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Mike Downey, producer, and CEO of Film and Music Entertainment (F&ME), launched his independent UK production company on the Frankfurt DAX in 2009. Since then, he has produced more than 40 feature films, with producing partner Sam Taylor and company chairman Stephen Daldry.

F&ME’s catalogue includes UKFC funded WHITE LIGHTNIN’, Saul Metzstein’s GUY X, DEATHWATCH (with Jamie Bell and Andy Serkis), U.S. Academy Award nominated and Venice Golden Lion winning BEFORE THE RAIN and a slew of international co-productions written by Günter Grass, Thomas Keneally, James Ellroy and Clifford (HOAX) Irving. His award-winning South African production SON OF MAN premiered at Sundance, as did WHITE LIGHTNIN’. The film GLANCES opened the Venice Film Festival. Downey’s books The Film Finance Handbooks – A Guide for European Producers are published by the MEDIA Business School.

Educated in theatre at the University of Warwick, with postgraduate studies at the University of Paris III (Sorbonne) and Paris X (Nanterre), he has long taught at the MEGA European Masters programme. Being a Quondam Thomas Ewing Professor of Film (Ohio University) and a member of the Film Board of Oklahoma University, he is also President of the Motovun Film Festival in Croatia and Artistic Advisor to the Zagreb Film Festival. He works closely with Amnesty International establishing Amnesty Human Rights Awards at several international film festivals and is a consultant for USAID, the American government programme rebuilding infrastructure (film) in the Balkans. Downey has served three terms as member of the Council of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts as well as one term on the BAFTA Film Committee. He is a member of the board of the Berlin Golden Bear winning (U-CARMEN) South African Theatre Company Isango along with Sir Ian McKellan and Sir Simon Rattle. Mike is particularly proud to be a trustee of the White Ribbon Foundation – an international charity which works to eradicate women dying in childbirth in the developing world.

Mike Downey produced Agnieszka Holland’s CHARLATAN (2020) which was in the Berlinale competition. He joined the EFA Board in 2004, was elected deputy chairman in 2014, and chairman in 2020. In 2021, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Mike Downey as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his services to European film.

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The Polish producer, development executive and industry activist is a graduate of Film Studies and Law. Joanna took part in numerous international workshops, including EAVE, ACE and Torino Script Lab (Story Editing). She is the owner of the production company SHIPSBOY. In her 15+ years career she produced numerous shorts, feature-length fiction films and international co-productions.

Her recent credits include: OPERATION HYACINTH (dir. Piotr Domalewski; Netflix Original) critically acclaimed crime drama; winner of Best Polish Film Award at Camerimage 2021 as well as Best Polish Script at Gdynia FF; DETECTIVE BRUNO (dir. Magdalena Nieć, Mariusz Palej) family adventure comedy, Best Polish Film for Young Audiences (2022); MISSION ULJA FUNK (dir. Barbara Kronenberg, GER-LUX-POL) and ADVENTURES OF A MATHEMATICIAN (dir. Thor Klein, GER-UK-POL).

She is a founding member of the Polish Producers Guild. With guest lectures at film schools in Warsaw, Kraków and Łódź, Joanna is currently working on her PhD at Łódź Film School. Since 2023 she is also the Head of Studies of Erich Pommer Institut’s workshop – „European Co-production – Legal and Financial Aspects”.

She joined the European Film Academy Board in 2017

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Born in Romania, Ada Solomon has worked in the film business for the last 20 years. She has served as a line producer for foreign international projects such as Franco Zeffirelli’s CALLAS FOREVER, Didi Danquart’s OFFSET and, more recently, Hermine Huntgeburth’s TOM SAWYER & HUCK FINN.

Establishing her own company HiFilm in 2004, Ada has produced award-winning shorts by Cristian Nemescu (MARILENA FROM P7) and Radu Jude (THE TUBE WITH A HAT), debut features by Radu Jude (THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD), Razvan Radulescu (FIRST OF ALL, FELICIA), Paul Negoescu (A MONTH IN THAILAND), and documentaries by Alexandru Solomon (KAPITALISM – OUR IMPROVED FORMULA, TARZAN’S TESTICLES), among others. In the past decade, she has been attached to the award-winning Radu Jude films EVERYBODY IN OUR FAMILY (Heart of Sarajevo Award for Best Film, Bayard d’Or for Best Film & Best Actor, Namur), AFERIM! (Silver Bear for Best Director), I DO NOT CARE IF WE GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS BARBARIANS (Crystal Globe for Best Feature Film, Karlovy Vary) and BAD LUCK BANGING OR LOONY PORN (Golden Bear Berlinale, 2021).

