Séries Mania chooses Ukrainian producer Julia Sinkevych as jury president

The international Séries Mania festival, which will take place at the end of March in Lille, northern France, has entrusted the presidency of the jury of its international competition to a Ukrainian producer, Julia Sinkevych, a symbolic gesture motivated by the war in her country, it said on Wednesday.

"By offering this presidency to Julia Sinkevych, who carries the colours of culture in a battered country, we wish to bear witness to the role of festivals in a world in crisis," said the organisers of Séries Mania in a statement.

"As her presence in Lille is not guaranteed, we have asked Marc Dugain, the great French writer and director, to act as vice-president of the jury," said the organisers of the international festival, which will take place from 18 to 25 March.

"We have always said that series are the mirror of an era and resonate through their stories, their characters, their subjects [...] This is why we feel it is essential today to turn our gaze to the dramatic situation that is shaking Ukraine and the entire world," the organisers explained.

"Culture is a powerful tool to stop aggression and bring new talent to the world. My country is an integral part of world cinema and is currently fighting with all its might to demonstrate that it is the right of every human being to bring beauty, art, peace and novelty to this world," Sinkevych commented in the statement, adding that she was "honoured and moved."

Co-founder of the Ukrainian Film Academy and member of the European Film Academy, Julia Sinkevych was "responsible for one of the most important film festivals in eastern Europe for many years: the Odessa International Film Festival (of which Séries Mania was a long-time partner)", the statement adds.