During the world’s most important film event, CME has publicly launched its new incentive to produce socially impactful content. Hana de Goeij, Group Head of Responsible Content and Social Purpose at CME and founder of the Social Impact Center, presented the new platform as one of the guests at Marché du Film’s Producers Network Breakfast as part of the impACT Day.

CME Social Impact Center will be actively producing and co-producing projects across all its markets, including the Czech Republic (TV Nova), Slovakia (Markíza), Slovenia (POP TV), Bulgaria (bTV), Croatia (RTL), and Romania & Moldova (PRO TV). First series along with impact campaigns are going to be published within the next year.

“We have a successful track record of spotlighting important issues and giving a voice to those who don’t have a platform but have a lot to say. The CME Social Impact Center is a logical next step in our strategy of responsible content. It’s an opportunity to help accelerate positive social change in our region through powerful storytelling,” said Hana de Goeij.

“As the biggest content producer in central and Eastern Europe, CME recognizes the responsibility that comes with our scale and reach. We are proud to be a broadcaster that is not only commercially successful, but also respected across Europe for producing responsible, meaningful content that reflects and supports the societies we serve,” said Sam Barnett, CEO of CME.

Currently the first two projects have been greenlit for development. “We are actively working on a creative-documentary series by Radiana Bozhikova and Dobromir Ivanov about cervical cancer for Bulgarian streaming platform VOYO and bTV, one of the country’s leading commercial broadcasters. The other project is a mobile-first series for RTL Croatia by Eugenija Prša and Filip Dizdar about battling anxiety of millennials and Gen Z,” added Jan Syruček, supervising producer of the Center.

“All content has impact - but not all content is built to be impactful,” says Emma Vos, impact producer of the Center. “For us, that means being intentional about the stories we tell and the issues we choose to spotlight, with clear, measurable objectives from the start. And it’s partnerships - across NGOs, communities, public institutions, research, and the private sector - that ultimately determine whether that impact has real scale, depth, and durability,” closed Vos.