EFM Boss Dennis Ruh Talks Berlinale Management Changes, Berlinale Series Market 2024 Program Plans & Selects Initiative

Jesse Whittock
·9 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: It’s been a year of evolution for the European Film Market and its TV track Berlinale Series Market. Management is changing at sister festival Berlinale, with Mariëtte Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian exiting amid worries about finances, and the number of films screened reducing.

Meanwhile, Berlinale Series boss Julia Fidel has also departed, with the track was discontinued as an independent program. Series will instead be highlighted as part of the Berlinale Series Gala — a move the festival thinks brings it closer in line with other European film fests such as Cannes and Venice.

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Notably for the TV biz, the Berlinale Series Market industry conference remains unaffected and will be running a full program. Last year the likes of The White Lotus exec producer David Bernad, Shades of Blue creator Adi Hasak and The Tinder Swindler director Felicity Morris took the stage in sessions hosted by myself and Max Goldbart.

This has all left EFM Director Dennis Ruh facing a new outlook for the future, but he’s taking an optimistic view. In an interview with Deadline, he highlights the Berlinale Series Market Selects program, which will highlight some of the best upcoming TV projects on the market, and notes the regular industry conference program will focus on “best practices that show how production and sales were able to adapt their business models to the changing markets” of 2023.

Deadline is once again the media partner for Berlinale Series Market, and we will be out in force at the event in mid-February. The market is a joint initiative of the EFM, Berlinale Co-Production Market and Berlinale Talents, funded by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg. That structure effectively means it remains untouched by the changes elsewhere.

With the final deadline for Berlinale Series Market Selects submissions today (get them in quick if you’ve got a good one), we sat down with Ruh for a wide-ranging and frank discussion about the year that’s been and plans for the future.

DEADLINE: There have been several changes at Berlinale Series since the 2023 event. Can you outline how they come about and what they mean?

Dennis Ruh: Sure, those changes are easy to explain. After the last edition of the Berlinale, the festival management evaluated the festival’s program structure. Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian were targeting a more focused film and series program. To achieve this goal, they decided to reduce the number of sections and films. Berlinale Series as a program strand will be discontinued in the festival edition 2024. Instead, serial formats will be integrated into the Berlinale Special Gala section. This happens with the intention to push series further into the limelight with even more attention and is more in line with festivals like Cannes and Venice.

I debated intensely with Mariette and Carlo about the significance of serial content for the festival program but also for the market. Changes to the Berlinale Series Market as part of the European Film Market were never up for discussion. Our clients hold serial content dear as a marketplace of this profile cannot be thought without this format on offer. High-profile series are an important economic factor and pilar for our clients’ business models. Many diversified their businesses and deal with films and serial content at the same time. The industry no longer draws this clear dividing line between cinematic and serial storytelling.

Berlinale Series Market as part of the EFM became a unique platform for bringing both worlds together at one event. Also, creatives and talents move without difficulty between genres. Last year we presented Jasmila Žbanić’s first series project in Berlin, before it celebrated its world premiere in Venice in September. The series The Ark by Independence Day producer Dean Devlin was presented with great exposure in our curated market selection and was successfully distributed by Electric Entertainment. These are just two of numerous success stories.

DEADLINE: What has been the plan since Julia Fidel exited her role and how will that change things going forwards?

Our colleagues running the Berlinale Series program strand formed a team with the Berlinale Series Market. We had to reorganize some responsibilities with this discontinuation. Carlo and his selection committee are scouting series for Berlinale Special Gala. The Berlinale Series Market team has been scaled up and we established a new selection committee for our flagship label Berlinale Series Market Selects. We are well prepared.

There are hardly any visible changes for our market participants as we were already following an efficient, well-oiled and successful concept. We will only centralize all market activates even more to make the use of our offers more convenient for our participants. Showcases, market screenings and premieres of the Berlinale Series Market Selects and our very own curated conference will all take place at the CinemaxX. Exhibitors’ booths and industry tables can be found at Gropius Bau and the Marriott Hotel.

DEADLINE: How much did Carlo Chatrian influence the Berlin TV track and will his departure impact the approach going forwards?

Carlo always supported the idea that episodic content should be part of Berlinale. He stressed that from the market and cinema language point of view it makes sense to include this way of storytelling and show that many of these shows deserve a big screen. After the next edition, the new festival director who will take over the reins will have to decide how to proceed in the future. For the market the presence of series and providing a designated platform is indispensable.

