Canneseries reveals its plans to build an industry fortress

After hitting new highs in 2023 and 2024 with the world premieres of Apple TV+’s “Silo” and “Franklin,” Amazon’s “Dead Ringers” and Disney+’s “Becoming Karl Lagerfeld,” Canneseries, one of Europe’s most prominent festivals, is looking to build its a major industry boost for its eighth edition in 2025, but only the second stand-alone event without a MipTV or Mipcom operating on the sidelines of the TV festival.

Season 8 of the Canneseries, as its organizers call the eighth edition in 2025, will take place from April 24 to 29 on the Croisette.

In its biggest step yet, Canneseries will boost its professional program launched in 2020, which will feature both its already established Canneseries Writers Club and a Producers Club, aimed at curators, program directors, producers, distributors, directors of private or public television channels and platform directors. .

The Canneseries will now develop a bouquet of clubs (networking and discussion forums) under the umbrella of the Cannes industry, said Benoît Louvet, director general of Cannes. variety.

First up are new composers, technicians, casting directors and student clubs.

“The feedback on the producers’ and writers’ clubs has been incredible. We want to create meetings where people meet in a different way than the half-hour meetings. You can’t imagine the number of commissions and show deals that have come out of past editions. Now there is a great opportunity to develop them and make the clubs more visible,” said Canneseries Artistic Director Albin Lewi.

In another move, Canneseries will collect all its activities at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes. Benoît Louvet, CEO of Canneseries, said variety.

Members of the club will be drawn from across the global industry, he added.

The Producers Club will be expanded to include producers of documentary series, said Claire-Marine Pietriga, deputy artistic director of Canneseries.

The total number of club delegates can reach between 300 and 500 professionals, said Louvet. The commissioners will have a session dedicated to the Producers Club, Louvet said.

Buyers will be present at Canneseries accompanying series in the different sections of the festival. The entire value chain will be represented at Canneseries, as, at the same time, global companies that attend to produce, buy and distribute, said Lewi.

He declined to comment on whether the Canneseries will cover flights and accommodation for industry attendees, a crucial concern for companies in a cost-conscious age.

The successful and highly curated festival sections of Canneseries (long-form, short-form, documentary) will remain in place.

In 2020, when COVID-19 forced Mipcom to cancel plans for a three-day on-site event, Canneseries bravely held a physical edition in Cannes, attracting a group of French industry players determined to fight the pandemic, while Mipcom played online.

Except for this third edition, Canneseries has always been held in parallel with MipTV or Mipcom, the latter of which attracted 2,950 buyers on October 10, according to the Mipcom website.

Since its launch in 2018, Cannesseries has been doing very well, attracting not only major world premieres in the United States, but also banner series from key players in Europe and Israel, be it Beta Film’s “Sisi,” now sold in 120 territories , the Norwegian period drama from NRK/Maipo Film. “State of Happiness,” sold to stations in more than 60 countries, or 2021’s “The Allegation,” starring Peter Kurth of “Babylon Berlin,” and the confirmation of Ferdinand von Schirach’s exciting and fruitful writer-producer axis and the Constantin production company.

This year, Cannes Best Series winner “The Zweiflers” picked up four awards, including Best Drama Series, at the German Television Awards 2024. Award-winning documentary “DJ Mehdi: Made in France” has made a splash in France

The big question for a stand-alone Canneseries is whether, without the volume of MipTV buyers, it can continue to attract shows of this caliber.

“Now we have the respect of the industry and the support of everyone who has been involved before, although we are always looking for new voices and to expand into new territories and for the last few months we have been talking to everyone, broadcasters, producers. and buyers, of course.” said Lewi.

“Cannesries can provide a powerful marketing launch with a lot of glamour, as well as launch races on smaller titles.”

Indeed, there was always a question as to how many MipTV and Mipcom buyers actually found time, locked in meetings, lunches and dinners, to screen Canneseries titles on site. In this context, the marketing impact of the Canneseries selection and awards is a primary consideration.

The call for Canneseries Season 8 series opens on November 8th and accreditation on December 2nd.