Three-day Fontainebleau TV drama summit will kick start June 26.

As always, the Nordic region has a privileged spot at the French festival and industry event focusing on European TV dramas and their creators. For this 7thedition, 11 out of 36 European premium TV series are from Sweden (4), Norway (2), Finland (2), Iceland (2) and Denmark (1).

The TV drama event will kick start June 26 with BBC’s A Very English Scandal by Stephen Frears and close with NRK’s State of Happiness.

Two brand new series will be introduced at the ‘What’s Next’ session dedicated to projects in development:

  • The White Wall (Finland) is a sci-fi drama about a mysterious white wall, found deep underground, at the mining site of the world's largest final depository for nuclear waste. The 8X45’ series is produced by Finland’s Fire Monkey and Sweden’s Nice Drama for YLE and SVT. DRG handles sales and delivery date is set for the fall 2020. The project will be pitched by co-creator/writer Mikko Pöllä (Angy Birds, Black Widows), co-creator/director Aleksi Salmenperä (A Man’s Job), co-director Anna Zackrisson (Our Time is Now), Nice Drama’s Stefan Baron, SVT’s Head of Drama Anna Croneman and YLE’s Head of Drama Jarmo Lampela.
  • The Minister (Iceland) tells of Benedikt who’s just been elected Prime Minister. His wife Steinunn comes from an influential family. Their success is threatened when she discovers that her husband suffers from bipolar disorder. The 8x45’ series is produced by Sagafilm for RUV. Delivery is set for late 2019.  The series will be presented by upcoming co-creators/screenwriters Björg Magnúsdóttir, Birkir Blær Ingólfsson and Jónas Margeir Ingólfsson.

“In the Pipeline” section has the following Nordic series:

  • The Days the Flowers Bloom (Sweden), a story of loss that follows three neighbouring families in the events during the 1970s and the 1990s that continues to affect their lives to the present day. The 3x60’ show produced by SVT Drama is written by Jonas Gardell based on his own novel. The premiere on SVT is set for 2019. Excerpts will be followed by a case study with director Simon Kaijser and SVT producer Maria Nordenberg.
  • Summer of 68 (Sweden) tells of three women who manage to stir things up in a small community where people have barely heard of the May 68 protests in Paris, much less the bra burning going on across the Atlantic! The 3X60’ series produced by Anagram Sweden will premiere on SVT at Christmas 2018. Screening of a montage of excerpts will be followed by a case study with screenwriter Martina Bigert and producer Emma Åkesdotter Ronge.
  • Invisible Heroes (Finland/Chile) focuses on Tapani Brotherus, officer for the Finnish Embassy in Chile during the Pinochet coup in 1973. The 6x52’ series is produced by Finland’s Kaiho Republic and Chile’s Parox S.L.A for Yle and Chilevision TV. The premiere is set for 2019. excerpts will be commented by screenwriter Tarja Kylmä, Yle’s Liselott Forsman and Jarmo Lampela.

In the ‘Currently filming’ strand is the German/Swedish co-production West of Liberty, adapted from a novel by Thomas Engström. The spy series will be introduced by Swedish producer Gunnar Carlsson (Anagram) and German producer Bettina Wente (Network Movie). The premiere on SVT is set for spring 2019.

In the main ‘European Series’ section open to the general audience are:

  • Conspiracy of Silence (Sweden) to be introduced by screenwriter Peter Arrhenius, director Charlotte Brändström, producer Christian Wikander (Twelve Town) and actress Florence Pernel.
  • Liberty (Denmark) introduced by creator/head writer Asger Leth and producer Karoline Leth, 
  •  State of Happiness (Norway), with two episodes presented by producer Synnøve Hørsdal (Maipo).

Finally the Iceland series Stella Blomkvist and Norwegian series Home Ground will screen at the Follow-Up session.

Keynote speakers include Walter Present’s curator Walter Iuzzolino show session ‘Fuck the formula! Take creative risks again!' will no doubt provoke and stimulate debates, UK writer Chris Lang (The Bill, The Tunnel), creator Peter Kosminsky (The Promise) and director Stephen Frears. Danish professor and academic Ib Bondejberg will discuss ‘European drama, a Cultural and Social Link, and public broadcasters will reunite around the theme ‘Public television services in Europe, a beacon in the heart of a storm”.

Serie Series is produced by the agency Kandimari and designed with advice from a European steering group consisting of Tasja Abel (Dynamic Television, Germany), Stefan Baron (producer, Nice Drama, Sweden), Harald Hamrell (director, Sweden), Lars Lundström (screenwriter/producer, Sweden), Jed Mercurio (screenwriter, United Kingdom), Luca Milano (Rai, Italy) and Tone C. Rønning (NRK, Norway). 

For the full programme, check: http://www.serieseries.fr/