Hands Up wins Writers' Pitch Award at Seriesly Berlin
Hands Up has won the Writers' Pitch Award at Seriesly Berlin.
The U.S.-originated music drama centres on Israeli musician Geva and Palestinian singer Manal, brought together in Berlin's hip-hop scene for a high-stakes collaboration arranged by Petra, a former music industry figure. It was created by Neta Weiner, Samira Saraya and Michal Cooper Keren, with Cooper Keren attached as showrunner, Deadline reported on 16 September 2026.
A pitch in this context means creators present an early idea live to industry buyers and partners to win backing. Hands Up beat six rival pitches from Ireland, Germany, Serbia and the UK. The prize is €1,000 ($1,150).
Two other projects also took honours. Latvian drama The Man Behind a Mask won the Co-Pro Pitch Award, aimed at projects seeking co-production partners, with a €25,000 post-production services prize. Hannah Doose's I Am God (Ich Bin Gott) won the SteinbrennerMüller Award.
The wins came out of a larger pitching initiative. Seriesly Berlin selected 18 international projects for its 2026 programme, according to Cineuropa. That selection was made from more than 250 submissions.
Seven of those projects competed in the Writers' Pitch, which showcases original work at an early stage of development. The line-up was Doggy Style, The Verdict, The Baseball Bat Years, Black Valley, Hands Up, Good Godmother and Bloody Bay, according to Seriesly Berlin's pitches page. The Writers' Pitch was held on 15 September, with the main conference pitches scheduled for 15-16 September 2026.
