Blend - film & games conference, Zagreb

Program 2025

Blend: Film & Games

02.10.2025

REGISTRATION & COFFEE BREAK

06:30 - 07:00

WELCOME SPEECHES

07:00 - 07:15

PANEL: Why doesn't the law recognize the producer as an author?

Speakers: Hrvoje Osvadić, producer and president of HRUP; Miljenka Čogelja, producer; Danilo Šerbedžija, director and president of DHFA; Christopher P. Marcich, head of Croatian AV Centar
Moderator: Mia Pećina Drašković, producer and head of ZFO

07:15 - 08:15

BREAK

08:15 - 08:30

PANEL: Challenges of Co-Productions between Croatia and Belgium

SPEAKERS: Xavier Rombaut, producer, Polar Bear (BEL); H.E. Mr. William De Baets, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium; Chris Marcich, director of HAVC; ZOOM – Youri Loedts, VAF Gaming (BEL); ZOOM – Prof. Dries Deryckere, Howest University (BEL)

Moderator: Miljenka Čogelja, producer

08:30 - 09:15

BREAK

09:15 - 09:30

LMGI PANEL: Advantages and disadvantages of filming locations in Zagreb and Croatia

John Rakich, president of LMGI (Canada); Enrico Latella, LM (Italy); Sabine Schulmeyer (Germany)

Moderator: Tomislav Peleski, location manager Croatia / LMGI member

09:30 - 10:15

BREAK

10:15 - 10:30

PANEL: Crafting Transmedia Worlds with Toys, Film, Video Games and Beyond

Speakers: Albert Gajšak, innovator and founder of CircuitMess; Damir Šlogar, game developer, collector, and entrepreneur; Ivan Kosovec, founder of Magic Omens

Moderator: Igor Margan, Head of the Game Development Studio, ALGEBRA BERNAYS

10:30 - 11:15

LUNCH BREAK

11:15 - 12:30

PANEL: Croatian candidate for Goya and Oscar awards: Fiume e Morte!

Speakers: Vanja Jambrović, producer; Tibor Kesser, producer; Slobodanka Mišković Boba, Art Kino Rijeka/Film Office

Moderator: Filip Zadro, director

12:30 - 13:15

BREAK

13:15 - 13:30

KEYNOTE: CROSS-POLLINATION BETWEEN CINEMA AND GAMEPLAY

Speaker: Thierry Van Gyseghem, Animation Director and Team Leader, Memorable Games Consultant and Advocate

Announcement: Antonija Mandić, Conference Host

13:30 - 14:15

BREAK

14:15 - 14:30

KEYNOTE: ''Fireside chat'' about film Poplava/Flow

Speaker: Martins Upitis (Latvia), co-founder of Physical Addons studio and key animator of the film Moderator: Lucija Pilić, journalist and producer

14:30 - 15:30

SCREENING OF THE OSCAR-WINNING FILM 'FLOOD'!

16:00 - 18:00

WORKSHOP 1: DIRECTING AND SHOOTING NARRATIVE DRIVEN ANIMATION (FIRST PART)

Workshop Leader:
Thierry Van Gyseghem, Animation Director and Team Leader, Memorable Games Consultant

08:00 - 11:00

WORKSHOP 2: Green Competitiveness: Sustainable Practices in the Film and Video Game Industries

Lecturer: Morana Ikić Komljenović, producer and member of the Sustainability Working Group at Eurimages

08:00 - 11:00

STUDENT FILMS FROM ACADEMY OF DRAMATIC ART AND VERN' UNIVERSITY

08:00 - 15:00

EXHIBITORS

INKUBATOR PISMO // BURA: THE WAY THE WIND BLOWS // DARK QUEEN // BALTHAZAR // ALGEBRA BERNAYS // GAMES CROATIA // RED BULL TETRIS

07:00 - 15:00

03.10.2025

REGISTRATION & COFFEE BREAK

06:30 - 07:00

PRESENTATION: From script to final video, everything with AI

Speaker: Assoc. Prof. Predrag Šuka, Head of Multimedia Production Studies, Algebra Bernays University

Announcement: Antonija Mandić, Conference Chair

07:00 - 07:45

BREAK

07:45 - 08:00

PANEL: Artificial Intelligence in the Creative Industries

Speakers: Damir Firšt, technology strategist, investor and consultant, CroAI; Vlaho Hrdalo, attorney/partner at Hrdalo & Krnic Law Office; Anđelo Jurkas, indie producer, author/director, DOP Production and Ivan Murat, director of Nanobit

Moderator: Assoc.Art. Predrag Šuka, Head of Multimedia Production Studies, Algebra Bernays University

08:00 - 09:00

BREAK

09:00 - 09:15

KEYNOTE: WHAT WILL TOMORROW LOOK LIKE IN THE FILM AND VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY!