The films produced by Ada Solomon were presented and awarded at the most prestigious festivals such as Berlin, Cannes, Locarno, Venice and Sundance — to name just a few.

Ada Solomon has co-produced with France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Croatia, Bulgaria and Hungary and her films have been released in over 40 territories around the world.

Apart from her producing job Ada Solomon is also Head of Distribution in Parada Film and manages (together with Tudor Giurgiu) Cityplex, 3 miniplex cinemas in Romania. She is a member of Europa Cinemas, founder and executive director of NexT International Film Festival Bucharest and teaches at the National Film School in Bucharest.

With CHILD’S POSE by Călin Peter Netzer, Ada Solomon produced the Berlinale FIPRESCI & Golden Bear Winner of 2013.

Ada Solomon is national co-ordinator of EAVE, ACE graduate, president of the Board of the European Women’s Audiovisual Network and the recipient of the European Co-Production Award – Prix EURIMAGES at the 26th European Film Awards in 2013. She was elected onto the European Film Academy Board in 2014 and deputy chairwoman in 2020.

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David Collins runs Samson Films, one of Ireland’s leading independent film companies. In addition to developing its own film and TV drama material, Samson also acts as a co-producer and executive producer on a wide range of Irish, European, and International feature film projects.
The company has been awarded Slate Funding for its slate Film and TV projects from Creative Europe MEDIA on several occasions, most recently in 2019 and 2021, and by Screen Ireland in 2020, 2022, and 2023. Until recently, David was a board member of ACE and an executive board member of Screen Producers Ireland. He is also a member of the European Film Academy and European Producers Club.

Recent projects include Irish-Finnish co-production MY SAILOR, MY LOVE, the English language debut of director Klaus Häro, which had its World Premiere at TIFF before winning the Audience Choice Award at Chicago International Film Festival. Feature documentary THE GHOST OF RICHARD HARRIS, directed by Adrian Sibley, for Sky Arts and Screen Ireland amongst others, had its World Premiere at the 79th Venice Film Festival before winning the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at Newport Beach Film Festival and Best Documentary at Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. The feature was ultimately longlisted for Best Documentary at the BAFTA Film Awards 2023.

David also recently wrapped THE CHRISTMAS BREAK, directed by Prarthana Mohan, and ROYAL RENDEZVOUS, directed by Christine Luby, which he co-produced with MarVista Entertainment, a division of Fox Entertainment. Closing out 2023,
BALTIMORE, a historical thriller directed by Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy and starring Imogen Poots, premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival, before being released across UK and Irish cinemas in 2024.

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Başak Emre is a producer and festival director. She served on the executive board of the Ankara Film Festival from 1992 to 1995. She worked as the world cinema coordinator of the Adana Golden Boll Film Festival from 2006 to 2016 and as the artistic director of the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival between 2019 and 2023. She has been the director of Festival On Wheels since 2000, a travelling film festival, visiting three to four cities in Turkey and abroad yearly. She has acted as the coordinator of numerous Turkish film weeks in the framework of film festivals in 26 countries and has served on the juries of international festivals.

In 2001, she was the production coordinator for The Confession, directed by Zeki Demirkubuz. In 2008, she produced the feature film Tales from Kars, which premiered at the Rotterdam Film Festival. She produced the feature Black and White (2010), directed by Ahmet Boyacioglu. She is the executive producer of Inside (2012), the producer of Nausea (2015) and the production coordinator of Ember (2016), all directed by Zeki Demirkubuz. She produced the feature The Smell of Money in 2018.

She is a member of the European Film Academy since 2021 and became Board Member in 2024.

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Film producer and CEO of Vertigo, a Ljubljana (Slovenia)-based production company with a distinctive track record and extensive working experience on international co-productions incl. the award-wining feature films such as PERO by Damjan Kozole (doc, 2023; IFF Rotterdam), THE HAPPIEST MAN IN THE WORLD by Teona Mitevska (2022; Venice FF – Orizzonti, Grand Jury Prize at Les Arcs EFF), WAKE ME by Marko Šantić (2022; Black Nights FF – Critic’s Pick Competition), SMALL BODY by Laura Samani (2021; Cannes FF Critic’s Week 2021; European Discovery – Prix FIPRESCI at European Film Awards), RECONCILIATION by Marija Zidar (doc, 2021; CPH:DOX, IDFA), OTAC – FATHER by Srdan Golubović (2020; Berlinale Panorama Audience Award), AN EPISODE IN THE LIFE OF AN IRON PICKER by Danis Tanović (2013, Silver Bear: Grand Jury Prize at Berlinale 2013), ALEXANDIANS by Metod Pevec (doc, 2011; Best Documentary at Trieste FF), BREAD AND MILK by Jan Cvitković (2001; Lion of the Future at Venice FF), and NIGHTLIFE (2016; Best Director Award at Karlovy Vary IFF), SLOVENIAN GIRL (2009; Toronto IFF), and SPARE PARTS (2003, Berlinale Competition) all by Damjan Kozole.

