Serielizados Pro Barcelona reveals program: Carlos Marques-Marcet, Vilapuig sisters make the cut

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• Mind the Gap returns: what to expect in Barcelona
• More entries, broader geography: a growing pitch
• Notable talent and local heavyweights taking part
  • New diplomatic ties in storytelling
• Competition prizes and international jury
• Masterclasses and mentors: industry names on stage
• Panels on market trends, distribution and regional production
• Recognition for Spanish co-productions
• Who backs Serielizados Pro
• Selected projects in this edition of Mind the Gap
• Networking and strategic sessions to build co-productions

Catalonia’s creative energy will be on full display in Barcelona this October as Serielizados Pro brings back its international pitch program Mind the Gap. The event promises a crowded lineup of showrunners, directors and producers from Europe and beyond, all hunting partners, financing and visibility for scripted series in development.

Mind the Gap returns: what to expect in Barcelona

The second edition of the co-pro contest Mind the Gap takes place on Oct. 21. It is the headline event inside the wider Serielizados Pro industry program, running Oct. 21-24. The series festival itself runs Oct. 19-28 in Barcelona. Selected projects will also reach audiences on Filmin from Nov. 10-22.

More entries, broader geography: a growing pitch

Organizers say the call for projects drew more than twice the submissions of last year. The selection reflects a wider European footprint. Creators from Galicia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Mexico and Portugal will join Spain’s teams.

Eight of the 11 chosen projects came from the open call. Three were invited via partners including Seriencamp, ECAM Forum and Iberseries.

Notable talent and local heavyweights taking part

Mind the Gap will feature Catalan auteur Carlos Marques-Marcet in his first role as a showrunner. Sisters Mireia and Joana Vilapuig are also pitching a new series after their success with Selftape.

Victor Sala, director of Serielizados Pro, highlighted stronger ties with the Baltics and Finland. He noted that, apart from Spain, Finland supplied the most projects.

New diplomatic ties in storytelling

• Latvia is represented by a historical drama selected with Baltic collaborators.
• Several Spanish projects include Nordic co-pro partners.

Competition prizes and international jury

The Mind the Gap winner receives a cash prize of €5,500. An extra award from Konga Music Agency, worth €2,000, will go to the best Spanish project.

The international jury includes representatives from Mubi, Movistar Plus, Beta Film, ZDF Studios and Arte France. Names on the panel are Ben Driscoll, Susanna Herreras, Peter Lohner, Susanne Frank and Virginie Béjot.

Masterclasses and mentors: industry names on stage

Serielizados Pro will run masterclasses with leading writers and producers. The program includes sessions with Steven Moffat and producer Sue Vertue. Hagai Levi, creator of In Treatment, will present his latest series.

Spanish screenwriters Isabel Peña and Eduardo Villanueva will talk about their work on the Movistar Plus Original El Castillo. German showrunner Alexander Lindh will discuss incarceration, using his series A Better Place as a case study.

These masterclasses are designed for showrunners, producers and commissioning editors seeking creative and strategic insight.

Panels on market trends, distribution and regional production

Serielizados Pro doubles as a market tracker. Panels will cover series development, new distribution models and digital strategies. Industry figures from The Mediapro Studios, DR Sales, Oble, RTVE Play and Tallinn TV Beats will participate.

There will also be a focused session on Catalonia’s production ecosystem. Organizers plan a case study on co-productions including In Vitro (HBO Max-3Cat) and Segunda temporada (Filmin).

Recognition for Spanish co-productions

A new Audiovisual 451 Award will be handed out for the first time. The prize recognizes coordinated work between public broadcasters and streamers. This year it honors the drama departments at HBO Max and 3Cat.

Irene Jiménes of Audiovisual 451 praised the collaboration for delivering socially resonant, high-quality series despite industry challenges.

Who backs Serielizados Pro

• ICEC (Catalan Institute for Cultural Companies)
• DAMA and Triodos Bank
• PROA, Konga Music Agency, Sarao Music
• Serial Eyes, Antaviana and AVisual Pro

Selected projects in this edition of Mind the Gap

The following projects were chosen for presentation at the pitch. Each entry lists format, origin, creative leads and a short logline.

• Act of Faith (Acte de fe, 4×45’, Spain) — Written and directed by Carlos Marques-Marcet. Produced by Suica Films and Abacus.
  A tense drama inspired by real infiltration cases. It explores intimacy, trust and the fallout when undercover operations break personal bonds.
• Bloodwine (Veriviini, 6×45’, Finland/France) — Written by Katri Järvelä and Tua Harno. Produced by Helsinki-filmi with CineFrance.
  A crime series set among vineyards and fine wines, centered on fraud and desire. Viewers will question what’s really in their glass.
• Callback (4×40’, Spain) — Created by Joana Vilapuig, Mireia Vilapuig and Diego Vega. Produced by Funicular Films and Left Tackle Films.
  A festival-night accusation upends careers and sparks debates on abuse, power and accountability in the film industry.
• Dangerous Woman (6×42’, Finland) — Written by Kevin Rundle from Marika Makaroff’s idea. Produced by Gutsy Pictures.
  A psychological drama about a woman marked by violence. The series probes whether she is monster or victim.
• El Observatorio (6×45’, Spain) — Created by Laura Roqué, Eloy Zamora and Luis Sorolla. Selected at ECAM Forum.
  A dramedy set in 2011 Andalusia where an observatory, a grieving scientist and a sudden light trigger a crisis of belief.
• Gusgus (6×55’, Iceland/Benelux) — Created by Arni & Kinski, with Lawrence Inglee. Produced by Truenorth Nordic for RÚV and Lumière.
  A semi-autobiographical tale of the electronic band GusGus. Ambition collides with grief as the group rises in 1990s Iceland.
• Historia de Espías: The Obedient Assassin (6×60’, Mexico/Spain) — Created by Salvador Rizo, co-written by Alessandro Pederzoli. Directed by Horacio Alcalà.
  An anthology series tracing real espionage. Season one follows NKVD plots to assassinate Trotsky in exile in Mexico.
• Karbo FC (6×45’, Spain) — Created by Sonia Méndez. Produced by Cósmica Productions and Accidental Films.
  A feelgood coming-of-age drama about Karbo FC. Girls in 1980s Galicia defy prejudice to pursue their dream of football.
• Line (Linha, 6×30’, Portugal) — Created by Hermano Moreira. Produced by Manilha Filmes and SPi.
  A festival-set drama told from five perspectives. The show blurs lines of race, consent and addiction in a charged social space.
• The Man Behind a Mask (Latvia) — Created by Anna Kalnina and Serge Serpuhovs. Produced by Baltic Pine Films.
  The true story of a boundary-pushing Latvian doctor forced to balance healing with state demands.
• Not Girls (Noies no, Spain/Finland) — Written by Indigo Carbajal, Jana Jubert, Tomàs Bayo. Directed by Celia Giraldo. Produced by Fasten Films with Tekele.
  A contemporary dramedy in Barcelona’s music scene. Band members face ambition, jealousy and questions of identity.

Networking and strategic sessions to build co-productions

Beyond the pitch, Serielizados Pro will host meetings to foster co-productions. Producers, sales agents and broadcasters can connect in targeted roundtables.

Speakers include Béatrice Nouh from The Mediapro Studios, Ella Glantz from DR Sales, Katia Sol from Oble, Alberto Fernández of RTVE Play and Roosa Toivonen of Tallinn TV Beats.