Editor

Six young actors and actresses from six countries in Middle and Eastern Europe have been nominated at FilmFestival Cottbus for their outstanding performance: Anna Karczmarczek in GALERIANKI | MALL GIRLS plays Alicja, a teenager torn between monetary and love affairs. Russian actress Elena Liadova in BUBEN BARABAN shines as young bibliothekcary who witnesses the love affair and constant book thefts of her older collegue. Kati Farkas maneuvers between different relationships in the Hungarian drama NEM VAGYOK A BARATOD | I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND.

The nominations for the male actor all went to the Balcan peninsula. Nik Xhelilaj in the Albanian drama ALIVE! portrays a student who suddenly finds himself in a blood feud. Niksa Butijer as false explosives expert treads mined territory with Croatian army unit THE BLACKS | CRNCI, while his Serbian counterpart Relja Popovic similarly plays a soldier in an special operations unit who finds himself confronted with war crimes (OBICNI LJUDI | ORDINARY PEOPLE).

"The prize is meant to promote new faces on screen", Roland Rust explains the selection. "It is supposed to help along their international career." Both awards have the value of 5.000 Euros. The Special Prize for an Outstanding Actress is donated by the city of Cottbus, while the prize for an Outstanding Actor is donated by Sparkasse Spree-Neiße. The winners are chosen by the International Festival jury. All nominees are going to be present for the closing ceremony on Saturday Nov 14th.