In a transfer to spice up collection from the Baltics and their ties to Europe’s market, the Sequence Mania Institute has launched Serial Bridges Baltics, a brand new workshop for Baltic screenwriters and collection producers, staged in partnership with the Institute Français and Trade@Tallinn & Baltic Occasion.
The inaugural session, resulting from roll out Nov. 13-17 at Tallinn’s TV Beat Discussion board, will reunite six author/producer duos, together with a few of the Baltics’ hottest names in serialised drama: Estonia’s Raoul Suvi, author of the Berlinale Sequence Market 2025 title “My Expensive Mom” and the acclaimed “Traitor,” Latvia’s wrier/director Juris Kursietis (“Soviet Denims”, “The Exhalted,” “Oleg”), in addition to Lithuania’s actor/author/producer Gabija Siurbytė (“Troll Farm”).
“We’re delighted to be organising such a workshop in Estonia for all Baltic expertise,” stated Pierre Ziemniak, director of packages on the Sequence Mania Institute who oversees different worldwide workshops underneath the ‘Serial Bridges’ banner. “Regardless of tighter budgets than in Western Europe, Baltic collection are more and more acknowledged and appreciated by the worldwide market, as exemplified by “Soviet Denims” from Latvia, which was introduced at Sequence Mania in 2024. It is a dynamic that we wish to help,” he stated.
“Constructing this bridge between TV Beats and Sequence Mania Institute was a fast however clean and thrilling course of,” added Petri Kemppinen, co-head of TV Beats Discussion board who additionally welcomed the prospect for Baltic collection creators to be acknowledged internationally. “I’m satisfied that the workshop format, bringing collectively a number of skilled consultants and together with a closing pitch in entrance of pros, will assist develop new expertise and open doorways for future co-productions.”
Mentors assigned to the Baltics duos absorb Hungarian author/producer Gabor Krigler, former HBO Europe artistic government, and Finnish author Jemina Jokisalo (“Cash Shot”). Additional experience will come from Emmanuelle Guilbart, About Premium Content material co-CEO, in addition to Emmanuel Eckert, former deputy director of acquisitions, Mediawan Rights, and French-Swedish producer Patrick Nebout (“Whiskey on the Rocks”).
Talking to Selection in regards to the first batch of Serial Bridges Baltics tasks, Ziemniak stated: “We had been pleasantly shocked by the variety of the tasks submitted, notably by way of collection genres. Whereas thrillers and dramas reflecting the geopolitical state of affairs are properly represented, we additionally had the pleasure of studying comedies, fantasy tales and horror tales.”
He added: “A number of submissions confirmed a sure ingenuity in looking for to attach native tales with the worldwide market by concentrating on the fitting companions, which is totally in keeping with the spirit of Serial Bridges: constructing bridges whereas respecting native DNA, overcoming the constraints of native markets with restricted funding, by partnering with different European corporations and aiming for universality whereas remaining devoted to cultural specificities.”
On the closing day of the workshop Nov. 17, the Baltic groups will pitch their mission to knowledgeable jury and the profitable present will get an entry ticket to Sequence Mania Discussion board 2026.
Serial Bridges Baltics is backed by the Estonian Ministry of Tradition, the Estonian Movie Institute, the platform Elisa Eesti in Estonia and Latvian pubcaster LRT.
A fuller rundown of the Serial Bridges Baltics tasks:
“Aurora Newsroom,” (“Aurora.Redakcija,” 6X52’, Latvia, Estonia, Finland)
Created by Gints Grūbe
Written by Juris Kursietis, Katri Manninen, Osvalds Zebris, Martin Algus
Directed by Juris Kursietis
Produced by Mistrus Media’s Gints Grūbe, Inese Boka-Grūbe, Elīna Gediņa-Ducena, with companions Riina Sildos from Estonia and Petri Kemppinen from Finland
Modern spy thriller from “Soviet Denims”’ co-helmer Juris Kursietis, who shares the writers’ room with co-national Osvalds Zebris, Finland’s Katri Manninen (“Shadow Strains”) and Estonia’s Martin Algus (“Traitor,” “Kalev”). Journalist Guna Vilka who goes by the undercover identify of “Lynx” and works for the media outlet “Aurora,” investigates an explosion at a newly opened wind farm in Latvia, the place an Estonian teenager from a close-by youth camp has died. Grūbe says the present “explores the behind-the-scenes world of politics, intelligence providers, and media within the context of in the present day’s hybrid warfare, highlighting processes that may be influenced on the political degree.”
