The Blend: Film & Games conference was held yesterday at the Algebra Bernays University in Zagreb, marking its first edition with a two-day program dedicated to the intersection of film and gaming. Experts and representatives from both sectors of the audiovisual industry from Croatia and around the world discussed trends, innovations, and challenges shaping future projects.
Over the two days of the conference, more than 20 panels and lectures took place featuring renowned speakers from Croatia, Belgium, Canada, Italy, Germany, Latvia, Poland, Sweden, Austria, and the United Kingdom. Keynote presentations drew special attention: Thierry Van Gyseghem, director of the animation for the video game Baldur’s Gate 3, a megahit that sold 15 million copies, Martins Upitis, lead animator of the Oscar-winning film Flow, and marketing guru Fernando Machado, former CMO of Activision Blizzard and Burger King.
At the very beginning, the conference was opened with welcoming words from the organizers and the academic partner of the conference, Algebra Bernays University, as well as all the partners. Benjamin Noah Maričak, head of the Games Croatia office at HAVC and co-organizer of the conference, stated, “Blend is not just an opportunity for exchanging experiences, ideas, and networking, but also a call to think about the future of the film industry and the video game industry.” Mia Pećina Drašković, head of the Zagreb Film Office and co-organizer, emphasized, "This year's conference program is the richest so far, and we are very proud of the large number of foreign professionals who are part of Blend, which opens doors for our experts for contacts and possible future joint projects." The president of the Management Board, Dr. sc. Damir Jugo, welcomed everyone to Algebra Bernays University, highlighting that the interdisciplinarity of the conference is important for the future of student education and stated, "Students of Algebra Bernays University must work on real projects during their studies, in contact with the industry, as this is the only way they gain the competencies that make them competitive. Our mission is not only to educate but also to encourage research, creativity, and courage in creating new high value-added products." H.E. William De Baets, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium, expressed his excitement that Belgium had the opportunity to be the partner country of the conference, as many of this year's speakers come from Belgium. The director of HAVC, Christopher P. Marcich, praised the Zagreb Film Office and Games Croatia for this year's Blend surpassing last year's program and emphasized that the collaboration between these two sectors is the future of the AV industry. Krešimir Partl, State Secretary of the Ministry of Culture and Media, highlighted the importance of continuous investment in the dynamic audiovisual sector. He emphasized that the MKIM is continuously working on improving the legal framework for finding new sources of funding and introducing new types of support. Recent amendments to the Law on AV Activities introduced a new incentive for the development and production of Croatian AV works by independent producers and added that the MKIM is actively advocating at the European level for the creation of a funding system in which platforms for the distribution of video games, which generate significant revenue from sales in our market, would also contribute to the production of culturally relevant content by returning a certain portion of their revenue back into the AV industry.
First Day: Film, Production, and Transmedia
The first day of the conference opened with discussions on the legal status of producers and their role in the creation of audiovisual works, featuring Danilo Šerbedžija, director and president of DHFA, Hrvoje Osvadić, producer and president of HRUP, Miljenka Čogelja, producer, and Christopher P. Marcich, director of HAVC, with Mia Pećina Drašković as the moderator and producer. It is important to emphasize that all participants agreed that the role of the producer has changed over the years and that certain producers certainly participate as authors in their projects, and that it is essential to start a working group as soon as possible to agree on the amendment of the law.
A panel on Croatian-Belgian co-productions followed, where experiences and challenges were shared by Xavier Rombaut, Belgian producer, Christopher P. Marcich, director of HAVC, Youri Loedts from the Belgian VAF fund, and Prof. Dries Deryckere from Howest University, supported by the Belgian ambassador to Croatia, H.E. Mr. William de Baets.
A great interest was generated by the panel on the advantages and disadvantages of filming in Croatian locations, where world-renowned location managers John Rakich, also president of the LMGI global association (Canada, Shadowhunters, Twisted Metal), Enrico Latella (Italy, Mission Impossible 7, Tenet), and Sabine Schulmeyer (Germany, The Matrix Resurrections, Constellation) shared their experiences.
Transmedia worlds were discussed by Albert Gajšak, CircuitMess, Damir Šlogar, game developer and collector, and Ivan Kosovec, Magic Omens, emphasizing how film and video games complement each other and create new business opportunities in the global market where the country of origin of the product is not important, providing great opportunities for products from Croatia.
A particularly emotional moment was the panel on the Croatian candidate for the Goya and Oscar awards – the film Fiume o Morte! - featuring producers Vanja Jambrović and Tibor Kesser, along with Slobodanka Mišković, head of the Rijeka Art Cinema and Kvarner Film Commission, who has been a great support for the film from the very beginning. This is the most-watched Croatian documentary film in the last 30 years with an impressive 36 thousand viewers gathered exclusively in independent cinemas across Croatia! The production team emphasized several times that CineStar refused to screen the film in its cinemas, explaining that they do not show documentary films.
