Ahead of DICM 2025, Aslı Serim, Head of Content at Calinos Entertainment, joins us to discuss the strong interest in the company’s catalogue at MIPCOM 2025. She shares recent sales updates and takes a closer look at their newest title, Lies After Lies, which attracted remarkable interest and demand even before its premiere. Serim also highlights the company’s well-performing titles in the MENA region and their expectations for DICM 2025.
You’ve just attended MIPCOM 2025, how was the interest in your diverse and rich catalogue?
Honestly, MIPCOM 2025 went beyond our expectations. Alongside the strong interest in Lies After Lies, the diversity of our catalogue allowed us to meet the different needs and expectations of our clients with the right content. This approach made the market highly
productive for us and reinforced the strong position of our titles among international buyers.
Do you have any recent sales updates you can share with us?
We’re currently in the final stages of several agreements across different regions. In addition to the sale of Farah to Syria and Forbidden Fruit to Portugal, a number of other deals are now being finalized. These new partnerships confirm the strong and consistent performance of our titles worldwide, and highlight the continued appeal of both our Turkish dramas and local adaptations among international broadcasters and platforms.
You’ve recently acquired the distribution rights for Lies After Lies, which you launched at MIPCOM 2025. How was the interest?
Even before Lies After Lies premiered, simply by showing its trailer, we witnessed a remarkable level of interest and demand. The early reaction has been very encouraging and further underlines the strong global potential for this story.
How would you describe the series? What do you think makes Lies After Lies appealing to global audiences?
Lies After Lies is about a mother who was wrongly imprisoned and now has to rebuild her life while reconnecting with her daughter. It shows her struggles, her courage, and the choices she faces along the way. Stories like this especially around motherhood have been successful all over the world, and we’ve also seen many of them remade in other countries with great results. I believe Lies After Lies has the same potential to move and engage audiences everywhere.
Chasing the Sun has been another key highlight in your lineup. Could you tell us more about the story and what makes it stand out?
Chasing the Sun is about a close-knit family whose lives are turned upside down when the younger sister is falsely accused. Her older sister, just about to leave for the UK to pursue her dream, steps in to protect her, and along the way, unexpected feelings develop for the person who caused the conflict. The series combines romance and family drama in a way that keeps viewers coming back every day. With its strong story and relatable characters, Chasing the Sun follows the tradition of Turkish dramas that have already found success internationally, while also answering the daily drama needs and tastes of our clients around the world.
Could you also talk about one of the new titles in your catalogue, Flames of Love? What kind of feedback have you received from clients since its launch?
We’re really excited to add Flames of Love to our catalogue. It brings together Alp Navruz, Ceren Yılmaz, Selim Bayraktar, and Hatice Aslan, and tells a story full of passion and family drama. Even at MIPCOM, a client from the MENA region reached out asking about the series, which shows the level of interest it’s already generating. It’s exactly the kind of emotionally engaging story that fits the daily viewing habits and preferences of audiences there.
And now we’re here at DICM, a key market for the MENA region. Which of your titles are performing especially well in MENA?
In the MENA region, Farah is performing very well and we are about to finalize agreements with several clients. Alongside Farah, Forbidden Fruit continues to be one of our most consistent sellers. Recently, we’ve also successfully sold Lawless Love and EGO. These titles show the kind of engaging and high-quality content that our clients are looking for, and they highlight the strength and versatility of our catalogue in the region.
Finally, what are your expectations for DICM 2025?
We’re really looking forward to DICM 2025. It’s a key market for the MENA region and gives us the opportunity to meet clients who don’t attend other markets. We’re especially excited about bringing Lies After Lies, which we launched at MIPCOM, to buyers in this region. DICM allows us to introduce the series directly to MENA clients and showcase its emotional depth and strong storytelling. We’re confident it will be a productive and inspiring event, and it’s the perfect platform to connect directly with buyers while highlighting the strength and diversity of our catalogue.
This exclusive interview was featured in Episode Magazine’s DICM 2025 issue.
