There’s been a lack of glamour and star power at this year’s Berlinale —hardly surprising given that the 2022 festival is being held under strict COVID-19 safety measures, with enforced masking, social distancing and a ban on parties and after-event galas.
But 10 of Europe’s most exciting up-and-coming talents made it to the German capital for the annual European Shooting Stars event. Shooting Stars, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, has a strong track record in picking the best and brightest in new on-screen talent out of Europe. Previous Shooting Stars events, organized by European Film Promotion (EFP) have introduced the global film industry to such cross-over talents as Michaela Coel, Daniel Brühl, Alicia Vikander, Maisie Williams and Bill Skarsgard.
This year’s batch of talents, who arrived in Berlin Friday, include Anamaria Vartolomei, the star of Audrey Diwan’s Venice Golden Lion winner Happening, Denmark’s Marie Reuther, who had her breakthrough role in HBO Max limited series Kamikaze, and Croatia’s Gracija Filipovic, who had her first leading role in Alamat Kusijanovic’s Murina, winner of the Camera d’Or in Cannes this year.
German actor Emilio Sakraya, Ireland’s Clare Dunne, Hanna van Vliet of the Netherlands, Portuguese actor Joao Nunes Monteiro, Timon Sturbej from Slovenia, Swedish actor Evin Ahmad and Switzerland’s Souheila Yacoub were also picked by EFP’s five-person international jury of casting directors.
Due to tightened COVID-19 safety protocols, the Shooting Stars will be a hybrid event this year, with many of the talents’ meetings with casting directors and the international press happening via Zoom. But the 10 talents will still have their Berlinale red carpet moment, when they attend the Shooting Stars awards ceremony in Berlin on Monday, Feb. 14.
Source: Hollywood
