Blend - film & games conference, Zagreb

Speakers

Daniele Barone

Founder and CEO of Biunivoca

Elodie Moog

Company manager at Praxinos

Marco Ponte

CEO and Creative Director of Nacon Studio, Milan

Maria Glowacka

Senior Franchise Manager at CD PROJEKT RED

Matteo Lana

CEO and Co-Founder of Tiny Bull Studios

Pierre Puget

Screenwriter and Director

Silke Hassreiter

Researcher - Academy for AI, Games & Media

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Thomas Golubich

Movie and television music supervisor

Željko Barčan

FX Supervisor at Wētā FX

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Program

23.10.2026

24.10.2026

Workshops

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UNREAL ENGINE – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN AUDIOVISUAL PROJECT

WORKSHOP LEADER: Ivan Glavinović, Lecturer at Algebra Bernays University
DATE & TIME: October 23, 2026 (Friday), from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
REGISTRATION: To register for this free workshop, please send your first and last name to info@blendzagreb.eu no later than October 22, 2026, at 4:00 PM. Please indicate that you are registering for the Unreal Engine workshop.
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:
How can you quickly turn an idea for a video game or audiovisual project into a functional prototype? What possibilities does Unreal Engine offer, and how can you use them effectively throughout the creative and production process?
This workshop provides a practical introduction to Unreal Engine, one of the leading tools for developing video games and interactive audiovisual content, with a particular focus on rapid prototyping.
Participants will explore project organization using Blueprint, Unreal Engine's visual scripting system, and learn the fundamental principles of project architecture, programming best practices, and the use of the engine's built-in systems.
Through hands-on activities, participants will discover how to develop a prototype of a simple project that can be further developed by game designers and other members of a development team. Special attention will be given to creating a clear, well-structured, and accessible project that supports efficient collaboration and future development.
The workshop is designed for beginners and anyone interested in exploring Unreal Engine for the first time, discovering its potential for video game development and audiovisual production.

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VIRTUAL VOICES: CREATING MEMORABLE DIALOGUE

WORKSHOP LEADER: Olga Moskvina, Lecturer at Algebra Bernays University, Writer and Game Designer of Disco Elysium, one of the most critically acclaimed narrative video games of all time.
DATE & TIME: October 24, 2026 (Saturday), from 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM.
REGISTRATION: To register for this free workshop, please send your first and last name to info@blendzagreb.eu no later than October 22, 2026, at 4:00 PM. Please indicate that you are registering for the Virtual Voices: Creating Memorable Dialogue workshop.
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:
How do you create dialogue that gives characters personality, builds emotion, and stays with players long after the game ends? How can conversations shape a game's world and create characters that players genuinely connect with?
In Virtual Voices: Creating Memorable Dialogue, Olga Moskvina will explore the key principles of writing compelling, natural, and memorable dialogue for video games.
Drawing on her experience working on the critically acclaimed Disco Elysium, renowned for its exceptionally rich narrative, complex characters, and innovative approach to dialogue, participants will discover how words shape game worlds, influence player experiences, and transform virtual characters into unforgettable personalities.
The workshop aims to highlight the importance of well-crafted dialogue in narrative game development, offering participants insights into creative approaches to character development, emotional storytelling, and interactive narrative design.

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THINKING IN GAMES: HOW FILMMAKERS CAN PRESS PLAY

WORKSHOP LEADER: Pierre Puget, Co-Founder of BRAINS Narrative Studio UG, Screenwriter and Director
DATE & TIME: October 24, 2026 (Saturday), from 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM.
PARTICIPANTS: This workshop is designed for film and television professionals applying in pairs – a producer and a screenwriter, or a producer and a director.
REGISTRATION: To register for this free workshop, please send the full names of both participants to info@blendzagreb.eu no later than October 22, 2026, at 4:00 PM. Please indicate that you are registering for the Thinking in Games workshop.
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:
What happens when filmmakers start thinking like game creators? How does storytelling change when the audience becomes an active participant in the narrative?
Thinking in Games: How Filmmakers Can Press Play is designed for film and television professionals interested in exploring opportunities to develop their projects within the world of video games and interactive media.
Led by Pierre Puget, a screenwriter and director with 15 years of experience in the European audiovisual industry, the workshop explores how existing skills in storytelling, character development, and production can be transferred into interactive environments.
A distinctive feature of the workshop is its collaborative format, bringing together producer–screenwriter or producer–director pairs to explore both the creative and production opportunities of developing projects beyond traditional film and television formats.
Through hands-on exercises and interactive discussions, participants will discover the fundamental differences between linear and interactive storytelling, exploring how to approach narrative, characters, and world-building from the player's perspective.
The workshop aims to introduce film and television professionals to new ways of developing their ideas and projects within the video game industry, without requiring any previous experience in game development.

