The projects participating in this year’s Seriesly Berlin Pitches on 17 September have finally been chosen: 16 outstanding new serial projects – eight for the Seriesly Berlin Co-Production Pitch for projects already in developmentandeight for the Seriesly Berlin Writers’ Pitch for projects in early stages of development – have been selected to present their stories to the industry, competing for several prices and seeking partners for financing, (co-)producing, distribution and international collaboration. The pitches are part of the Seriesly Berlin Conference (17–18 September), which runs alongside the Seriesly Berlin Premieres (15–18 September) with screenings of international series. Accreditation for Seriesly Berlin is open, providing full access to the pitch sessions, conference program, screenings, and networking opportunities.
“The selected projects reflect the remarkable diversity of today’s creativity in serialized storytelling. Stories come from across the globe and cover a broad range of genres and subjects,” says Festival Director Dennis Ruh. “The 2025 line-up presents a dazzling spectrum of international talent and bold new voices. They vividly illustrate where serial content is heading worldwide. We see a strong presence of stories combining cultural specificity with universal themes. What also stands out is the boldness in experimenting with new formats – from animation and musical drama to AI tech thrillers. This shows that series today are not only a truly global medium, but also a creative laboratory constantly opening up fresh perspectives.”
From Asia comes The Life Changers (Taiwan/South Korea), a crime-action thriller by Taipei Golden Horse-nominated director Fu-Hsiang Hsu (Treat or Trick) and producer Danielle Yen, whose credits include Netflix’s global hit Your Name Engraved Herein. The project is backed by executive producer TJ Park (Snowpiercer, Mother) and features an international writers’ room. From Africa, Birthright (Nigeria) offers a sweeping historical saga from CAA repped Sundance Cultural Impact Fellow Kaelo Iyizoba, blending Nigerian history with myth and colonial struggle. Europe is strongly represented, including The Last Baroness (Slovakia), written by renowned Slovakian TV creative Biba Bohinská (Sestričky, Červené pásky) and produced by Katarína Krnáčová, winner of the Berlinale Crystal Bear (Little Harbour) and involved in Rotterdam Tiger Award winner My Dog Killer.
Germany contributes Tonight: Lola Blau, a musical drama written by Gabbie Asher (The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Call the Midwife, Riviera) and co-produced by ZDF Studios, while Zebras (France/Germany) pairs Nadja Dumouchel with Nicolas Ducray, co-writer of the Karlovy Vary Crystal Globe winner As Far As I Can Walk. Other highlights include the Italian-Danish horror comedy The People We Eat, Finbarr Wilbrink’s Dutch documentary The Promise of India (from the creator of the Rose d’Or–nominated Secrets of a Master Painter), and the Nordic mystery romance Villa Hilda (Finland/Sweden). Together, these projects illustrate the range of genres and visions shaping the global future of serial storytelling.
The selection also embraces emerging formats and experimental storytelling. The Last Family on Earth (Germany) is an adult animated sitcom created by Elena Lyubarskaya, whose Disney+ series Pauline earned a Grimme Prize nomination. Automat (Germany) explores AI, truth, and digital identity in an innovative 2.5D animated format, while Who’s Burning Now (Germany/Switzerland) comes from Maria Neheimer, Marshall Maihofer Demirovic, and Wero Rodowicz who was involved in the German hit series and Canneseries winner The Zweiflers, and features a Young Adult mix of folklore, witchcraft, and mystery.
Beyond the bold genre experiments, projects such as Indi/Pendent (Germany/India), a queer Berlin–Chennai comedy from Serial Eyes alum Drishya Gautham, and The State Operetta (Austria), a sharp political dramedy from acclaimed directors Daniel Hoesl and Julia Niemann, underline the festival’s commitment to cutting-edge voices. With African and Asian storytelling powerfully represented alongside European innovation, and formats ranging from musical drama to adult animation, SERIESLY BERLIN PITCHES 2025 embodies the creativity, diversity, and ambition driving the next generation of serial storytelling.
Accredited participants will also have the opportunity to take part in exclusive one-on-one meetings with the selected writers and producers in a dedicated meeting space at Fotografiska Berlin where the Seriesly Berlin Conference is held.
Partners of the Seriesly Berlin Pitches are the European Writers Desk and Creative Europe MEDIA Desks Germany.
Alongside with the general pitch awards, the SteinbrennerMüller Award will honor for the first time one German-language project from each pitch sessions that, in the opinion of the jury, has the greatest potential to be successful with audiences. They will receive a communications concept from the Berlin based PR agency of the same name for the production phase worth €2,000 each.
Please find an overview with all 16 participating projects here.
