10/01/2006

European Film Promotion (EFP) has today announced the up-and-coming European actors and actresses who will receive recognition for their talents as Shooting Stars 2006. The European acting talent will be presented at the 56th Berlin International Film Festival from February 11-13, 2006. This is the ninth annual Shooting Stars event, and is supported by the MEDIA Programme of the European Union.

Twenty-ones up-and-coming actors have been chosen by EFP member organisations from all over Europe. The young talent will take part in a series of events at the opening weekend of the festival designed to encourage the international film industry, media and public to acknowledge the incredible screen talent that lies within Europe. The event provides Shooting Stars with the opportunity to speak to international press about previous and upcoming projects at an international press conference; meet one-to-one with casting directors at an industry breakfast and celebrate their successes with the key film industry and special guests at the renowned Shooting Stars Gala Reception. The culmination of the weekend will be the presentation of the Studio Hamburg Shooting Stars Award, recognising the actors’ achievements to date, and presented on the main festival stage by Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick.

The 2006 nominees follow in the footsteps of previous Shooting Stars such as Daniel Craig, Franka Potente, Daniel Brühl, Ludivine Sagnier, Elena Anaya and Ana Geislerová, who participated in the initiative just prior to achieving international recognition and acclaim.

Shooting Stars 2006

AUSTRIA: Kathrin Resetarits Nominated by: Austrian Film Commission
Recent Films: Fallen oder Schweben (Barbara Albert, 2006), Crash Test Dummies (Jörg Kalt, 2004), Free Radicals (Böse Zellen), (Barbara Albert, 2004)

BULGARIA: Vesela Kazakova Nominated by: National Film Center Bulgaria
Recent Films: Stolen Eyes(Otkradnati Ochi) (Radoslav Spasov, 2004), Mila From Mars (Mila ot Mars) (Zornitza Sophia, 2004), Crazy Day (Shantav Den) (Silvia Pesheva, 2003)

CZECH REPUBLIC: Pavel Liška Nominated by: Czech Film Center
Recent Films: Lunacy (Sílení) (Jan Svankmajer, 2005), Something Like Happiness (Strebejk) (Bohdan Sláma, 2004)

DENMARK: Beate Bille Nominated by: Danish Film Institute
Recent Films: Manslaughter (Drabet) (Per Fly, 2005), Die Blaue Grenze (Till Franzen, 2004), The Art of Success (Det Sublime) (Jonas Elmer, 1999)

ESTONIA: Maarja Jakobson. Nominated by: Baltic Films
Recent Films: The Empty Beach (Tühirand) (Veiko Õunpuu, 2006), Fed UP! (Kõrini!/ Schnautze voll) (Peeter Simm, 2005), Shop of Dreams (Stiilipidu) (Peeter Urbla, 2005)

FINLAND: Jasper Pääkkönen. Nominated by: Finnish Film Foundation
. Recent Films: Matti (Aleksi Mäkelä, 2005), Frozen Land (Paha Maa) (Aku Louhimies, 2005), Private Eye (Vares) (Aleksi Mäkelä, 2004)

FRANCE: Fanny Valette. Nominated by: Unifrance.
Recent Films: Little Jerusalem (La petite Jérusalem) (Karin Albou, 2004), The Frenchman’s Son (Le Fils du Français) (Gérard Lauzier, 1999)

GERMANY: Johanna Wokalek Nominated by: German Films.
Recent Films: Barefoot (Barfuss) (Til Schweiger, 2005), Die Kirschenkönigin (Rainer Kaufmann, 2004), Hierankl (Hans Steinbichler, 2003)

GREECE: Christos Loulis. Nominated by: Greek Film Centre.
Recent Films: Honey And The Pig (Loukoumadhes Me Meli) (Olga Malea, 2005), Delivery (Nikos Panayotopoulos, 2004)

HUNGARY: Gabriella Hámori. Nominated by: Magyar Filmunió.
Recent Films: Stop Mom Theresa! (Állítsátok Meg Terézanyut!) (Péter Bergendy, 2004), Who The Hell’s Bonnie And Clyde? (A Miskolci Boniésklájd) (Krisztina Deák, 2004), Eastern Sugar (Szezon) (Ferenc Török, 2004)

ICELAND: Bjorn Hlynur Haraldsson. Nominated by: Icelandic Film Centre.
Recent Films: Eleven Men Out (Strákarnir Okkar) (Róbert Douglas, 2005), Cold Light (Kaldaljós) (Hilmar Oddsson, 2004), Reykjavik Guesthouse: Rent A Bike (Unnur Ösp Stefánsdóttir & Björn Thors, 2002)

IRELAND: Ruth Negga. Nominated by: Irish Film Board.
Recent Films: Isolation (Billy O'Brien, 2005), Breakfast on Pluto (Neil Jordan, 2005), Colour Me Kubrick (Brian W. Cook, 2005)

ITALY: Riccardo Scamarcio Nominated by: A.I.P. Filmitalia
Recent Films: Texas (Fausto Paravidino, 2005), Crime Novel (Romanzo Criminale) (Michele Placido, 2005), The Perfect Man (L’Uomo Perfetto) (Luca Lucini, 2005)

THE NETHERLANDS: Mimoun Oaïssa Nominated by: Holland Film
Recent Films: Schnitzel Paradise (Het Schnitzelparadijs) (Martin Koolhoven, 2005), Shouf Shouf Habibi! (Albert ter Heerdt, 2004), Polleke (Ineke Houtman, 2004)

NORWAY: Ane Dahl Torp Nominated by: Norwegian Film Institute
Recent Films: All to be released in 2006 High School Teacher Pedersen (Gymnaslærer Pedersen) (Hans Petter Moland, 2006), Restless (Uro) (Stefan Faldbakken, 2006), No Tears (Inga tårar) (Håkan Bjerking, 2006)

PORTUGAL: Nuno Lopes Nominated by: Instituto do Cinema Audiovisual e Multimédia (ICAM)
Recent Films: Alice (Marco Martins, 2005), My Mother (Ma Mère), (Christophe Honoré, 2004), Lent (Quaresma), (José Álvaro Morais, 2003)

SLOVENIA: Iva Krajnc Nominated by: Slovenian Film Fund
Recent Films: Ljubljana The Beloved (Ljubljana Je Ljubljena) (Matjaž Klopčič, 2005), Plastic Nomads (Plastik Nomaden) (Philipp Stary, in post-production), Guardian of The Frontier (Varuh Meje), (Maja Weiss, 2002)

SPAIN: Marta Etura Nominated by: Instituto de la Cinematografia y de las Artes Audiovisuales (ICAA)
Recent Films: Remake (Roger Gual, 2005), Dark Blue, Almost Black (Azul Oscuro, Casi Negro) (Sánchez Arévalo, 2005), Something To Remember Me By (Para Que No Me Olvides) (Patricia Ferreira, 2005)

SWEDEN: Eva Röse Nominated by: Swedish Film Institute
Recent Films: White Trash (Anette Winblad Von Walter, 2005) Storm (Måns Mårlind & Björn Stein, 2004) Kops (Kopps) (Josef Fares, 2002)

SWITZERLAND: Carlos Leal Nominated by: Swiss Films
Recent Films: Snow White (Samir, 2005), Trinivel (Hubert Woroniecky, 2003), Love Express (Elena Hazanov, 2003)

UNITED KINGDOM: Lucy Punch Nominated by: British Council
Recent Films: Are You Ready For Love? (Helen Grace, 2005), Festival (Annie Griffin, 2005) Being Julia (István Szabó, 2004)

(Translated from Italian)