The event was organised by the Creative Europe Desks – MEDIA Offices from Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro, and Serbia, in cooperation with the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC), the Film Center of Montenegro, and the Film Center of Serbia, and supported by the Organisation for European Programmes and Cultural Relations in Cyprus.
Created to connect regional voices with international partners, Series Rough Pitch – The Balkan Way continues to serve as a unique platform for emerging creators to present their original TV series concepts to leading European industry experts, mentors and decision-makers. This year’s edition showcased an impressive selection of stories marked by emotional depth, creative courage and strong international potential — reaffirming that the Western Balkans and beyond remain a dynamic source of original voices ready to reach global audiences.
The Main Jury Award, worth 5,000 EUR, was presented to the Hungarian project Forsaken, written by Fruzsina Fekete. Presenting the award on behalf of the jury, Filson Ali said:
“The main pitch award of The Series Rough Pitch – The Balkan Way 2025 goes to a project that presented the best pitch and took us into the story in a clear and captive way. The project dives into the consequences of trauma at a young age, it’s about taking back agency from that trauma, which so far has defined this woman’s whole life. It is a raw and emotionally complex story where the two main characters stand on each side of the law, but on the same side of trauma, each needing to heal, they take responsibility in the only ways they can. The winner is 'Forsaken' by Fruzsina Fekete, and the jury wants to add that it’s a brave topic and we look very much forward to meeting these two women.”
The WIFTI Peace Prize, worth 3,000 EUR and provided by Damn Fool Productions, was presented by Wade Channell to the Croatian project You Can Always Come Back by Tena Gojić (creator) and Miljenka Čogelja (producer / Pipser). He shared the following statement:
“ I am honored to present the WIFTI Peace Prize. Women in Film and Television International was born in 1973, supporting women in the male-dominant film industry through connection, visibility, and knowledge. The Peace Prize was initiated in 2023 to recognize the work of remarkable women building a better world through the stories they tell. In his magisterial book, 'Exclusion and Embrace', Croatian theologian Miroslav Volf examines the nature of conflict and reconciliation. He notes that one common factor defines all parties to a conflict – each one thinks they are right and the other is wrong. Breaking through this impasse of exclusion – excluding the other, the other’s opinion, the other’s experience – this is a fundamental challenge to achieving peace in a fractured world. But how do we reach through that impasse? Without understanding, it is impossible. Storytellers take us into the hearts and lives of others, helping us to understand not only them, but also our own selves. And from that understanding, we can move beyond our own pains to build something better.
The WIFTI Peace Prize for 2025 goes to You Can Always Come Back, by Tena Gojić and Miljenka Čogelja. Their story of hard choices forced by hard circumstances asks us to find our way to understanding – at a minimum – if not forgiveness for what society finds unforgivable. In our pain-encrusted world, this call to radical empathy is ultimately not only to come back, but to move forward toward peace. Thank you, ladies. I can’t wait to sit back and binge this series.”
The Beta Co-development Award was presented by Anna Rohde-Seyfried on behalf of Beta Film to the Croatian project Suspicious Circumstances by Daria Stilin (creator), Danijel Pek (producer / Antitalent) and Frank Spotnitz (producer / Big Light Productions, UK).
“Beta Film’s Development Award by the Content & Coproduction Team is granted to the series project with a clear creative vision, high international potential and a most promising pan-European set up. The fascinating story combines storytelling elements of a classical crime investigation interwoven with the mystical narrative of exploring a universal karma. We are looking forward to working together with Daria Stilin, Danijel Pek and Frank Spotnitz on the further development of Suspicious Circumstances and to dive deeper into the traps of reception of non-verbal communication about faith, love and hope.”
The Tutors’ Special Mentions were presented by Valeria Richter (screenwriter) and Helene Granqvist (producer) to two participants whose creative journeys stood out during the workshop week.
“The pitch coaches’ special mention for acknowledging the participants’ journeys during our week together goes to two projects this year. The first special mention goes to Vasiliki Lazaridou (writer, director) from Greece with Athena Tsunami. We gave this special mention because Vas truly embraced their pitch persona and voice for this project, exploring ways to connect their story and characters’ vibe to bring it out into the room so that we can get why sitting on a stone in Athens taking time to think might just be the change the world needs now.
The second special mention goes to Darko Lungulov (writer, director) from Serbia with The Second for going deep and clarifying the main character’s journey and finding ways to bring out the deeper aspects of the story’s themes and how they resonate with today’s reality of the truth and facts which are threatened by fake news and realities. So, congratulations to both of you for embracing the big difference between crafting an excellent written text and crafting a spoken presentation. Thank you for your generosity in our collaboration.”
The EPI Scholarship, presented by Dina Rubanovitš on behalf of the Erich Pommer Institut (EPI), was awarded to You Can Always Come Back.
