Mentors & Lecturers
Pop Up Series supports creative talents throughout their creative journey by offering individualized development plans tailored to their specific needs. Throughout the program, participants will receive guidance from leading international industry experts, who will actively engage with them, challenging their creative choices. These mentors, carefully selected by the organizers, include top professionals from diverse sectors such as broadcasting and distribution across various countries. This process encourages the application of new approaches and insights to drama series adaptation.
Maria Cervera
(Spain)
Maria is Head of Content and an executive producer for Madrid-based production company Cattleya Producciones, a part of ITV Studios.
Educated in Spain, Germany and the US, Maria’s professional path has
led her through independent film and TV production, the publishing
world, international co-productions and content commissioning for
streaming platforms.
Starting in 2011, Maria managed development and international
co-productions for Spanish production company Plano a Plano, taking part in prominent series such as El Príncipe, Allí Abajo or Servir y Proteger, which she co-executive produced. In 2017, Maria became part of the Netflix International Originals team based in Los Angeles,
focusing on Spanish-speaking series from Spain and Latin America. There she creatively oversaw international success series such as Elite, Cable Girls or Club de Cuervos. Following that experience, Maria
became an executive producer for film and TV projects under the umbrella of US-Mexican-Spanish production company El Estudio. In 2021, Maria joined Paramount’s international television studio as VP Content Development, overseeing series produced for the European market, including titles such as La Novia Gitana and Días Mejores (Spain), Circeo (Italy), Der Scheich and The Chemistry of Death (Germany).
Maria also serves as an adjunct professor to the Department of
Communication at the Universidad Carlos III in Madrid.
Julien Lilti
(France)
Julien Lilti is a French scriptwriter and TV series showrunner. He wrote the animated feature Adama and co-wrote the feature film Hippocrate (Cannes 2015) which was later on adapted into an award-winning series for Canal+ that he also co-wrote.
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Julien Lilti wrote several episodes of Family Business - distributed internationally by Netflix and co-wrote the mini-series Oussekine (2022) for Disney+. He created and was the showrunner of the series Germinal, adapted from Emile Zola’s novel, a co-production of Banijay with France Televisions, and RAI – Audience Award at Series Mania 2021.
Naomi Levari
(Germany)
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Naomi Levari is a Germany producer and development executive. She co-founded and has led Black Sheep Film Productions since 2010, a company celebrated for its selective nature and uncompromising quality in television and film content, aiming to push the boundaries of drama, form, and production. Central to its work are unforgettable characters and social themes. Black Sheep tends to premiere their works at prestigious 'A-list' festivals, including Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Series Mania, and Toronto. The company has garnered more than 100 awards to date, including winning the Television Academy Award for Best Series twice.
In 2018, Naomi was instrumental in founding Electric Sheep, a German sister production company whose debut project won the prestigious producer's award at the Hamburg Festival. Beyond her roles in the two companies, Naomi is a sought-after script editor, mentor, and consultant, known for meticulously delving into every aspect of filmmaking. She has collaborated with Berlinale Script Station, Canal+ Poland, First Cut Lab, the Berlinale Co-Production Market, Full Circle Lab Philippines, Sam Spiegel Script Lab, and Netflix, among others.
Johnathan Young
(England)
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Johnathan started as a drama Director before becoming a Producer. Johnathan produced more than 1000 hours of television in the United Kingdom, including the BAFTA nominated The Sinking Of The Laconia, a co-production with Teamworx from Germany. Working with Teamworx was an eyeopener to the fantastic possibilities of collaboration and the excitement in exploring fresh perspectives. In 2014 Johnathan was delighted to be offered the opportunity to join HBO Europe as VP Original Production, overseeing drama development and production across the region.
Vanessa Loubineau
(France)
A dual-qualified lawyer at the Paris and Quebec Bars, Vanessa Loubineau specializes in entertainment law, advising producers, creators, and media companies on the legal structuring of their projects. Since 2014, she has worked independently, providing strategic legal counsel to clients navigating the complexities of audiovisual production, international co-productions, intellectual property, and business affairs.
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In 2019, she founded ARTEM, a law firm dedicated to the entertainment industry, supporting professionals in structuring and securing their projects across North America and Europe. Her expertise spans financing structures, rights management, international collaborations, and global distribution strategies.
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Before establishing her independent practice, she held key legal and administrative roles in television and live entertainment production companies in Montreal, recognized as major players in the Canadian and international audiovisual landscape. These experiences, combined with her work as a delegate producer on several documentaries, have given her a deep, hands-on understanding of the production process, from development to distribution. This practical expertise enables her to provide legal and strategic guidance that is both pragmatic and aligned with industry realities.
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With a bicultural background and extensive experience in both North American and European markets, she offers tailored legal and business advice to entertainment professionals looking to expand their projects internationally.
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Timo Gößler
(Germany)
After his studies at Filmuniversity Babelsberg Timo worked as a writer for several TV shows and participated in Germany’s first primetime writers’ room for the crime show Unschuldig. As script consultant he coached many feature films, documentaries, and TV series – like Alarm für Cobra 11 or the children’s show Löwenzahn. As creative consultant Timo worked for several German broadcasters like ZDF, KiKA, RTL or rbb. He worked as a development producer for the children’s hit show Beutolomäus (KiKA), and currently holds this position at UFA Fiction where he is involved in the development of several series (e.g. Disko 76 (RTL+), Charité, season 4 (ARD)).
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Timo is dean of studies of the screenwriting/dramaturgy course and substitute professor for serial storytelling at Filmuniversity Babelsberg. He teaches writers’ room methods and showrunning as well as diversity-aware storytelling. Furthermore he is head of studies of the Winterclass Serial Writing and Producing, Filmuniversity Babelsbers’s graduate level workshop program focusing on the development of high-end drama. Here he worked together
with international showrunners such as Alex Gansa (Homeland, 24), Kelly Souders (The Hot Zone, 911 Lonestar) or Jeppe Gjervig Gram (Borgen, Follow the Money).
Together with Katrin Merkel Timo published Der German Room in the fall of 2021, a handbook/manual about writers’ room structures and methods in the German TV market.