European Writers Club launches Boosting Impact - hires Noemi Ferrer

Launched by seasoned Danish film & TV senior executive Gammeltoft in 2022, the EU-backed pilot programme European Writers Club (EWC) was set up to create innovative TV series for a larger European audience and foster collaborations between creators, writers, producers and broadcasters.

Its inaugural pilot programme 2022/23 consisting of ‘Boosting Ideas’, ‘Boosting Concepts’ and ‘Boosting Broadcasters’ reunited notably 12 European writers with top broadcasters and producers of TV series, including TROM’s co-writer Donna Sharpe.

The latter who brought to EWC the project of a Scandi family dramedy set in the world of New Nordic Food, said about her EWC experience:

“I found the EWC to be a great experience, creatively and practically. It’s unique amongst the European writers’ programmes in that it offered an opportunity to work creatively with commissioners from the public service broadcasters, rather than simply pitch at them. It emphasised the importance of building creative business relationships with commissioners, producers and fellow writers that can go the distance rather than superficial meet ’n’ greet/quick pitch line-ups. And it made it possible for writers from diverse socio-economic backgrounds to participate by paying every selected writer to attend, rather than simply offering bed ’n’ board.“

Sharpe whose latest show MaPa is currently streaming on HBO Max in the Nordics, goes on with her praise of EWC. “Creatively, it was the most innovative writers programme I have attended, never rehashing the tired old standard formulas, but offering instead challenging and provocative new tools to push ideas further.”

New Boosting Impact
Gammeltoft says ‘the pilot sessions ‘Boosting Ideas’ and ‘Boosting Concepts’ were highly successful and might be back, “once we become permanent”. Until now, ‘Boosting Broadcasters’ is continuing, alongside EWC’s next pilot session Boosting Impact, 2023/24.

Due to launch October 10 at the upcoming MIA Market in Rome (October 9-13), Boosting Impact’s primary goal is to foster collaboration between the world of journalism and storytellers of scripted series, with the objective of creating societal and engaging stories rooted in real events, able to resonate with a broad European and global audience.

The new writing booster will unspool over three immersive camps - notably in Hamburg, April 2024 and Madrid, June 2024 - with a final presentation in September 2024 in Copenhagen.

Six established teams of writers, journalists, and producers from Europe will be invited to refine, develop, and boost their concepts of six stories based on true events, alongside the EWC’s network of consultant writers, broadcasters and sales professionals.

“We have been inspired by series as We own this City, Dopesick, Drop Out, Dark Waters and wanted to focus on European projects built on in-depth research, with the potential to have a societal impact on our lives as Europeans,” Gammeltoft explains.

Boosting Impact is financed by the European Union, together with The Estonian Film Institute, AGADIC/Xunta de Galicia, Screen Ireland, SGAE/Spain, Vision Denmark, The Danish Film School, MOIN, Filmförderung Hamburg Sleswig-Holstein, with support from The Danish Film Institute, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, The Danish Producers’ Rights Fund, The Danish Producers’ Association and all Nordic Writers’ guilds.

Boosting Impact will be the first EWC session to be organised by Gammeltoft with programme coordinator Nina Voit and newly appointed Noemi Ferrer.

Ferrer who joined the EWC September 1^st, has a stellar industry pedigree, as former executive director at DR Sales and head of international at the Danish Film Institute.

“Ferrer brings a valuable network, mindset and skillset that will propel EWC into its next phase, make it an even stronger network and an important booster on co-creation and collaboration on European scripted TV series,” Gammeltoft observed.

A true European, with work experience in Scandinavia but also in Germany, Ireland and France, Ferrer said: “It has never been more important to join forces and develop meaningful stories from a strong European DNA. EWC assembles some of the most renowned European development specialists, writers, producers and broadcasters, and currently constitutes the most exciting innovative programme for scripted TV series in Europe.”

Next to her new assignments at EWC, Ferrer continues to collaborate with Filmgreb on the Young Nordic Producers Club initiative, and to serve as moderator at various film and TV events including Nordic Talents.

For further information about the EWC, check: https://www.europeanwriters.club/