Start of the international professional training in Cologne with Head of Programme Jeppe Gjervig Gram (»Borgen«, »Follow the Money«) and showrunners Chris Chibnall (»Broadchurch«, »Doctor Who«), and Marianne Wendt (»Neumatt«, »Wer wir sind«)

The fifth edition of the »European Showrunner Training« at ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln has officially begun. This unique training and mentoring programme – unparalleled in the European market – supports experienced series writers in developing the essential skills required for successful showrunning. Participants deepen their expertise in the key areas creative leadership and series production, while also exploring forward-looking topics like artificial intelligence and green producing, all with a clear focus on their future roles as showrunners.
Offered as a part-time professional training programme, the initiative is a central component of the ifs’ »European Showrunner Programme«, which is funded by the Creative Europe – MEDIA Programme of the European Union and supported by the Swiss foundation FOCAL. Key festival partners include Seriencamp in Cologne, TV Drama Vision at Göteborg Film Festival, and
TV Beats / Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.

The »European Showrunner Training« spans six months and combines online learning with three inperson modules held in Cologne. This year, once again, the response to the call for applications underscores the continued demand for high-level training in showrunning, and for a clear definition of this role. From a competitive pool, 12 accomplished series writers from 9 European countries have been selected to participate in this year’s cohort:

• Eric Andreae, Switzerland | »Mindblow«, »Die Lehrer«
• Judit Anna Banhazi, Hungary/France | »Ouija-un été meurtrier«, »Underdog«
• Sina Flammang, Germany | »Die drei !!! / The Three Detectives«, »Cassandra«
• João Lacerda Matos, Portugal | »O Clube / Good Girls Club«, »Salgueiro Maia – o implicado «
• Victor Lockwood, France | »One Night to Live«, »Mental«
• Makgano Mamabolo, South Africa/Denmark | »MTV Shuga Mashariki«, »Society« (1 & 2)
• Rodrigo Ordóñez, Spain | »Toda la Sangre / Pray for Blood«, »Dani Who«
• Christina Øster, Denmark | »Tinka og sjælens spejl / Tinka and the Mirror of the Soul«, »Hooligan«
• Yemi Oyefuwa, UK | »Dreaming Whilst Black«, »Fool Me Once«
• Katharina Ruß, Germany | »Der Staatsanwalt«, »Ein Fall für zwei«
• Maja Todorović, Montenegro | »Toma«, »V-Effect«
• Christian Wehrlin, Switzerland | »Blind«, »Unsere kleine Botschaft / Our Little Embassy«

For more information, please click here.

Participants of the »European Showrunner Training« are guided by acclaimed Danish series writer and showrunner Jeppe Gjervig Gram (»Borgen«, »Follow the Money«), who returns as Head of Programme. 
The first in-person workshop, which took place in Cologne this weekend, centred on fostering exchange among the participating series professionals. Each participant shared their personal journey toward becoming a showrunner. The focus of the first workshop was also on showcases featuring the two renowned showrunners Chris Chibnall from UK (»Broadchurch«, »Doctor Who«, »Agatha Christie‘s Seven Dials«) and Marianne Wendt from Germany (»Neumatt«, »Wer wir sind«).
As part of introductory sessions on the topic of showrunning, Chief Executive Director of ifs and Director of the European Showrunner Programme, Nadja Radojevic, also presented the ifs report »Showrunning in Europe – Skills, Tasks, Responsibilities«, the first comprehensive report on showrunning in Europe, published in December 2025.

About the European Showrunner Programme
Accompanying the »European Showrunner Training«, the event series »European Showrunner Think Tank« is dedicated to exploring, discussing, and shaping the evolving role of the showrunner within the European context. It serves as a forum for critical dialogue and thought leadership on the future of serialised storytelling in Europe. As the third pillar, the »European Showrunner Network« provides European showrunners with an ongoing platform for professional exchange.

Upcoming Events

• On 10 June, 10 a.m. to 11.15 a.m. CEST, the panel discussion »Series as Brands: Reimagining and Expanding IPs for the New Media Ecosystems« will take place as part of Seriencamp Conference (9–11 June). In collaboration with the European Showrunner Programme; the renowned showrunner Steven Kane (»Halo«, »The Last Ship«, »Jack Ryan«) will discuss his approach to developing and leveraging major international IP.
• Seriencamp will also feature the next meeting of the »European Showrunner Network« (10 June).

About the ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln
Founded in 2000, ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln is now one of Germany’s leading training institutions for audiovisual media. Its mission is to provide film and media professionals with highquality, future-oriented training that closely combines theory and practice. The ifs is located in film and media hub Cologne, which underlines its aim to be close to the industry. The sole partner of ifs is the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW.

A group photo can be downloaded here. Please note the photo credit: ifs/Heiko Specht. Caption: The participants of the fifth edition of the European Showrunner Training (from left to right) – front row: Judit Anna Banhazi, Christian Wehrlin, João Lacerda Matos, Sina Flammang, Makgano Mamabolo, Christina Øster; 
back row: Eric Andreae, Victor Lockwood, Maja Todorovic, Katharina Ruß, Head of Programme Jeppe Gjervig Gram, Yemi Oyefuwa, Lecturer Chris Chibnall, Rodrigo Ordóñez

Created on 05.06.2026