Danijel has been selected among Variety’s Ten Producers to Watch in 2001. He is a voting member of the European Film Academy and was the president of the Association of Slovenian Film Producers. Since 2005, he is actively involved as a tutor with several European training initiatives such as MIDPOINT, EAVE, Nipkow Program, and Maia Workshops (2015-2018). He is also a member of the selection team of the When East Meets West co-production project market in Trieste.

Giorgos Karnavas was born in 1973 in Athens, studied Political Sciences while taking courses on scriptwriting.  He is the founder and producer of Synch Festival (2006 Best European Electronic Music Festival) and during his career as music promoter, he has promoted shows by artists such as Pet Shop Boys, Antony and the Johnsons, Nine Inch Nails, Happy Mondays and Róisin Murphy to name a few.

Entered film production in 2011 and is a member of A.C.E, alumni of Inside Pictures, and member of the European and Greek Film Academies. He was a “Producer on the Move” in 2013 Cannes Film Festival when he joined forces with Konstantinos Kontovrakis in order to establish Heretic, a boutique film house producing and selling films on a global scale. In 2018 he was awarded the prestigious Prix Eurimages at the European Film Academy Awards.

His credits include Palm d’Or, EFA’s winner and Oscar nominated TRIANGLE OF SADNESS by Ruben Östlund, Vasilis Katsoupis Berlinale Panorama debut INSIDE currently in global release by Focus Features, Angela Schanelec’s Silber Bear winner MUSIC, Semaine de la Critique winner FEATHERS by Omar El Zohairy, and Molly Manning Walker’s 2023 UCR winner title HOW TO HAVE SEX.

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Hanka Kastelicová earned a Master of Arts degree from the Faculty of Film and TV Documentary Department at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. She continued her professional career in Slovenia, where she worked for over 25 years as a documentary director and producer, with a portfolio of more than 100 documentaries.

She joined HBO in 2012. She co-produced films that resonated with HBO viewers, achieved recognition at festivals, and garnered nominations and awards from local Film Academies, the European Film Academy, and the Oscars.

As an experienced and dedicated documentary filmmaker, she has lectured on documentary filmmaking and participated in the organization of master classes, industry seminars, and courses.

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Tine Klint, CEO and Founder of LevelK (2009), dedicated the majority of her professional life to independent cinema with 20+ years’ experience across international sales, finance and aggregation.

With a passionate team LevelK is specialised in rights optimization that are reflected through innovative approach to cross-platform/cross-country distribution combining theatrical and traditional means – alongside digital distribution and marketing.

LevelK is handling traditional world-sales for independent films that will resonate with international audiences. The profile includes high quality cinematic productions across all genres, and working with established and emerging international talents in both English and foreign language. Films must have strong theatrical and festival potential, international marketability and digital possibilities as we work across all areas.

Aggregation has been a strong part of the LevelK business since 2011, where the company now delivers films to all major world VOD platforms and local important platforms and/or telecompanies.

Tine Klint is an active panellist and jury member at international seminars, events and festivals, sharing expertise on international sales, aggregation, and the digital shift. Tine Klint is a member of the European Film Academy, Selection Expert for the European Film Awards and LevelK a member of Europa International.

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Paz Lázaro is the Head of Content and Acquisitions at EXILE, a Studio dedicated to acquiring and developing premium original content for audiences across the U.S. and Latin America with base in LA, Mexico and Spain. In her role, she oversees content, acquisitions, development processes, relationships with talent and buyers, intellectual property searches, and packaging. She has coproduced Laura Mora’s LOS REYES DEL MUNDO, winner of San Sebastian 2022, Lucía Puenzo’s LOS IMPACTADOS and Luis Ortega’s upcoming EL JOCKEY among others.

