France’s Series Mania handed its biggest industry honors to three very different projects: a tense naval thriller, a raw Kyrgyz action drama and a warm dramedy about Latin dancing. The prizes came from the festival’s main industry programs, including the Series Mania Forum Buyers Upfront, the Co-Pro Pitching Sessions and SeriesMakers.
What the wins say about TV now
Speakers at the festival, including analysts from Ampere Analysis, pointed out that the winners line up with overall audience tastes: crime and thrillers, comedy, and action and adventure. In short, festival voters picked shows that can travel and reach broad audiences.
R91
R91 is a high-concept thriller being filmed on France’s nuclear aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. The story begins when a female crew member is found dead just hours after the ship leaves port. As murders continue, the plot expands from a murder investigation into espionage and then into a full-scale military crisis.
The project is notable on the business side too. It marks the first co-acquisition between Amazon Prime Video France and the free-to-air channel M6. The series was created by Henri Debeurme and Mathilde Arnaud, and is directed by Julien Despaux. Producers revealed a high-profile cast that includes Elodie Yung and Alban Lenoir.
Creator Henri Debeurme describes the Charles de Gaulle as a floating city with its own rules and hierarchies. He says it provides an ideal setting to explore questions of trust, legitimacy and leadership under pressure.
Red Pants
Red Pants, which won a €50,000 prize, is set in late 1970s Soviet Kyrgyzstan. It follows Aisha, the daughter of a military officer, who creates a female criminal gang made up of teenagers to avenge her father and to push back against an oppressive regime.
The series is based on true events and was developed by Kyrgyz creators. Co-producer Pavel Feldman praised the project for its emotional honesty and for centering fearless young female protagonists. Creator Tilek Cherikov, who is from Issyk-Kul where the story takes place, said the narrative is about more than crime. For him it is a study of power, identity and female agency inside a rigid, patriarchal system.
Cherikov explained the origin of the title. After a leader of the group had menstrual blood stain her jeans, the girls dyed their own pants red. That act became a symbol of solidarity, strength and womanhood without shame.
Chachachá!
Chachachá! is an eight-episode half-hour dramedy. It follows a Gen X woman whose health scare forces her to confront how disconnected she has become from herself. She turns to Latin dancing not just for joy but as a way to survive. The change stirs up chaos in her family and forces honest reckonings.
The project is led by Alison Fairweather Murray, known for the project Ariel Back to Buenos Aires, working with producer Jennifer Weiss. Weiss's credits include collaborations with directors such as Sarah Polley, Brian de Palma and Atom Egoyan, and more recently Molly McGlynn.
Ferdinand Dohna, head of content and co-production at Beta, said Chachachá! won over judges with its authentic, sincere tone. He added that the series tackles universal social themes with humor and that it is precisely the kind of story international audiences need right now.
Bottom line
Series Mania's industry awards preferred projects that combine strong local voices with international appeal. A warship-set thriller, a regionally rooted historical drama and a small-scale, character-driven comedy each earned attention for their distinct hooks and their potential to travel beyond France.