What is the plan for the Berlinale Series Market Selects? What are the criteria that shows are being selected by?

This is our flagship label and it provides an exclusive preview of the most anticipated series from across the globe. We are again planning to showcase a maximum of 16 series with substantial market potential. This program is open for submissions and registration is still possible until later today (December 6). We already received a good number of submissions from countries like the US, Spain, South Africa, India, Chile, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, France and of course from Germany.

During the selection process we evaluate the uniqueness and innovative aspects of the content. We look for fresh and creative storytelling that stands out from existing shows. We examine the content’s potential to perform well in the marketplace and evaluate its commercial appeal and production value and whether it aligns with current market trends. We are also looking for shows with recognizable names in front of and behind the camera. We consider the representation of diverse perspectives, cultures and characters. Shows that reflect inclusivity often have a broader appeal in the global market.

Another criteria is how well the content can be adapted for different platforms, including streaming services, traditional broadcast and international markets. Furthermore, we analyze the content’s ability to engage viewers and keep them invested throughout the series. We want the shows to travel.

DEADLINE: The serial formats element of Berlinale has been moved into the Berlinale Special Gala. How does this impact what delegates can expect, and does it impact Berlinale Series Market?

There’s no big change in industry activities in Berlin. The Berlinale Series Market remains active and will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2024. Because we are more boutique than Mipcom Cannes or Series Mania, we offer a highly curated selection. We work closely with hand-picked clients to contextualize their content within the series industry, to showcase their relevance and how they fit into the industry landscape. For example, last year we did a showcase with Finnish producers’ association APFI on dark comedies and how they can travel beyond their countries of origin. We also had a showcase with All3Media, on how crime stories can be told for newer generations who are not interested in the established formats. For the 2024 edition, we also continue to have a showcase section to bring relevant discussions from our clients to the industry.

What can you reveal about the Berlinale Series Market 2024 themes at this stage?

Our goal with the conference program is to address new trends, topics and recent questions that the series industry is currently dealing with. We want to keep our finger on the pulse here, so we followed Content London and getting inspired about which topics we should discuss in more depth and develop further. Therefore, the next edition’s conference topics are still in development until January. What I can say at his point that in the next edition we will focus on best practices that show how production and sales were able to adapt their business models to the changing markets. In times of numerous challenges, we want to shed light on the opportunities arising from change. We will discuss new financing models, market development and co-production opportunities on stage, bringing high profile speakers to Berlin.

DEADLINE: Is there anything specific planned to look at the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel/Gaza?

We understand our role in that we provide a space for artistic expression and enable peaceful dialogue. Festivals and markets are places of encounter and exchange and contribute to international understanding. Through the power of film, series and open discussions we try to help to foster empathy.

That said, we do plan activities to give exposure to Ukrainian industry delegates. We work with the Ukrainian Institute and the Filmmakers Union of Ukraine to organize a presentation of pre-selected producers and a panel on a topic about the state of the industry. Furthermore, we will provide exhibition space to the Ukrainian Film State Agency to represent their national filmmakers at the EFM.

It’s still too early to give detailed information about the activities and presence of Israel and Palestine at the EFM. We are currently in talks with our longstanding partners from the region and it looks like we can count on their participation.

DEADLINE: Mariette Rissenbeek has said Berlin faces a tricky financial future. Has this impacted your planning for 2024 and does this impact the Berlinale Series Market in years to come?

We are in the privileged situation that we are keeping all our partners backing the activities of the Berlinale Series Market: our main partner Film-und Medienstiftung NRW, the funding partner Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and our media partner Deadline. At the same time, we face the same issues with the Berlinale Series Market as other festival and market organizers face all over the world. The costs for organizing events have increased exponentially, but for us it was clear that it’s not an option to just forward the costs to our clients and to increase the prizes immoderately.

To compensate the higher costs we redesigned our offers and packages, so that all our clients and participants are able to participate and to exhibit with similar budgets. We did the redesign in close coordination with the exhibiting companies and institutions. I’m convinced that a successful market is only possible if you listen to your partners and clients to really meet the needs and fulfill expectations to create an attractive line-up and offer for all our participants.

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