The 2016 EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS: destined to dazzle at the 66th Berlinale

Film’s most promising young performers are announced by EFP for their annual actors’ showcase at the Berlin International Film Festival

European Film Promotion (EFP) has today revealed the gifted young actors selected as the 2016 EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS. Chosen by a jury of industry experts, the ten talents will be presented to the film world during the opening weekend of the 66th Berlin International Film Festival (February 11-21).

The EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS of 2016 have been unveiled as follows:
Martha Canga Antonio (Belgium), Tihana Lazović (Croatia), Lou de Laâge (France), Jella Haase (Germany), Daphné Patakia (Greece), Atli Óskar Fjalarsson (Iceland), Sara Serraiocco (Italy), Reinout Scholten van Aschat (The Netherlands), María Valverde (Spain), Kacey Mottet Klein (Switzerland). Further details can be found online.

This annual talent platform has developed an impressive reputation for uncovering the international stars of tomorrow. The EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS initiative has set some of today’s most acclaimed European newcomers on the path to acting success. Alumni include Daniel Brühl (Germany), Alicia Vikander (Sweden), Pilou Asbaek (Denmark), Jakob Oftebro (Norway) and the UK’s Maisie Williams. 

Now in its 19th year, the SHOOTING STARS event has again received financial support from the Creative Europe-MEDIA Programme of the European Union and participating EFP member organisations, who nominated their candidates.

Jury member Anamaria Marinca, Romanian SHOOTING STAR in 2008, commented today on the 2016 selection: “Being a SHOOTING STAR was exhilarating. Little did I know how problematic it would be as a jury member to try to select just ten participants from the twenty- four nominees put forward by the EFP member organisations this year. We watched films from all over Europe, brimming with fresh young voices. Our final selection of ten actors reflects the diversity and vitality of European Cinema. We are proud to present these emerging artists on a world stage at the Berlinale.”

Further members of the 2016 Jury are: Italian producer Marta Donzelli, Greek film director Constantine Giannaris, German film editor and critic Tobias Kniebe and Danish casting director Rie Hedegaard.

At the Berlinale, the ten selected actresses and actors will partake in a specially curated weekend of profile-raising workshops and events, with influential members of the International Casting Directors Network (ICDN), film and television agents and filmmakers, alongside interviews and photo-shoots with international media.

The meetings with casting directors are often an especially important stepping stone in the careers of the emerging talent. Most recently, former Shooting Stars Alexander Fehling (Germany, 2011) and Sven Schelker (Switzerland, 2015) have been cast by ICDN member and SHOOTING STARS supporter Simone Bär, in the 5th season of the acclaimed television drama series, Homeland. Statistically, eight out of ten of the actors awarded the SHOOTING STARS accolade have been involved in international casting sessions which have directly led to their involvement in one or more international co-productions, following their Berlinale debuts.

The programme of events at the Berlinale will conclude with the time-honoured red carpet awards ceremony at the Berlinale Palast, where the achievements of the young actors are celebrated and each actor presented with a EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS Award, which will be donated by long-term main partner Tesiro in their eighth year of supporting this initiative.

For more information about EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS, please go here.