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“Oderbruch,” the second series in a first-look TV deal between CBS Studios and Berlin-based Syrreal Entertainment, triumphed at Cadiz’s 2nd South Intl. Series Festival on Thursday, scooping its best fiction series award.

A brooding mystery series, it kicks in with the grisly discovery of the bodies and bones of 248 murder victims left in a pile in a field in set in the desolate marshes of Germany’s northern border with Poland. World premiering at the Munich Film Festival, series is recognized in its ambition as one of the biggest this year in Germany.

The other major winner in scripted was “Joan,” sold by All3International, an Audience Award winner which also took best screenplay. It stars Sophie Turner who is “thrilling in The CW’s tense and engaging jewel thief drama,” Variety announced in its review.

Sophie Turner in “Joan”

Best non-fiction series went to “On Thin Ice: Putin vs.

German crime drama Oderbruch has won the Best Fiction Series Award at the South International Series Festival, which wraps today in Cadiz.

Set in Germany’s most sparsely populated region of the same name, Oderbruch is about an investigation into a serial killer and has touches of the fantastic genre. It’s directed by Christian Alvart and Adolfo J. Kolmerer and produced by Syrreal Entertainment, in co-production with Ard Degeto and CBS Studios.

The fiction jury, headed by producer Rémi Tereszkiewicz, gave the Best Fiction Series Screenplay Award to ITV drama Joan, a dramacreated by Anna Symon, directed by Richard Laxton and starring Sophie Turner.

German crime drama Oderbruch has won the Best Fiction Series Award at the South International Series Festival, which wraps today in Cadiz.

Set in Germany’s most sparsely populated region of the same name, Oderbruch is about an investigation into a serial killer and has touches of the fantastic genre. It’s directed by Christian Alvart and Adolfo J. Kolmerer and produced by Syrreal Entertainment, in co-production with Ard Degeto and CBS Studios.

The fiction jury, headed by producer Rémi Tereszkiewicz, gave the Best Fiction Series Screenplay Award to ITV drama Joan, a dramacreated by Anna Symon, directed by Richard Laxton and starring Sophie Turner.

The world premiere of Movistar Plus+’s period comedy drama The Short Life (La Vida Breve) will headline the second edition of South International Series Festival, which takes place in Cádiz in southern Spain from October 25-30. It will showcase 47 series, including 12 world premieres and 15 Spanish premieres.

Created by Cristóbal Garrido and Adolfo Valor, and starring Leonor Watling and Javier Gutiérrez, The Short Life is set during the brief reign of Spain’s King Louis I. It is the only world premiere in competition.

Two competitions, fiction and non-fiction, have been created this year. BetaSeries CEO Rémi Tereszkiewicz heads the...

Barcelona-based studio Filmax has scooped international rights to “Just One Small Favor,” the new film from Zeta Studios, which is behind Netflix smash hit “Elite” and HBO Max Spanish banner title “García!”

Released in Spain by Universal on Nov. 10, “Favor” will receive its market premiere at this week’s American Film Market.

Directed by Juana Macías (“We Are Pregnant”), the acerbic screwball family comedy is set at the swanky summer home of the well-off Gallardos, cared for meticulously by Amparito, a second mother to the three children.

In her dying wish, she asked to be buried in the family vault. When the Gallardos refuse, they receive letters from Amparito, revealing skeletons in the closet and damaging home truths, turning their lives upside down.

“‘Just One Small Favor,’ is a screwball, situation comedy, with acerbic wit and a good dose of bad blood,” said Macías.

“The whole story plays out over one,...

The stars are aligning on political thriller “The Chauffeur’s Son,” a six-part series from acclaimed Spanish creative duo Isaki Lacuesta and Isa Campo.

It is one of five projects that has pulled down a muscular €1.5 million (1.6 million) grant from Catalonia’s Icec film-tv aimed at ensuring potential production partners that the series can bring series money to the table.

It comes after the two which won two Golden Shells at San Sebastian, for “The Double Steps” (2011) and “Between Two Waters” (2018), have demonstrated their chops for directing broad audience drama series, directing and in Campo’s case writing two episodes in Movistar+’s series “Offworld,” a Variety 2022 Best International TV Series.

“Elite’s” Zeta Studios is producing “The Chauffeur’s Son.” It has also been selected to compete at this year’s Berlinale Series Market’s Co-Pro Series, one of Europe’s foremost drama series project showcases. It hits the pitching session on Feb.

Also world premiering is HBO Max series ‘Spy/Master’ and Indian drama ‘Roar’

Italian crime drama The Good Mothers is among the seven titles selected for Berlinale (February 16-26) Series strand.

Scroll down for full list of titles

The Disney+ series is directed by the UK’s Julian Jarrold, whose credits include Kinky Boots, Becoming Jane and Brideshead Revisted, and Italian filmmaker Elisa Amoruso. The Good Mothers is a UK-Italy co-production and follows three women trying to bring down the Italian mafia.

The first two episodes of the six-part series is one of five series world premiering at Berlinale.

These...

Madrid-based Zeta Studios, the producer behind worldwide hit series “Élite,” HBO Max’s “García!,” Movistar Plus’ “Reyes de la noche” and Prime Video’s “Días Mejores,” has teamed with double San Sebastián Golden Shell winner director Isaki Lacuesta for TV drama project “El hijo del chófer” (“The Chauffeur’s Son”).

