26/11/2018 - Five industry experts will select Europe's most promising young acting talents for the 22nd edition of the initiative, to be held during the Berlinale

(l-r) Avy Kaufman, Ingvar Sigurdsson, Macdara Kelleher, Tara Karajica and Teona Strugar Mitevska

For the 22nd edition of European Film Promotion's European Shooting Stars, the EFP member organisations have nominated 29 European actresses and actors of which 10 will be selected by an expert jury. The nominees have qualified for this important stepping stone in their career by already starring in their first leading roles and receiving awards for their performances or their films in their home countries.

The task of selecting the lucky ten out of the exceptional nominees falls to five experts in the various fields of creative film-making: award-winning Macedonian director Teona Strugar Mitevska (When the Day Had No Name [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Teona Strugar Mitevska
film profile]), renowned US-casting director Avy Kaufman (The Circle), Belgrade-based film critic and journalist Tara Karajica, former Irish Producer on the Move Macdara Kelleher (Black ‘47 [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lance Daly
film profile]), and former European Shooting Star Ingvar Sigurdsson (Mihkel [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pääru Oja
film profile]) from Iceland.

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The ten 2019 European Shooting Stars will be announced on 11 December. Made possible with the financial support of the Creative Europe – MEDIA Programme of the European Union and the participating EFP member organisations, the activities will take place during the 69th Berlin International Film Festival, from 8–11 February 2019, becoming a major promotion and networking event for up-and-coming actors, casting directors and producers and culminating in a ceremony at the Berlinale Palast, which is donated by main partner Leysen1855. Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick, comments: "Over the years it has been a great pleasure to follow the careers of these outstanding European acting talents, many of them returning to present their latest films here in Berlin, like Alba Rohrwacher or Domhnall Gleeson and Alicia Vikander. These are only a few examples to show the high standards set by the Shooting Star jury. So I am very much looking forward to welcoming the next generation of European stars in the making and presenting them at centre stage at the Berlinale Palast.”