She both directed and curated the Official Programme section Panorama. Further, in her eighteen years curating for the Berlinale, she has served as a Selection Committee Member of the Berlinale Official Programme as well as delegate for Spain and Latin America. She was also part of the “Berlinale Series” selection committee since its founding.

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Guslagie Malanda made her screen debut in 2014, playing the title role of Jean-Paul Civeyrac’s MY FRIEND VICTORIA. Her acting was well-received; a New York Times review noted her “pensive performance” as Victoria, a young mother who gets back in contact with the family that once took her in.

However, after MY FRIEND VICTORIA, Malanda went many years without acting professionally; as a Black Frenchwoman, she refused to accept roles she considered too stereotypical which comprised almost all the parts she was offered. During this time, while working as an art curator, Malanda considered herself “an actress in secret”.

Director Alice Diop encouraged her to return to film by offering to cast her in SAINT OMER (2022). Based on the real-life  case, the film stars Malanda as Laurence Coly, a Senegalese immigrant on trial for killing her one-year-old daughter.  Malanda studied tai chi to prepare for the challenge of controlling her breath on the courtroom stand. Shooting the film was intense, with Malanda delivering very long monologues and spending a lot of time in character.

Malanda’s acting was again well-regarded; Mario Naves of The New York Sun praised her “remarkable performance” for its “stately proportions, subtlety, and grit”, and A. O. Scott of The New York Times said she gave her character “the tragic, piercing dignity of a Racine heroine”. At the 48th César Awards, she was nominated for the César Award for Most Promising Actress for SAINT OMER.

Malanda appeared in a very charismatic role in Bertrand Bonello’s THE BEAST at the 2023 edition of Venice Film Festival.

She also still works as an art curator. Her project Personal Messages to Sarah Maldoror took place at the DOC (Paris) in December 2021.

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Leontine Petit is founder and CEO/Producer of Lemming Film, with offices in Amsterdam and Berlin. Since 1995, Lemming Film has successfully co-produced 54 feature films and 14 high end drama series in Europe and beyond. Their projects are sold to many countries around the world and have won various national and international awards.

Before working in film production, Leontine studied at the University of Amsterdam where she earned her Master’s degree in Philosophy. She graduated from EAVE and is a member of the ACE Network. She was named “Producer on the Move” by European Film Promotion (2006). In 2014 she participated at EAVE+. She first participated in the Inside Pictures workshop in 2017. Today she teaches at various media programs and until 2020 she was also the President of ‘Bridging the Dragon’, an association that is connecting European and Chinese filmmakers.

Leontine is a passionate advocate of helping independent films cross boundaries and connect with international audiences. She won the prestigious Eurimages Co-production Award during the European Film Awards in 2016.

Amongst others, her most recent (co-)productions include PLEASURE by Ninja Thyberg (Sweden, 2020), DO NOT HESITATE by Shariff Korver (Netherlands, 2020), HOME by Franka Potente (Germany, 2020), DEAD AND BEAUTIFUL by David Verbeek (Netherlands, 2020), BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ by Burhan Qurbani (Germany, 2020), THE HEIRS OF THE NIGHT by Diederik van Rooijen (drama series, Netherlands, 2020), MONOS by Alejandro Landes (Colombia, 2019), FENIX by Shariff Korver (drama series, Netherlands, 2018), ZAMA by Lucrecia Martel (Argentina, 2017), MY GIRAFFE by Barbara Bredero (Netherlands, 2017) and THE LOBSTER by Yorgos Lanthimos (Greece, 2015).

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Marija Razgutė, a Lithuanian film producer, has held her BA in Business Management from Vilnius University since 2008 and her MA in Cultural Policies from Vilnius Academy of Arts since 2010.

From 2008 onward, Marija has been running M-Films, which has become one of the most active production companies in Lithuania, focusing on international co-productions. Razgutė works with prominent Lithuanian talents such as Marija Kavtaradze (Slow, Summer Survivors), Karolis Kaupinis (Hunger Strike Breakfast, Nova Lituania), Andrius Blaževičius (Runner, The Saint), and Vytautas Katkus (The Visitor, Cherries).

Marija is a member of networks such as EAVE Producers Workshop, Producer on the Move, ACE Producers, ACE Leadership, European Film Academy, and the EWA Network. She also serves as the host of Pop Up Film Residency Vilnius.

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I’ve been back in Sardinia, my homeland, since ten years: I returned to Europe from Los Angeles in 2012 to create the Sardegna Film Commission Foundation. Now I serve as General Secretary of EUFCN, the network of the European film commissions. For several years, I served as Vice-President of the Italian Film Commission Association (IFC) and Board Member of Cineregio, the network of EU regional funds. I got my philosophy degree and cultural-media studies and visual anthropology PhD in Milan, where I began my career as a filmmaker and producer.

