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.