Norwegian producer Gudny Hummelvoll, best known for her hit climate crisis thriller Occupied, has been elected president of The European Producers Club.
What is The European Producers Club ?
It is an association of 130 independent producers of films and television series throughout Europe. Founded in 1993, members see themselves as acting "as a network, a think tank and a lobby. " Their aim is to keep members informed of the latest developments in the film industry in Europe and around the world. Their role is also political, since they lobby at this level to promote and protect this industry and producers. They therefore organize events across the countries bringing together film professionals during conferences. The head office is located in Paris and the general manager is the French Alexandra Lebret. 
A president at its head
Gudny Hummelvoll is the first woman to lead the organization. She replaces Spanish producer Alvaro Longoria, who heads Morena Films production in Spain. Longoria is now one of the three vice-presidents of The European Producers Club. He will be alongside Polish producer Dariusz Jablonski and Pinball London's Paul Vaccaro. As for Gudny, she is particularly famous for having produced Occupied, a drama series on climate issues, it is spread over two seasons. The twists and turns of this thriller allowed him this success. According to Variety, she explained in her first interview as leader of the EPC, that the main thing according to her is the importance of working as a group.
"The producer is at the heart of the industry. He chooses subjects, develops them and finances them to transform them into films or television series. We have a responsibility [in terms of choosing stories and] the talent we work with."
Hummelvoll also paid tribute to its predecessor, Longoria. She congratulates him on the film he produced Campeones, a comedy about a basketball team made up of people with disabilities, "which changed the game in Spanish society". She was also quoted as saying:
"We've focused a lot on gender, looking at underrepresented minorities, but there's more ground to cover. I look forward to seeing what we can do as producers to diversify the film and television sector."
Another point she defends is the fight against streaming giants, she says:
"The independent producer is in danger. We're seeing the predominance of a funding model based on the one streamers use, where producers have no rights or income."
She therefore wants to make the film industry achieve many objectives. Her position as president of this association will surely allow her to realize them. 
