The second edition of the Jerusalem Sam Spiegel Series Lab, which took off in June 2023, will culminate at Series Mania Forum, in March 2024 in a pitching event which will introduce the international television market to up-and-coming new Israeli storytellers.

Seven Israeli projects will finish the program this year at the pitching event moderated by AC Coppens. Among them are Israeli Academy winners Orit Fouks Rotem, who directed Israel’s entry for best international feature at the Academy Awards Cinema Sabaya and Nur Fibak who won best short documentary- A Minor Crime; successful Israeli screenwriter and actor Rotem Kaplinski whose first feature film was a commercial hit in Israel, and more.

The Sam Spiegel Series Lab is a creative bridge between Israeli talent in the field of scripted series, and the international TV industry, assisting in voicing the diverse and unique stories of our region through project development, with leading editors. An initiative of the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School, one of the top 15 best schools in the world according to the Hollywood Reporter, the Series Lab is a sister to the International Film Lab that is now in its 12th edition.

"We are delighted to welcome the Jerusalem Sam Spiegel Series Lab for the first time as part of the Creative Bazaar, our talent incubator organized prior to the Series Mania Forum," said Laurence Herszberg, General Director of Series Mania. "Since its inception, Series Mania has always highlighted Israeli talent by regularly inviting Israeli shows, actors and actresses and representatives of the Israeli TV industry. This year, seven producer-writer duos - selected by the Series Lab which is an initiative of The Sam Spiegel Film and TV School, one of the best film and television schools in the world - will have the opportunity to present and promote their projects to the international series community. The Festival's commitment to Israeli creativity will be further demonstrated with this new opportunity.”

Dana Blankstein Cohen, the executive director of the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School said “We are delighted to partner with the leading series festival in the world and recognize the importance of having our unique stories reach an audience in these challenging times for our region. It is crucial, more than ever, to allow freedom of speech and support the role of creative people. These seven projects represent our steadfast commitment to ensure creative responsibility and encourage a diversity of voices to be heard.”

The Lab is supported by film and TV production company New Mandate Films, Israeli entertainment content enterprise United King Films, the Jerusalem Film and Television Fund, the Jerusalem Municipality and the Foreign Affairs office.