Until 2012, I was based in Los Angeles, developing and producing narrative features and documentaries. Professor of film producing and directing in various EU universities, I also worked as consultant of international film festivals and as architect of various training initiatives (including Locarno Film Fest Summer School for 20+ years, African Asian Latin American Film Festival, etc). I founded with my husband the Unicef-endorsed NGO TravelingFilmSchool. My focus is on sustainability in the creative industries and animation and audiovisuals for under-represented communities. I love developing new institutions, create unique opportunities within the audiovisual industry, funds and governance entities.

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Maria Schrader is a German actor, screenwriter and director. She starred in the Emmy Award-winning series DEUTSCHLAND 83-89 and in films such as the Golden Globe-nominated AIMÉE & JAGUAR  by Max Färberböck and the Oscar-nominated IN DARKNESS by Agnieszka Holland. She won the Silver Bear at the Berlinale and three times the German Film Award for Best Actress.

Maria directed and co-wrote STEFAN ZWEIG: FAREWELL TO EUROPE, which received the Audience Award of the European Film Academy and was Austria’s 2016 Oscar entry. In 2020, she was rewarded with a Primetime Emmy for the acclaimed Netflix miniseries UNORTHODOX, making her the first German director to receive the prestigious television award. She directed and co-wrote I’M YOUR MAN, winner of the Silver Bear for Best Performance at the 2021 Berlinale and shortlisted for the Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film.

In 2022, Maria made her U.S. debut with Universal’s SHE SAID. The film stars Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan as New York Times journalists Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, whose investigative reporting exposed Harvey Weinstein’s abuse of power against women in Hollywood. The film won 2022’s AFI and New York Film Critics’ Movie of the Year.

Sofiichuk Maryna is a producer and director with over a decade of experience in the film and television industry. She holds two university degrees: one in Film Directing (2010–2014) and another in Law, as well as extensive studies in script development and documentary filmmaking.

She has worked as First Assistant Director on the renowned series MasterChef (2014–2015) and other television productions. As a director, she has created television programs, commercials, and short films.

In 2022, she moved to Spain, where she served as Head of International Affairs and Co-Productions at La Claqueta PC (2022–2024), facilitating international partnerships, managing global funding, and leading grant applications.

In 2024, she founded her own production company, focusing on creating high-quality films and series. That same year, she joined WOMACK Studios as an Executive Producer, leading the development and production of creative projects, managing international co-productions, and coordinating services for foreign productions in Spain.

Maryna is a proud member of the European Film Academy, Ukrainian Film Academy, CIMA, AAMMA, EWA, Donias Visuale. She is passionate about advancing women in the audiovisual sector and fostering collaboration across borders to create transformative stories.

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Mira is a festival and market programmer, producer and distributor. She is the managing director of Sofia International Film Festival, Bulgaria’s biggest film festival, and of Sofia Meetings, a thriving co-production market with a focus on the projects of upcoming directors.

She also works in consulting, development, production, distribution and exhibition of audiovisual content.

Mira has co-produced films such as BRIGHTON 4 by Levan Koguashvili, THE KING OF THE BELGIANS and THE BAREFOOT EMPEROR, both by Jessica Woodworth and Peter Brosens, to name but a few.

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Anne Lajla Utsi, CEO of the International Sami Film Institute (ISFI) since 2009, has been a driving force for the rise of Sámi cinema. Utsi has guided ISFI from a modest film output to a substantial portfolio, soon reaching 30 million euros. Notably, 70% of directors and producers during this period were women, underscoring her dedication to gender diversity.

She belongs to the Indigenous Sámi people, and is based in the village Guovdageaidnu, above the Arctic Circle in Norway.

As ISFI CEO, Utsi, a member of The Academy, forged an extensive film network, partnering with Sundance Film Institute, Netflix, European Film Academy, and others. She champions excellence in motion pictures, including the establishment of the Arctic Indigenous Film Fund. With 25 years in the industry, she advised Walt Disney Animation Studios on the Frozen 2 production. She also holds distinguished membership in the European Film Academy, and actively contributes to international film initiatives.

“Storytelling has been a survival tool for Sámi people in the harsh Arctic landscapes for centuries, and the power of telling our own stories is relevant and urgent. We can create exciting job opportunities for generations to come with our own stories,” says Utsi.

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