What Series Mania does

Series Mania is a non-profit association (L'ASSOCIATION DU FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DES SERIES DE LILLE / HAUTS-DE-FRANCE) headquartered in Lille, France, founded in 2018. It operates Europe's largest event dedicated exclusively to television series, comprising four integrated pillars: the annual Series Mania Festival (8 days, up to 108,000 spectators, featuring world premieres of international series), the Series Mania Forum (3 days, 5,000 international industry professionals for pitching, conferences, and networking), the Series Mania Institute (training school launched in 2021, offering programs including Apollo Series for European coproduction, Produire une série documentaire with EURODOC, AI Storytelling Bootcamp, IP Adaptation Bootcamp, Serial Bridges for international talent, and Tremplin for beginners), and Series Mania+ (digital platform for streaming festival content). The organization serves four distinct customer segments: general public spectators, TV industry professionals (producers, screenwriters, directors, broadcasters, distributors), training participants (experienced professionals and students), and institutional partners.

The business model is diversified across three revenue streams: ticket and pass sales for the Festival and Forum, training program fees (ranging from €1,260 TTC for the AI Bootcamp to €4,200 HT for Apollo Series), and institutional grants from public bodies including Région Hauts-de-France, Métropole Européenne de Lille, Ville de Lille, CNC, and Creative Europe MEDIA. The organization is backed by flagship sponsorship from Crédit Mutuel and strategic partnerships with major industry players including Warner Bros. Discovery, Banijay, HBO Max, and France TV. Leadership comprises General Director Laurence Herszberg, Artistic Director Frédéric Lavigne, and Forum Director Francesco Capurro, supported by 11-50 employees. The organization coordinates the STREAM Network of 10 European training institutions, positioning itself as a central node in European audiovisual education and industry development.

Name

Series Mania

Legal name

L'ASSOCIATION DU FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DES SERIES DE LILLE / HAUTS-DE-FRANCE

Website

https://seriesmania.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Series Mania is a Lille-based non-profit organizing Europe's largest television series festival and industry forum, complemented by a training institute and digital platform serving industry professionals, aspiring talent, and general audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television Series Festival and Industry Events

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional & Association Conferences (MPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Conferences & Sales Kickoffs (MPAGAGAC), Virtual Conferences & Summits (Webinars, Keynotes) (MPAGAOAA)

Keywords

• Television series festival
• Industry networking forum
• Professional training programs
• Series coproduction workshops
• Entertainment event management

Headquarters

HQ city

Lille

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Training Program Fees: Revenue generated from professional training programs including Produire une série documentaire (€2,150 TTC), Apollo Series (€4,200 HT), and various other workshops. Financial assistance available through AFDAS and Creative Europe MEDIA scholarships.
2. Festival and Forum Operations: Revenue from ticket sales, pass sales, partnerships, and sponsorships for the annual festival (108,000 spectators) and forum (5,000 professionals).
3. Institutional Funding and Grants: Support from public institutions including Région Hauts-de-France, Métropole Européenne de Lille, Ville de Lille, CNC, and Creative Europe MEDIA.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Series Mania organizes an annual 8-day television series festival and concurrent 3-day industry Forum in Lille, France, attracting up to 108,000 spectators and 5,000 international professionals respectively. It operates the Series Mania Institute training school (first school 100% dedicated to TV series) and the Series Mania+ digital viewing platform. Core deliverables include world premiere screenings, pitching sessions, professional workshops, coproduction programs, and generative AI storytelling training.

Product overview

Series Mania is a comprehensive ecosystem centered around television series, comprising four main pillars: the annual Series Mania Festival (8-day event with world premieres), Series Mania Forum (3-day industry professional hub), Series Mania Institute (training school), and Series Mania+ (digital viewing platform). The Festival and Forum form the public-facing event components, while the Institute offers professional training programs including Apollo Series (European coproduction), Produire une série documentaire (documentary series production with EURODOC), Serial Bridges (international duos), AI Storytelling Bootcamp (generative AI for storytelling), and Tremplin (beginner programs). The Institute is supported by the STREAM network of 10 European training institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Series Mania Forum: Three-day industry event for TV professionals featuring pitching, networking, and conferences
• Series Mania Institute
• Series Mania+
• Series Mania Tour

