Beyond the East-West Co-Production Myth: New Partnerships for European Series
More than just a production site, but a creative hub: At the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, industry experts discussed how new series collaborations are developing and highlighted Central and Eastern Europe’s innovative potential for European series production. The entire panel discussion “Understanding CEE’s Hidden Production Ecosystems” from the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival can be watched below this article.
The European series landscape is transforming: In many high-revenue Western European markets, it is becoming increasingly difficult to produce high-quality series using national funding sources alone. Rising production budgets, shifting commissioning strategies, and increasingly ambitious creative projects are prompting producers to look beyond the borders of their respective home markets—not only in search of financing opportunities, but also for new creative partners and perspectives. Central and Eastern Europe has long since evolved beyond its previous role as a production location. Today, the region stands out for its internationally experienced screenwriters, producers, broadcasters, and increasingly diverse funding structures.
Nevertheless, a certain perception persists: Central and Eastern Europe is still often viewed primarily as a filming and production location rather than as a hub for developing stories and building long-term creative collaborations.
The panel discussion “Understanding CEE’s Hidden Production Ecosystems” at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival addressed this very issue. Moderator Saša Michailidis discussed with Tereza Polachová (Česká televize), Bettina Wente (Network Movie), and Philipp Kreuzer (maze pictures) how collaboration between the major markets of Western Europe and Central and Eastern Europe is evolving—and why it is about time to recognize the region’s potential as a creative partner.
It was immediately agreed that Central and Eastern Europe offers highly developed creative ecosystems, experienced talent, and exciting opportunities for international series partnerships—and that the current challenging market conditions only serve to further increase the need for productive collaboration. Bettina Wente, who spoke about the practical aspects of a successful creative production based on her Czech-German series “We’re On It, Comrades!,” emphasized how easy the cross-border project was to work on: “Shrinking markets and shrinking budgets should be good for collaboration. This is not the point, why it’s happening. You have a tradition of craftmanship over here. If this comes together with open-minded people and some skills, if this happens, there’s a lot of possibilities.” Creative partnerships should begin early on — as early as the development phase.
Tereza Polachová, who has many years of experience in streaming and TV production, explained why cross-border collaborations are slow to emerge despite the high level of skill and favorable conditions: time is a crucial factor. “Those shrinking budgets across Europe put us together. On the other hand, talent needs to get known, that takes time. We are collaborating with major and grown-up markets. They have their talents.”
Philipp Kreuzer emphasized that successful collaborations require trust, shared creative ambitions, and a distinct understanding of the audience. The producer is currently exploring new models of collaboration, such as his latest project, “Radio Free Europe,” which was created in partnership with the Romanian production company MicroFilm.