Matan Yair’s Israeli Thriller ‘The Accident’ to Pitch at Series Mania Forum (EXCLUSIVE)
Series Mania unveiled the fifteen projects set to pitch at this year’s Co-Pro Pitching Sessions with the hopes of scoring the €50,000 ($56,821) grand prize. Among the impressive list of participants is Israeli thriller “The Accident,” written by celebrated filmmaker Matan Yair (“Scaffolding,” “One on One”) and produced by Maya Fischer at his long-time collaborators Green Productions.
“The Accident” is the story of the Alegba family and their efforts to get away from their life in a downtrodden neighborhood dominated by criminals. Asher is a tow truck driver who hauls away totaled vehicles after accidents. He has a contentious relationship with his ex Miri, who works as a portal clerk. The two have one daughter, Tali, who is a bright and gifted young girl that both would do anything to protect.
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Things in the neighborhood go from bad to worse when Asher witnesses a murder, initiating a chain of events that culminate in the series’ launch point, a fatal accident whose causes are conspicuous at best. With a slew of odd, seemingly mundane clues, the circumstances of the accident are slowly unveiled as the series’ eight episodes progress, with the true cause revealed only at the end of the season.
“I’m grateful that the show has been accepted into the festival,” said series creator and writer Matan Yair, after Series Mania announced the show’s inclusion. “I developed the idea by tapping into a thought that goes through my mind occasionally: What happens if we ever get into an accident?
“The kind of accident where you see the flashing lights of cop cars and ambulances, you’re stuck in a traffic jam, waiting to take a look at the wreckage. You tell your kids ‘Don’t look’, glance at your wife, nod your head and hit the gas. The kind of accident that changes your life, it will never be the same again, and then people will find and go through all the stuff you’ve accumulated, all the possessions that you’ve carried through life,” he explained. “Using them, a story can be created about that family – its beginning, middle and end. You could recreate that family until the moment everything crashed.”
Producer Maya Fischer added: “We’re excited to continue working with Matan on the series, and for the opportunity to pitch it at the prestigious Series Mania Forum. ‘The Accident’ is a thriller series that tells the story of a family through its fractures and possessions. We are certain that Matan’s blend of sensitivity and poeticism as a writer and director, and the edge-of-your-seat story behind the accident – which will only be revealed towards the end – will make for a strong and unique series that will leave the audience captivated until the last scene.
This year’s Series Mania Forum will take place March 22-24 in Lille, under the larger Series Mania Festival umbrella. All the keenest eyes in the TV industry will be on Lille at that time, with far more than just the €50,000 on the line. Pitching at the Series Mania Forum is an honor that regularly opens doors across Europe and abroad. Previous standout participants which benefited from their inclusion take in “No Man’s Land,” “Stella Blomkvist,” “The Head” and “Keeping Faith,” among many others.
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