SHOOTING STARS 2008 at the Berlin International Film Festival

9th–12th February 2008

Only a fortnight away, European Film Promotion (EFP) will present the best of the best of young European acting talent, the SHOOTING STARS 2008, at the Berlin International Film Festival.

BREAKING NEWS – ANDREW GARFIELD

Andrew Garfield, chosen as one of the SHOOTING STARS of 2008, has proven he is already on the path to international stardom. Having already starred opposite Robert Redford in Lions for Lambs, he is currently working with Terry Gilliam on The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Due to unforeseen circumstances, he is no longer available to attend SHOOTING STARS at the Berlin International Film Festival in person. He can however be seen on screen at this year’s Berlinale in John Crowley’s film Boy A, in which he plays the lead.

Following intense consultation, EFP's board of directors and the SHOOTING STARS jury have decided to offer another actor all of the benefits that SHOOTING STARS at Berlin provides. Marko Igonda from Slovakia, who the judges had previously agreed had outstanding potential, has subsequently been named as a SHOOTING STAR for 2008, and will attend the events at Berlinale.

BREAKING NEWS – MARKO IGONDA

Marko Igonda has been named as a SHOOTING STAR of 2008.

Thanks to his good English, Marko Igonda has often been cast in recent years for foreign film productions. He had success both in supporting and lead roles as in Dark Spirits, Behind Enemy Lines and Peter Webber's Hannibal Rising. In 2007, he played the lead of Helmut Kampen in the Slovak film Facing the Enemy by Patrik Lančarič, to which he also contributed as a co-scriptwriter. Marko is currently in production on Flying Cyprian (Lietajúci Cyprián), directed by Mariana Čengel-Solčanská, in the lead role. In addition, Marko is also at home at theatres in Slovakia and Czech Republic. For some years he was a member of the Slovak National Theatre (SND) where he played in dozens of roles such as the ship's pilot in Shakespeare’s "The Tempest", Don Juan in Molière’s "Don Juan", Brčo in Z. Egressy's "Portugalia", and others.

Igonda was praised by the SHOOTING STARS jury as giving an "impressive performance of depth and sincerity in Facing the Enemy: we believe completely in his terrible situation.”

LATEST NEWS – WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE SHOOTING STARS?

Although Stine Fischer Christensen from Denmark is still a student at the Danish National School of Theatre, she has already been snapped up for a feature film lined-up for 2009: Adam Hashemi’s directorial debut Mr. Odermatt. Stine says she feels honoured to have been selected as a Shooting Star: “If I look at the previous Shooting Stars, especially Danish Shooting Stars whose careers I’ve followed more intensely, I can say that these are actors and actresses that I admire.”

At the end of February, Nicolas Cazalé will be shooting La Chanteuse de Tango (The Tango Singer) by Argentine director Diego Martinez Vignatti. He’ll then be playing the boxer Victor Young Perez, in a Steve Suissa film. On his acting technique, Nicolas says: “I’m rather an instinctive actor. Some characters are more like me than others, but I believe you shouldn’t play a game of pretence. You should have the honesty to search within yourself.”

Hannah Herzsprung is currently shooting with Uwe Janson for the ZDF theatre channel Goethes "Die Leiden des Jungen Werther" and has just gained her first taste of working in English on Stephen Daldry's The Reader. She is also anticipating the release of Uli Edel’s Berlin – 1st of May (Berlin – 1. Mai) by Sven Taddicken where she has the lead role. Berlin – 1st of May will premiere in the Berlinale section Perspektive Deutsches Kino.

Zsolt Nagy is playing a central role in Chameleon (Kaméleon), the latest film from Hungarian director Krisztina Goda and is set to appear in Kolorádó Kid by András Vágvölgyi, both films being released this year. When choosing which film roles to take, Zsolt says “courage, reflection and the desire for a challenge” are deciding factors, and once he’s chosen he fully immerses himself in the role.

2008 looks set to be a very busy year for Elio Germano, as he begins shooting Come dio comanda by Gabriele Salvatores in February and anticipates the release of Francesco Patierno’s Il Mattino Ha L'Oro In Bocca and Tutta La Vita Davanti by Paolo Virzi. Luchetti's film My Brother is an only Child for which Elio was awarded with the "David di Donatello" will have a release in German, UK and US cinemas in Spring.

Dutch actress Maryam Hassouni will be anticipating the release of Dunya & Desie later this year, which is being shown at Berlin in the section Wettbewerb 14Plus. Maryam describes how the power of film has influenced her career choices: “I fell in love with film since I discovered the great power of it… I mean, it has the possibility to influence my mood and the way I feel and think, but in a very powerful way! Making a film has something magical.” Maryam recently won the Cosmopolitan “Fun Fearless Female Award” in November 2007.

Anamaria Marinca will be following her success from this year with a key role in Romanian director Radu Muntean’s latest film, Boogie which looks set to be released at the beginning of May. Anamaria attributes her decision to become an actor to her “curiosity and fascination with the unknown”. Anamaria recently won the “Best Actress” Award for 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days at the Stockholm Film Festival 2007. She is also going up against Angelina Jolie, Laura Linney, Marion Cotillard and Maggie Gyllenhaal in the bid for “Best Supporting Actress” at the London Film Critic’s Circle Awards 2008.

With a title role in the Swiss TV series "Jimmie", Joel Basman will also be anticipating the release of two of his films in 2008: Luftbusiness (Life for Sale) from Dominique de Rivaz and A Thousand Oceans by Luki Frieden. Following his selection as a SHOOTING STAR, Joel has high hopes for the future: “I hope to continue developing as an actor, as I have done up to now.”

SHOOTING STARS 2008 PRESS Conference

The annual SHOOTING STARS press conference will take place on 11th February, with the official photocall beginning at 11am. Former SHOOTING STAR for the UK Lucy Russell (2002) and personal manager Derek Power, both on this year’s jury, will moderate the press conference, discuss the jury's decision and take questions from the floor.