Masterclass with Nikolaj Scherfig

How do you build a crime series that can sustain tension, complex characters and long-running narrative arcs across several seasons – while also bringing together two countries, languages and working methods?

In this one-day masterclass, acclaimed Danish screenwriter Nikolaj Scherfig takes participants behind the creative process of the internationally successful Nordic noir series The Bridge (Broen), using the show as a practical case study in series development and writing.

The masterclass explores how the core idea and distinctive tone of The Bridge were developed, how complex characters were created and sustained, and how episodic storylines were balanced with larger season arcs. Scherfig will also discuss the particular challenges and possibilities of telling a story across two countries, including the blending of Danish and Swedish cultures, languages and working practices.

A further focus will be on creative collaboration: how screenwriters work with directors, actors, production designers and other creative partners, as well as with broadcasters across national borders.

Rather than simply looking back at a successful series, the masterclass uses The Bridge to examine practical principles that can be applied to contemporary crime drama and series writing: concept development, tone, character, structure, collaboration and international storytelling.

The masterclass is intended for professional and emerging screenwriters, but will also be valuable for directors, producers, playwrights, novelists and other creatives working with narrative development.

Nikolaj Scherfig is an acclaimed Danish screenwriter and one of the key writers behind The Bridge, for which he wrote a total of 38 episodes across its four seasons.

A graduate of the Danish Film School’s screenwriting department, Scherfig has written extensively for television and film. His television credits include The Bridge I–IV, Heartless, Jesus & Josefine, The Other World, Scandinavian Star, Taxa and Rejseholdet. His feature film credits include Eye of the Eagle.

In addition to his writing work, Scherfig has worked as a freelance film consultant and as a film commissioner at the Danish Film Institute. He served as Chairman of the Danish Writers Guild from 2011 to 2024 and has also been a board member of FSE – the Federation of Screenwriters in Europe.

He has taught masterclasses based on The Bridge both during the series’ original run and more recently for a new generation of writers, sharing first-hand experience of developing, writing and producing one of Europe’s most influential crime series.

Language: English

Participation fee:

Early bird prices are valid until September 18, 2026.

Payment to: MTÜ Eesti Stsenaristide Gild
Swedbank: EE89 2200 2210 6992 7592

Please indicate on the registration form if you require an invoice.

For those who need accommodation during the masterclass, especially guests travelling from abroad, Tallink City Hotel is kindly offering discounted room rates. If you are interested, please contact us for more information and booking details.

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What does emotional, relational and ethical support for filmmakers look like? How can we advocate for a healthier approach to mental health within the industry?

Alongside the creative, technical and strategic demands of making a film, those involved in its lifecycle are also responsible for safeguarding participants, teams, audiences and themselves from trauma, challenging social realities and psychological complexity.

During this workshop with Film In Mind founder and psychotherapist Rebecca Day, we will explore these questions through reflective exercises and group discussion. Participants are invited to reflect on their own experiences of filmmaking and share project-related challenges.

Target group: screenwriters, directors, documentary filmmakers and other creative professionals

Language: English

Participation fee:
• Members of the Estonian Screenwriters’ Guild, Estonian Filmmakers’ Union, Estonian Documentary Guild, Estonian Film Directors Guild, Estonian Actors Union: 15 €
• Non-members: 25 €
Payable to: MTÜ Eesti Stsenaristide Gild
Swedbank EE89 2200 2210 6992 7592
Please indicate in the registration form if you require an invoice.

The Zoom link will be sent after registration and payment.

Questions: info@stsenaristid.ee

About the tutor:

Rebecca Day is a qualified psychotherapist and founder of Film In Mind, a therapeutic service for filmmakers. She works actively with filmmakers to reduce psychological risk and address mental health challenges in the documentary field. Rebecca has combined her therapeutic expertise with over a decade of documentary production experience to create support tailored to the unique needs of freelance filmmakers, production companies and film organisations.

She is also a co-founder of DocuMentality (2023), an international research project examining the mental health challenges faced by documentary makers today, and a collaborator on the participant care resources released by Peace is Loud in 2024. Her services include therapy, film supervision, psychological consultations, workshops and speaking engagements.

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Creating a Series Pitch Deck

The workshop focuses on the content, structure, and visual logic of a professional series pitch deck.

