Throughout its more than 25-year history, the European Shooting Stars program has been an important stepping-stone for young talent to break through internationally. This year, the selected eight women and two men will be celebrated and introduced to the international press, film industry and the audience during the 73^rd Berlinale on February 18.

The European Shooting Star selection is made by European Film Promotion (EFP), a network of national organizations that promote cinema. The jury recognizes the actors’ potential for an international career based on several factors, including their work in feature films and drama series.

This year, the international jury comprised of Polish director Jan Komasa, Dutch casting director Rebecca van Unen, Norwegian producer Maria Ekerhovd, Variety’s international features editor Leo Barraclough from the UK and former Spanish Shooting Star Veronica Echegui.

Among some of the actors who went on to create successful careers from this program are Bill Skarsgård, Carey Mulligan, Alicia Vikander, Maisie Williams and Daniel Brühl.

“I was like ‘Yes! Finally, it is my turn!’” says Swedish actress Gizem Erdogan, who is one of the Shooting Stars and who is currently in London talking to us via Zoom. “It means a lot to me because it is something I always wanted. I have always wanted to swim in international waters and I hope that this opens the door for me.”

Erdogan plays one of the architects of Spotify in the Netflix series The PlaylistCaliphateLove and Anarchy, we see her in a comedic role. Based on her work, the jury stated that “she has the charisma and ability to make an impact in the international films arena.”

“Maybe they noticed the variety of my projects and the range that I showed,” says Erdogan about the jury statement. ”I come from the theatre and I have been to acting school, so I have the traditional craft to draw from.”

The jury recognized Kayije Kagame’s debut work in Alice Diop’s Saint Omer and called her performance ‘quietly dignified, yet intense.’ In the film, the Swiss actress plays Rama, a novelist whose convictions are shaken by a traumatic court case, where Laurence Coly, a young woman is accused of killing her 15-month-old daughter.

“I completely immersed myself in the fiction until I no longer knew if the camera was shooting or not,” says Kagame in an email to the HFPA.  “Alice Diop is a special director. Our connection goes beyond words. I am grateful to have worked with her on a film that portrays the issue of motherhood through the intimacy of a woman who writes themes that resonate strongly with both of us.”

Aside from Erdogan and Kagame, the selection also included actresses Alina Tomnikov (Finland), Leonie Benesch (Germany), Benedetta Porcaroll (Italy), Kristine Kujath Thorp  (Norway), Judith State (Romania), and Joely Mbundu (Belgium).

The showcase will also present the actors Yannick Jozefzoon from The Netherlands and Thorvaldur Kristjánsson from Iceland.

Jozefzoon was selected based on his work in Dwight Fagbamila’s Femi, where according to the jury “he displays a raw, yet controlled energy combined with a sensitivity as the distressed father to be, struggling to come to terms with his father’s suicide.” In the film, he plays a toxic male character, who experiences a lot of inner turmoil.

“This role really gave me a chance to transform,” says Jozefzoon via Zoom from his home in Amsterdam about playing the grief-stricken Dennis in Femi for which he fasted for a week to transform himself physically. “What I like about this job is that it is almost a spiritual thing for me. I see acting as a life skill because what I get to do for my job is to look inside. I also get to look outside and observe and ask questions.  I think it is very beautiful.“

For Femi, Jozefzoon received his 2^nd Dutch Academy Award nomination for best leading actor. He appreciates the international recognition the European Shooting Stars will give him. “This signifies the next step in my career. It means that my journey goes on.”

The jury selected Kristjánsson as one of this year’s Shooting Stars for his work in Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir‘s A Letter From Helga.

“I felt both happy and humbled when I received the news and it took some time for me to process the information to be honest with you,” says Kristjánsson during a Zoom call from his home in Sweden. “It was quite a surprise.”

The jury said about his selection: “He emanates charisma and completely inhabits the role of a love-sick farmer, raging with passion for an aspiring poetess, while restrained by the mores of 1940s rural Iceland. He combines a robust appearance with a vulnerability, which draws the audience to him, and keeps them on his side.”

Kristjánsson is no stranger to awards. He was nominated as Best Leading Actor at The Icelandic Film and TV Academy Awards (Eddan) for his first feature film, Black’s Game, and won Best Supporting Actor in a TV series for The Minister in 2020. But being selected among the European Shooting Stars stands out for him.

“The prior recognitions that I have received came from the Icelandic film and TV industry,” says Kristjánsson. “The European Shooting Star in Berlin is a recognition from abroad and an international recognition, which means that my work is recognized on an international level which is wonderful for an actor, who comes from an island of 400,000 people.”