Co-Production Strategies for Drama Series Today

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by industry analyst Johanna Koljonen, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

This episode focuses on current producing strategies in the drama series landscape after the TV-series boom of the last decade. Guest speakers Ankica Jurić Tilić and Marike Muselaers share their experiences in financing drama series, their take on the current market landscape as well as financing strategies for producers in different parts of Europe, and explain how co-productions may play an increasing role today.

Ankica Jurić Tilić is a producer from Croatia with more than 30 years of film experience. She graduated in comparative literature from the Zagreb University. She is also a graduate of EAVE, member of ACE, Producers on Move and EFA. She founded her production company Kinorama in 2003, together with two partners. Ankica’s filmography includes 30 feature-length films, several TV series, and a number of shorts. Her films were screened and awarded at prestigious festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Karlovy Vary, Toronto. In 2019, she was awarded Eurimages Co-production Award at EFA ceremony in Berlin. She teaches at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb and at EAVE.

With almost 20 years of experience in the international film and TV industry, Marike Muselaers recently joined Nordisk Film Production as Head of International Financing and Coproductions, and is therefore responsible for strengthening the financing of film and series projects and developing an ambitious strategy for co-productions. She mainly developed her interest for quality storytelling and international partnerships during her 15 years at the Lumiere Group in the Benelux, where she was responsible for sales, acquisitions, coproductions and international financing in production and distribution, before co-leading the group as Lumiere’s co-CEO. In her role as Financing Tutor for the Midpoint Series Launch program, Marike is coaching producers and writers. She also enjoys being a mentor at training programs like Qumra Series, Cinelink Sarajevo and SeriesWomen, is a member of the advisory board of TV Drama Vision and Nostradamus at the Göteborg Film Festival and also a well known moderator, keynote speaker and panel guest at many industry events.

Johanna Koljonen is a media analyst, broadcaster, and experience designer based in Sweden. She is co-founder of boutique consulting firm Participation Design Agency, and the author of the Göteborg Film Festival’s annual Nostradamus Report. This podcast episode has been developed in collaboration with the Berlinale Co-Production Market.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.