New Erik Matti Series Pitch Lands Among Top 10 Finalists in Prestigious Grant Competition

Renowned Filipino director Erik Matti recently shared exciting news about his latest venture into series production. After months of quietly working with collaborators Dondon Monteverde, Leovic Arceta, Charmaine Alday, Pam Miras, and Tammy Dinopol, their project The Squatter has emerged as one of the 10 finalists in Seriesmakers, an initiative aimed at funding series pilot scripts. A joint project of Series Mania, Europe’s biggest TV festival, and European film-TV powerhouse Beta Group, its mission is to highlight exceptional works from across the world and foster the growth of the global series market.

Matti said the selection process will culminate in Lille, France on March 20, where the finalists will be reduced to three winners. Matti shares that their entry is the sole Asian and Philippine contender, aspiring to win a grant to develop their pilot script further.

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The Squatter is about a Filipino housekeeper and a relentless Ukrainian investigator who investigate into a murder case in a rural town, revealing their true identities in the process. 

Out of the 10 finalists, two teams will be chosen to receive a €50,000 Beta Development Award, to develop a pilot script and a series bible with additional creative assistance. These two teams will showcase their projects at Series Mania in 2024. Furthermore, in collaboration with the HFF / University of Television and Film Munich, a third team will be granted a €20,000 award by the Kirch Foundation to further promote the development of their project.

"I’ve always wanted to showcase my series work in Series Mania, the biggest festival in the globe to screen series work from all over the world. Wished 'On The Job' the series made it there. But this is better," Matti wrote on Facebook.

Over the last couple of months, Matti and his team have already benefited from masterclasses led by industry giants from notable projects like Narcos, Game of Thrones, The New Pope, and Euphoria.

Matti, reflecting on the gap between local productions and the global film industry, candidly shared his mixed emotions toward the journey ahead. "Sad to say that we are still myriads away from these huge productions being undertaken across the globe in Europe and North America but extremely excited and grateful to have been privy to the ins and outs of their business from insiders at the top of their game. It is both a humbling moment and a great source of pride to have had this opportunity," he said.