Berlinale Series Market Selects

General Guidelines for Berlinale Series Market Selects

To participate in Berlinale Series Market Selects, the submitted series have to meet the following conditions:

⦁ Submitted series must have world or international premiere status (european premieres are considered but not prioritised).
⦁ Only series completed within twelve months before the start of the Berlinale Series Market are eligible.
⦁ Series must consist of four or more episodes.
⦁ Berlinale Series Market generally presents first seasons only. Exceptions can be made in the cases of new seasons with independent stories from previous seasons.
⦁ Submission is free of charge. If selected, the Market Screening must be paid for as part of Berlinale Series Market Selects and benefits from the lower exhibitor rate.

Excluded from participation are:

⦁ Series already screened at the EFM or Berlinale in previous years or recently screened at an international market.
⦁ Series produced before 2023.
⦁ Series that promote violence, racism or sexism, as well as series that are pornographic, prone to disturb public order, or may be offensive to religion or any other form of discrimination.
Please also read our Code of Conduct.

For the selection process, please note the following:

⦁ For selection purposes, series that are submitted should at least have reached the stage of picture lock.
⦁ Declaration of Rights Upon Submission of the Series: The European Film Market will only accept the submission of a series if the submitter is the holder of all usage rights to the series necessary for the submission and use of the series within the context of participation in the European Film Market and if the submitter can also effectively grant the European Film Market these rights. The European Film Market reserves the right to demand appropriate proof of these rights and to reject the submission upon failure to provide it.
⦁ Deadline for sending the screener link is December 6, 2023. Please use the submission form to send us the basic information for the selection process.
⦁ At least two episodes or a minimum of 75 minutes should be made available. The submission of single episodes cannot be taken into consideration.
⦁ Series have to be submitted in their original version with English subtitles for the selection process (except if the series’ original version is English).
⦁ Please provide screener links with 7 access permissions available to watch for the duration of at least 2 weeks.
⦁ Every submitter will receive a written notification about the result of the selection screening. Due to the large number of submissions received, we are unable to provide individual feedback on selection decisions.

The Director of the European Film Market reserves the right to rule on any cases not provided for in these guidelines individually.

If a series is selected...

⦁ an additional registration for the Berlinale Series Market Selects Screenings becomes mandatory through the EFM website.
⦁ the exhibitor rate for screenings will be due. The prices are listed below.

⦁ Please make sure to deliver the presentation material (DCP or ProRes) until January 31, 2024 to our film office. For further details please read our technical requirements here.
⦁ All confirmed Berlinale Series Market Selects Screenings will be listed within the EFM Screening Schedule with all details including screening date, time and venue as well as contact details of the respective company. Furthermore printed schedules will be available at the market locations and screening venues. Please note that each title can only be linked to one sales contact company.
⦁ Press announcement and website publication: The press announcement including the Berlinale Series Market Selects will be released mid January, 2024 - the exact date and timing will be announced later. The decision on the selection should be kept confidential until the press release. Once the official press release is online the news should also be announced by the respective rightholder. For the press release additional material will be requested: Among other information: short synopsis in English (max. 230 characters including space characters), 1 high resolution still (1470x980 px). The still will not be used within the press release but gets published on the EFM website and on our social media channels. Every selected series will get the Berlinale Series Market Selects Logo which we encourage to use in the promotional material.
⦁ Market Badge: We recommend that at least one representative of the series has an accreditation for the EFM as the EFM's participant's guide lists one contact for requests. Ideally, the respective contact person also registers the series.
⦁ Marketing and Advertising: The screening should be promoted accordingly. We do list the screening in the EFM screening schedule and on the Berlinale Series Market website, though the success of a market screening depends mainly on the marketing effort.
⦁ Access to Market Screenings is only allowed for Market Badge holders. Priority is given to Buyers Badge holders. Companies who booked a Market Screening can request a limited number of screening invitations. Invitations are required for invited guests without a Market Badge. Festival accreditations are not allowed to Market Screenings.
⦁ Rights holders may limit access to their screenings (e.g. specific groups or territories). Information on the limitations will be published in the EFM Screening Schedule.
⦁ EFM staff scans the Market Badges at the entrance of the screening venues in order to list all attendees of the respective screening with names, companies and their contact information.
⦁ Screening reports will be sent via mail after the screening and are also provided within the account of the applicant.