AMC’s “Fata Morgana” headlines Tallinn TV Beats Co-Financing Market

AMC and Oble Studios’ Hungarian revenge period drama “Fata Morgana” executive produced by Bela Tarr, the Irish/Canadian spy thriller “The Reluctant Contact” from writer Stephen Burke, and the Estonian/ Swiss/Danish fantasy thriller “The Code of Thule” feature among the 10 series in development, selected for the TV Beats Co-financing Market in Tallinn Variety has learned in exclusivity.

Other possible standout dramas set to lure co-financiers take in the Icelandic/Danish crime “Norröna Murders,” the Finnish live-action/animation/doc hybrid “The Women I Think About at Night,” based on Mia Kankimäki’s best-selling novel, and Slovenian psycho-thriller “Bunker” starring “Triangle of Sadness”‘ Zlatko Burić.

The co-pro pitching showcase due to run Nov. 19-20 in the Estonia capital, is the centerpiece of TV Beats, the series strand of the five-day Industry @ Tallinn & Baltic Event, held parallel to the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Nov. 8 to 24), and run for the first time by the senior audiovisual executives Petri Kemppinen and Roosa Toivonen.

“The industry side of the only A-festival in Northern Europe is renowned, and TV Beats has already established itself as an important meeting point. The first edition under our helm, will surely focus on the topical issue of financing. Moreover, we are extremely happy to be able to join forces and work together again,” said Kemppinen and Toivonen who were both recently attached to the Finnish group Aurora Studios and Finnish Impact Film Fund.

Since 2018, TV Beats – which also includes a Forum and a Screening Day – has evolved into a must-attend confab for European creators and producers of TV dramas with international potential looking for co-financiers and networking opportunities with their colleagues from the Baltics, CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) and Nordic regions. For professionals from the Baltic states Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in particular, who have enjoyed a surge in filming and production servicing activity in recent years but are still lagging behind in financing of local content, TV Beats’s co-financing market offers unique opportunities.

“When we created TV Beats, our main goal was to give visibility to the series from the Baltic region, as it was a totally grey corner for the International TV community, and as I like to say, the Gods packed the luggage and left us forever. We had a dream to bring them back, and somehow, we’ve succeeded and hope that TV Beats will be here to stay,” said Tiina Lokk, director of the Black Nights Film Festival (aka PÖFF) and industry consultant.

This year marks a step further in Tallinn’s TV Beats international pre-eminence as, for the first time, all titles selected for the Co-Financing Market will vie for the coveted Eurimages €50,000 ($55,000) Series Co-Production Development Award.

“We are very excited and proud to welcome the Council of Europe Series Co-Production Development Award in Tallinn; it means a lot to the small industry ecosystems of the Baltic countries to have this great incentive to build networks and relationships through co-development and co-productions,” said the Finnish native Toivonen, who admits having been “in awe watching neighboring Estonia as well as the other Baltic states emerge from the post-Soviet states to be such a dynamic and creative mini-major player of the audiovisual industry.”

“Now that times are tough even for established ecosystems and bigger volume territories, it is impressive to see the Baltic countries tackling the challenges with their resourceful mix of developing and producing their own IP while ensuring cashflow through ambitious service production know-how,” she said.

Discussing the TV Beats Co-financing curated slate, Toivonen said the ten projects from nine European countries (including two from Estonia) were picked out of 45 submissions, with the majority originating from the Baltics, CEE and the Nordics.

According to Toivonen, the final shortlisted projects that led to “hours of deliberation” from the selection committee due to the high level of the applications and wide-ranging genres were initiated both by relative newcomers in the industry and very established teams, with a 44/56 female-male share among creators. “We had to count the numbers and are extremely pleased with this gender split,” said Kemppinen.

Theme-wise, the lineup runs a wide gamut, “from complicated family relationships to vengeful feminists, [stories are] “self-seeking through historical figures, and of course, we have various crime shows that have for long been the’ bread and butter’ of programming for broadcasters and streamers alike,” said Toivonen.

The winning team of the Series Co-Production Development Award will be announced on Nov. 19 in Tallinn.

