Berlinale Series Market Unveils 2020 Selection

By Tim Dams

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – The BBC and TVNZ’s adaptation of Man Booker Prize winning novel “The Luminaries,” starring Eva Green, is among the scripted TV projects that will feature in this year’s Berlinale Series Market and Conference program at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Set during the 1860s gold rush in New Zealand, the Working Title and Southern Light Films-produced “” is based on Eleanor Catton’s prize-winning novel of the same name. FremantleMedia handles international sales.

“The Luminaries” is one of several ‘strong’ Australian and New Zealand series screening at the market, according to Berlinale Series Market and Conference co-ordinator Katharina Böndel.

Böndel added that the line-up has a focus this year on shows with strong female leads or that are about minority groups or indigenous characters.

They include the second series of atmospheric outback crime drama “Mystery Road,” sold by All3Media International, which will also world premiere at the festival itself.

Australian coming of age series “The Hunting,” sold by DCD Rights, focuses on the lives of four teenagers, their teachers and families caught up in a nude teen photo scandal.

Meanwhile, Keshet International’s Australian political drama “Total Control” stars Deborah Mailman and Rachel Griffiths.

New Zealand transgender short form drama series “Rurangi” will also debut its first five episodes at the Berlinale Series Market, with distribution handled by Autonomous.

In total, 28 dramas, documentaries and shorts will screen as part of the program for international buyers, selected from over 140 entries. The Berlinale Series Market & Conference was previously known as Drama Series Days.

Böndel stressed the international nature of the line-up, citing series from Japan through to Canada, Nigeria and Brazil.

Eastern Europe is represented with HBO Europe drama “Sleepers” from the Czech Republic and Ukrainian crime drama “Hide and Seek,” which is sold by ZDF Enterprises.

Also in the line-up is Norwegian procedural crime series “For Life” from the Emmy award-winning writer of “Mammon,” Gjermund S. Eriksen, which is repped by DRG.

Two Canadian series also feature. 1970s set Canadian comedy drama “Happily Married”, which is sold by Cineflix Rights, and CBC’s supernatural drama “Trickster,” from Sienna Films and Streel Films, which is sold by Kew Media Distribution.

A highlight of The Wit’s Mipcom showcase, French drama “Stalk” is about a gifted engineering student who hacks into the cellphones and computers of his fellow students, and is sold by France TV Distribution.

Dutch mini-series “Stanley” is based on the life of infamous Dutch criminal Stanley Hillis, and is repped by DFW International.

Two Brazilian series from Globo’s OTT player Globoplay, one of the fastest-growing drama operations in Latin America, “Unsoul” and “Where My Heart Is,”,also feature in the selection.

So too does Hillary Clinton documentary series “Hillary” which debuted this week at the Sundance Film Festival.

Meanwhile, the Conference opens on 24 February with a keynote with “How I Met Your Mother” star Jason Segal.

Conference highlights also include a keynote conversation with Starz CEO Jeffrey Hirsch, while Variety hosts a conversation with the stars of Berlinale premiere “Stateless,” Cate Blanchett, Tony Ayres, and Elise McCredie.

There is also a Producing With Netflix panel featuring a line-up of leading female writers, director and producers, and a session about producing indigenous-led episodic productions from Australia.

The Berlin Series Market and Conference is a joint initiative of the European Film Market, the Berlinale Co-Production Market and Berlinale Talents.

Berlinale Series Market line-up, 2020

Bastards
20’ Germany
4ReelDocs

Between Us
42’, Norway / Denmark
Yellow Affair

Capital Roar
59’ (Ep. 1+2), Colombia / Peru
Onza Distribution

Dunkelstadt
90’ (Ep. 1+3), Germany
ZDF Enterprises GmbH

Foodie Love
55’, Spain
HBO Europe

For Life
90’ (Ep. 1+4), Norway
DRG

Happily Married
86’ (Ep. 1+2), Canada
Cineflix Rights

Hide And Seek
60’, Ukraine
ZDF Enterprises GmbH

Hillary
125′ (Ep. 1+2), USA
Dogwoof

Identification
59’, Russia
GPM ETV

Mystery Road – Season 2
55’, Australia
All3media International

Peacemaker
46’, Finland
REinvent Studios International Sales

Rūrangi
95’ (Ep. 1-5), New Zealand
Autonomouse Ltd

Sex
24’ (Ep.1+2) | Short Form Block. Denmark
REinvent Studios International Sales

Stalk
90’ (Ep. 1-3), France
France TV Distribution

Stanley
100’ (Ep. 1+2), Netherlands
DFW International

The Attaché
55’ (Ep. 1+2), Israel
FremantleMedia

The Collapse
17’ | Short Form Block, France
Studiocanal

The Hunting
55’, Australia
DCD Rights

The Luminaries
52’, New Zealand / United Kingdom
Fremantle

The Otherside
19’ | Short Form Block, Nigeria
Blackverse Studios

The Real Thing
48’ | (Ep. 1+2), Japan
Nagoya Broadcasting Network Co., Ltd.

The Sleepers
59’, Czech Republic
HBO Europe

Total Control
100’ | (Ep. 1+2), Australia
Keshet International

Trickster
48’, Canada
Kew Media Distribution

Unemployable
32’, USA
Small Form Films

Unsoul
47’, Brazil
Globo

Where My Heart Is
45’, Brazil
Globo

(Pictured: “The Luminaries”; bottom: “Unsoul”)