21/06/2023 - The event is dedicated to regional actors, filmmakers, casting directors and talent agents so as to promote them locally as well as internationally

A photo taken during the Branka Katić master class

The second edition of the international ReActing as a Star programme, dedicated to regional actors from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Slovenia and Serbia, took place from 15-17 June in Bled, Slovenia. The aim of the programme is to encourage networking among actors, casting directors, agents and film directors from the region and the rest of Europe, and increase their mobility and presence in the European film industry. The event was attended by 40 film professionals, including representatives of the European Film Academy, film funds and centres, and the International Casting Directors Association (ICDA), as well as 19 actors from the region of the former Yugoslavia.

The second ReActing as a Star began with a master class titled “In Conversation with Branka Katić”. In an intimate atmosphere, the actress shared her international experience working with renowned directors such as Peter Kosminsky, Michael Radford, Anthony Minghella, Michael Mann and Sally Potter during an inspiring one-hour talk with Nataša Bučar, the director of the Slovenian Film Centre. “ReActing was fantastic! It’s only while you’re studying acting that you have the leeway to make mistakes and try various things. You don’t have time to explore [while acting]. Here, it was magical because we were like playful children again, where the most important thing wasn’t the result, but rather learning as much as possible in the process,” Katić said about the event.

On the second day, the actors presented their portfolios and showreels to the regional media. The presentation was followed by two round-tables with renowned guests. The first, moderated by Timka Grin, the president of the ICDA, focused on the topic of talent agents and casting directors, and their support and services for actors. The participants were casting directors Kirjana A Nikolovska, Ljubimka Pavasović and Sanja Gregorčič, as well as agents Anila Gajević and Bojana Rnjak, and Slovenian actress Nika Rozman. The people involved in the second round-table, moderated by film scholar Nebojša Jovanović, were regional film directors Dubravka Turić (Croatia), Damjan Kozole (Slovenia) and Srdan Golubović (Serbia). Turić said: “ReActing as a Star was a beautiful event. I think the concept is really good. I had the opportunity to see 20 brilliant young actors from the entire region, which is a privilege because it’s usually difficult to reach them, and networking is always very important in our profession.”

The international ReActing as a Star programme also included workshops by casting directors Cassandra Han and Jeremy Zimmermann, who had an opportunity to meet and work with 19 selected regional actors. Han specialises in crossing over between the German, Italian, UK and US markets, while Zimmermann is one of the UK’s leading casting directors, who has worked with notable directors such as Todd Field, Ron Howard, Guillermo del Toro, Bille August, Giuseppe Tornatore and many others.

“We are happy that these intensive days of ReActing as a Star have stimulated rich and creative dialogues about acting and casting, and have served as a platform for knowledge sharing and the discovery of talents,” Tina Hajon, the head of the ReActing as a Star project, remarked.

The ReActing as a Star programme is an initiative of the Slovenian Film Centre and Secret Arts Cinema, which is the producer of the event. ReActing as a Star is realised in cooperation with film funds and centres from Croatia, Serbia, North Macedonia and Montenegro, as well as the Sarajevo Film Festival’s CineLink Industry Days Training and Skills programme, the European Film Academy, the ICDA and the Filmmakers.eu platform. It holds the European Film Academy’s Knowledge Sharing label for its 2023 and 2024 editions. By using said label, the European Film Academy aims to support outstanding projects that connect people who are keen to share with those willing to listen and learn.