Partnership formed between EFM and Montreal's Frontières Market, featuring a genre exhibition
The European Film Market (EFM) and Frontières Market of Fantasia International Film Festival are joining forces to present a genre works-in-progress showcase at the 2026 EFM, as part of the Seriesly Berlin event.
Five projects in advanced stages of financing, production, or early post-production will be presented during the showcase, known as EFM Frontières Focus. This platform is dedicated to psychological thrillers, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and hybrid forms. The goal is to help these projects connect with sales agents, distributors, and festival programmers, attracting leading creative voices, top talent, and bigger budgets.
Tanja Meissner, Berlinale Pro director, has noted that genre filmmaking is currently experiencing a surge in creativity and visibility. She believes that the EFM Frontières Focus will further boost this trend, highlighting the creative force behind genre films.
Annick Mahnert, executive director of Frontières, expressed her excitement about the new partnership with the EFM on this initiative. She believes that the collaboration will create a dynamic space for films in production and post-production to find sales and distribution opportunities.
Networking events tailored to the genre community will also take place, providing opportunities for filmmakers to connect and collaborate. A pitching session of films ready for the fall markets in 2026 seeking sales agents or completion funding will be included.
The Seriesly Berlin 2023 event, now in its second edition, will take place in Berlin from September 15 to 18, 2025. The event will host panels on diverse and topical subjects relevant to the television series industry, including reinventing co-productions, collaborative Palestinian and Israeli writing, queer representation on TV, and horror series exploration.
One of the premieres at the 2023 event is the Streamz Original series Oh, Otto!, which has been selected to screen at the festival. The specific list of premieres beyond Oh, Otto! for the 2025 event has not been detailed explicitly, but the event is positioned as a key space for both premieres and industry discussions in Berlin during mid-September 2025.
The EFM Frontières Focus initiative aims to challenge outdated notions of genre and spotlight the creative force behind it. The partnership between the EFM and Frontières is set to make a significant impact on the genre filmmaking landscape, providing a platform for innovative and creative works to thrive.
[1] Seriesly Berlin Official Website [2] European Film Market Official Website [3] Seriesly Berlin 2023 Programme
- The collaboration between the European Film Market (EFM) and Frontières Market of Fantasia International Film Festival, as part of the Seriesly Berlin event, will present a genre works-in-progress showcase in 2026, focusing on psychological thrillers, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and hybrid forms, aiming to connect these projects with sales agents, distributors, and festival programmers.
- The Seriesly Berlin event, a key space for both premieres and industry discussions, will also include networking events tailored to the genre community and a pitching session for films in production and post-production seeking sales agents or completion funding, as part of the EFM Frontières Focus initiative, which aims to challenge outdated notions of genre and spotlight the creative force behind it.
