Telekom Srbija has produced more than 300 titles in the past decade, including over 180 seasons of scripted drama. Now the Serbian telecommunications giant wants to export that output to the world.
The company’s chief multimedia and content officer, Aleksandra Martinović, says the next phase is about partnerships. “Our next chapter is a deeper connection with our international partners, and presenting not only Telekom Srbija, but the whole Serbian creative industry, to the global market,” she told Variety from Belgrade.
Martinović’s export strategy
Martinović describes the last eight or nine years as a shift from a “traditional ecosystem” for film and TV to “a very open-minded and sophisticated regional production ecosystem.” That has meant making fewer shows, but bigger ones aimed at international buyers.
The strategy, she says, is “to make choices more wisely and make choices more oriented to potential international partnerships and potential distribution to international markets.”
Recent examples include “Scar,” a Serbian-Spanish crime drama created by Plano a Plano and produced by Cicatriz A.I.E. and Dopamine, in association with RTVE, Prime Video Spain, Telekom Srbija, Canal Plus Poland and RTL Hungary. There is also “Crosscurrents,” a romantic dramedy filmed in Montenegro with that country’s public broadcaster, RTCG.
Telekom Srbija’s spy thriller “Civil Servant” is entering its fourth season. It has sold to Disney+ Hotstar in India, Brazilian streamer Globoplay, Telemundo and FlixLatino.
The “Sanctuary” gamble
The company’s biggest bet to date is “Sanctuary,” an English-language, post-apocalyptic thriller starring Nina Kiri of “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Directed by Filip Kovačević, it has been acquired for North America by Vertical.
Martinović calls the film “a huge risk and a huge challenge” for the company. “It’s very challenging, not only in the sense of authenticity, but also financing,” she says. She adds that “international partners and distributors recognizing the value of that project” has helped its backers.
She is aware of the scale of the ambition. “We are completely aware that we come from a small country,” she says. “Having the kind of content which we were able to sell to HBO, Disney+ and others, for us is very important praise and proof [of what we can do].”
Studios, streaming and the local industry
Alongside its production arm, TS Media, Telekom Srbija runs the streaming platform MOVE, which Martinović calls a “regional Balkan Netflix.” The company is also “investing more in every element of the production chain,” most notably through its acquisition earlier this year of Belgrade-based Firefly Studios.
“We have a [360-degree] approach regarding production,” says Martinović. “It’s production, distribution, offering infrastructure through our Firefly Studios, and, of course, selling our own content to international partners.”
The Firefly purchase is part of the ambition to become “a one-stop shop in this part of Europe,” she says. Serbia offers a 25% cash rebate on local spend, and the country has some of the most skilled crews in the region.
Recent productions filmed in Serbia include “Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints,” the Fox Nation docudrama executive produced and narrated by Scorsese and produced through Lionsgate Alternative Television. Parts of the project were shot at Firefly Studios and locations in and around Belgrade and Pančevo.
Serbia has faced protests for nearly two years after a train station tragedy that claimed 16 lives. Some film and TV professionals say they have been shut out by state-backed media over their political beliefs.
Martinović rejects that criticism. “We are completely aware of the social and political situation, but it doesn’t affect our general strategy,” she says. “We are fighting for the whole creative industry in Serbia. And we open the door for the whole creative industry in Serbia through international projects, through selling our own projects to international broadcasters, through trying to attract international partners…to come here and see what we have to offer.”
“Not ‘we’ only as TS Media, but ‘we’ as the Serbian creative industry,” she continues. “We are fighting for all of us — not only for Telekom Srbija, but for all of us. Through Telekom Srbija, which is the biggest player, we are trying to [lift] our whole creative industry and to present them on the global scene.”
Key facts
- 300+ titles produced in the past decade
- 180+ seasons of scripted drama
- 16 lives lost in the train station tragedy
- 25% cash rebate on local spend in Serbia
- “Civil Servant” sold to Disney+ Hotstar, Globoplay, Telemundo and FlixLatino
Current slate
- “Scar” — Serbian-Spanish crime drama
- “Crosscurrents” — romantic dramedy filmed in Montenegro
- “Sanctuary” — English-language thriller starring Nina Kiri
- “Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints” — Fox Nation docudrama
The company is betting that its regional strength can translate into global reach.
Source: variety.com
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