Desk Kreativne Europe – Ured MEDIA Hrvatske sa zadovoljstvom najavljuje polaznike petog izdanja „Series Rough Pitch – The Balkan Way“, čiju će kulminaciju predstavljati online Pitching forum 30. listopada o.g. s početkom u 12 sati!
Nova generacija televizijskih autora iz regije uskoro će se predstaviti međunarodnoj audiovizualnoj industriji jer peto izdanje programa Series Rough Pitch – The Balkan Way kreće online 30. listopada 2025. u 12:00 sati (CET). Događanje organiziraju DKE - Uredi MEDIA iz Hrvatske, Cipra, Grčke, Mađarske, Crne Gore i Srbije, a kroz godine je izrastao u prepoznatljivu platformu za razvoj i promociju serijskih projekata u nastajanju iz regije.
Ono što je započelo kao pitching događajnje preraslo je u kreativni razvojni hub, osmišljen kako bi scenaristima, redateljima i producentima iz regije osigurao vještine, mentorsku podršku i povezanost s europskim koprodukcijskim tržištem. Na ovogodišnji poziv pristiglo je ukupno 47 prijava, a osam projekata odabrano je za predstavljanje pred uglednim predstavnicima europske TV industrije.
Odabrani polaznici:
Killing Isle /Otok smrti (Cipar) — Harry Ayiotis (scenarist, redatelj)
Forsaken / Zaboravljeni (Mađarska) — Fruzsina Fekete (scenaristica)
Athena Tsunami / Atenin tsunami (Grčka) — Vasiliki Lazaridou (scenarist/ca, redatelj/ica)
You Can Always Come Back / Uvijek se možeš vratiti (Hrvatska) — Tena Gojić (autorica koncepta) i Miljenka Čogelja (producentica / Pipser)
Riders of the Mist / Jahači mangle (Crna Gora) — Ana Vujadinović Tomić (scenaristica) i Marko Jaćimović (producent / Giggling Goat Production)
Uncarved (Hrvatska) — Mile Božičević (scenarist) i Andri Óttarsen (producent / Glassriver, Island)
The Second / Sekundant (Srbija) — Darko Lunglov (scenarist, redatelj)
Suspicious Circumstances / Sumnjive okolnosti (Hrvatska) — Daria Stilin (autorica koncepta), Danijel Pek (producent / Antitalent) i Frank Spotnitz (producent / Big Light Productions, UK)
Kako bi osigurali relevantnost i visoki industrijski standard, okupljen je međunarodni žiri sastavljen od istaknutih predstavnika ključnih europskih platformi i koprodukcijskih foruma: Anna Rhode (Međunarodna kreativna producentica sadržaja / Beta Group Content & Coproduction), Roosa Toivonen (Suvoditeljica / TV Beats Forum), Coline Garbage (Series Mania Forum), Wade Channell (Izvršni direktor / Damn Fool Productions), Filson Ali (Članica upravnog odbora / WIFT Sweden, suosnivačica / CAMERA X, kreativna producentica / European Producers Club) te Dina Rubanovitš (Direktorica strategije i razvoja poslovanja / Erich Pommer Institut).
Prije javnog pitchinga, svi odabrani timovi prolaze online pripremnu radionicu (20. – 25. listopada) pod vodstvom renomiranih mentorica Valerije Richter i Helene Granqvist, koje sudionicima pružaju intenzivnu podršku u razvoju prezentacijskih i međunarodnih koprodukcijskih vještina.
Dodijelit će se i niz industrijski značajnih nagrada: nagrada za najbolji pitch (5.000 €), WIFTI Peace Prize (3.000 €) koju dodjeljuje Damn Fool Productions, Co-development Award i Letter of Intent Beta Group Content & Coproductiona, EPI Scholarship za stručno usavršavanje, mentorsko posebno priznanje te akreditacije za Series Mania Forum, Tallinn TV Beats i MIA Market 2026.
Događanje se organizira uz podršku Hrvatskog audiovizualnog centra, Filmskog centra Crne Gore, Filmskog centra Srbije te uz potporu Organizacije za europske programe i kulturne odnose na Cipru, potvrđujući zajedničku regionalnu namjeru osnaživanja profesionalnih kapaciteta i međunarodne vidljivosti autora iz regije.
Series Rough Pitch – The Balkan Way#5 bit će emitiran uživo putem Facebook stranica DKE - Ureda MEDIA Hrvatske, Cipra, Grčke, Mađarske, Crne Gore i Srbije te na YouTube kanalu CED – MEDIA Office Croatia 30. listopada 2025. u 12:00 sati (CET).