Here is a rundown of the ten series projects:

“Bunker” (6×54’, Slovenia)
Psycho thriller produced by Lija Pogačnik and Vlado Bulajić for December Films (“Inventory”), in co-production with Jure Bušić of Croatia’s Jaka Produkcija.

Written by Ivica Djikić, creator of Netflix’s hit Croatian show “The Paper,” together with Goran Vojnović and Marko Šantić, with the latter directing. Vojnović and Šantić teamed up earlier on the local multi-awarded feature and PÖFF Critics Pick feature “Zbudi Me.”

Top actors confirmed include Zlatko Burić (“Triangle of Sadness”), Snežana Bogdanović (“Kuduz”), and Špela Rozin (“Personal Baggage”).

The story turns on actress-turned-psychotherapist Marina Sabo, who receives at her practice the media tycoon and her former lover Boris Herman. What follows leads them in an unpredictable direction. For Djikić and Šantić, not much has changed in the territory of former Yugoslavia-Slovenia- from pre-independence times, before 1991, to nowadays. “What we found interesting in this context is how some old sins govern our present life and politics”, and whether it’s possible to make things right, to repent, wash away the sins of the past, and truly move forward.”

“Fata Morgana” (6X50′, Hungary)

Revenge thriller produced by Lydia Kali for Oble Studios (Netflix’s “Winter Palace”) and showrunner Gabor Harmi for Queenside Pictures, in co-production with AMC Networks Central Europe. Legendary Hungarian filmmaker Bela Tarr serves as executive producer on the show co-written by Zsofi Ruttkay, Gyorgy Palfi and Gabor Papp.

As announced exclusively in Variety, the badass revenge story is based on true legends from Central Europe. “It takes us into a violent, radical post #metoo era, an era in which fear has truly switched sides,” said showrunner Harmi.” Fata Morgana” tells the story of a Hungarian woman fighting a violent patriarchal society, but it actually tells the story of all women from all times and from all regions of the world. It’s a compelling thriller that dares to tackle deeply touching and universal issues: immigration and assimilation, misogyny and emancipation, obedience and ethics.”

“In Paradise” (8X45′, Germany)

Dramedy produced by Marco Gilles and Lutz Heineking for eitelsonnenschein GmbH.

Written by Corinna C. Poetter, 2024 Int’l Emmy-nominated for the KiKA life action children show: “Gong! My SpectRakular life.”
Leading the cast are Denis Moschitto (“Chiko”) and Anne Ratte-Polle (“I Was, I Am, I Will Be”). Poetter said “In Paradise” is “a family series with a special starting point: the abrupt ‘descent’ of a family from the affluent middle class into the precarious. It is not about aristocrats or the super-rich but about the affluent suburbs of the educated middle class. People with investments and pension plans whose financial worries lie somewhere between investing in an electric SUV and horse-riding holidays for the children.”

“Ladies” (8X30′, Turkey)

Comedy produced by Diloy Gulun and Beste Yamalioglu for Karma Films, co-producers of “The List of Those Who Love Me” which screened in competition in Tallinn in 2021. Sefa Ozturk (“Trust”) writes and directs.

“Ladies” follows a woman in her 40s’ transformative journey as she awakens to her true needs and desires. “It’s a comedy which mischievously challenges ingrained notions we’ve been taught about femininity and women’s roles in society,” said Yamalioglu, who won best pitch for the project at Istanbul’s industry showcase’ Meetings on the Bridge Series’.

“Let it Snow” (6X45′, Estonia)

Light crime and comedy produced by Jevgeni Supin of Zolba Productions for leading Baltic streamer Go3, in co-production with Finland’s Take Two Studios (“Dirty Snow”).

Playwright/screenwriter Mihkel Seeder and helmer Ain Mäeots (“Demons”) have co-penned the story of an eccentric Estonian family man who accidentally becomes the sole leader of the whole cocaine trade in Helsinki. “It’s a unique project where the line between reality and fiction blurs in a story inspired by true events,” Supin said. It’s about an ordinary man’s choices, courage, rise, and naturally, his fall, but above all, it is about loneliness and love, a desire to be with family and to protect it.”

