When Nikoleta Karaffová packed her bags for London, she expected a year full of film theory, hands-on practice, and new experiences. What she didn’t anticipate was how much she’d miss home. “I enjoyed being there, but I missed my family and friends. When I came across CME Content Academy, I thought – why not give it a try? If I hadn’t found it, I’m not sure whether I would’ve stayed in the UK or gone a different route.”

When Tatiana Pavolková was producing reports as a one-woman show during the COVID pandemic, she had no idea it would eventually lead her to film directing. Her journey took her through journalism, film theory, and hands-on experimentation with filmmaking before she finally discovered what truly fulfills her. “When I made my first film, I realized nothing had ever felt so rewarding. It was challenging, but the urge to complete…

When you look at a map of the Czech Republic, the small village of Bílý Potok in the Jizera Mountains might fade into the sea of forests and hills. But for Adéla Jindrová, a student at CME Content Academy, it’s where her own story began. Growing up in an unconventional environment shaped by hippie and punk values, she learned early on that authenticity and openness often outweigh rigid rules.

It all started with a single tablet. When Sára Sliwková was eleven, her mother gave her one – and instead of playing games or studying, she simply started filming. Her first movies were made with her sister and friends: detective stories in her bedroom, horror films by the Brno Reservoir, and fairy tales in the garden. “I was constantly filming, and my mom noticed. One day, she told me, ‘You’re always making movies and bossing…

At fifteen, she was washing glasses in a bar, unknowingly learning how to read between the lines. She watched conversations unfold, studied emotions, and observed fleeting moments. Those experiences would later shape her storytelling. Back then, she had no idea she would one day write a series about pubs, the people who work in them, their dreams, mistakes, and unexpected encounters. Like the night a stranger offered her a…

When Adam enrolled in CME Content Academy, he had no idea his journey would take him to the sun-drenched Canary Islands, where he would become part of the team behind one of the most-watched reality shows - Love Island. Thanks to the unique blend of theory, practice, and abundant opportunities offered by the academy, he got to experience large-scale production firsthand. What was it like to be part of such a prestigious project?

Nikita Rybkin's journey begins in the quaint Russian town of Kaltan, where his love for crafting short stories blossomed at a young age. Despite initially pursuing a career in law, his heart remained steadfastly committed to creativity, with his leisure time devoted to nurturing his artistic inclinations.

It's a long way from Košice, he admits. However, he appreciates the fact that he finally has the opportunity to do what he enjoys.

His journey involved sunny Spain and a little Slovak village. CME Content Academy describes his unique path towards realizing his passion for TV and video content creation.

Sára's journey to CME Content Academy led her through city of Tábor and city of Třeboň, where she studied. Eventually, she has gone through various twists and turned to get to the Television Institute. Although creative activities always attracted her, it's only now that she has gained the confidence to pursue her dream. "I feel like I'm learning things here that are genuinely important to me," says a CME Content Academy…

His dream is to become a director or creative producer. František Kotačka, a professional video editor, hopes to learn even more at CME Content Academy. "I would like to improve my scriptwriting skills," he admits.

​Her greatest love has always been music, but having joined CME Content Academy, she realised what she truly wants to focus on. She aims to connect television and music: "At the moment, I feel like I'd prefer to do absolutely everything and at best at the same time," laughs Veronika Ľalíková. 

"There's a new school at TV Nova," his father told him. Sebastian Bednář learned more about CME Content Academy and applied for it. "Dad knows I do enjoy this stuff and wanted me to have a normal job with normal salary," says Sebastian. 

He smiles awkwardly at first. "When I read an interview with a celebrity, I always think how easy it is to answer questions, but in reality it's not easy at all," admits Lukáš Vlček, a CME Content Academy student. But he says he still has plenty of time to improve before he becomes famous. He still has a year to go before graduation.

How does a person suddenly switch careers in their mid-thirties? Many people this age claim that it's not worth it to make significant changes in their lives. However, Zdeněk Kurc, a CME Content Academy student, proves that it's never too late for a career switch. 

He says he could take acting and presenting courses anytime. However, the opportunity to become a showrunner on television might not come around every year. Danny Souchů, a twenty-two-year-old CME Content Academy student, is happy he made that decision. "I'll fulfill my dream. And I can be a host for fun," says Danny. 

