Winner announced

The judges were impressed by the richness of the selection, greatly enjoying the range of themes presented by producers from different parts of the world. They were particularly drawn to the pitches which felt new and fresh and those that had something to say to the younger generations.

The winner of the C21 Digital Drama Pitch 2024 is LouLou from writer Tala Arakji and The Talkies, Lebanon. View the winning pitch here.

The panel of judges thought it was a passionate pitch teamed with a story which empowered the next generation of Arab women to do something for themselves. They praised its fascinating setting, believing it to be an inspiring melting pot of cultures within which somebody wants to strive and become a DJ.

LouLou will now receive a marketing package through C21Media worth £30,000 to support development and pre-sales of the show.

In addition, the judges identified Gold War as worthy of an honourable mention. The judges enjoyed how the personal meets the political and the contemporary relevance of a story that looks at nationalism and the pressure put on athletes to win at all costs.

About the initiative

The C21 Digital Drama Pitch 2024 was born out of the high standard of entries received for the C21 Drama Series Pitch 2023. From more than 150 submissions from 37 countries, 10 projects were selected to pitch live at Content London. A further seven projects were chosen to create the Digital Drama Pitch.

The C21 Digital Drama Pitch 2024 was open to early-stage scripted drama and comedy series from established producers and distributors from all corners of the world, with a particular focus on projects from Africa and India. Providing a high visibility opportunity for companies aiming to use C21Media.net as a marketing platform to release new series.

The seven shortlisted shows featured early stage drama and comedy projects spanning Australia, Finland, Georgia, Lebanon, Iceland, Serbia and Bulgaria.

The judges will look for audience appeal, how well the projects had been developed and planned, the potential for international travel and the strength of the team behind it.