The third edition of NEM Zagreb, an event focused on the advancement and promotion of TV series and movies production in Central and Eastern Europe, started with a program that included the announcement of NEM Awards finalists. The contestants who made it to the finals in the contest for the best TV drama series in CEE region included: Moth Hunting – TVP; Spy/Master – Warner Bros. Discovery; and The King – RTL Hungary.

Marc Lorber, Executive Producer, The Art of Coproduction, said about the competition: “It's wonderful to see how far the region has advanced in these last 14 years. It is time that the region has this award. Not just to highlight the creativity across the CEE, but to give it an extra push in the right direction –let’s encourage more such original ideas, more well-executed projects, and further co-production within this region.”

In the final round of the NEM Contest sponsored by HAVC the top projects competing for the best script idea in each of the contest categories were presented. Three finalists of four contest categories, Scripted series, Scripted feature-length film, Documentary series / Feature-length documentary film and Non-scripted entertainment format pitched their projects before the jurors and a large audience.

NEM Zagreb has been regarded as an event that hosts leaders of the global TV industry. This year is no exception, with a number of leading TV professionals joining the conference to introduce their latest content in exclusive events.

The Scandinavian Viaplay Group presented Jana – Marked For Life, a six-part crime drama series from their Viaplay Select portfolio, adapted from the series of bestselling novels by Emelie Schepp. The series will soon be available on Pickbox NOW and Pickbox TV. In the interview that followed the presentation, Sussan Treschow, TV Producer and one of the award-winning series’ directors Henrik Björn, Showrunner, Writer and Director shared many intriguing details about the series:

"Jana is complex, and so is the story. We've found a balance between gritty humor, romance, and family humor. Nordic noir is a broad genre, we wanted to push the envelope."

Warner Bros. Discovery followed on with Lee Hobbs, SVP Pay TV, Global Brands, D+ and Creative Agency EMEA introducing new content developed in the creative workshops of this TV industry global leader. The presentation was followed by an exclusive screening of documentary biopic Apolonia, Apolonia and an interview with Hanka Kastelicová, VP & Executive Producer of Documentaries, HBO Max Europe, who shared interesting details about the film: "Collaboration between East and West is extremely useful. Our films always talk to a large audience, not only in their country of origin, but beyond as well. We are trying to search for universal stories, and Eastern European cinema has a special visual storytelling which we are also taking care of."

After a several-year hiatus, The Croatian Association of Independent Producers (HDNP) resumed their TV Burza. In a closed event organized in collaboration with Croatian Screenwriters and Playwrights Guild (SPID), 12 television projects that are currently in development were presented to representatives of television channels, telecom providers, providers of audio-visual content on demand, and other television industry professionals.

Under the title How Will the Incorporation of AI Shape the Future of TV and Film Production?, the first panel at NEM Zagreb 2023 focused on the impact of artificial intelligence in TV and film production. Can AI take over the processes of script analysis, creating visual effects and making creative decisions?

The first day wrapped up with the Welcome Reception sponsored by TVP, offering the numerous guests of NEM Zagreb 2023 with an opportunity to continue networking and discussing features of the intense three-day program.