“Mercy” (6X50′, Portugal)

True crime drama produced, directed and co-written by Justin Amorim (“Leviano”) for Promenade, credited for “Dreaming with Lions,” which scooped the Script Pool Award in Tallinn 2021. Co-writers are Joana Patrício, Rui Cardoso Martins and Felícia Cabrita.

Based on true events, the drama/crime thriller is set in 2002 Portugal. We follow journalist Felícia Cabrita as she uncovers a pedophile network at Casa Pia, a child protection institution, risking her life against threats and lies. The young Tomás is ensnared in the network, while new ombudswoman Catalina Pestana battles to reform the shattered institution, igniting a gripping fight for justice. “The Casa Pia case led to a surge in sexual abuse reports in Portugal and catalyzed several reforms in our justice system,” said Amorin, who researched the scandal for six years and planned to highlight “the often-overlooked personal experiences of survivors and whistle-blowers.”

“Norröna Murders” (6X50′, Iceland)

Crime mystery thriller, produced by Hördur Rúnarsson and Jónas Margeir Ingólfsson for Act4, co-founded with “True Detective” actor Ólafur Darri Ólafsson and Birkir Blær Ingólfsson.

Head writer Rúnarsson shares the writing duties with Stephanie Thorpe and Smari Gunn, credited for the multi-awarded football doc “The Home Game.” The series ordered by Iceland’s streamer Síminn is being co-produced by Denmark’s Nordisk Film Production.

Adam, a socially anxious detective, is thrust into his first case, a double sexual ritual murder on board an isolated ferry. While helping an old secret lover accused of the crime, he puts his own life-changing secret on the line. “By placing an ensemble of characters from different nationalities into an isolated environment with different views on how to find the killer, we get to explore their deeper truths and see what’s behind their masks,” said Rúnarsson.

“The Code of Thule” (8X45′, Estonia)

Mystery drama/fantasy thriller, produced by Helen Lõhmus from Oree Films, winner of last year’s TV Beats co-pro project “Behind the Iron Curtain.” Danish producer René Ezra (“Queen of Hearts”) is co-producing for Stikling Film alongside Switzerland’s Uwe Lützen, who also serves as a writer with Leana Jalukse, Rein Pakk, and Peep Ehasalu.

“The high concept series mixes “universally popular genres of mystery, drama, fantasy, and thriller with intriguing elements such as paranormal phenomena, the future of science and geopolitics, while the coming-of-age story centers on two teenage girls who discover their (ancient) roots,” said Lõhmus. “At its core, it explores the timeless quest for identity and truth, set against a world where reality blurs with the extraordinary.”

“The Reluctant Contact” (6X60′, Ireland)

Noir cold war spy thriller, produced by the seasoned Jane Doolan (“Wolf,” “Into the West”) from Mammoth Films, James Mitchell from Soho Moon (“Hidden Assets”), in co-production with Canada’s Christina Jennings from Shaftesbury Films.

Seasoned writer and director Stephen Burke (Monte-Carlo Golden Nymph winner for “Maze”) is adapting from his own novel.

“The series looks at cold war themes of love, betrayal and identity from the unique setting of a Soviet mining town sitting in an uneasy position inside a NATO country, Norway,” said Burke. “The town’s stark arctic aesthetic and societal contradictions will be harnessed to dial up an unnerving, ‘off-kilter’ tone with stylised spy thriller elements and a vibrant energy and pace.”

“The Woman I Think of About at Night” (5X45′, Finland)

Drama comedy/adventure, produced by Liisa Karpo and Marianne Mäkelä from napafilms (“Golden Land”). Based on Mia Kankimäki’s best-selling eponymous novel, sold to more than 20 territories, adapted by Anna Ruohonen (“Downshifters”).

Saara Cantell (“Stars Above”) and doc specialist Anu Kuivalainen (“Aranda”) co-direct. The story of an art teacher in her forties who sets on a life-changing adventure across the world, guided by legendary historical women from past centuries, will be set as a 2D animation, AI and archive-led series. “It’s an uplifting high-end series that offers viewers a much-needed escape from today’s dark reality,” said Karpo.