NEM ZAGREB 2023 PUBLISHED A FULL PROGRAM

Zagreb, November 8, 2023 – Less than a month until the start of the third edition of NEM Zagreb 2023, the organizers presented a complete program filled with various novelties. The event will be held from December 6th to 8th at the Esplanade Zagreb Hotel, and the program will be rich in lectures, screenings, opportunities for networking and education and several ways to pay tribute to the best content from CEE. Once again, NEM Zagreb 2023 will give CEE content creators from low production capacity countries the opportunity to connect with colleagues from countries with high production capacity. The aim is to create opportunities for new projects, jobs, co-productions, content acquisitions inside and outside cee, as well as  investments by European or global streamers in original CEE content.

The NEM Contest powered by HAVC, a competition that will award the best screenwriting ideas, received more than 200 project applications in four categories: Scripted series, Scripted feature-length film, Documentary/Feature-length documentary film and Non-scripted entertainment format.

At NEM Zagreb 2023, the best drama in CEE will be announced. More than 25 applications were received, and some of the contestants who applied for the competition are BH Telecom, Czech Television, DANSU, Dramedy Productions, Drugi plan, Radio Television of Serbia (RTS), RTV Slovenia, Telekom Srbija, Polish Television (TVP).

 The Content Showcase platform will serve successful European production companies that enrich the Central and Eastern European market with their content, as well as winning projects from Heart of Europe and Conecta events. Also, Lee Hobbs, Senior Vice President, Discovery Networks and Creative Agency, EMEA, Warner Bros Discovery will present a variety of new content from this top global media and entertainment company.

In terms of screenings, HBO Max Europe is preparing an exclusive screening of its new biographical documentary Apolonia, Apolonia. The talented Apollonia was born in an underground theater in Paris and grew up in a community of artists. Over the course of 14 years, the documentary follows the artistic and personal growth of a young girl into a fascinating mature woman and esteemed painter. More details about the documentary will be revealed after the screening, during q&a with Hank Kastelikova, VP & Executive Producer of Documentaries, HBO Max Europe.

Also, Viaplay Select will exclusively screen the six-part crime drama Jana – Marked For Life, adapted from the bestselling series by Emelie Schepp. It was directed for Oscar-nominated Felix Herngren (The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared) and Henrik Björn (Jordskott). The focus is on prosecutor Jana Berzelius who discovers a gruesome connection to her own dark secrets after Sweden's top migration officer is killed. How long will he be able to hide his past life as a soldier-child and a killing machine?

Panel topics from film to artificial intelligence, games, book adaptations and co-productions

The wide range of topics will be expanded by adding the film to the discussion, starting with the panel How Will the Incorporation of AI Shape the Future of TV and Film Production? Many questions will be asked, such as whether AI can take on tasks such as screenwriting analysis, creating visual effects, and making creative decisions in TV and film production.

What is done well, and what aspects of the original production in the CEE region are done by national public broadcasters are wrong? This important question will be asked during the CEE FTA Originals on the Global Map sponsored by TVP.

The Difference Between Corporation-led and State-led Co-production panel will discuss cultural regulations that can affect co-production in the TV and film industry.

Challenges may also arise during the book's adaptation for a TV script. Panel Book to Screen: Navigation the Unique Challenges of Book Adaptations in Film and TV is for those filmmakers who want to make sure that their adaptation will retain the interest and appeal of the original book.

In the context of obstacles and difficulties faced by applicants from countries with low production capacity, the focus panel discussions TV series and Creative Europe MEDIA: Our Success Stories! will be on the challenges imposed by MEDIA calls for countries with limited-language, limited territory and adverse production conditions.

Another trend that will be discussed at NEM Zagreb 2024 is the rapid merger of the TV industry with the gamingindustry. How effective are video game adaptations in switching to TV series? Panel Gaming and TV: A Match Made in Heaven or a Recipe for Disaster? They'll give all the answers.

The future of co-production between high production capacity countries and CEE will be discussed during the Panel High-production countries and CEE: How Can We Work Together?

In addition to education as one of the goals of each edition of NEM Zagreb, a few days before and during the main event, special workshops will be held for the best students from several regional universities and Script surgeryintended for the finalists of the NEM Contest. Three days of NEM Zagreb 2023 will also be filled with various networking events and opportunities to create new connections and improve existing ones - starting with the welcome reception provided by TVP and the co-production lunch the next day that enabled the Heart of Europe International TV Festival & Forum. Also, the program is rich in numerous private networking events such as the Private Presentation of projects of the Croatian Association of Independent Producers powered by HAVC.

NEM Zagreb 2023 is co-financed by the European Union, through the Creative Europe MEDIA sub-programme. For more information, visit the NEM Zagreb 2023 website. Buy industry acreditation here.