Stories with attitude, heart, and humor: The winners of the third round of FM:stories, the mentoring program for young authors run by Fiction Magnet—a joint venture between ndF: neue deutsche Filmgesellschaft and ZDF Studios—in cooperation with SERIENCAMP CONFERENCE and supported by ZDF Kleines Fernsehspiel, have been announced.
Following the call for submissions at the Seriencamp Conference in Cologne this spring, three authors stood out from numerous exciting applications with their projects:
Phương Thúy Nguyễn & Rosa Thoneick with “Systemwandel”
Nergis Usta with “Halima Propeller”
“We are thrilled by the diversity of the submissions in this third round. With ‘Systemwandel’ and ”Halima Propeller,“ we have selected two projects that combine socially relevant topics with attitude, creativity, and a new narrative power – exactly what FM:stories stands for,” says Matthias Walther (Managing Director of Fiction Magnet).
The author duo Phương Thúy Nguyễn and Rosa Thoneick impressed with “Systemwandel” (“System Change”), a series development with a unique perspective: from a Vietnamese-East German, East German, and West German perspective, the story paints a multi-layered picture of growing up in times of upheaval, told by two talented individuals who approach the topic in a reflective and authentic way. FM:stories gives them the opportunity to further develop the project or spin new ideas.
Nergis Usta stood out with her pitch for the dramedy “Halima Propeller,” a story about escape, hope, and trying to find your footing in a new reality—full of tragedy, warmth, subtle humor, and a clever protagonist. The author uses the material to sensitively tell a success story of integration and self-empowerment without revealing the character’s origins.
FM:stories offers the winners much more than just joint project development: they receive exclusive insights into Fiction Magnet productions, sparring on equal terms with producers, know-how on international marketing from ZDF Studios, and insights into ZDF’s talent promotion through the editorial team of “Das Kleine Fernsehspiel.” The joint initiative FM:stories has been in existence since 2023.