‘Operation Sabre’ Among Five Event Series Heading to First Screening Day at Tallinn TV Beats Forum (EXCLUSIVE)

Annika Pham

30 September 2024 at 6:00 am·5-min read

Beta Film’s Serbian thriller “Operation Sabre” – crowned at both Canneseries (best ensemble cast) and Brno’s Serial Killer (best TV show) – and the Latvia-Ukraine co-production “Mutiny” – about a true-life rebellion against the Soviet regime – are among the five high-end series selected for the TV Beats Forum’s inaugural Screening Day at Tallinn Black Nights, kicking off on Nov. 20.

The rest of the curated slate takes in Keshet International’s Finnish mystery thriller “Valhalla Project”; Lithuania’s most expensive series to date, “A Wolfe’s Palate,” starring Edward Holcroft; and the Estonian period light crime “Von Fock.”

More from Variety

The showcase will include a screening of one episode of each show, followed by case studies with the key creatives and producers.

The TV Beats Screening Day is the latest effort from the organizers of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival’s and Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event series strand to spotlight, in the most dynamic way, the best of the best from the Baltics, but also from CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) and the Nordic region.

“The Screening Day is a normal development of our TV Beats section,” said Tiina Lokk, director of the Black Nights Film Festival (aka PÖFF) and industry consultant. “Before COVID, we had sessions in the evening to promote the best upcoming shows, their creatives, and producers. But as evenings are full of different networking events, we decided that the day format would be a better and more focused showcase for everyone.”

Toomas Ili, head of content at Estonia’s leading platform Elisa, who led the selection committee, added: “We had a lot of discussions with the team on how we wanted to go with this, as this is the first TV Beats Screening Day ever. We ended up concentrating on new or upcoming series from our region with some exceptions. Altogether, we took a look at more than ten great series, but since time was a deciding factor, we had to somehow tune it down to those five. It wasn’t the easiest of tasks,” he admitted.

Beyond the stellar talent on both sides of the camera, the selected shows were carefully developed with partners across Europe to cater to local and global audiences via engaging and nail-biting stories. Those range from the calls to action against anti-democratic forces and corrupt systems “Mutiny” and “Operation Sabre,” both based on real events, to the mystery thriller with a green message “Valhalla Project,” the pure crime drama with mystical elements “A Wolfe’s Palate,” to the light period crime “Von Fock” set in majestic Estonian manors and castles.

“Operation Sabre” producer Snežana van Houwelingen from Belgrade-based This and That Productions said she is looking forward to coming back to Tallinn, where her show was pitched in 2022 as part of the Midpoint Series workshop. “It’s important to share success stories and/ or case studies at TV Industry events, not only B2B with salespeople but also with the creative community, to highlight that regional shows have the potential to travel well internationally,” she said.

All titles will have their domestic premiere in 2025, except “Mutiny,” which successfully launched on the Latvian platform TET last April. The five shows will also feature at the upcoming Mipcom content market in Cannes.

TV Beats Forum, co-headed by Petri Kemppinen and Roosa Toivonen, will unspool in Tallinn and online from Nov. 18 to 20.

Here is a quick dive into the series:

“Operation Sabre” (This & That Productions, Serbia, Bulgaria)

Eight-part crime drama based on the real events of the assassination of the Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić in 2003, co-created and directed by Goran Stanković and Vladimir Tagic. It’s produced by This and That Productions with Bulgaria’s Agitprop for Serbian pubcaster RTS. The show, repped internationally by Beta Film, picked laurels both at Canneseries (best ensemble cast) and Brno’s Serial Killer (best TV show).

“Mutiny” (Cinevilla Films, Latvia)

A seven-part drama based on the true events of one man’s struggle against the authorities that led to a mutiny on the Soviet warship in 1975. Andrejs Ēķis (“Dream Team 1935”) directs and produces together with Dita Cimermane, Aija Ansone and Vitaly Dokalenko for major Latvian outfit Cinevilla Films. Number one program on Latvian platform TET for four months after its premiere last April.

“A Wolfe’s Palate” (Lithuania, Finland, Germany)

Six-part psychological drama with mystical elements led by British-born actor Edward Holcroft (“The English Game”, “Kingsman”) and Finnish star Tommi Korpela (“Rare Exports, A Christmas Tale”). Commercially-oriented Vėlyvis (“The Generation of Evil,” “Zero 2”) serves as writer/director. Vilnius-based Kino-Kultas’ Daiva Varnaitė-Jovaišienė and Asta Liukaitytė are producing with Finnish and German partners Tero Kaukomaa (“Iron Sky”) and Josef Brandmaier for Son of a Pitch, Telia Lietuva and national pubcaster LRT.

“Valhalla Project” (Snapper Films, Finland)

As announced in Variety, the mystery thriller helmed by Snapper Films’ Juha Wuolijoki (“King of Los Angeles,” “Christmas Story”) for Finnish platform Elisa Viihde, was recently picked by Keshet International. Jari Olavi Rantala (“Deadwind”) serves as creator and writer of the six-part multi-lingual TV show toplining Sara Soulié, Alistair Brammer, Iben Dorner, and Joonas Saartamo.

“Von Fock” (Zolba Productions, Estonia), Latvia, Italy)

Top writer Leana Jalukse, credited for Estonia’s Oscar entry “Mother,” has teamed up with German writer Lilian von Keudell and screenwriter/author Ain Kütt for this four-part period crime drama, based on Kütt’s own crime novel “Detective von Fock.” Hot Estonian helmer Arun Tamm (“Bad Hair Friday,” “Container”) is attached. Zolba Productions’ Jevgeni Supin (“Who Shot Otto Mueller”) is producing with Helen Lõhmus, Latvia’s Bergmane Productions and Nafta, Italy’s Movie.Mento and Albolina Film. The show will air across the Baltics on ETV (main commissioner) LTV and LRT.

Best of Variety