Products and services

• Series Mania Festival The main annual festival event held in Lille, Hauts-de-France, France, offering exclusive world premieres of international TV series on the big screen over 8 days and attracting up to 108,000 spectators. It is Europe's largest event dedicated uniquely to television series.
• Series Mania Forum 3-day industry event dedicated to TV professionals, featuring pitching sessions, networking, and high-level conferences. Welcomes 5,000 French and foreign TV industry professionals annually.
• Series Mania Institute The training arm of Series Mania and the first school 100% dedicated to TV Series. Offers professional training programs, student programs, and beginner courses for aspiring and experienced audiovisual professionals.
• Series Mania+ Digital platform for viewing series and conferences from the festival program, extending the festival experience online year-round.
• Apollo Series European coproduction excellence program designed for 10 European producers, combining personalized mentorship with access to major industry events (MIA, TV Drama Vision, Series Mania Forum) over 15 discontinuous days. Priced at €4,200 HT per producer with partial scholarships up to €2,500 via Creative Europe MEDIA.
• Produire une série documentaire 5-day intensive workshop in partnership with EURODOC for francophone producers to master documentary series development and international coproduction. Priced at €2,150 TTC per participant with AFDAS funding available for eligible French participants.
• Serial Bridges International workshop series connecting scriptwriter/producer duos from specific regions (Central Asia, Baltics, Accra) to the European coproduction market.
• AI Storytelling Bootcamp 3-day online training program teaching screenwriters, producers, and development managers to use generative AI tools for storytelling, including mastering prompts and chatbots. Priced at €1,260 TTC / €1,050 HT per participant.
• Tremplin Beginner-level program for those new to the series industry, providing foundational training in audiovisual production for students and aspiring professionals.
• Series Makers International selection program for series projects providing development support and industry visibility to selected projects.
• STREAM Network Series Trainings Resources, Engagement, and Media — a network of 10 European training institutions establishing common values and objectives for series education, coordinated by Series Mania Institute.
• IP Adaptation Bootcamp Bootcamp focused on intellectual property adaptation for series, developed in collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery for European screenwriters.
• Festival Village by Crédit Mutuel Festival Village area hosting exhibitions, parties, workshops, and educational activities during the annual festival. Sponsored by Crédit Mutuel as the main partner.
• Series Mania Tour Regional events program running from February to March prior to the main festival, extending Series Mania's programming and audience engagement across regions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 108,000 spectators and 5,000 professionals attend annually

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• MIA | Mercato Internazionale AudiovisivocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Apollo Series program. MIA provides access to their market in Rome, Italy, where Apollo Series participants attend sessions and network with international industry professionals. This is part of a three-market approach including Rome, Gothenburg, and Lille.
• Göteborg Film Festival's TV Drama VisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Apollo Series program. TV Drama Vision in Gothenburg, Sweden provides Nordic market access for Apollo Series participants. Cia Edström, responsible for TV Drama Vision, expressed delight at supporting talented European producers through this collaboration.
• EURODOCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with EURODOC for the 'Produire une série documentaire' training workshop. EURODOC co-designs the curriculum and provides expertise in documentary series production. This is the third edition of their collaborative training program.
• Creative Europe MEDIAcoreOthersEU funding program that supports Apollo Series through partial scholarships for participants from low-capacity European countries. Provides financing up to €2,500 per scholarship recipient to cover program fees.
• Crédit MutuelflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMain partner of the Festival Village. Crédit Mutuel sponsors the Village Festival area which hosts exhibitions, parties, workshops, and educational activities. Named 'Festival Village by Crédit Mutuel' in all official materials.
• Alefpa de LilleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for the ReuSSS project - a dance program combining series music with choreography. Young dancers from Alefpa de Lille performed at the Hip Open Show organized by Le Flow, featuring music from a TV series.
• ICART LilleminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership with students from ICART Lille who design mediation guides for festival exhibitions. For the 2026 edition, they are creating inclusive mediation devices including audio description for visually impaired visitors.
• Office franco-allemand pour la jeunesse (OFAJ)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerYouth exchange organization that brings French and German young people to experience the festival through screenings, meetings, and image education workshops.
• Labo148minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for the Kino challenge - a 42-hour short film competition. Labo148 collaborates with Series Mania to organize this creative event for young talents.
• Ciné LigueminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for series-clubs in the Hauts-de-France region. Ciné Ligue helps organize community screenings where residents choose short films and series on specific themes for local projections.
• France TVcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench public broadcaster and partner. France TV is a supporter of Series Mania Institute programs and their logo appears on institute materials indicating collaborative support.
• Warner Bros. DiscoverycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor studio partnership announced for a new training program dedicated to European screenwriters. Collaboration to develop specialized training offerings.
• BanijaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for production administration certification training. Banijay collaborates with Series Mania Institute to deliver professional training in production management.
• HBO MaxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal partnership announced in 2022 between Series Mania Institute and HBO Max for content development and industry initiatives.
• TAICCAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTaiwan Creative Content Agency partnership for Serial Bridges workshop program, connecting East Asian scriptwriters and producers with the European market.
• Institut françaisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench cultural institute partnership for Serial Bridges Baltics workshop, connecting talent from Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) to the European series market.
• Festival du film Black Nights de TallinnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstonian film festival partnership for Serial Bridges Baltics workshop, providing venue and industry access for participants.
• STREAM NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 10 European training institutions that signed a common charter for series values and objectives. Series Mania Institute is the coordinating body for this European network.
• Les Rencontres AudiovisuellesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRegional organization that conducts image education workshops in schools, helping Series Mania deliver educational programs on series creation.
• Ynov CampusminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEducational partnership where students analyze series through journalism workshops, such as the analysis of Latvian series Soviet Jean with journalist Perrine Quennesson.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@seriesmaniafestival
• Instagraminstagram.com/seriesmania/?hl=fr
• Xx.com/SeriesManiaPro
• Facebookfacebook.com/SeriesManiaInstituteSMI

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Series Mania