SERIAL BRIDGES ISTANBUL

INTERNATIONAL SERIES MARKET PREPARATION PROGRAM

“Turkish limited series projects take the stage at Series Mania Forum.”

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS AND GUIDELINES

Realized in partnership with the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism General Directorate of Cinema and the Series Mania Institute, and executed by m2 Film Lab and TESIYAP, the Serial Bridges Istanbul: International Series Market Preparation Program invites screenwriters residing in Türkiye to apply with their single-season limited series projects.

Applications must be submitted by screenwriters individually or as a writing team. Having a producer attached to the project is not mandatory for application. If a project already has an attached producer, that producer may also attend program events.

Six projects selected from those targeting digital platforms and the international market will participate in an intensive preparation workshop in Istanbul with international mentors. On the final day of the workshop, the projects will be pitched to Turkish series industry professionals at an event organized by TESİYAP and hosted by the General Directorate of Cinema; screenwriters will be encouraged to meet local producers and establish potential collaborations. Teams completing the program will have the opportunity to pitch their projects directly to foreign investors, broadcasters, and co-producers at a special Türkiye session at the Series Mania Forum in March 2027.

Participation in the Istanbul workshop is free of charge. The program will cover participation at Series Mania Forum for up to two people from each selected project (one screenwriter and one producer).

1. Purpose and Scope of the Program

The program aims to develop the script and pitch materials of original limited series projects from Türkiye, connect screenwriters with the international series market, and pave the way for new collaborations with local and foreign producers.

6 Turkish series projects will be selected from among applicants in the limited series format intended for digital platforms.
Selected screenwriters will receive intensive pitching and story development training in Istanbul to enhance the universal storytelling power of their projects and bring them up to international market standards.
Projects that complete the program will be pitched to international industry professionals at a special Türkiye session during the Series Mania Forum in March 2027. Each project will be pitched by the applying screenwriter or a representative from the writing team. If a producer is attached to the project, they may participate as a second representative.

2. Program Structure and Training Content (Istanbul)

The program consists of general sessions and project-specific mentoring processes to be held in Istanbul between January 25 and January 30, 2027. Participation in the workshop program is completely free. Training sessions will be led by international professionals recommended by the Series Mania Institute and tailored to the needs of each project.

The program process consists of the following key stages:

Istanbul Workshop (January 25 – January 28, 2027): Through one-on-one sessions with Turkish and international professionals, participants will refine how they present their stories in English and communicate them across cultures. During this intensive process, teams will also work on the visual materials and pitch decks that best convey their projects.
Local Industry Pre-Pitch and Matchmaking (January 29, 2027): On the final day of the workshop, teams will present a pre-pitch to Turkish series industry professionals at an event organized by TESİYAP and hosted by the General Directorate of Cinema. This gathering will allow projects, especially those currently without a producer, to meet local producers and establish potential partnerships prior to the international pitch in March.

3. Application Conditions and Eligibility Criteria

For applications to be considered valid, applicants must meet the following standards:

Format: Only original fictional limited series aimed at digital platforms and the international market, with an episode duration of 25-60 minutes and a 4-8 episode season structure, will be accepted.
Team Structure: Applications must be made from Türkiye only. The application can be submitted directly by the project’s screenwriter individually, or if the project has a producer, as a team of maximum two people consisting of the screenwriter and the producer.
Industry Experience: The screenwriter (and the producer, if applicable) must have participated in at least one professional project (terrestrial/digital platform series, TV, or feature film) (self-published content on platforms such as YouTube or Vimeo, etc., are excluded).
Work Requirement: For writers who have not previously produced a professional work as a screenwriter, a published book with a banderole or a staged theatrical play is required.
Foreign Language: Since the process will be conducted in English with international mentors and an English pitch will be delivered to global professionals at the Series Mania Forum, at least one team member must have advanced English proficiency.

4. Required Application Materials

Maximum 5-Page Pre-Bible Content:

Logline (One-sentence summary)
Season Synopsis
Character Descriptions and Story Arcs
Creator’s Statement
CVs of team members

Script and Summaries:

Pilot Episode Script
Brief episode synopses (for all episodes)

All application files must be prepared in English for the international jury and evaluators, and the application must be submitted by the project’s screenwriter via the m2filmlab.com website by December 7, 2026, at 23:59 TRT (Türkiye Time).

5. Selection Committee and Evaluation Process

The application evaluation and selection process will be carried out by a professional Selection Committee (Jury) consisting of international and local experts, specially formed by the Series Mania Institute to identify the projects with the highest international potential.

6. Timeline

October 12, 2026: Call opens and applications accepted.
October 26, 2026: Online Application Info Session and Q&A Videoconference (Time and link will be announced on the m2filmlab.com website).
November 23, 2026: Deadline to submit written questions regarding application conditions.
December 7, 2026: Applications close.
January 12, 2027: Official announcement of the 6 selected projects.
January 25 – January 30, 2027: Serial Bridges Istanbul Workshop (In-Person & Online Mentoring).
23-25 March 2027: The 6 selected teams deliver direct industry pitches at the special Türkiye session during the Series Mania Forum.

Application

Open to screenwriters residing in Turkey.
Applications must be submitted by the project’s screenwriter.
If there is more than one screenwriter, one must submit the application on behalf of the team, and all other screenwriters must be listed as team members in the pre-bible.
All application materials must be submitted in English.
Applications submitted after December 7, 2026, at 11:59 PM (Türkiye time) will not be considered.