In a departure from the atmosphere of other industry events, NEM Dubrovnik 2026 exudes positive energy, a product of its dreamlike location and significant year-on-year growth.
By Luis Cabrera, from Dubrovnik, Croatia
The third day of NEM Dubrovnik 2026 -effectively the final full day of the event, which officially closes its doors this Thursday- was a pure celebration, with Queen’s songs taking center stage, especially “Don’t Stop Me Now,” which could have served as the event’s anthem.
“I feel alive” and “there is no stopping me” are part of the lyrics written by Freddie Mercury, and it’s certainly something the audiovisual content industry, so battered by multiple blows, some external and others self-inflicted, is eager to sing at the top of its lungs once again. And in Dubrovnik, for at least four days, it was a resounding success.
The constant growth of NEM as an event took an even greater leap in 2026, with more spaces and a record number of participants, the result of a combination of factors, some external, undoubtedly, but also the exceptional work done by the organizers.
The distributors present in the different areas, including the new spaces created for this edition, have nothing but praise for the organizers’ consistent presence, dedication to service, and speed of response.
The questions about what comes next and how NEM Dubrovnik will face the inevitable challenges of growth -can the event continue to grow at this pace without losing what makes it so valuable to all its participants?- will have to wait until 2027, or, as the organizers say, until next week, when they will begin working on the next edition.
Now it’s time to celebrate what has been achieved and, as Queen would say, “have a good time.”
The Micro-Drama Debate
NEM reserved some of the event’s most engaging panels for Wednesday, even fostering dialogue between them, as happened with the closing panel, “The Trend You Think Is Overhyped,” sponsored by Backscreen and provocatively moderated by its CCO, Jan Frelek. The first of the two topics discussed was micro-dramas, and Frelek took advantage of the presence in the audience of Maria Rua Aguete from Omdia and Timothy Oh from COL Group International to bring them in as a counterpoint, given that both had been featured in the previous panel, “Micro-drama in CEE: Safe Bet or Risky Business?”.
Today, micro-dramas are dividing the industry, a modern (and more condensed, but with points of contact) version of Umberto Eco’s apocalyptic and integrated dramas: Are vertical dramatic content the great new opportunity for growth in the audiovisual universe, replicating in our regions what has been achieved in Asia, or are they a dangerous mirage that will ultimately work against the interests of content owners and creators? Aguete and Oh believe that producing vertical content is a key path that must be taken: the risk of not taking advantage of it is high. Other voices, such as Vanda Rapti, EVP & Chief Commercial Officer for North America and Viaplay Select at Viaplay Group, downplay its potential in regions like the Central and Eastern Europe, while Branko Čakarmiš, Director of Content Strategy at Pop TV, considers micro-dramas “fast food,” compared to the “grandma’s cooking” that is still served on TV and streaming services.
Gourmet Dishes
Both options were on the menus of several companies, such as Atresmedia Sales, which conducted its vertical testing, but always prioritizing its flagship content, such as 33 Days and A Dream of Freedom.
Atresmedia was part of the Audiovisual From Spain umbrella, which participated for the first time as such in Dubrovnik. This morning, ICEX hosted the event’s breakfast on the terrace of the Adriatic Market Area.
Within the Audiovisual From Spain umbrella, buyers could find companies such as RTVE, Secuoya Studios, and Movistar Plus.
Also present was the Mediterranean pavilion, with highly appealing titles such as the feel-good family story Olivia; and the documentary distributor Ártico, which arrived with titles such as Live is Live and The Last Footprints of the Neanderthal.
Another Spanish company, but participating outside the umbrella, was Onza Distribution, which has found great success in the EEC with Portuguese content, such as the Portuguese remake of The doy la vida, and the Slovakian series Neuer.
And speaking of international content that’s a hit in the region -and of large delegations at NEM Dubrovnik- Turkish dramas occupy one of the top spots, if not the top spot. ATV Distribution, for example, showcased titles like A.B.I: A Broken Inheritance, while Calinos Entertainment is also enjoying great success thanks to Ugly. Both distributors announced important new releases for the upcoming season.
The event concluded its third day in Lazareti, in Dubrovnik’s Old City, with a Queen tribute band. Tomorrow will be the fourth and final day of the 2026 edition of NEM in the Croatian city.