He has many aspirations. In addition to planning to contribute as an author to projects for Nova and Voyo, he has rather unique wish. "I'm into music and would like to try composing something for a movie or series," says Dominik Misák.  He moved from theory to practice. In his university studies of Film theory, he wasn’t happy because he wanted to make films, not study them analytically. Then the opportunity to study at the CME…

She was supposed to sing in the theater. Living in Prague, she studied musical acting at the drama school but realized that opportunities in this field were limited. Being twenty years old, she is among the youngest students at the CME Content Academy. "It's wonderful how we complete one other by being of different ages," Isabella says happily. 

It's not one of those stories with the main character having a childhood dream that they later happen to fulfill. She couldn't have anticipated just a few years ago, she would end up at CME Content Academy...

For Maggie Drahovská it is her second year at CME Content Academy. She did an internship in the production of TV Nova’s Ordinace v růžové zahradě series. She appreciates both the internship and the CCA course because she’s able to compare the context and experiences from abroad. "The Czech and Slovak industry is much more reachable for newbies compared to the British film and TV industry. It's much easier to get among decision…

Passionate about film and television, Matúš Moška has gone through many professions. However, he says that none of them was as intriguing as filming. "I exchanged a prestigious position in the bank for an opportunity at CME Content Academy," says Matúš, a CME CA student...

Last October, Tereza Krčméry, 28, joined CME Content Academy and quickly took the opportunity to become a member of the Survivor reality show team. Afterwards, another offer appeared. Tereza joined the Love Island team, working as a junior director. She admits the education she had obtained at CME Content Academy played a significant role in establishing her credibility within the team. "When I told my opinion to the team, they…

The show Survivor is all about casting people off the show, but Tereza Vlčeková may have to be dragged off kicking and screaming. “I don’t want to leave,” she chuckled." “It’s so magical I think I’m dreaming sometimes.” Tereza, 27, is an intern on the set of Survivor Česko & Slovensko, currently being filmed in the Dominican Republic. She’s also a student of the CME Content Academy, and the internship is part of her studies.

Former executive producer Veronika Trčková, who spent 16 years working her way up in the television industry, has taken on a new mission to jump-start the television careers of talented young newcomers. She is one of the key players in the creation of the CME Content Academy, which opened last year, and is designed to develop young talent into the scriptwriters, showrunners, directors, and TV producers of tomorrow.

Matěj Škop is a cliché. His story of falling in love with filmmaking is so typical that he doesn't even want to tell it. "It's a typical story of directors all over the world," he said. Matěj was nine years old when his father first put a camera in his hands. At the age of ten, he asked his classmates to make a film with him. He filmed it in his bedroom with homemade car chases, trains, and lots of humor. Then he screened it at…

“Slavic Buffy.” That’s the TV series Maggie Drahovska dreams of creating. It’s one of the reasons she was accepted into the CME Content Academy. The Academy is designed to develop talented newcomers into the scriptwriters, showrunners, and TV producers of tomorrow. TV Nova and TV Markíza created CME together with The Television Institute to train students in the television industry and allow them to work long-term for the…

Tereza Krčméry spent a lot of time in front of television cameras as a professional dancer. She smiled, followed the director's instructions, and performed for the audience. "Then one day, I realized it might be better to be behind the camera," she said. This realization started her journey that led Tereza to CME Content Academy. The academy is designed to develop talented newcomers into future screenwriters, showrunners, and…

As a teenager in Kralupy, Adam Závodský was a “typical nerd” – obsessed with his electronic toys and mapping out a future in math and science. Then when he was 15 years old, he was forced to take a drama class. It changed the course of his life. “The professor was very clever, so I started taking more classes,” Adam said. “Creative writing then plays. I loved it.”

Her teachers told Kristina Sverkunová that writing “wasn’t a real job.”  They urged her to give up her passion to write books and scripts. Be practical, they said.  Choose something safe. And for a while, Kristina did just that. She became an entrepreneur, opening a successful craft brew pub in Prague.

Post-war Czechoslovakia: A 25-year-old man injured a girl in a minor motorcycle accident. Authorities gave him a choice: Go to prison for your “crime” or join the Communist party and the incident would be forgotten. He joined.