'In vitro' and the newest from Carles Porta, main courses of the Serielizados Fest

BarcelonaBarcelona will host a new edition of the Serielizados Fest from October 19th to 28th, the festival dedicated to series that combines premieres, screenings, meetings with creators, and professional activities. This year's programming connects Catalan fiction with productions from the rest of the country and international titles, in addition to recovering series that have marked the history of television. Among the program's highlights are the premiere of In vitro, the screening of Sicarios, the new production by Carles Porta, and the tribute to the thirty years of Nissaga de poder. The festival will also feature the presence of British screenwriter Steven Moffat (Sherlock and Doctor Who) and Israeli creator Hagai Levi (The affair and In treatment).

The activities will be distributed among various spaces in the city, such as the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB), the Mooby Aribau and Phenomena Experience cinemas, and Casa CUPRA Raval. Beyond the screenings, the program includes masterclasses, conversations about audiovisual writing, and sessions dedicated to the industry.

Catalan fiction, between premieres and television memory

The new series In vitro, produced by 3Cat and HBO Max, will inaugurate the festival on October 19th. Created by Alejandra Guimerà and Marc Crehuet, the fiction addresses the personal, social, and ethical dilemmas linked to fertility and assisted reproduction in a clinic. The screening of the first two episodes will open the in-person programming and will allow for the discovery of one of the new fiction productions linked to 3Cat.

The presence of the Catalan network will be completed with Justo: el poder d'una veu, a docuseries directed by Amanda Sans about Justo Molinero and the trajectory of Radio Teletaxi. The festival will schedule a screening on October 21st. The proposal addresses the journey of a figure linked to popular radio and a way of communicating that has had a prominent presence in Catalan society. The documentary features the participation of, among others, Estopa, Los Chunguitos, Gabriel Rufián, and Artur Mas.

The programming also includes a look at the series Gènesi, through a conversation with Ferran Adrià scheduled for October 26th. The session will focus on the relationship between the series and the figure of the chef, within a space where there will be a reflection on the peak of gastronomic fiction and how reality is transferred to an audiovisual work.

Serielizados Fest will also dedicate a space to the memory of Catalan television. On October 25th, the thirtieth anniversary of Nissaga de poder, one of the series that marked an era of TV3 fiction, will be commemorated. The meeting will serve to recover its journey and remember its characters and stories, with the participation of actors linked to the production, such as Jordi Bosch, Eva Santolaria, and Jordi Banacolocha.

The festival closing, on October 28th, will be led by Episòdic: el principi d'Arquimedes. In this way, the Catalan program will be present both at the beginning and at the end of the festival, alongside proposals that explore different formats and genres.

The state selection brings together new titles and consolidated names

The national official section includes several productions that allow us to observe the variety of fiction made in Spain, among which Segunda temporada, by Filmin, which will be screened on October 23rd, and Matar a un oso (Movistar+),by Jorge and Alberto Sánchez-Cabezudo, linked to series such as Crematorio and La zona. On this occasion, the brothers take the discovery of a bear's corpse, Cachou, in the Aran Valley, which triggers an unprecedented criminal investigation.

Another of the titles included in the selection is the second season of Celeste, the series starring Carmen Machi. A screening of the first three episodes will be held to see once again how a Tax Agency official confronts high-society fraudsters. Also to be seen is Sicarios, the new production by Carles Porta for Movistar+. The journalist and creator, known for his true crime works, returns to a narrative universe marked by criminal investigation. Completing the local repertoire is the docuseries Más allá de la sociedad, created by J.A. Bayona and Carlos Torres. With this production, Netflix stretches the success of La societat de la neu and gathers testimonies from survivors and relatives of those who died in the tragic accident.

Steven Moffat and Hagai Levi, two perspectives on television creation

As in previous editions of the festival, international guests bring a touch of class to the television celebration. This year will feature the presence of two creators who have left their mark on contemporary television. Steven Moffat, a British screenwriter known for Sherlock and for his tenure at the helm of Doctor Who, will participate in various activities on October 24th. He will be accompanied by Sue Vertue, producer of numerous projects on which Moffat has worked. In addition to a masterclass, the program includes a conversation about his career as a screenwriter and creator.

Hagai Levi, for his part, will offer a masterclass and will present Etty, his new creation, a historical drama about the search for love and spiritual resistance in the occupied Amsterdam of the Second World War. The Israeli creator is known internationally for series such as In treatment and The affair, in which personal relationships and intimate conflicts occupy a central place.

The international selection also includes Ann Droid, created by and starring Diane Morgan, known for the character of Philomena Cunk. Additionally, Camarades, A Better Place, Naked, and Negocios Turbios will be part of the collection of foreign fiction. Added to this offer is Raza brava, a production of Chilean origin that will be presented at the festival and which is framed within the multinational dimension of the festival.

The program also incorporates the documentary Lorne, dedicated to Lorne Michaels, creator of the long-running Saturday night live. The screening expands the view beyond serialized fiction and approaches the trajectory of a key figure in American television comedy. The documentary will show unreleased footage, as well as interviews with cast members and iconic writers of the program, such as Tina Fey, Chris Rock, Andy Samberg and Conan O'Brien.

The thirteenth edition of the Serielizados Fest will thus combine premieres of Catalan and national fiction, international productions and activities that approach both creative processes and the television industry. The schedules and specific venues for each of the proposals that complete the program can be found on the festival's official website.