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The fourth edition of Series Rough Pitch – The Balkan Way doubles its entries

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- This year, the pitching platform received a record number of 44 submissions in comparison with the third edition’s 21 applications

The fourth edition of Series Rough Pitch – The Balkan Way doubles its entries

The already-established platform within the regional film industry, “Series Rough Pitch – The Balkan Way”, will once again be live streamed today 30 October as of 12:00 CET via the official YouTube channel of Creative Europe MEDIA’s Croatian Office, as well as on the respective Facebook pages of the co-organisation involved MEDIA Offices in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro, and Serbia. The event is also recognised and supported by the Bulgarian National Film Centre, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Film Centre of Montenegro, the Film Center Serbia and the Organisation for European Programmes and Cultural Relations in Cyprus. “We are proud to acknowledge that, this year, we received a record number of applications, which justifies and proves a strong need to collaborate to ensure the further development of stories coming from small countries or small territories”, insisted Head of Creative Europe MEDIA’s Croatia Desk Martina Petrovic.

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Returning selectors and tutors, screenwriter Valeria Richter and producer Helene Granqvist, who have been an integral part of the event from its very beginning, added: “The Series Rough Pitch has grown in scope every year, showcasing talents from 8 different countries. This event opens an important window onto Balkan worlds, offering exciting insights by way of diverse, urgent and entertaining stories. This year’s selection highlights core European and global issues relating to our common heritage, corruption, capitalism and politics, with a red thread moving across several projects, exploring the role and meaning of artists and art in today’s world.”

The call was open to participants coming from eight countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro and Serbia. The jury members – once again including Andrea Hoffmann from the Berlinale Co-Production Market and Co-Pro Series, Solène Moreau from the Series Mania Forum, and Grace Maharaj from WIFT Sweden, as well as newly invited members Roosa Toivonen, co-head of the TV Beats Forum at Tallinn & Baltic Event, and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, actor, screenwriter, executive producer, and co-founder of Act4 – will decide on two financing awards. A €6,000 award will go to the best-pitched project, while a €1,000 award will recognize the project which has made the most progress through the online pitching preparation workshop. Additionally, the Series Mania Forum will offer free accreditation to one project to participate in its 2025 edition.

The full list of projects is as follows:

The Gene of Doubt
Scriptwriters: Zvezdomira Bozhana (co-writer), Zornitsa Sophia (writer, director)
Producer: Didi Maximova
Production company: Concept Studio (Bulgaria)

A Fistful of Nothing
Scriptwriter/Director: Jasna Nanut
Producer: Hrvoje Osvadić
Production company: Petnaesta umjetnost (Croatia)

Ataxia
Scriptwriter/Director: Christina Tryphonos
Producer: Andreas Phylactou
Production company: Black Lemon TV (Cyprus)

Staged
Scriptwriter/Director: Miranda Namicheishvili
(Georgia)

The Shepherd
Scriptwriter/Director: Filippos Tsitos
Producer: Stelios Mavrodontis
Production company: Filmiki (Greece)

Do the Dead Eat Strawberry Cake?
Scriptwriter/Director: Gergely Ipacs
Producer: Peter Roskó
Production company: Blue Duck Arts Production (Hungary)

Pray for Us
Scriptwriter/Director: Filip Jokanović
Producer: Sara Stijović
Production company: Tiny Sofa (Montenegro)

Perfect Place for Unhappiness
Scriptwriter/Director/Producer: Marko Kovač
Producer: Magdalena Petrović
Production company: MK Art Studio, LEWA Productions (Serbia)

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