26/09/2025 - Detective von Fock, Puberty and This Is Not a Murder Mystery have been nominated in the Video Fiction category

Three drama series supported by the Council of Europe’s Pilot Programme for Series Co-Productions have been selected in the Video Fiction category of the PRIX EUROPA festival, which will run this year from 6-10 October in Berlin. The nominations, straddling historical mystery, social drama and surrealist fantasy, underline both the creative scope of the initiative and the strength of independent co-production across Europe, while confirming its impact in strengthening the continent’s creative industries and amplifying stories that resonate well beyond national borders.

One of the nominees is Detective von Fock, a historical crime-drama inspired by Ain Kütt’s novels and set in early-19th-century Estonia, a time when Baltic Germans dominated high society. Created by Leana Jalukse together with Lillian von Keudell, the series follows shy young nobleman Paul von Fock (Priit Pius) as he unexpectedly emerges as a sharp-witted detective, solving crimes while navigating matters of inheritance and love. Directed by Arun Tamm and filmed across Estonia, Latvia and Italy, the production involved an extensive financing puzzle that brought together Zolba Productions, Bergmane Production, Movie.mento, Albolina Film and Eesti Telefilm/ERR, alongside public broadcasters ERR, LTV and LRT. ZDF Studios is handling international distribution, and the show had its premiere at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, where it was highlighted as a landmark in Baltic drama production (see the news).

Another contender is Puberty, created by Spanish filmmaker Leticia Dolera, who also directs and stars. The Catalan-language series examines the aftermath of an alleged sexual assault involving three boys and their teenage friend in a small town, raising thorny questions about adolescence, responsibility, and the blurred lines between innocence and culpability. Dolera plays Júlia, a single mother forced to confront her own convictions when her son becomes one of the accused. Developed through in-depth research into Spain’s laws on the age of criminality and sexual consent, the series also situates its story around the traditional castell festivals, where human towers become a powerful metaphor for trust and community. Produced by Distinto Films, Corte y Confección de Películas, AT-Productions and Uri Films, and distributed internationally by Beta Film, Puberty will be broadcast on Catalonia’s 3Cat and HBO Max Spain later this year (see the news).

Also nominated is This Is Not a Murder Mystery, a surrealist whodunnit set in the flamboyant 1930s, and directed by Hans Herbots and Matthias Lebeer. Written by Christophe Dirickx and Paul Baeten, the series imagines Salvador Dalí and René Magritte trapped in a mansion where bizarre crimes unfold. By balancing meticulous historical research with dreamlike stylisation, the series places the two artists at the heart of a story where art itself becomes a weapon against chaos. Produced by Belgium’s Panenka in collaboration with Deadpan Pictures in Ireland and a wide network of partners, including New8, the project is distributed internationally by StudioCanal (see the news).

For Alex Traila, programme manager of the Pilot Programme, the nominations reflect the initiative’s ambition: “From Estonia to Spain to Belgium, these nominations show how independent productions carry Europe’s diversity of languages and cultures, made possible through strong partnerships with public broadcasters and many other players. With the Pilot Programme, we are proud to have successfully taken the first steps, and by enabling further Council of Europe frameworks, we can carry this momentum into a future where European stories truly flourish across borders.”

Founded in 1987 by the European Parliament, the European Commission and the European Cultural Foundation, PRIX EUROPA has become the most influential pan-European broadcasting festival. Each October, more than 1,000 media professionals gather in Berlin and Potsdam to celebrate excellence in audio, video and digital media, with the event standing out for its open jury system, in which creators actively evaluate each other’s work. Hosted by Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb) since 1997 and under the patronage of the European Parliament since 2017, the festival fosters dialogue, collaboration and the recognition of diverse voices across Europe.