Two popular Balkan series were in the spotlight this week at the Sarajevo Film Festival , where local creators discussed their strategies for transforming regional narratives into potential global successes.

On Sunday evening, the red carpet premiere of “ Operation Sabre ,” a gripping Serbian crime drama, took place. The series, which had its international debut in the Long Form Competition at Canneseries this year, delves into the 2003 assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić. It was masterfully created and directed by Goran Stanković and Vladimir Tagić.

Snezana van Houwelingen, who produced the series for Belgrade-based This and That Productions , in co-production with Martichka Bozhilova (Agitprop) for Radio Television of Serbia, said that the creators were thinking about global audiences from the moment they began developing the script.

“From the outset, we recognized the international potential of this story, even though it stemmed from a localized event in Serbia,” she emphasized. “Every decision we made throughout the development phase was guided by the goal of crafting a TV show that would resonate with a diverse global audience.”

Anna Rohde, international creative executive at Beta Film Group — whose distribution arm, Beta Film, is handling the global distribution of the series — revealed that her company became interested in the project as early as 2019, when it secured an award at the CineLink Drama pitching sessions in Sarajevo.

“From that moment, the international appeal became undeniable,” Rohde shared. The Munich-based production and distribution powerhouse — whose regional repertoire includes “ I Know Your Soul ,” a crime drama directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Jasmila Žbanić (“Quo Vadis, Aida?”), which triumphed at this week’s Heart of Sarajevo TV Awards — quickly began exploring how to utilize its vast international influence to cultivate a breakout Balkan success.

“We deliberated on how we could contribute as a co-production partner,” Rohde explained. “What unique value could we offer to help it resonate with a global audience? Our focus was on collaborative efforts.”

Eckert Emmanuel, acquisition deputy director at Mediawan Rights , said there’s been a shift in how the French distribution company approaches TV series. “We genuinely want to help the producers finance the show. That’s what we are doing increasingly,” he said. “It’s very different from 10 years ago, when we just received shows” that were completed and ready to be sold. “We are more partners than just distributors.”

Earlier this year, the company announced its first venture into the Balkans at Series Mania, securing international distribution rights to “ Constantine’s Crossing ,” a supernatural World War II story about the Nazis’ quest for powerful relics that once belonged to the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great.

Describing it as “a Serbian show with vampires, werewolves, Nazis and a mystical cross,” Emmanuel acknowledged the series was “not the easiest to pitch.” “What truly drew me in is not just the quality of the production team, but also the script. And it’s always the deciding factor,” he stated.

“Constantine’s Crossing” is an adaptation of Dejan Stojiljkovic’s Serbian bestselling novel and produced by Telekom Serbia and Belgrade-based Firefly Productions . The series is written by Djordje Milosavljevic and Firefly co-founder Boban Jevti ć .

Jevtić, a former head of the Serbian film center and a successful film and TV writer, shared that the show’s mystical elements were exactly what its creators sought to emphasize as they began promoting it to the international market.

“When we envision large-scale projects, our goal is to create something that resonates globally through genre, while retaining a strong local flavor,” he explained.

These genre conventions have become a defining characteristic of international TV production, particularly as emerging industries strive to establish a formula that will create a distinctive, globally recognized identity — each region’s equivalent of Nordic Noir.

Beta’s Rohde, however, advised aspiring TV creators in Sarajevo to avoid a cookie-cutter approach when seeking the elusive formula for global success.

“Here's the catch: there's no magic formula,” she stated. “But here's the upside: there's a wealth of creative energy [in a region] bursting with stories, and exploring each one is truly engaging. We're open to all possibilities.”

Emmanuel, meanwhile, observed that the former Yugoslav states — long associated with unrest and conflict — have the potential to benefit by embracing their shared past and cultural identity.

“It's crucial to remember that when discussing the Balkans, we're not dealing with a single entity,” he emphasized. “Certainly, we collaborate with Serbia, Croatia, and other nations. But I believe our strength lies in unity.”

The Sarajevo Film Festival runs Aug. 16 – 23.