The second edition of the iSerielizados Mind the Gap co-production pitch is set to take place on October 21 in Barcelona, serving as a central feature of the expanding Serielizados Pro industry conference, which runs from October 21 to 24. The event will bring together creators from Spain, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Mexico, and Portugal, headlined by acclaimed Catalan filmmaker Carlos Marques-Marcet and the sister duo Mireia and Joana Vilapuig.
Victor Sala, the director of Serielizados Pro, described the selection process as both challenging and thrilling, highlighting new partnerships with Baltic industries and a continued strong connection with Finnish creators. This year’s contest received more than double the submissions from a wider geographic range compared to the previous year’s successful launch. Of the eleven selected projects, eight emerged from open calls, while three were invited through European industry partners including Seriencamp, ECAM Forum, and Iberseries.
Among the featured projects is Marques-Marcet’s “Act of Faith,” his debut as a series creator. The political thriller offers a fresh perspective on the history of undercover police infiltration of social movements in Spain, focusing instead on the personal betrayals experienced by the victims and their loved ones. The Vilapuig sisters, known for “Selftape,” present “Callback,” a drama exploring the nuanced gray areas of abuse within the entertainment industry, where the line between victim and aggressor becomes blurred.
Other notable titles include the Finnish crime series “Bloodwine,” produced by Helsinki-filmi, which examines fraud within the high-stakes wine industry, and the psychological drama “Dangerous Woman” from Gutsy Pictures. International entries feature “Gusgus,” a semi-autobiographical series about the Icelandic electronic band, and “Historia de Espías: The Obedient Assassin,” a Mexican-Spanish co-production based on John P. Davidson’s spy novels.
The international jury, tasked with awarding the €5,500 prize for the best project, includes representatives from major industry players: Ben Driscoll from Mubi, Susanna Herreras from Movistar Plus, Peter Lohner from Beta Film, Susanne Frank from ZDF Studios, and Virginie Béjot from Arte France. Additionally, the Konga Music Agency Award will present €2,000 to the top Spanish project.
Beyond the pitch, Serielizados Pro will host masterclasses with prominent figures such as showrunner Steven Moffat, producer Sue Vertue, and “In Treatment” creator Hagai Levi. Spanish writers Isabel Peña and Eduardo Villanueva will also discuss their latest Movistar Plus original, “El Castillo.” The festival aims to honor excellence with the inaugural Audiovisual 451 Award, recognizing the collaborative efforts between HBO Max and 3Cat in producing significant recent series like “Pubertat” and “In Vitro.”
The 13th edition of the Serielizados festival will run from October 19 to 28 in Barcelona, followed by a dedicated stream on Filmin from November 10 to 22.
I hope the Vilapuig sisters’ project addresses the industry’s power dynamics honestly, not just as drama fodder.
Steven Moffat doing masterclasses? I might have to attend just for that, despite the pitch being secondary.
Marques-Marcet tackling undercover police history feels very timely given current political tensions in Spain.
Glad Finland is represented again. The connection with Nordic creators keeps getting stronger every year.
A wine fraud crime series sounds surprisingly gripping. Does Bloodwine actually make it sound that interesting?
Finally, some attention to Baltic productions! Excited to see Latvia involved in this year’s slate.