1st Joint Communiqué

The Federation of Screenwriters in Europe (FSE) and the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds (IAWG) has published its first joint communiqué since the World Conference of Screenwriters in Athens last November. Together, we represent approximately 25,000 writers in 27 countries; together, we can best meet the challenges of our changing industry. We plan to circulate [...]

The European Screenwriters Manifesto

Launched in February 2007, the Screenwriters Manifesto is available to read in English, and other languages, on the website of the Federation of Screenwriters in Europe.  Signatures are regularly coming in. Show your support and sign the declaration of rights for screenwriters. Important If you signed the Manifesto between February 2009 and January 2010, we [...]

Joint Activity Programme – IAWG/FSE

The Board of the FSE and the PRG of the IAWG have discussed the strengthening working relationships between the two organisations, which have grown quickly following the solidarity campaigns of guilds around the world with their colleagues in the writers’ strike in the United States which ended in February 2008, and which will be further [...]

World Screenwriters Declaration

In the new digitised and globalised world, we screenwriters have today come together, in Athens Greece, to discuss our central role in the creation of the stories that are carried with such impact to the world’s myriad screens and to people’s minds and hearts. Stories influence our behaviour and shape our culture. They help us [...]

Participant profile: Francesco Ranieri Martinotti

On the eve of the conference it’s time to meet Italian film director Francesco Ranieri Martinotti. Francesco is a film director, an independent producer and recently the director of Festivals such as France Odeon in Florence. He started in the industry in the ‘90s and with his production company Iterfilm, and its films quickly won [...]

Participant profile: Marcílio Moraes

We’re just in time to meet with Brazilian writer Marcílio Moraes. Marcílio was born in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and writes short stories, novels and screenplays for television. He has written for famous Brazilian soap operas (known as telenovels) like Roque Santeiro, Noivas de Copabacana, Mandala, and Roda de Fogo among others. Recently he [...]

Participant profile: Anne Hogben

We alight in England this morning to meet Anne Hogben. Anne is the Deputy General Secretary of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, where she has worked for over ten years.  Every day she advises members on problems with  contracts, producers, broadcasters, agents, publishers and sometimes their fellow writers.  Addressing issues early on and having [...]

Participant profile: Sebastian Andrae

It’s over to German screenwriter Sebastian Andrae. Sebastian was born in Hamburg, and studied history, German studies and law in Göttingen. From 1992 on he studied at the HFF (University of Television and Film) in Munich, Germany. While studying he worked as a freelancer for a German newspaper and as a comedian and gag writer [...]

Participant profile: Jochen Greve

In Germany, we meet screenwriter Jochen Greve. Jochen was born in Bielefeld, Germany, and studied Communication Studies, Theatre Studies and History at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (MA). He worked as an assistant director, cameraman, editor, location manager as well as a production manager and producer for various academic films and television movies. Since the mid 1980s [...]

Participant profile: Leora Kamenetzky

We zip into Israel today, where we can meet screenwriter and director Leora Kamenetzky. Leora studied at the Tel Aviv University and at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. Since then she has  worked mainly in the field of television drama and has created  the following successful series: Alex (2008), Dog’s Life (2006), Adumot [...]

Participant profile: Henner Merle

It’s time to meet German legal expert Henner Merle Henner has studied German, European and International  law in Münster, Paris and Berlin. He was a Scientific Assistant at the Institute  for International and European Law at Berlin Humboldt University from 1993 – 1995, and founded his own law firm in 1998. From 2004 – 2009 [...]

Participant profile: Eva Inés Obergfell

It’s back to Germany to meet Dr. Eva Inés Obergfell. Eva Inés Obergfell studied law at the Universities of Bielefeld (Germany), Strasbourg (France) and Konstanz (Germany). She wrote her doctoral thesis on film copyright in substantive and private international law. After her work as an attorney-at-law in Berlin, and as an assistant professor in Munich [...]

Participant profile: Anita Ondine

We jet into the UK to meet up with Anita Ondine. After spending her early years in Sydney, Australia, Anita lived for a short period in the former Yugoslavia before moving to Tasmania, where Anita and her mother became deeply involved in the largest environmental battle in Australian history – the battle to save the [...]

Participant profile: David Kavanagh

We’re in Ireland for a late, last swift one with David Kavanagh. David Kavanagh is the Executive Officer of the Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild. He has been Film Officer of the Irish Arts Council, Chief Executive of the Irish Film Institute, and General Secretary of the European Script Fund. David is also a board [...]

Organiser profile: Amélie Clément

Let us find out about one of the powerhouses behind the conference: Amélie Clement. Amélie studied History and History of Arts in Paris and Budapest. She worked for several years in Arts management in France and Belgium, focused mostly in the field of Performing Arts on behalf of European cultural networks. She now collaborates part-time [...]

Participant profile: Daniele Cesarano

We touch down in Italy, to meet screenwriter Daniele Cesarano. Daniele Cesarano began his career as a feature film screenwriter and director, but soon turned to working with television serials: for 6 years he was the head writer of Canale 5′s best-selling crime series Distretto di Polizia (seasons 3 – 5) and RIS Delitti Imperfetti [...]

Participant profile: Cécile Despringre

It’s France’s turn now, where we find Cécile Despringre. Cécile studied International and European law at the University of Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne) and obtained a Masters in International Economic Law in 1996 (her thesis was on the audiovisual sector in WTO). After a first job as the permanent representative of European performers in Brussels and [...]

Participant profile: Stanislav Semerdjiev

It’s late in Bulgaria, but not too late to meet Prof. Dr. Stanislav Semerdjiev. Stanislav is Rector of the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts (NATFA) – Sofia, Bulgaria. He is also President of the Bulgarian Association of Film, TV and Radio Scriptwriters (BAFTRS), Vice-President of the World Association of Film and TV Schools [...]

Participant profile: Robert Staats

In Germany we can discover more about Dr. Robert Staats Robert conducted his law studies in Bonn and Freiburg, and was a Legal trainee in Berlin. His doctoral thesis is on copyright law. From 1994-2008 he was a judge and civil servant (Ministry of Justice) at the federal state of Brandenburg. Since January 1, 2009 [...]

Participant profile: Jan Dowjat

Poland is where we’ll find screenwriter and director Jan Dowjat: Jan is a graduate of New York University Film School, and the author of 15 short films. He’s a programming director for Script Forum – the professional screenwriters’ conference in Warsaw, and has been a participant of numerous training initiatives and workshops for screenwriters including [...]