Mike Downey founded the UK-based independent production house Film and Music Entertainment (F&ME) in 2000. He spent most of the eighties as a theatre director and producer in France, Germany, the former Yugoslavia and the U.K., as well as working as a publisher, contributor and critic for various international publications including Variety, Screen International and Moving Pictures International.

His first production experience was as an associate producer on Rajko Grlic's award winning feature film CARUGA, and co-producer of Sebastian Niemann's SEVEN DAYS TO LIVE. Then followed Michael Bassett's DEATHWATCH starring Jamie Bell, Venice competition entry SJAJ U OCIMA (Loving Glances), FALCONS and NICELAND by Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, Peter Timm's MY BROTHER IS A DOG, Hillmar Oddson's COLD LIGHT, and STRINGS by Anders Ronnow Klarlund. In 2005 he completed GUY X by Saul Metzstein starring Jason Biggs, SHADOW OF THE SWORD by Swiss director Simon Aeby, the gay Icelandic football comedy ELEVEN MEN OUT by Robert Douglas, MURK by Denmark's Jannick Johansen and the UK/Polish/German adaptation of the Günter Grass novel UNKENRUFE (Call of the Toad) directed by Robert Glinski.

Films just delivered in 2006 include ANASTEZI - THE GREAT SILENCE by Spanish director Miguel Alacantud with Sir Derek Jacobi in the lead roleand BORDER POST by Rajko Grlic which will premiere at the 2006 San Sebastian Film Festival.

Next up in September is Dos directed by Spanish tyro Guillermo Groizard in collaboration with Madrid based Rioja Audiovisual. Whilst already shooting, are Bathory by Jaraj Jakubisko, Mysetery of the Wolf by , animation Quest for a Heart by with White Lightnin’ starting in the late Autumn to be shot in the US.

Downey is a member of the board of the European Film Academy and works closely with Amnesty International to set up film projects around the world.