We will explore the purpose and key elements of the pitch deck and how each section functions within the overall document. Particular attention is given to writing clear, effective texts: the series concept, story world, character descriptions, episode outlines, season summaries, and the creator’s note. The workshop offers practical brainstorming tools and writing formulas to help develop and refine these materials in line with industry expectations.

The session also covers the visual language of the pitch deck: using the story world as visual material, making genre-driven design choices, and briefly introducing practical work in Canva.

Throughout the workshop, the tutor draws on real-world examples from her own development slate.

In this session:

• Core elements of a series pitch deck
• Writing key texts (concept, characters, episodes, seasons)
• Brainstorming tools and simple formulas
• Visual logic and basic Canva workflow
• Concrete examples from the tutor’s projects

Target group: Screenwriters, producers

Language: English 

Draft Schedule

• 18:00–18:05    Introduction & goals
• 18:05–18:20    Foundations
• 18:20–18:30    Opening Slide
• 18:30–18:50    Concept, World, Invitation
• 18:50–19:05    Characters
• 19:05–19:20    Episodes
• 19:20–19:35    Seasons
• 19:35–19:45    Stretch & refill break
• 19:45–20:05    Notes, Team & Contact
• 20:05–20:40    Design & Canva
• 20:40–21:00    Q&A

Participation fee:

• Members of the Estonian Screenwriters’ Guild: 44€
• Non-members: 59€

Payable to: MTÜ Eesti Stsenaristide Gild
Swedbank EE89 2200 2210 6992 7592
Please indicate in the registration form if you require an invoice.

The Zoom link will be sent after registration and payment.

Questions: info@stsenaristid.ee

About the tutor:

Leana Jalukse has trained in writing series at international masterclasses and development programmes since 2016. Her first drama series, Von Fock, premiered in 2025. She is currently developing several scripted projects supported by European and national funding bodies, including Breaking the Ice (Estonian Film Institute, Creative Europe MEDIA), The Code of Thule (Estonian Film Institute; Best Estonian Project at Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event 2024; presented at Seriencamp 2025), Mirdja (Finnish Film Foundation), Angelmaker (Creative Europe MEDIA; Pop Up Series Incubator 2025), Behind the Iron Curtain (Most Promising Project at TV Beats Co-Financing Market 2023; presented at TV Drama Vision 2024), and Aware, developed simultaneously as a game and a microdrama (Films x Games Connection Hub, When East Meets West 2026). Leana has developed her approach to pitch deck creation through both specialised workshops and longer-format international training initiatives. She has written the pitch deck texts for all of her projects and has designed pitch decks for several of them.

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Finding Story in Documentary Filmmaking

Estonian Screenwriters’ Guild and Estonian Documentary Guild present:

A masterclass which demystifies the process of documentary making and examines how narrative structure can come together often out of the very challenges we face as directors and story tellers. Following the process of documentary authorship from development to filming to editing, Emma Davie shares her experience both with her own feature documentary films, each of which has a very different narrative approach, and with other international examples from contemporary documentary film. 

Where: Tallink City Hotel, Tallinn, Estonia

Language: English

Participation fee:

• Early bird, for members: 34 €
• Early bird, for non-members: 44 €
• Regular, for members: 49 €
• Regular, for non-members: 59 €

Early bird price is valid until September 19, 2025.

Payable to: MTÜ Eesti Stsenaristide Gild, Swedbank EE89 2200 2210 6992 7592.

Please indicate in the registration form if you need an invoice.

Special discounted rates at Tallink City Hotel are available for masterclass participants who need accommodation. Contact us to at info@stsenaristid.ee to arrange your booking.

Are you a screenwriter curious about the $200+ billion gaming industry? Or an early-career writer looking for your next big opportunity?

Join our intensive Game Narrative Workshop and discover:

• How game narrative differs from linear storytelling
• Recognize key genres and milestone games in narrative design
• Grasp the difference between embedded and emergent storytelling
• Understand the basic game dev pipeline and production roles
• Know what skills and expectations apply to game writers

Where: Zoom

Language: English

Participation fee:

Language: English

The theoretical part of the workshop is now available to buy:

• For members: 40 €
• For non-members: 75 €

Payable to: MTÜ Eesti Stsenaristide Gild, Swedbank EE89 2200 2210 6992 7592.