A French navy thriller involving a murder on board a nuclear ship, a Soviet-era gangster series, and a Generation
French series R91 It took first prize in the Mania Buyers Upfront series, as the most promising title for international buyers. The six-part thriller, sold worldwide by SND Groupe M6, imagines a horror scenario involving a mysterious murder aboard the French nuclear aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R91). When one crew member is found dead and another goes missing, military investigators board the floating fortress, with its 2,000 crew and nuclear payload, to seek the truth before the murder turns into a global security crisis.
The Series Mania award for best project in this year’s Co-Pro Pitching Sessions, along with a €50,000 ($58,000) grant, went to Red pantsa series show from Kyrgyzstan. Erke Dzhumakmatova of Studio Oymo and Pavel Feldman and Alexander Seliverstov of Human Films won for their submission for a 10-part series set in Soviet Kyrgyzstan in the 1970s. The drama revolves around Aisha, the daughter of a military officer, who, in the wake of her father’s death, forms the notorious “Red Pants”, an all-female criminal gang created to challenge an oppressive regime.
Canadian project Chachacha!from writer and director Alison Fairweather Murray (Carney, From mouth to mouth) and producer Jennifer Weiss of Toronto-based Nice Picture won this year’s SeriesMakers Award, an award designed to support theatrical filmmakers transitioning to fiction on the small screen. The eight-part drama focuses on a Generation X woman who takes up Latin dancing in an attempt to combat her high blood pressure. But a lifestyle change sparks chaos in her family.
“Chachacha “It impressed us with its light, authentic and honest tone,” said Ferdinand Dohna, Head of Content and Co-Production at SeriesMakers sponsor Beta Film. “It tackles universal themes important to society with a sense of humour. We believe this is exactly the kind of story that international audiences need right now.
SeriesMakers winners will receive a prize of €50,000 ($58,000) to develop their presentation into a demo script and full package.
