Shortly before the launch of its third edition (14-17 September), Seriesly Berlin has revealed the full programme for its 2026 conference. Dedicated to the future of serial storytelling, the event will combine a two-day industry conference at Fotografiska Berlin (15-16 September) with public screenings in the Seriesly Berlin Premieres strand, which will showcase 13 series from 11 countries (see the news).

International co-production and the changing funding landscape will be at the heart of the programme. “Co-Producing Europe – And What’s Germany’s Next Move?”, organised in partnership with the Alliance of German Producers, will examine Germany’s position as a production partner at a time when federal incentive funding is fully allocated for 2026 and fewer resources are expected in 2027. The session will also consider a new Council of Europe framework for series co-production and the future of European support mechanisms.

“Too Many Cooks? Turns Out, That’s the Recipe!” will look at the increasingly complex financing of high-end series and the opportunities it can create for ambitious projects, using Under Salt Marsh and Summer of 1985 as case studies. Meanwhile, “The Art of the Possible: Making Period Drama Work in Europe” will offer an exclusive first look at Grand Hotel by the Sea, presented by creator and producer Fleur Winters. Developed over seven years and involving a purpose-built studio and European co-production partners, the Dutch period drama demonstrates how international collaboration can make ambitious projects possible.

The East-West production landscape will be revisited in “Beyond the East-West Co-production Myth”, presented in partnership with the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The panel will explore the creative potential of treating Central and Eastern Europe as interconnected production ecosystems, with projects including the Icelandic-Polish thriller Signals, the Czech-Slovak-German effort Gerta Schnirch, the Finnish-Estonian-German drama Let It Snow and the Croatian-German title Red Water providing practical examples.

The conference will also turn its attention to creative freedom and representation. “Stories at Risk – Cultural Diversity, Democracy and Debate on Screen” will present the findings of a Europe-wide consultation initiated by Seriesly Berlin with the support of the Council of Europe’s Culture on Screen Programme, examining growing pressure on creative decision-making, limited space for risk-taking and structural barriers to diversity. “If You Know, You Know – Queerness Beyond the Plot”, organised in partnership with Queer Media Society, will explore queer representation, while Samuel Jefferson, head writer and co-creator of Berlin ER, will discuss developing German series in English first in “Entschuldigung, mein Deutsch ist nicht so gut”.

Real-life stories and their transformation into entertainment will form another strand of the programme. “Docuseries on the Rise: What Comes After True Crime?”, in partnership with Doxumentale, will examine what might follow the true-crime boom. A bar talk with Swedish crime author Jens Lapidus, a former criminal defence lawyer and the writer behind Easy Money, Top Dog and this year’s premiere Burden of Justice, will probe the boundaries between lived experience and fiction. “The New Playbook for Sports Storytelling” will meanwhile bring Olympic beach volleyball player Anouk Vergé-Dépré together with Beach Sisters creator-director Wero Rodowicz (see the news) to discuss trust, access and vulnerability when turning athletes’ lives into series.

A new Seriesly Creators track will focus on the growing power of creators and their audiences. “Own the Pipeline: Inside the Creator Ecosystems of German Giants” will examine how established production companies are building dedicated creator divisions, while “From Creator to Company” will look at creator-led companies combining development, production, distribution and audience-building. The addition of the Vertical Drama & Short Form Series Pitch further reflects the event’s interest in formats developing beyond the traditional television ecosystem.

The practical workshops will address AI, production and writing. “AI Below the Line” will explore hybrid production combining live action with AI-generated sets, stunts and visual effects, alongside the emerging legal and rights landscape. “Production-aware Writing” will examine how writing choices affect budgets, feasibility and international co-production potential. Writers’ rooms and international collaboration will also be explored in “Talk to Serial Eyes”, featuring Elena Lyubarskaya and Kim Zimmermann discussing their work on City of Blood.

Finally, actor, writer and director Dimitrij Schaad, the creator of opening series Jossi and the Netflix show Crap Happens, will discuss the ideas and risks behind his work in “No Retrospective, No Masterclass: Create Your Own Damn Story”, exploring what happens when an actor begins taking greater control over the stories being told.