“EPI offers comprehensive trainings on the business and legal aspects of the European AV industry and supports gender parity through its female leadership programmes. This award will specifically entail participation at one of our training programmes in 2026 or one of our on-demand e-trainings. We are delighted to award the EPI training scholarship to 'You Can Always Come Back', a project about women driven by women that impressed us with its emotional depth and clear creative vision. Exploring the deeply human theme of motherhood, it tells a story that will resonate with audiences everywhere. Having a mother is something that connects every single person in the world. With its strong international ambition, 'You Can Always Come Back' is a perfect fit for EPI’s training. This opportunity will give them a chance to connect with the EU AV industry, to discover co-production partnerships and to gain new skills and inspiration for the next step of the project.”
The Consultation Awards on behalf of Good Hand Film and TV were presented by Roosa Toivonen.
“Talking about low population countries and challenges that face creators with limited domestic markets and fewer opportunities, institutional barriers etc., we wanted also to offer consultation sessions from Good Hand Film and TV (a company in Finland), where Petri Kemppinen and myself as dramaturges and two other producers are consulting projects. We wanted to give two consulting awards to two projects – 'Uncarved' by Mile Božičević (screenwriter) from Croatia and Andri Óttarsen (producer / Glassriver) from Iceland and 'Killing Isle' by Harry Ayiotis (creator, writer, director) from Cyprus – that are both also coming from low population countries that caught our eye. There is a lot you can do to bring them towards global prominence.”
The TV Beats Forum 2026 Accreditation was awarded to the Montengrin project Riders of the Mist by Ana Vujadinović Tomić (screenwriter) and Marko Jaćimović (producer / Giggling Goat Productions).
“This award goes to the project 'Riders of the Mist'. We think that dark humour and its intriguing premise is rooted in the real globally relevant coming-of-age genre, and the theme of a teenager dealing with coming to terms with death, loss and grief can, of course, resonate far beyond the Balkan and Adriatic market.”
The Series Mania Forum 2026 Accreditation was presented by Coline Garbage on behalf of Series Mania Forum to the project Forsaken by screenwriter Fruzsina Fekete:
“On behalf of Series Mania, we are pleased to offer an accreditation to 'Forsaken'. We were truly captivated by the story — it’s compelling and full of potential — and we’re eager to see how the next steps of this project unfold! We also noticed that you haven’t attended Séries Mania before, so this will be a great opportunity for you to meet industry professionals and discover the event in Lille next March. Congratulations once again, and we look forward to welcoming you to Series Mania Forum 2026!”
Heartfelt congratulations go to all the winners and participants of Series Rough Pitch – The Balkan Way 2025 for their inspiring pitches, creative ambition and dedication to storytelling.
A special thank-you goes to the jury members for their professionalism, insight and generosity in sharing their expertise: Filson Ali (WIFT Sweden Board Member, CAMERA X co-funder, creative producer / European Producers Club), Anna Rohde-Seyfried (International Creative Executive / Beta Group Content & Coproduction), Roosa Toivonen (Co - Head / TV Beats Forum / Good Hand Film and TV ), Dina Rubanovitš (Director Strategy and Business Development / Erich Pommer Institut), Coline Garbage (Co-Pro Pitching Sessions & IP Market Project Manager) and Wade Channell (CEO / Damn Fool Productions). Their thoughtful engagement and contribution were essential in shaping this year’s selection of winners.
Warm thanks are also extended to the tutors, Valeria Richter and Helene Granqvist, for their dedicated mentorship and support throughout the pitching workshop.
Finally, sincere thanks go to all partners and supporters: the Creative Europe MEDIA Desks from Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro and Serbia, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Film Center of Montenegro, the Film Center of Serbia, Beta Film, Damn Fool Productions, the Erich Pommer Institut, Good Hand Film and TV, TV Beats Forum, Series Mania Forum, and the Organisation for European Programmes and Cultural Relations in Cyprus, whose collaboration and support made this year’s event possible.
Reflecting on the success of this milestone fifth edition, Martina Petrović, Head of the Creative Europe MEDIA Desk Croatia and the initiator of Series Rough Pitch – The Balkan Way, highlighted the event’s growing importance and impact:
“When we launched Series Rough Pitch – The Balkan Way five years ago, our goal was simple yet ambitious – to give voice to regional storytellers whose ideas deserved to be heard beyond their borders. Over the years, this platform has evolved into a genuine creative hub where talent, courage and collaboration meet. This fifth edition marked a significant milestone for the initiative, with a record number of 47 applications submitted from six countries – the highest participation since the project’s launch. The growing interest and diversity of submissions once again reaffirm the strong creative potential of the region and its ability to tell stories with universal resonance. These projects reflect the complexity of our region, but also its immense creative energy and optimism. The need to continue this initiative is greater than ever. Storytelling from the Western Balkans and its neighbouring regions carries authenticity, resilience and hope — it reminds us that, even in challenging times, our shared narratives can connect us, heal us and inspire a better future. We are proud to see these authors stepping confidently onto the international stage, proving that creativity truly has no borders. The Series Rough Pitch – The Balkan Way has become more than just an event; it is a movement that continues to grow, bridging cultures, experiences and generations through the universal language of storytelling.”
