Editor

For its 20^th anniversary, European Film Promotion (EFP) has chosen a panel of high-profile industry experts to select Europe’s best acting talent for its annual Berlinale showcase.

Today EFP proudly presents the EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS jury for 2017: Hungarian actress and former SHOOTING STAR Dorka Gryllus (Demimonde), British casting director Lucinda Syson (Batman Begins), Portuguese producer Pandora da Cunha Telles (Bridges of Sarajevo), Swiss film director Xavier Koller (Journey of Hope), and Swedish film editor and critic Jan Lumholdt (Svenska Dagbladet). This group will bring their combined expertise in various fields of the creative filmmaking process to select the ten most promising young actors from across Europe, as the 2017 EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS.

At the upcoming Berlinale, European Film Promotion (EFP) will celebrate the 20^th edition of its first, most prominent and influential initiative EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS featuring Europe’s most promising young acting talent. The event also marks the 20^th anniversary of EFP, the leading association to promote European films worldwide, having been founded at the Berlinale in 1997. Since its first showcase at the festival in 1998, a total of 283 Shooting Stars have been presented at one of the most important international film festivals. For many of them, the event marked the starting point of their international career. The high profile of the programme – for which financial support is granted by the Creative Europe – MEDIA Programme of the European Union and the participating EFP members – is reflected in the names of some of the most prominent former Shooting Stars including Daniel Craig, Alicia Vikander, Matthias Schoenaerts, Carey Mulligan, Domhnall Gleeson, Maria Valverde, Daniel Brühl, Anamaria Marinca and Pilou Asbæk.

For the jury’s consideration the EFP member organisations from across Europe have nominated their most promising acting talent. The lucky ten will be selected in early December, ahead of travelling to the upcoming Berlin International Film Festival, which runs February 9 - 19 2017. EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS is the most prolific and prominent Europe-wide initiative to spotlight young actresses and actors, whose exceptional talents receive a most welcome additional push. The showcase for the ten gifted performers during the Berlinale provides the international attention their work deserves.

Over the years, EUROPEAN SHOOTINGS STARS has perfected its programme which sees the ten SHOOTING STARS brought together with agents and casting directors and presented to the international media, giving the stars of tomorrow ample opportunity to network and establish important relationships for their professional future. The highlight of this three-day-event is the annual awards ceremony on Feb 13, where each actor is honoured with the SHOOTING STARS AWARD on the main festival stage, donated by main partner Tesiro.

For more information about the EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS 2017 programme, please go to www.shooting-stars.eu