Series Mania Melbourne

Series Mania Melbourne 2017

ACMI and Film Victoria present Series Mania Melbourne

20 – 24 July 2017

acmi.net.au/series-mania

'Series Mania is to TV Drama what the Cannes Film Festival is to film" – Variety

ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) and Film Victoria are thrilled to release the program for Series Mania Melbourne, with Vince Gilligan headlining the event. The world's most prestigious TV festival, this is the first time Series Mania will be held in Australia. Held over four days in Melbourne, it will deliver over 20 free screenings, premiering some of the best new drama, comedy and web series from around the world.

Gilligan, the multi award-winning writer, producer, director and creator of the critically acclaimed series Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, will be in Melbourne to discuss his work including the upcoming release of Season Four of Better Call Saul. Gilligan will appear -In Conversation' and also take part in a special industry masterclass.

Minister for Creative Industries, Martin Foley said 'Securing Series Mania to the southern hemisphere is a coup for Victoria. It reflects the international profile of the Victorian screen industry, particularly our strong track record of producing high quality TV that is in hot demand overseas."

'We are proud to be part of Series Mania Melbourne. The festival will offer experiences to fans and industry insiders alike and provide sneak previews of some of the best television coming to Australia over the next 12 months."

ACMI CEO Katrina Sedgwick said 'We are delighted to be partnering with Film Victoria to bring Series Mania to Australia for the first time. No one epitomises the renaissance of TV drama quite like master storyteller Vince Gilligan – we're thrilled to welcome him to Melbourne. Series Mania launches with the world premiere of the locally filmed, exceptional crime drama Sunshine starring Anthony LaPaglia and a standout cast of South Sudanese debut actors. From Australian premieres including The White Princess, Loaded and Mary Kills People, to world premieres of The Bonus Family, Tabula Rasa and many more, Series Mania is all about binge-watchingly good TV. No matter how or what you watch, we've got something to excite all TV lovers."  

Film Victoria CEO, Jenni Tosi said 'Audiences are in for a treat at Series Mania Melbourne, starting with the opening night premiere screening of Sunshine which we're incredibly proud to have supported through its development and production stages. There's an amazing selection of content to enjoy over the weekend while the Industry Day will enable screen practitioners to learn about the current trends in international drama and how to get a global show commissioned. With Vince Gilligan and the other international and local guests appearing, this is a -must attend' event for fans of great TV and our local content creators."

A ground-breaking world premiere, Sunshine, created by Essential Media and Entertainment and Carver Films, stars Anthony LaPaglia (Without a Trace) and Melanie Lynskey (Two and a Half Men). A fictional high-stakes crime drama set in Melbourne's South Sudanese community, Sunshine will screen at Series Mania's opening night on Thursday 20 July.

A champion of new viewing platforms, Series Mania will include the world premieres of web series Edge of the Bush, a Scandi-noir-inflected comedy starring Barry Award nominee Anne Edmonds and directed by Kate McCartney. And from Executive Producer Sue Maslin comes Other People's Problems, based on the true story of two friends who team up to ghost write other people's letters in exchange for clothes. Following the huge success of Kate McLennan and Kate McCartney's breakout web series The Katering Show, Series Mania will screen the world premiere of their first full-length series Get Krack!n, where the Kates take aim at breakfast TV shows.

International highlights include crime drama Your Honor (Israel), suspenseful thriller Supermax (Argentina) from award-winning director Daniel Burman, and Team Chocolate (Belgium), a delightful light drama featuring a cast made up almost entirely of actors with Down Syndrome.

Held annually at the Forum des Images in Paris since 2010, Series Mania is the fastest growing festival of its kind, and a key event on the global TV industry calendar.

Series Mania Melbourne jointly presented by ACMI and Film Victoria, takes place at ACMI from 20 – 24 July 2017. The full program and tickets will be available Monday 3 July 2017 at acmi.net.au/series-mania. Entry is free but audiences are encouraged to book early to avoid disappointment. Tickets to the Series Mania Industry Day are $50.