The members of the European Film Academy (EFA) have elected Mike Downey, Irish producer and CEO of Film and Music Entertainment (F&ME), as new chairman of the EFA board. Taking over from Polish director Agnieszka Holland who has chaired the EFA board for the past six years, Downey pointed out at Saturday’s European Film Awards that he wants his mandate to be marked by a continuation of the EFA’s “campaigning work in the service of filmmakers at risk; to make all aspects of sustainability not only of EFA itself but also the European film industry a priority; and last but not least to extend the idea of gender balance across the board in every department.” (Read our report on the awards here.)

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As a result of the latest EFA board elections – the EFA unites more than 3,700 European film professionals – Downey is joined by two new deputies, British producer Rebecca O’Brien and her Romanian colleague Ada Solomon.

“I’d like to thank my predecessor, Agnieszka Holland for an inspiring six years as her deputy,” says Downey, “we will continue the work we have begun together. The same goes for my former co-deputy Antonio Saura, who steps down, he has done sterling service for the Academy. Equally, I’d like to thank the membership for entrusting me the stewardship of the Academy for the next few years – I will endeavour to follow the extraordinary standards that have been set – and ensure the future and longevity of the Academy alongside its director Marion Döring and newly minted deputies Rebecca O’Brien and Ada Solomon.”

The full EFA board, as of 1 January 2020, is as follows:

Chairman
Mike Downey, producer (Ireland)

Deputy chairwomen
Rebecca O’Brien, producer (UK)
Ada Solomon, producer (Romania)

Board members
Graziella Bildesheim, institutional (Italy)
Àngela Bosch Rius, producer (Spain)
Tilde Corsi, producer (Italy)
Valérie Delpierre, producer (Spain)
Mike Goodridge, producer (UK)
Vanessa Henneman, talent agent (Netherlands)
Anita Juka, producer (Croatia)
Henning Kamm, producer (Germany)
Baltasar Kormákur, director (Iceland)
Christophe Leparc, festival (France)
Ewa Puszczyńska, producer (Poland)
Katriel Schory, institutional (Israel)
Jim Sheridan, director (Ireland)
Joanna Szymańska, producer (Poland)
Béatrice Thiriet, composer (France)
Ira von Gienanth, producer/distributor (Germany)