What to Track at Its Co-Financing Market
The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival’s TV Beats Co-Financing Market has selected eight premium series inspired by true events for its upcoming event on November 17-18 in Estonia. Among the selected series are “The Abduction of Yossele Schumacher” by Eran Riklis, “Helsinki 1939” by A.J. Annila, and “Nuclear Sunset Cruise” by Florian Gallenberger.
These series were chosen from a record 56 applications, with established European talents and banners from 27 countries vying for the coveted Council of Europe Series Co-Production Development Award. The increase in applications this year highlights the appeal of the award, which offers a substantial €50,000 prize.
The pre-selection process prioritized projects with strong co-production potential and viability in terms of budget and financing. Half of the selected projects had previously been pitched at other TV drama platforms, showcasing a diverse range of genres and themes, from crime to historical drama.
In addition to the co-pro pitch event, TV Beats will host a Screening Day, the Midpoint Series Launch training program for emerging professionals, and a new initiative called Serial Bridges Baltics, supported by the Series Mania Institute and Institut Français.
The lineup for the TV Beats Co-Financing Market includes a dark comedy set in 1990s Estonia, a teen drama exploring themes of loneliness and peer pressure, a supernatural mystery based in Spain, a crime procedural from the Czech Republic, a historical drama set during the Finnish Winter War, a historical comedy about an East-German cruise ship in the Cuban Missile Crisis, and a drama about the abduction of a seven-year-old Jewish boy in Israel.
Overall, the selection of series reflects a passion for storytelling and a commitment to engaging audiences with compelling narratives. The diversity of genres and themes promises an exciting showcase of European talent and creativity at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.


