EXCLUSIVE: As Europe pushes for more showrunners, a dozen writers from across the continent have been selected for an EU-backed programme headed by some big names from Borgen, Doctor Who and Neumatt.
The European Showrunner Programme is for experienced series writers who want to make the jump to showrunner. It is overseen by Jeppe Gjervig Gram, whose credits include Borgen, alongside showrunners Chris Chibnall (Doctor Who), and Marianne Wendt (Neumatt). Check out the full list of writers taking part, below. The cohort has, collectively, impressive credits, and the writers will learn about the showrunner role, which remains more commonplace in the U.S. industry but much less so in Europe.
The Internationale Filmschule Köln (ifs) has been running an EU-supported European Showrunner Programme since 2022 and once again hosts proceedings.
The European Showrunner Programme focuses on training and mentoring. The founders previously told Deadline about the importance of establishing the showrunner role in Europe. A recent report from the ifs said having showrunners emerge from across Europe is key to the future of storytelling in the region.
The programme is funded by Creative Europe, the European Union’s funding programme for culture, and specifically through its MEDIA strand dedicated to film and TV. The Showrunner Programme’s key festival partners are Seriencamp in Cologne, TV Drama Vision at the Göteborg Film Festival, and TV Beats, which is the series part of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
The European Showrunner course lasts six months with the writers attending in-person as well as online modules.
Here are the dozen writers selected this year, hailing from nine countries across Europe.
Christian Wehrlin, Switzerland (Our Little Embassy)
Eric Andreae, Switzerland (Mindblow)
Judit Anna Banhazi, Hungary/France (Underdog)
Sina Flammang, Germany (The Three Detectives)
João Lacerda Matos, Portugal (Good Girls Club)
Victor Lockwood, France (One Night to Live)
Makgano Mamabolo, South Africa/Denmark (Society)
Rodrigo Ordóñez, Spain (Pray for Blood)
Christina Øster, Denmark (Hooligan)
Yemi Oyefuwa, UK (Dreaming Whilst Black)
Katharina Ruß, Germany (Der Staatsanwalt)
Maja Todorović, Montenegro (V-Effect)
