The sixth edition of Series Rough Pitch – The Balkan Way will take place online on 30 October, presenting nine television series projects in development from seven European countries. Organised by a network of Creative Europe - MEDIA Desks and partner organisations, the initiative aims to connect emerging series creators with European audiovisual industry professionals, providing opportunities for project development and international collaboration.

This year's edition marks an expansion of the event's geographical scope, with Malta and Switzerland joining the initiative for the first time. The organisers received 32 applications from eight eligible countries, selecting nine projects representing Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Malta, Montenegro, Serbia and Switzerland.

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The event is organised by the Creative Europe - MEDIA Desk offices in Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro and Serbia, together with Arts Council Malta and MEDIA Desk Suisse. Its partners include the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Film Centre of Montenegro, the Cyprus Organisation for European Programmes and Cultural Relations, and Swiss Films.

"When we started The Balkan Way, we had one simple wish: to give storytellers from our region a chance to be heard," explains Martina Petrović, head of Creative Europe - MEDIA Desk Croatia and initiator of the event. "This year, as Malta and Switzerland joined us, I realised that this initiative has no borders because good stories always find each other."

The selected projects cover a variety of genres and subjects, ranging from family secrets and personal relationships to stories drawing on mythology and contemporary social issues. Croatia has the largest representation, with three projects, while the other six participating countries each have one.

Ahead of the public pitching session, the selected teams are taking part in an intensive online preparation workshop, running from 19-24 October, under the guidance of screenwriter Valeria Richter and producer Helene Granqvist. The workshop is designed to help participants refine their presentations and prepare their projects for an international professional audience.

Several awards and industry opportunities will be offered to the participating teams. The Best Pitch Award comes with €6,000, while the WIFT Sweden Peace Prize, sponsored by Damn Fool Productions, is worth €3,000. Other distinctions include the Audience Design Award, participation in Media Play 2027 in Sofia, and industry accreditations for Serial Killer 2027 in Brno, Series Mania Forum 2027 in Lille and TV Beats Forum 2027 in Tallinn. A Mentors' Special Mention will also be awarded.

The pitching session will be livestreamed on 30 October at 12:00 CET, via the Facebook page and the YouTube channel of Creative Europe - MEDIA Desk Croatia.

The nine selected projects are as follows:

Where the Old Gods Sleep (Croatia)
Created by Mateja Božičević
Written by Mateja Božičević

Bourgeois Blues (Croatia)
Created by Josipa Burić and Lorenzo Raušević
Written by Josipa Burić and Lorenzo Raušević

Rust (Serbia)
Created by Tanasije Ćakić
Written by Tanasije Ćakić, Olivera Guconić and Nikola Kljajić

Markheim (Malta)
Created by Kerry-Ann Calleja McGregor
Written by Kerry-Ann Calleja McGregor

The Hungarian Look (Hungary)
Created by Nóra Juhász and Zsolt Dér

Seventyn (Croatia)
Created by Ivor Martinić and Andrea Slaviček
Directed by Andrea Slaviček
Produced by T25

Not Everything Is About Money (Montenegro)
Created by Božo Nikčević

Memory (Switzerland)
Created by Fanny Nussbaumer
Produced by Azra Djurdjevic

Outsider (Greece)
Created by Dimitris Tzetzas and Alex Moran
Written by Alex Moran
Directed by Dimitris Tzetzas