The event brought together producers, broadcasters, telecom operators and technology experts to examine how audiovisual content is now developed, financed and brought to market.
NEM Zagreb 2025 kicked off its latest edition by clearly outlining the direction of the European audiovisual industry from day one: a growing integration of creativity, artificial intelligence, new production models and streaming-driven distribution strategies.
The event brought together producers, broadcasters, telecom operators and technology experts to examine how audiovisual content is now developed, financed and brought to market.
One of the key themes of the opening day was the impact of artificial intelligence on decision-making, content creation and business models.
The Leaders on AI panel featured top regional executives from RTV Slovenia, Nova TV, RTL Croatia, Pro Plus Slovenia, A1 Croatia, Croatian Telecom and HRT, who agreed that AI has already become a crucial tool for reshaping editorial strategies, optimizing distribution and gaining deeper insights into audience behavior.
The evolution of regional production also took center stage during the panel CEE Producers: Reflections on the Last 5 Years, which explored how production dynamics have changed across Central and Eastern Europe. Producers from companies including Dramedy Productions, 4FILM, Foss Productions, May One and Apple Film Production shared their perspectives on current challenges, the growing importance of co-productions and the need to develop projects with international potential from the outset.
The program also included presentations and masterclasses focused on key industry trends. Sami Arpa, Founder and CEO of Largo.ai, explained how artificial intelligence is becoming a creative partner in audiovisual production.
Lühr-Martin Lemkau of Slick Strategy presented an analysis of how Central and Eastern European countries perform on Netflix, while Josip Čajić of stYpe highlighted the possibilities of real-time virtual production. Strategic reflections on Europe’s creative sovereignty in the age of AI were shared by Anette Schaefer of EIT Culture and Creativity, alongside a presentation by Maria Valenzuela on content licensing opportunities for AI companies.
Emerging talent was highlighted through the NEM Awards: Live Pitch, which showcased three pre-development TV series considered among the most promising in Europe. The selected projects were Gray Divorce, In Nomine Patris and The Boy Who Could Listen to the Soil, with the winner to be announced at the official awards ceremony.
International co-production was another major topic of the day. Several sessions examined concrete case studies tracing the journey from pitch to production and the adaptation of projects to the streaming environment, reflecting the region’s growing appeal to global platforms and partners.
The first day of NEM Zagreb 2025 concluded with a networking event that reinforced the market’s position as a key meeting point for creativity, business and technology, setting the tone for an edition shaped by the ongoing transformation of Europe’s audiovisual landscape.