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FROM PLAYER TO CHARACTER

WORKSHOP LEADERS:
Laura Bošnjak, Professional Actress and Member of the D&D Association ARMOR CAST
Jan Kovačić, Professional Actor, Singer, and Member of the D&D Association ARMOR CAST
ORGANIZER: ARMOR CAST Association
DATE & TIME: October 24, 2026 (Saturday), from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
REGISTRATION: To register for this free workshop, please send your first and last name to info@blendzagreb.eu no later than October 22, 2026, at 4:00 PM.

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CINEMA, TELEVISION AND VIDEO GAMES: DISCOVERING A NEW REALM OF OPPORTUNITIES

WORKSHOP LEADERS:
Daniele Barone, Founder and CEO of Biunivoca
Marco Mazzaglia, Video Game Evangelist, Producer, and IT Manager
DATE & TIME: October 24, 2026 (Saturday), from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
REGISTRATION: To register for this free workshop, please send your first and last name to info@blendzagreb.eu no later than October 22, 2026, at 4:00 PM.
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:
There is a space where video games, television, and cinema have long intersected and influenced one another, yet its full potential remains largely unexplored. Within this space lie new creative and business opportunities, sometimes emerging in entirely unexpected forms.
This workshop explores the relationship between film, television, and video games from different perspectives – from using existing audiovisual content and television archives in gaming to developing new cross-media experiences based on intellectual property (IP) originating from the film, television, or gaming industries.
How can a film or television story find new life through an interactive experience? How can existing IP expand from one medium into another? And what new opportunities emerge when film, television, and gaming professionals begin thinking beyond the boundaries of their own industries?
Alongside theoretical insights, the workshop includes interactive sessions where participants will have the opportunity to explore real-world examples of how these industries have come together – from well-known projects to lesser-known but innovative experiments that have pushed boundaries and helped shape the evolution of cross-media storytelling.
The workshop aims to offer a fresh perspective on the relationship between film, television, and video games, encouraging participants to identify new opportunities within their own projects for developing content, expanding intellectual property, and creating experiences that can thrive across multiple media platforms.

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ACTING IN RPG

WORKSHOP LEADERS:
Laura Bošnjak, Professional Actress and Member of the D&D Association ARMOR CAST
Jan Kovačić, Professional Actor, Singer, and Member of the D&D Association ARMOR CAST
ORGANIZER: ARMOR CAST Association
DATE & TIME: October 23, 2026 (Friday), from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
REGISTRATION: To register for this free workshop, please send your first and last name to info@blendzagreb.eu no later than October 22, 2026, at 4:00 PM.

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From Concept to Market – Tips for Game Development

WORKSHOP LEADER: Hrvoje Mitić, Game Scout, Producer, and Secretary of the Croatian Game Developers Association (CGDA).
DATE & TIME: October 23, 2026 (Friday), from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
REGISTRATION: To register for this free workshop, please send your first and last name to info@blendzagreb.eu no later than October 22, 2026, at 4:00 PM.
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:
This workshop is designed for RPG players who want to take their roleplaying skills to the next level through acting techniques.
Through improvisational exercises and Keith Johnstone's techniques described in his influential book Impro, participants will explore how to build authentic relationships with other characters and NPCs, and how to apply the principles of dramatic situations to RPGs.
Special emphasis will be placed on defining character objectives within specific situations and actively listening and responding to fellow players. How can we create a compelling scene together rather than simply falling back on the familiar excuse, “My character would never do that”?

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Video Lectures

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Organizers

Academic Partner

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