iWorld
HBO Max partners with Series Mania Institute to boost video production in Europe
Lille, France: The shortage of writing, production, and directorial talent is being bemoaned by one and all at a time when demand for content is booming worldwide. WarnerMedia EMEA is doing something about it in France to start with. EVP & head of original production, EMEA Anthony Root at the content powerhouse- on 23 March – announced that it is going to be putting in a million dollars over the next three years behind an initiative SeriesMania Institute being pushed by fast growing TV series festival SeriesMania.
Present at the Series Mania Forum during the announcement were the festival’s founder & general director Laurence Herszberg, and Series Mania Institute project manager Pierre Ziemniak. HBO Max will be joining Newen (founding partner), France Télévisions, and Entreprises et Cités, The Series Mania Institute, launched last year, is an initiative devoted entirely to training the professionals of tomorrow’s European TV series.
The organisation also benefits from the support of the Lille European Metropolis (MEL), the Hauts-de-France Region, and the CNC, as well as partnerships with some of the leading European schools, including La Fémis and Sciences Po Lille. Its European course Eureka Series is supported by the Creative Europe MEDIA programme of the European Union.
Herszberg says, “Since its creation, our mission with the Series Mania Institute has been to be the incubator for creating new talent and developing an impressive European network, while reinforcing the training of these professionals in the field of series and audiovisual content, including scriptwriters, directors, producers, and broadcasters. Now, thanks to HBO Max and their generous funding, along with all of our partners, we are well positioned to devote the necessary training to these new talents who will create the European series of tomorrow. I could not be prouder than to be making this announcement today.”
HBO Max EMEA General Manager Christina Sulebakk adds, “Europe is home to an incredible breadth and depth of talent and in partnership with the Series Mania Institute, we’re thrilled to provide the support and resources to nurture the next generation. At HBO Max, we recognise that programming is only as good as those who are empowered to make it and through this initiative, we’re excited to play a meaningful role in helping creatives to do their best work.”
Unit Audiovisual Industry and Media Support Programmes, European Commission head Lucia Recalde highlights, “Creative Europe MEDIA is proud to be a partner of the Series Mania ecosystem, first through Series Mania Forum, and now with Eureka Series, the European training programme of Series Mania Institute. HBO Max supporting the Institute marks an important step in the integration of international SVOD platforms to the European industry, and a major creative opportunity for European series professionals”.
Opened in 2021, the Series Mania Institute is the first school entirely devoted to training future series professionals. The Institute is made up of three programmes, including: Eureka Series, an intensive three-month training course for emerging television drama series writers and producers from all over Europe, a Master’s Programme at Science Po Lille for future managers, and Le Tremplin/Springboard, a platform to help identify, initiate, and guide young talents in the Hauts-de-France region. Through these programmes and future initiatives, the Series Mania Institute delivers world-class training to creators and storytellers from diverse backgrounds and origins and develops the next generation of remarkable European series makers, contributing to a strong future for the European audiovisual industry.
iWorld
Subedaar puts Indian original cinema on the global map with record-breaking Prime Video debut
MUMBAI: Prime Video has a runaway hit on its hands. Subedaar, the gritty action drama starring Anil Kapoor, has stormed to become the most-watched Indian original movie on the platform in its opening weekend, cracking the Top 10 across 31 countries and landing in 91 per cent of India’s pin codes within days of its March 5 premiere.
The film, a visceral, emotionally-charged story of a retired soldier, Subedaar Arjun Maurya, wrestling with civilian life amid crime and corruption, has struck a nerve. Directed by Suresh Triveni and co-starring Radhikka Madan, Mona Singh, Saurabh Shukla, Aditya Rawal, Faisal Malik, and Khushboo Sundar, the film is already being hailed as a showcase for what Indian original storytelling can achieve on the world stage.
“Subedaar’s success is a reflection of the growing scale and global resonance of Indian storytelling,” said Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals at Prime Video India. “The film’s emotional narrative, its rooted portrayal of a soldier confronting his toughest battles beyond the battlefield, has struck a chord. Anil Kapoor delivers an acting masterclass, while Suresh Triveni’s solid direction and great performances from the ensemble cast have resulted in love and appreciation from customers across the world.”
Kapoor, 62, has been here before, but rarely at this altitude. Written by Triveni and Prajwal Chandrashekar, with dialogues by Triveni, Saurabh Dwivedi, and Chandrashekar, the film is a production by Opening Image Films in association with Anil Kapoor Film & Communication Network (AKFCN), produced by Vikram Malhotra, Kapoor, and Triveni.
Subedaar streams exclusively on Prime Video in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu across India, and in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
For Prime Video, the numbers tell the real story: one weekend, one film, a global footprint, and a very loud signal that Indian original cinema is no longer just travelling well. It’s arriving.