The day concluded with two outstanding keynote sessions. Thierry Van Gyseghem, the lead animator of the hits Baldur’s Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin 2, spoke about the intersection of film language and interactive media, while Martins Upitis, an Oscar winner for the animated film Flow, revealed to the audience the creative and technical processes behind the film, followed by a screening of the award-winning work.
Photo: Tomislav Jeffrey Jemrić
Second Day: Artificial Intelligence, the Future of the Industry, and Sustainability
The second day of the conference was marked by a look into the future, with a special focus on artificial intelligence and its impact on creative industries. The program was opened by doc.art. Predrag Šuka, University Algebra Bernays, who captivated the audience with a presentation on how AI can shape the video creation process from script to finished product.
On the panel about artificial intelligence in the film and gaming industry participated Damir Firšt, technology strategist and AI consultant, Vlaho Hrdalo, lawyer and partner at Hrdalo & Krnić, Anđelo Jurkas, director, and Ivan Murat, director of Nanobit, moderated by doc.art. Predrag Šuka.
Keynote lectures attracted special attention. British director and producer Jorg Tittel (The Last Worker) spoke about the future of video games and film beyond the content itself, while marketing visionary Fernando Machado, former CMO of Burger King and Activision Blizzard, a two-time winner of the Adweek Grand Brand Genius award, held an inspiring panel on the role of creativity in shaping global video games and brands.
The panel on virtual production brought together Hrvoje Kordić, Digital Kinetics, Xavier Rombaut, a producer from Belgium, Basia Karpinski, a virtual production specialist from TVN XR Studio/Warner Bros. Discovery in Poland, Matko Burić, head of the virtual studio Antitalent, and Josip Čajić, a solution architect at stYpe. Meanwhile, the discussion on animation without Hollywood budgets gathered top authors and producers Martins Upitis, Dino Krpan, and Draško Ivezić.
The transmedia talk about video games based on series and films: Moomins and Paws of Fury featured top speakers who we believe inspired many future projects, Dimitrije Đokić, publishing producer at Raw Fury; Pontus Rundqvist, Senior brand manager from Sweden; and Hrvoje Mitić, producer and games scout, along with the excellent Dunja Trojan, director of Broadcast.hr.
The second hall was dedicated to young AV authors and music for video games. At the panel But they aren't even 30 yet!, young AV professionals presented themselves, including directors Karlo Vorih and Vida Žagar; cinematographers Filip Šarić and Reina Krumm; producers Karlo Gagulić, Laura Pribanić, and Patrik Burnić; and game developers Tea Stepanić and Dominik Cvetkovski.
At the panel on music in video games, three generations of composers – Nikola Nikita Jeremić from Serbia (Aliens: Dark Descent, Warhammer 40k, Destiny 2, Cyberpunk 2077), Matija Malatestinić, and Damjan Mravunac (Croteam, Serious Sam, Talos Principle) – shared their experiences in composing top works specifically for video games.
The panel on green production also added special value, where Florisse Anu Kaaripuro, managing director of the newly opened HQ7 Studio in Vienna, presented the change in thinking and productions after the introduction of a 5% additional state incentive for sustainability in the Austrian film industry, moderated by producer Morana Ikić Komljenović.
The last panel in hall 2 was dedicated to the phenomenal success of the Croatian teen series SRAM. Producer Bruno Mustić talked about the innovative strategies that enabled the series to become the most-watched domestic teen content and a digital phenomenon viewed worldwide, which the producers never expected! This panel provided insight into the successful promotion of the series that reached millions of views in the region and set new standards in digital distribution and audience engagement.
Workshops led by world-renowned and local experts such as Thierry Van Gyseghem, Andrija Zorić, Ivan Šivak, and Fernando Machado provided participants with practical insights into animation, game development, and creative marketing. Alongside the expert program, visitors had the opportunity to enjoy accompanying content: screenings of student films from the Academy of Dramatic Arts and the University of Vern’, an exhibition space for Croatian gaming studios, a highly attended activation Rent Your Voice for cartoon dubbing, and the popular Red Bull Tetris zone.
The first two-day edition of the Blend: Film & Games conference demonstrated that Zagreb and Croatia have strong potential as a regional hub for the film and gaming industry. The conference successfully connected creativity, technology, and business opportunities, fostering dialogue between local and global experts and laying a solid foundation for future editions.
The conference was attended by more than 600 participants, and we are very proud that, alongside local and international experts, it attracted numerous high school students and their teachers. All lectures will soon be available on the conference website www.blendzagreb.eu.
