments, earned a Special Mention. Jurors highlighted its "global appeal and international remake potential."
The festival's second edition of the Mind the Gap pitch competition aimed to discover new talent, awarding the top €5,500 prize to 'El Observatorio.' This Spanish project by Laura Roqué, Luis Sorolla, and Eloy Zamora follows astrophysicists investigating mysterious lights in a small village, with one character believing them to be communication from her deceased father. Arte France's Alexios Kastrissianakis, a co-juror, emphasized the jury's decision to "award new talent who need to be discovered." Two female-led series focused on abuse, 'Dangerous Woman' (Finland) and 'Callback' (Spain), received honorable mentions, with 'Callback' also securing the €2,000 Konga Music Agency award.
Serielizados co-founder Betu Martínez Molero expressed satisfaction with the 13th edition, which drew 18,000 attendees to over 60 activities, including numerous national and international premieres. The festival, which featured masterclasses with industry stalwarts like Levi and Steven Moffat, will extend its reach online via the streamer Filmin from November 10-22.