Pozivamo producente, predstavnike industrije, studente filma, medije i zaljubljenike u serijske formate da nam se pridruže online, prate pitching uživo i upoznaju novu generaciju autora iz regije i šire — i još jednom čestitamo svim odabranim timovima!
Creative Europe Desk - MEDIA Office Croatia is pleased to announce the participants of the fifth edition of the ‘Series Rough Pitch - The Balkan Way’, the culmination of which will be the online Pitching forum on October 30, 2025 starting at 12.00 (CET)!
A new wave of television creators from the Western Balkans is preparing to step into the spotlight as the fifth edition of Series Rough Pitch – The Balkan Way goes live online on October 30, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. CET. Organised by the CED – MEDIA Offices from Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro and Serbia, the initiative has grown into a recognised platform for emerging series talent from the region, offering visibility, industry access and real co-production potential.
What started as a regional pitching event has evolved into a creative development hub, equipping Western Balkan filmmakers and screenwriters with the tools, mentorship and professional connections needed to navigate the European market. A total of 47 projects were submitted to this edition, out of which eight have been selected to pitch in front of some of the most influential industry figures working with European drama series today.
The 2025 lineup presents a dynamic selection of original voices and cross-border collaborations:
Killing Isle (Cyprus) — Harry Ayiotis (writer, director)
Forsaken (Hungary) — Fruzsina Fekete (screenwriter)
Athena Tsunami (Greece) — Vasiliki Lazaridou (writer, director)
You Can Always Come Back (Croatia) — Tena Gojić (creator) & Miljenka Čogelja (producer / Pipser)
Riders of the Mist (Montenegro) — Ana Vujadinović Tomić (writer) & Marko Jaćimović (producer / Giggling Goat Production)
Uncarved (Croatia) — Mile Božičević (screenwriter) & Andri Óttarsen (producer / Glassriver, Iceland)
The Second (Serbia) — Darko Lunglov (writer, director)
Suspicious Circumstances (Croatia) — Daria Stilin (creator), Danijel Pek (producer / Antitalent) & Frank Spotnitz (producer / Big Light Productions, UK)
To assess the pitches, the organisers have gathered a jury representing key European talent platforms and co-production markets:
Anna Rhode (International Creative Executive / Beta Group Content & Coproduction), Roosa Toivonen (Co - Head / TV Beats Forum), Coline Garbage (Series Mania Forum), Wade Channell (CEO / Damn Fool Productions), Filson Ali (WIFT Sweden Board Member, CAMERA X co-funder, creative producer / European Producers Club), Dina Rubanovitš (Director Strategy and Business Development / Erich Pommer Institut.
Before stepping into the public pitch, participants will take part in an online preparation workshop (October 20–25) guided by Valeria Richter and Helene Granqvist, both recognised internationally for their expertise in pitch development and audience-focused storytelling.
A strong package of industry awards will support their progress: the Best Pitch Award (€5,000), the WIFTI Peace Prize (€3,000) awarded on behalf of Damn Fool Productions, a Co-Development Award and Letter of Intent from Beta Group Content & Coproduction, an EPI Scholarship for advanced professional training, a Special Mention from the mentors, and accreditations for Series Mania Forum, Tallinn TV Beats and MIA Market 2026.
What sets the fifth edition of Series Rough Pitch – The Balkan Way apart is its clear curatorial direction. Instead of echoing the familiar themes of conflict or trauma often associated with the region, the platform invites Western Balkan creators to push boundaries in genre, tone and narrative expression, turning their gaze toward contemporary realities and shaping a new creative identity for the region — bold, diverse and internationally co-production ready.
The event is organised in cooperation with the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Film Center of Montenegro, the Film Center of Serbia, and supported by the Organisation for European Programmes and Cultural Relations in Cyprus, reflecting a united effort to build sustainable creative infrastructure and international visibility for Western Balkan talent.
Series Rough Pitch – The Balkan Way#5 will be broadcast live on Facebook (Creative Europe MEDIA Desks Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro, Serbia) and YouTube / CED – MEDIA Office Croatia on October 30, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. CET.
We warmly invite producers, industry professionals, film students, press representatives and TV series lovers to join us online, follow the pitches and discover the next generation of Western Balkan storytellers — and once again, congratulations to all selected teams.!
