Bangladesh series 'AnniE' Courtesy of SerienCamp SerienCamp’s reputation as a showcase for television’s next breakout hits is well established. But beyond the headline premieres and buzzy industry titles, the festival, running June 9-11 in Cologne, remains one of Europe’s best hunting grounds for under-the-radar discoveries.
This year’s lineup ranges from dystopian social horror and true-crime-inspired corporate fraud to dark political satire and a prize-winning German workplace comedy.
Here are five international series worth seeking out.
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AnniE (Bangladesh)
Bangladesh series ‘AnniE’ Courtesy of SerienCamp The first Bangladeshi series ever selected for SerienCamp arrives with considerable pedigree. Directed by Abdullah Mohammad Saad, whose feature Rehana Maryam Noor premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section, AnniE imagines a world consumed by a mysterious pandemic that turns infected men violently misogynistic. The series focuses on a young nurse struggling to support her five orphaned siblings after surviving a brutal assault. What begins as social commentary gradually transforms into a revenge thriller, blending dystopian genre elements with an unsettling examination of gender violence. The miniseries marks a major international breakthrough for Bangladesh’s television industry.
Braunschlag 1986 (Austria)
Austrian series ‘Braunschlag 1986’ Courtesy of SerienCamp More than a decade after dark dramedy Braunschlag became an unlikely Austrian cult phenomenon, creator David Schalko returns to the fictional Lower Austrian town with a sequel that doubles down on the original’s absurdist instincts. Produced for Austrian public broadcaster ORF and launching in Germany via HBO Max, the new series imagines a municipality attempting to solve its problems by officially declaring that the year is once again 1986. The result is a gleefully bizarre collision of nostalgia, digital detox culture and provincial politics. As with Schalko’s best work, the comedy uses the ridiculous to skewer contemporary anxieties lurking just beneath the surface.
Fadia (Israel)
Palestinian series ‘Fadia’ Courtesy of SeriesCamp Produced by Cinema Virgin for Israeli public broadcaster Makan TV, Fadia tackles the issue of honor killings through the framework of a tense survival thriller. The Arabic-language drama follows a young woman left for dead by her own family, only to be rescued by neighbors who risk everything to protect her. Directed by Palestinian-Israeli filmmaker Shady Srour, the series shifts the focus away from geopolitics toward the dangers women can face within their own communities. Combining suspense with social critique, Fadia explores trauma, resilience and the struggle to reclaim a voice after violence, while keeping the tension of a fugitive-on-the-run drama.
The Flaws (Germany)
German satire ‘The Flaws’ Razor Film/ZDF Already crowned Best International Series at SerienCamp 2026, The Flaws, which premiered at SeriesMania in March, arrives in Cologne with momentum. Produced by Razor Film for ZDF, the comedy follows 11 chronically underperforming civil servants who are mistakenly enrolled in a training program for elite employees. What begins as a workplace satire soon spirals into a surreal odyssey involving autonomous buses, hospital chaos and forklift revolutions. Directed by Stromberg and Der Tatortreiniger veteran Arne Feldhusen, the series combines physical comedy and deadpan absurdism in a way that recalls Jacques Tati, transforming bureaucratic dysfunction into something unexpectedly epic.
Eldorado (France/Belgium)
French mini-series ‘Eldorado’ Courtesy of SerienCamp Corporate fraud has rarely looked this entertaining. Produced for Franco-German cultural broadcaster ARTE, Eldorado dramatizes one of the most remarkable business scandals in modern French history, set against the turmoil of the 1970s oil crisis. The six-part series follows an aristocratic Belgian physicist and a self-taught Italian technician who convince oil giant Elf Aquitaine that they possess technology capable of locating oil reserves from the air. Directed by Louis Farge, the drama turns a real-life deception into a globe-spanning tale of ambition, political intrigue and industrial fantasy. Anchored by an award-winning performance from Karim Leklou, Eldorado offers a period drama that feels strikingly contemporary in its fascination with hype, illusion and technological snake oil.
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