Steven Moffat, Ferran Adrià and Sorogoyen Head Serielizados Barcelona

Barcelona's series festival Serielizados kicks off Oct. 19 with the Catalan premiere of "In Vitro," the 3Cat-HBO Max co-production, and closes with the world premiere of its own first produced series, "Episòdic: El principi d'Arquimedes."

Steven Moffat, Sue Vertue, Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Hagai Levi, Carmen Machi, Victoria Martín and Ferran Adrià will all attend. The guest list follows a festival tradition of landing top international creators: Dan Harmon, David Simon, Vince Gilligan and Jesse Armstrong came in earlier editions.

The program includes six international series in competition and a four-title national competition. The national lineup is led by the world premiere of Movistar Plus-100 Balas' "Celeste 2" and the Catalan premiere of "Killing a Bear," another Movistar Plus Original. The festival received well over 200 submissions this year.

What does the 80% growth change?

Co-founder Betu Martínez Molero, who runs the festival with Victor Sala, said last year's 80% increase in visitors confirmed the model. "Our main hurdle has always been convincing people to pay for a cinema ticket to watch two episodes of a series," she said. "We've overcome that by not only premiering great series but also bringing the talent directly to the fans."

This year's challenge, she said, is consolidation. The industry arm, Serielizados Pro, positions itself as a boutique forum with more than 300 expected delegates, including representatives from YouTube, Mubi, RTVE, Arte France, Beta Film and ZDF. Its second Mind the Gap pitch will present 11 premium projects. After the first edition, Martínez Molero said, participating projects are already securing financing and moving into production.

Why "An Eye for It"?

The festival's 2025 motto responds to what Martínez Molero calls a shift from discovery to overload. "We now consume series at the same frantic pace as social media or fast food," she said. "We act as a filter. We spend the whole year searching for series that truly matter, offering our audience a thoughtful selection rather than an infinite scroll."

When Serielizados launched in 2013, Spanish VOD was largely limited to Canal+ and Filmin. The festival now sees itself as a trusted cultural tastemaker in an algorithm-driven market.

Competitions and trends

The national competition leans into dramedies and tragicomedies with what Martínez Molero calls "a distinct Coen brothers touch": "In Vitro," "Killing a Bear," "Celeste 2" and "Segunda Temporada." She highlighted "Segunda Temporada," from the team behind "Autodefensa," for its "politically incorrect humor."

"Celeste 2" carries particular weight. Season 1 premiered at the festival and became the most-watched show of the year on Movistar Plus. "Honestly, we didn't know we needed a series about the Spanish IRS, but Diego San José absolutely nailed it," Martínez Molero said. Carmen Machi and the creative team will attend.

The international competition spans sex addiction ("Naked") to corporate eco-scandal ("Dirty Business"). Martínez Molero flagged "A Better Place" and "Ann Droid," created by and starring Diane Morgan.

Trends this year include a strong shift toward Northern and Central European production, with a remarkable quality leap in German fiction, and public broadcasters taking the boldest risks: Arte ("Etty"), ARD ("Naked," "A Better Place") and Estonia's ERR, whose "In Darkness" becomes the first Estonian show ever at Serielizados, streaming in the online festival on Filmin.

Moffat, Sorogoyen, Adrià

Moffat has topped the festival's guest wishlist for years; "Sherlock" and "Doctor Who" have huge cult followings in Barcelona. Sue Vertue, the producer behind "Mr. Bean," completes what Martínez Molero calls a celebration of the cultural bridge between the U.K. and Catalonia.

Sorogoyen, fresh off the Cannes world premiere of "The Beloved," will preside over the international jury. Ferran Adrià will give an open talk at Casa Cupura ahead of 3Cat's premiere of "Gènesi," the series on El Bulli's legacy.

The closing "Episòdic" marks Serielizados' move into producing. Created with Barcelona City Council and betevé, it gives 38 film students from 11 educational centers their first official IMDb credit. After its festival premiere, it airs on betevé this autumn, and Season 2's play is already being selected.