The Opening Ceremony, pitches from two NEM Awards categories – Best Pre-Development Project Award and The Council of Europe Series Co-production Development Award – and panel discussions with industry experts marked the first day of NEM Zagreb 2024
Zagreb, 11th December 2024 – The fourth edition of NEM Zagreb 2024, an event focused on TV series and film production in Central and Eastern Europe, has officially begun. The opening day featured inspiring panel discussions, a Co-Production Gathering event, and a welcome speech by Krešimir Partl, State Secretary.
Most notably, a total of 22 NEM Awards finalists presented their projects in two categories: Best Pre-Development Project Award (including Scripted Series, Entertainment Format, Scripted Feature-Length Film, and Documentary Series/Feature-Length Film) and The Council of Europe Series Co-production Development Award.
Larry Bass, CEO & Executive Producer, ShinAwiL Productions, shared his excitement about the competition: “The NEM Awards are a great opportunity to acknowledge creative excellence whilst bringing international attention to successful nominees. It’s a passport to global recognition.”
Day one also featured the opening panel discussion, The Power of Casting in TV Formats, which focused on the critical role casting plays in the success of TV formats. The session featured key figures in the industry, including Lee Hobbs, SVP of Discovery Networks and Creative Agency, EMEA at Warner Bros. Discovery who shared interesting insights:
“Casting is really critical for us across all genres. The one thing that unifies whatever genre is that characters need to pop. (…) Diversity, equity and inclusion is very much a part of our DNA as a company and has been for some time.
(…) We come in as a global broadcaster or a global media company and it’s our remit to try and be more representative of the whole planet. It’s our role – we are setting almost a vanguard and moving the envelope to make it easier for smaller or local companies to follow afterwards.”
The Success stories ‘Volcano’ & ‘Reykjavik Fusion’ panel, sponsored by Creative Europe MEDIA Desk Croatia, took a deeper dive into two standout projects: Volcano and Reykjavik Fusion. Moderated by Martina Petrović, Head of Creative Europe MEDIA Desk Croatia, conversation centered on the intricacies of international co-productions, sharing lessons learned from these successful collaborations.
The final panel of the day, Content That Pops: Which Are Decisive Factors for Broadcasters?, brought together broadcasters and content acquisition experts who discussed what makes content stand out to broadcasters, identifying key aspects of content creation, audience targeting, and production quality.
These engaging panels not only provided valuable knowledge to attendees but also sparked meaningful discussions about the future of television.
During a special private event, Future Projects from Croatia by HDNP & SPID, members of both associations will present their projects in the pre-development phase to local producers, program directors, content managers and other TV industry decision makers.
The first day of NEM Zagreb 2024 wrapped up with the Co-Production Gathering at the NEM Lounge. Attendees had the opportunity to unwind and network while discussing key industry insights in a relaxed setting, setting the stage for the exciting sessions ahead.
Full details of the event are available from the official website at NEM Zagreb 2024.
NEM Zagreb 2024 is co-funded by the European Union, through the Creative Europe MEDIA sub-programme.
