The second edition of Seriesly Berlin (15-18 September) has wrapped with the announcement of the winners of the Seriesly Pitch Awards, confirming the event’s growing reputation as a key meeting point for international series creators and industry professionals. Once again hosted at Berlin’s Fotografiska venue, the festival attracted a strong audience of creators, producers, commissioners and executives, who gathered under the motto “Let’s Talk Seriesly!” for three days of talks, workshops, screenings and pitching sessions.

Among the highlights was the Seriesly Pitch competition, which presented a diverse selection of international projects across two sections: Writer’s Pitch and Co-Pro Pitch (see the news).

In the Co-Pro Pitches, the top award went to Villa Hilda, a Finnish-Swedish mystery-romance created by Roosa Toivonen and Inka Hietala. The series follows disgraced celebrity chef Louise and burned-out, one-hit-wonder author Thomas, who escape their mid-life crises to run a small hotel and restaurant on a remote island. When their past catches up with them, there is nowhere left to hide, forcing them to confront their shortcomings and mistakes in order to learn how to love, forgive and forget.

The jury also awarded a Special Mention to the adult animated series The Last Family on Earth, created and produced by Elena Lyubarskaya, and co-written with Yashar Alishenas. Set in the near future, it follows Maria and Anvar Lieb, a couple on the brink of divorce, who are suddenly forced to stay together and survive with their dysfunctional family when the apocalypse strikes.

In the Writer’s Pitch category, The People We Eat, a horror-sitcom by Ilaria Fravolini, scooped the Seriesly Berlin Writer’s Pitch Award. The show tells the story of a Danish family of cannibals whose quiet life is disrupted when their teenage daughter Betina decides to become a strict vegetarian, just as a nosy conspiracy theorist moves in next door. The jury praised its absurdist humour and unconventional take on family issues.

The same section also saw a Special Mention going to the coming-of-age dramedy All Our Fathers Are Dead, created by Alex Tanglao and Miguel Gallo. Set in early-2010s Berlin, it follows a group of teenage boys who, after the deaths of their fathers, form a club to teach themselves how to become men. Through chaotic challenges – part Fight Club, part Boy Scouts – they push their bodies, friendships and beliefs to the limit, only to discover that modern masculinity is not what they thought it was.

Meanwhile, the Austrian political dramedy The State Operetta, created by Daniel Hoesl and Julia Niemann, won the SteinbrennerMüller Komunikation Award in the Writer’s Pitch. Described by its creators as “a genre picture of our democracy – absurd, abysmal, frighteningly funny and devastatingly realistic”, the series offers a sharp and satirical behind-the-scenes look at political power. In the Co-Pro category of the same award, the jury honoured the aforementioned The Last Family on Earth by Elena Lyubarskaya.

Here is the list of Seriesly Berlin 2025 award winners:

Co-Pro Pitch Award
Villa Hilda (Finland/Sweden)
Creators: Roosa Toivonen, Eriikka Etholen-Paju
Producers: Roosa Toivonen, Inka Hietala, Petri Kemppinen (Good Hand Film & TV Oy)

Special Mention
The Last Family on Earth (Germany)
Creator: Elena Lyubarskaya
Writers: Elena Lyubarskaya, Yashar Alishenas
Producer: Elena Lyubarskaya (The Dream Room)

Writer’s Pitch Award
The People We Eat (Italy/Denmark)
Creator: Ilaria Fravolini

Special Mention
All Our Fathers Are Dead (Germany)
Creators: Alex Tanglao, Miguel Gallo

SteinbrennerMüller Komunikation Award

Co-Pro Pitch
The Last Family on Earth

Writer’s Pitch
The State Operetta (Austria)
Creators: Daniel Hoesl, Julia Niemann
Producers: Ula Okrojek, Herwig Krawinkler (Satel Film)