Speaker: Jorg Tittel, director, screenwriter, producer and designer (UK)
Announcement: Antonija Mandić, conference host

09:15 - 10:00

BREAK

10:00 - 10:15

KEYNOTE: THE FUTURE OF BRANDS AND VIDEO GAMES

Speaker: Fernando Machado, Operating Partner, Garnett Station Partners (USA)
Moderator: Lovro Belošević, Public Relations, Algebra Bernays University

10:15 - 11:15

LUNCH BREAK

11:15 - 12:15

PANEL: How Virtual Production is Changing the Indie Film and Game Landscape

Speakers: Hrvoje Kordić, video game designer and producer, Digital Kinetics; Xavier Rombaut, producer, Polar Bear Production (BEL); Basia Karpinski, virtual production specialist, TVN XR Studio/Warner Bros. Discovery (PL); Matko Burić, producer, head of virtual studio Antitalent; Josip Čajić, solution architect, stYpe

Moderator: Benjamin Noah Maričak, Games Croatia /HAVC

12:15 - 13:15

BREAK

13:15 - 13:30

PANEL: Achieving Worldwide Success in Animation on a Non-Hollywood Budget!

Speakers: Martins Upitis, animator of the Oscar-winning film Flow (LV); Dino Krpan, producer, Diedra production; ZOOM - Draško Ivezić, animator, Adriatic Animation; Irena Jukić Pranjić, animator and illustrator

Moderator: Janja Pilić, producer

13:30 - 14:15

BREAK

14:15 - 14:30

PANEL: Transmedia: Video Games Based on TV Series and Movies – Moomins and Paws of Fury

Speakers: Dimitrije Đokić, publishing producer, Raw Fury; Pontus Rundqvist, Senior Brand Manager (Sweden); Hrvoje Mitić, producer/games scout

Moderator: Dunja Trojan, director of Broadcast.hr

14:30 - 15:30

REGISTRATION & COFFEE BREAK

06:30 - 07:00

PRESENTATION: How to Upskill, Network & Work in Film & TV Globally through Stage 32

Speaker: Ewan Dunbar, Producer and Stage 32 Brand Ambassador Moderator: Petar Vučetić, Head of Multimedia Department, VERN University

07:00 - 07:45

BREAK

07:45 - 08:00

PRESENTATION: 'AND THEY'RE NOT EVEN 30!'

Participants:
Directing: Karlo Vorih, ADU; Vida Žagar, Vern
DOP: Filip Šarić, Vern, Reina Krumm
Production: Karlo Gagulić, Vern; Laura Pribanić, ADU; Patrik Burić, Algebra Bernays
Game developing: Tea Stepanić; Dominik Cvetkovski; Patrik Burnić, Algebra Bernays

Moderator: Benjamin Noah Maričak, Games Croatia /HAVC

08:00 - 09:00

BREAK

09:00 - 12:15

PANEL: Junior/Senior/Veteran - three perspectives on music for video games

Speakers: Nikola Nikita Jeremić, composer and sound designer (SRB); Matija Malatestinić, sound designer, composer and lecturer; Damjan Mravunac, composer and sound designer

Moderator: Damjan Mravunac, composer and sound designer

12:15 - 13:15

BREAK

13:15 - 13:30

PRESENTATION: What happened in film production after the introduction of sustainability incentives in Austria?

Speaker: Florisse-Anu Shanker, Managing Director, hq7 studios (Austria)

Moderator: Morana I. Komljenović, Producer, Member of the Sustainability Working Group at Eurimages

13:30 - 14:15

BREAK

14:15 - 14:30

CASE STUDY SRAM: How SRAM conquered social media and maximized viewing!

Speaker: Bruno Mustić, Producer

Moderator: Mia Pećina Drašković, Producer and Head of ZFO

14:30 - 15:30

WORKSHOP 1: DIRECTING AND SHOOTING NARRATIVE DRIVEN ANIMATION (SECOND PART)

Lecturer:
Thierry Van Gyseghem,
Animation Director and Team Leader, Memorable Games Consultant and Advocate

08:00 - 11:00

WORKSHOP 4: BE AFRAID. BE VERY AFRAID. BUT DO IT.

Lecturer: Fernando Machado, Operating Partner, Garnett Station Partners (USA)

12:30 - 15:00

WORKSHOP 3: PROJECT ARCHITECTURE IN UNITY

Lecturer:
Andrija Zorić, Game developer & Head of Studio Bad Elektron

08:00 - 11:00

WORKSHOP 5: FROM 2D PICTURE TO 3D WORLD

Lecturer: Ivan Šivak, lecturer at Algebra Bernays University, multimedia artist

12:30 - 15:00

STUDENT FILMS FROM ACADEMY OF DRAMATIC ART AND VERN' UNIVERSITY

08:00 - 15:00

EXHIBITORS

INKUBATOR PISMO // BURA: THE WAY THE WIND BLOWS // DARK QUEEN // BALTHAZAR // ALGEBRA BERNAYS // GAMES CROATIA // RED BULL TETRIS

07:00 - 15:00

ACTIVATION: LEND ME YOUR VOICE!

How do you do voice dubbing? Try it and become one of your favorite characters!

08:00 - 15:00