Lacuesta will direct and write the series alongside writer-director Isa Campo, and “Días mejores” creator and “Fariña” scribe Cristóbal Garrido.

The project is currently in a development and looking for financing.

Left of field filmmaker Lacuesta, San Sebastian’s top prize winner with “The Double Steps” (2011) and “Between Two Waters” (2018), both co-written by Campo, has recently dipped his toe into TV fiction creation with Movistar Plus anthology series “Apagón” (“Offworld”), five stories written and directed by top movie Spanish directors, which also included Campo.

Zeta Studios CEO Antonio Asensio and “Élite” producer Paloma Molina will produce “The Chauffeur’s Son,...

Prime Video has greenlit Season 2 of the hit Spanish series, “Dias Mejores” (“Better Days”), after the success of its first season. Created by Cristóbal Garrido and Adolfo Valor, the new season will continue to follow the stories of its lead characters Sara (Marta Hazas), Pardo (Erick Elías), Graci (Alba Planas), Luis (Francesc Orella) and Dr. Laforet (Blanca Portillo).

News was announced at the Iberseries & Platino Industria television event that was held in Madrid over Sept. 27-30.

The co-production between ViacomCBS International Studios (Vis) and Madrid-based Zeta Studios, producers of Netflix hit, “Elite,” will stream exclusively on Prime Video in Spain.

Season 1 was showcased at March’s Malaga Festival. The new season just started shooting and includes an additional robust cast led by Marta Aledo as Emi, Sara’s sister; Carol Rovira (“#Luimelia”) as Claudia, the teacher of Pardo’s children, and Sonia Almarcha (“The Good Boss”) as Maite, the mother of Graci’s late boyfriend.

Spanish director Alauda Ruiz de Azúa, who swept the board at March’s Málaga Film Festival, has wrapped shooting on her sophomore feature, “Eres Tú,” a Netflix’ romantic comedy produced by Antonio Asensio and Paloma Molina at Zeta Studios ­­– the Madrid-based company behind phenomenon “Elite.” Miriam Rodríguez executive produces.

After distributing Almodovar and signing up J.A. Bayona for real-life disaster drama “Society of the Snow,” Ruiz de Azúa’s attachment to “Eres tú” marks another association with a prestige director by Netflix in Spain.

Netflix Spain already accounts for three of the five most watched non-English Netflix movies ever: “The Platform,” “Below Zero” and “Through My Window.” It is, however, progressively diversifying its slate of series, movies, documentaries and TV shows by incorporating different creators profiles to create potential crowd-pleasers.

“Eres tú” follows Javier who, when 16 and kissing a girl for the first time, discovers that he had a gift of romantic clairvoyance.

In this week’s International TV Newswire, Variety looks at what Netflix overseas rankings say about its business model, a BBC iPlayer smash hit, Viacom’s latest production as it swells Spanish-language scripted titles at Miami-based Viacom Intl. Studios, a Netflix Egyptian puppet show, and HBO Latin America’ first fantasy suspense series in Brazil:

Netflix: Rankings Suggest Early Successes of International Business Model

“Extremely proud of our originals around the world…proof that great stories can come from anywhere and be loved everywhere.” Netflix tweeted Dec. 30 as, for the first time, it unveiled its most-watched titles in major markets worldwide. With slow news-flow throughout the week, it remains its major talking point. There were surprises. How come “Dark” Season 2 didn’t make the Top 10 most-watched series in Germany? More to the point, however, the ranking offer the first chance ever, to test what has become Netflix’s main gambit as...

Game of Thrones star Natalia Tena will lead the cast of BBC Worldwide's new sci-fi drama.

The Refugees - which will enter production this summer - is a co-production between BBC Worldwide and Atresmedia.

It is the first time BBC Worldwide have collaborated with a European broadcaster on a project.

Tena currently appears as Osha in HBO's Game of Thrones, and previously played Nymphadora Tonks in the Harry Potter film series.

The Refugees is an English-language sci-fi drama created by Ramón Campos, Gema R. Neira, Cristóbal Garrido and Adolfo Valor.

It explores the impact on a small rural community after millions of refugees from the future travel back in time to seek shelter in the present day.

The series will premiere on Spanish channel laSexta in the autumn, with BBC Worldwide serving as co-producer and commissioner for international channels, as well as global distributor.

Further casting announcements, including the appointment of a director,...

Javier Ruiz Caldera's Ghost Graduation mashes-up The Sixth Sense, Heart and Souls, and The Breakfast Club, and does so with a big smile on its face. Happily aware of the clichés of ghost films, Ghost Graduation has plenty of fun embracing the major rules of the genre (body possession, walking through walls, etc.) while still poking fun at the little quirks. Caldera and his charming cast have created a sweet film that never gets too saccharine, and a nice parody that never becomes too self-aware. Modesto (Raúl Arévalo) has seen dead people since he was in high school. As an adult, he has become a frequently-fired teacher as he continues to see ghosts despite medication and therapy. When a high school begins experiencing an irritating amount of supernatural activity, the open-minded principal, Tina (Alexandra Jiménez), hires Modesto, and they realize that he's not crazy because the school is haunted...