Stiina Laakso (Finland)
Finish Producer Stiina Laakso is in the unusual position of having an in-house director ­ she is married to him. Lauri Törhönen, a professor in film and television at the Helsinki University, has ­ between lecturing ­ found time to direct more than 20 films. Their latest joint effort, Hylätyt Talot, Autiot Pihat (Abandoned Houses), which Laakso produced for Jörn Donner Productions, is screening in this year's market at Cannes. Currently occupied by "Salatut Elämät" ("Secret Lives") ­ the first daily drama series in Finland produced by Pearson Television for commercial broadcaster MTV3 ­ Laakso is a producer graduate from Helsinki's University of Industrial Arts, with a degree in science from the School of Economics. She added an EAVE course to her studies in 1998.

"Making five episodes of "Salatut Elämät" a week is a steady job, and for a change I don't have to beg for the money, as most independent producers do," says Laakso. The Finnish equivalent of "Coronation Street" ­ the everyday life of six families in an apartment block with a grocery shop and a restaurant ­ the drama has brought MTV3 a 60% rating, which is a world record for Pearson Television.

Laakso started as a production manager for Neofilmi on Matti Kassila's Ihmiselon Ihanuus Ja Kursuus (The Glory And Misery Of Human Life), and went on to become managing director for Clas Olsson's Kinoproductions. Her first collaboration with her husband was Mannen Utan Ansikte (The Faceless Man), also made for Jörn Donner Productions.

When German director Joseph Wilsmaier came to Finland with his World War II epic, Stalingrad, she joined the crew as production manager. Lately, with a short stint as ceo of Talking Heads (documentaries), she has mainly spent her time working on television drama ­ such as YLE's Swedish series "Full House," and Engström's Pikkukaupungin Tarinoita (Stories From A Little Town). JRJ

Rein Boumans (Holland)
Born in Antwerp, Rein Boumans worked in journalism and dramaturgy before starting out as a production manager for Flemish Television Drama. Then, in 1994, finding herself suddenly without funding, she formed production company Antares with former colleague Rudi Van Den Bossche. "Times were rough in the beginning, but within six years we were afloat," she says.

A 12-episode TV programme for VT4-SBS got the engine running and more ambitious work followed. More recently Antares joined forces with two other production companies to form Cine 3, a test-case that worked out well: "Every company brought its own strengths ­ I hope to share specific know-how in the future", says Boumans. Cine 3's feature film Blinker, nominated for the Kinderfilmfestspiele in Berlin this February, involved Boumans as co-producer.

Antares are now looking further afield with features such as The White Mandarin, based on a true story of an orphan who is brought to China and becomes a mandarin.

Boumans adores research and travelling. "We're aiming international but won't dispense with local product," she says. "The sequel to Blinker will be shot this summer." Her strength lies in her endurance. She is currently moving heaven and earth to get Greek co-production Eothen, directed by Jean Michel Bélanger, out off production-hell.

Leslee Udwin (UK)
How do you learn to be a producer? In Leslee Udwin's case, the answer isn't typical. Rather than go to film school or work her way up through the ranks, the former actress started by taking her landlord to court. "The house I was living in was bought by a rogue landlord," recalls Udwin. "I experienced a battle like I've never known, fighting him, fighting the local authorities ­ and I won."

This "optimistic and life-transforming experience" gave Udwin the confidence to set up as a producer. It also taught her about contracts and how to have her own way. Her battle with the landlord provided the material for Sitting Target, produced at the BBC by Mark Shivas, on which she worked as a consultant (also playing the leading role). Compared to her court battle, putting together East Is East (which has racked up over $25 million worldwide) was a doddle. Potential backers complained that the story was too Asian, would only work on the small-screen, or needed star names. Udwin held out and proved her detractors wrong. "The blood that courses through my veins is not cynical," she says. "As a producer, I have to entirely love a piece of work, be prepared to fight for it and give it my all."

Raquel Freire (Portugal)
After working as an assistant director for the likes of Paulo Rocha and Teresa Vilaverde, Oporto-born Raquel Freire founded her own banner, Terrafilmes, two years ago with the aim of producing both shorts and feature films.