Cannes’ Historic First Television Festival Opens in April 2018 With ‘The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair’

The first-ever Cannes International Series Festival has revealed its opening premiere: “The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair,” starring Patrick Dempsey, Kristine Froseth, and rising indie star Ben Schnetzer.

The TV festival, also known as Canneseries, is set to launch on April 4, 2018 at the Palais des Festivals. “The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair” pilot is directed by “Black and White in Color” helmer Jean-Jacques Annaud.

“The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair” tells the story of Harry Quebert (Dempsey), a literary icon who suddenly finds himself indicted in the cold-case murder of a girl who has been missing for many years. The MGM Television-backed series is based on the bestselling European novel by Joël Dicker and consists of 10 episodes. “Harry Quebert” will premiere in the U.S. on Epix and in France on TF1 in 2018.

Canneseries runs April 4-11, concurrent to the Mip TV market and just over a month before the Cannes Film Festival takes place. The official competition is set to begin on April 7. “Harry Quebert” is an out-of-competition entry.

The actual competition will present 10 world premiere series, selected from a pool of international submissions. Eligible series will have to be in their first season (not returning), and not yet have aired — in the case of U.S., U.K. and France contenders. Shows from other territories may have already premiered, but within a short timeframe.

The festival was initiated by the Mayor of Cannes, David Lisnard.