The initiative, which was highly successful in its first edition, returns as a prelude to the Forum, which will take place from March 24 to 26, 2026.
Series Mania Forum will hold the second edition of its exclusive Series Mania Buyers Upfront event on March 23, 2026, in Lille. It is designed to offer international buyers early access to some of the year’s most anticipated series and to encourage direct interaction with key distributors.
The initiative, which was highly successful in its first edition, returns as a prelude to the Forum, taking place from March 24 to 26, 2026.
The call for submissions for this second edition will be open from December 16 to February 10, and the final selection will be announced as the event date approaches.
The Buyers Upfront will take place at the Chamber of Commerce (CCI), the festival’s headquarters, located in Lille’s historic center. The day will kick off with the BETA Brunch, an invitation-only professional gathering already considered a classic in the international market, followed by presentations of the selected titles.
This is an event reserved exclusively for buyers, who will be able to access previews of up to 12 series with strong international potential. The selection, curated by the festival’s artistic team, will include productions close to release or still in post-production, chosen for their artistic merit and broad audience appeal.
Jury to present the Buyers Choice Award
A jury made up of prominent industry executives will present the Buyers Choice Award to the most promising series, with the winner announced during the Series Mania Forum’s welcome cocktail that same evening.
The 2026 jury will include Fredrik Luihn (NRK, Norway), Haruka Jorgensen (WOWOW Inc., Japan), Morad Koufane (France Télévisions, France), Margarida Pereira (TVI, Portugal), and Nick Lee (BBC, United Kingdom).
Laurence Herszberg, founder and managing director of Series Mania, highlighted the excellent reception of the first edition and emphasized the value of offering buyers exclusive screenings and dedicated networking spaces. She added that the team looks forward to welcoming the new jury to Lille and repeating the popular BETA Brunch.
For his part, Francesco Capurro, director of the Series Mania Forum, noted that the Buyers Upfront marked a new stage for the event and celebrated the win of Gaumont’s series The Deal, recipient of the first Buyers Choice Award. He added that Series Mania continues to strengthen its position as a key meeting point for the international fiction community.
The Series Mania Forum, originally created around its renowned international co-production pitch, has established itself as a major gathering point for the audiovisual industry.
Its current offer includes an intellectual property market, an exhibitors’ space, conferences, professional meetings, and exhibitions.
Every spring, it brings together broadcasters, platforms, and major fiction studios from around the world. Registration is now open and early bird passes will be available until December 19.