“Codename: Lighthouse,” (“Salasõna: Majakas,” 6X42’, Estonia)
Created by Tomas Ili
Written by Raoul Suvi
Produced by Jaan Laugamõts for Downtown Photos
Newest TV effort from the creators of the smash hit “Traitor” (“Reetur”), finest collection at Serial Killer and Estonia’s EFTA awards. “The autumn of the Soviet Union is a well known landmark interval in European historical past, nonetheless lined with many secrets and techniques and thriller. For those who add a nuclear system briefcase to it, an entertaining roller-coaster is assured,” says producer Jaan Laugamõts who can even showcase in Tallinn the finished drama collection “In Darkness” by Ove Musting.
“Midnight Tales,” (“Šiurpnakčio istorijos,” 8X25’, Lithuania)
Created and written by Gabija Siurbytė, Ernestas Jankauskas
Directed by Ernestas Jankauskas
Produced by Viktorija Rimkutė and Gabija Siurbytė for Dansu Movies
Dansu Movies co-founder, actor-showrunner Gabija Siurbytė, co-producer of Netflix’s “Clark” and TV4 Sweden’s “We Are available in Peace,” has teamed up once more with “Troll Farm” helmer Ernestas Jankauskas on a younger adult-oriented thriller a couple of seemingly idyllic youth scout farm hiding a darkish underbelly. “Midnight Tales” affords a uncommon mix of psychological horror and Lithuanian folklore, making a recent and cinematic anthology for a teenage viewers,” says Viktorija Rimkutė.
“Shadows of the Swamp,” (6X52’, Latvia)
Created and written by Raitis Abele, Zanda Zeidaka from a narrative by Guntis Tālers
Directed by Lauris Abele, Raitis Abele
Produced by Raitis Abele, Sebastian Weyland for Tritone Studio
Crime and supernatural drama from sizzling up-and-coming Abele brothers, behind this 12 months’s Latvian entry within the worldwide Oscar race, the animated “Canine of God.”
“In a misty Baltic village yearly individuals vanish into the swamp ― fishermen, hikers, even a millionaire. A detective and a psychic uncover a WWII Nazi atrocity, the place meth-fueled troopers massacred locals. Villagers conceal darkish secrets and techniques and one thing historical and unseen nonetheless pulls the residing into the bathroom,” runs the logline. “Balancing crime investigation with supernatural fable, [the show] lives exactly in a stress between the rational and the uncanny; that’s precisely what per week spent within the Baltics’ winter swampy forests seems like,” quips Raitis Abele.
“The Outskirts,” (“Nomale,” 8×50’, Latvia)
Created by Lelde and Vlads Kovalovi
Written, directed by Vlads Kovalovs
Produced by Lelde Kovalova
Thriller, thriller drama during which a household holidaying in a seemingly good distant woodland resort, quickly realises that nobody ever checks out, besides these keen to cross a lethal ethical line. The collection is “impressed by my favourite collection “Squid Recreation,” “Misplaced,” and “White Lotus,” “The Outskirts” fuses survival drama with psychological and ethical depth,” says Kovalova, co-creator of the latest Latvian hit detective present “The Uninvited Visitors.” “Past the thriller, [the show] explores the phantasm of freedom and what stays of humanity when all trendy certainties vanish.”
“Therapies,” (“Terapijos,” 7X30’, Lithuania)
Created and written by Birutė Kapustinskaitė
Directed by Kapustinskaitė, Marija Kavtaradzė, Eglė Vertelytė
Produced by Dagnė Vildžiūnaitė for Only a Second
Drama a couple of sharp-tongued professor who checks right into a distant hospital, anticipating peace and privateness throughout chemo. However she results in a six-bed most cancers ward stuffed with loud girls, together with an previous colleague. Bravely addressing most cancers, the present doesn’t keep away from the ache however truly brings it nearer by means of “a mixture of heat humor and irony,” says Dagnė Vildžiūnaitė.
