• The sixth edition of the CanneSeries festival, held from April 14 to 19, will award the first-ever prize for best documentary series.
  • An investigation into the killing of Chevaline, Juan Carlos: Downfall of a playboy king which returns to the fall of the former king of Spain or a story around the rail disaster of Lac-Mégantic, in Canada, are in competition.
  • "Documentary series are getting richer and richer. It is a genre in its own right and differs from a unitary one thanks to a real narrative complexity," says Albin Lewi, the artistic director of the event.

Behind the scenes of sport, high-profile criminal cases, historical sagas, etc. Documentary series are sweeping onto the screens. And make more and more snags. Regularly present in the top of the most watched video-on-demand services, they now also have the honors of the CanneSeries festival.

The sixth edition of the event, held from April 14 to 19, will award the first-ever prize for the best production of its kind. In addition to the categories rewarding fiction, in short and long format. A jury specially composed and chaired by Asif Kapadia, Oscar for best documentary film in 2016 for Amy, will be at the maneuver, announced the organizers, who have selected six series in competition.



Killing, disgraced king and catastrophe

"At the launch of the festival [in 2018], they were submitted to us at the margins, then their volume exploded," Albin Lewi, the artistic director of the event, told 20 Minutes. Of the 300 series sent to its teams for this 2023 edition, 70 were documentaries. "In recent years, we have been looking for a way to integrate them into the festival. But they became so important that we thought they deserved a dedicated section. It made more sense."

For this first attempt, the artistic team of CanneSeries offered a varied choice to its jurors. An investigation into the killing of Chevaline, Juan Carlos: Downfall of a playboy king which returns to the fall of the former king of Spain or a story about the rail disaster of Lac-Mégantic, in Canada, are on the program. Draw for change!, Miracle n°71 and Reading again Mafalda complete the selection.

An even stronger addiction

"Documentary series are getting richer and richer. It is a genre in its own right and differs from a unitary one thanks to a real narrative complexity, notes Albin Lewi. It does not tell something in a linear way. There are jumps in time, structures that can be different in each episode. Unavoidable, these series are devoured as much as those of fiction. This is evidenced by the recent success of Truecrimes on Netflix. Mini-series that return and investigate significant news items. "There may be an even stronger addiction," he continues. We want to go all the way. They take to the guts by telling things of today and yesterday. Some tell us about little-known parts of history, others defend today's battles."

The first episodes of Tour de France: au cœur du peloton, Netflix's new sports documentary series, and Why We Fight, about melting ice, will also be presented in preview and out of competition.

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  • CannesSeries 2023