Berlinale Series Is All About the Drama

variety.com:

Tim Dams Since its launch in 2015, the Berlinale Series section has emerged as a kind of a boutique scripted TV fest set within a major film festival.The Berlinale was famously the first A-list festival to embrace changing viewer habits and to officially incorporate television drama into its lineup — and this head-start is reflected in the growing stature of Berlinale Series.Taking place over a concentrated three-day period (Feb.

14-16), Berlinale Series offers up seven world and international premieres from around 200 entries, giving each of them the red-carpet treatment at the Zoo Palast cinema.Running parallel, the Berlinale Series Market — part of the European Film Market — offers up an online conference program, showcases and screenings.

Its Berlinale Series Market Selects curates a selection of 14 series being traded on the market. Meanwhile, Co-Pro Series looks to pair 10 early-stage international series projects with co-producers and financiers (see story, p.13) through a series of pitches and meetings.

Head of Berlinale Series Julia Fidel says the breaking down of barriers between film and TV made it a natural decision for the Berlinale to step up its focus on scripted series. “The big production companies, distributors and world sales companies have all split their portfolio between film and TV,” she notes.The free flowing of talent between film and TV is neatly reflected in the Series lineup where, in Fidel’s words, there are “many happy returns” for Berlinale regulars.Two directors who have previously opened the Berlinale with their feature films — Lone Scherfig with “The Kindness of Strangers” in 2019 and Philippe Falardeau with “My Salinger Year” in 2021 — return this year with their first-ever drama.