Irish Actress Sarah Bolger to be a Shooting Star at Berlin Film Festival
Irish actress Sarah Bolger is one of ten young actors to have been selected by a professional jury and European Film Promotion (EFP) members as the 2009 SHOOTING STARS, stars of the future. The ten will be presented to the international film industry and the world's media at the Berlin Film Festival between 7th to 9th February 2009.
The 2009 SHOOTING STARS follow in the footsteps of previous participants that have included: Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, Franka Potente, Daniel Brühl, Ludivine Sagnier, Cécile de France and Jérémie Renier.
The actors' credentials are as follows:
Sarah Bolger (Ireland) debuted in Jim Sheridan's In America in 2003, and followed this with roles in Stormbreaker by Geoffrey Sax in 2006 and The Spiderwick Chronicles by Mark Waters in 2008; she can currently be seen on television in The Tudors. Her next film will be Iron Cross by Joshua Newton.
Carey Mulligan (United Kingdom) has been busy since her first film role in Joe Wright's Pride and Prejudice in 2005. She can next be seen in Jim Sheridan's Brothers, Michael Mann's Public Enemies and Lone Scherfig's An Education opposite Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina and Emma Thompson which has a gala screening in the Berlinale Special. Her performance in An Education received rave reviews at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
Cyron Melville (Denmark) starred in Natasha Arthy's Fighter which screened at the Berlinale in 2008. His film performance received a nomination last year in the "Best Supporting Actor" category at Denmark's Bodil Awards. He will next be seen in Daniel by Morten Giese, released theatrically in 2009, and Morgens Hagedorn's forthcoming Volvens Forbandelse.
Samuli Vauramo (Finland) starred in Dome Karukoski's Beauty and the Bastard in 2005 and Tears of April (Käsky) by Aku Louhimies with Pihla Viitala and Eero Aho which became an international festival hit last year. He will next be seen in Bunraku together with Ron Perlman, Josh Hartnett, Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson, directed by Guy Moshe.
Hafsia Herzi (France) can next be seen in Un Homme et Son Chien by Francis Huster which has recently opened in France and Belgium, and Alain Guiraudie's Le Roi de L'évasion with Ludovic Berthillot which will be released later this year. She starred in the acclaimed The Secret of the Grain (Couscous) by Abdellatif Kechiche which won the Prix Spécial du Jury at Venice Film Festival 2007 and a César for "Most Promising Actress". She has just finished shooting Anonymes by Raja Amari.
David Kross (Germany) stars opposite Kate Winslet in The Reader directed by Stephen Daldry which will screen out of competition at this year's Berlinale. The film was nominated for four 2009 Golden Globes with Kate Winslet winning the Golden Globe for "Best Actress". It has also been nominated for five BAFTAs and five Oscar® awards. The film is being released internationally during the first quarter of 2009. He has also just finished filming Detlev Buck's Same Same But Different.
Orsi Tóth (Hungary) has won several prestigious awards for her starring roles in Kornél Mundruczó's Pleasant Days and Johanna. She was also in Summer 1953 by Shirin Neshat and the FIPRESCI award-winning Delta directed by Kornél Mundruczó last year. She will next be seen in Jessica Hausner's Lourdes.
Alba Caterina Rohrwacher (Italy) starred in Daniele Luchetti's My Brother is an Only Child in 2006 and was seen in the Berlinale 2008 competition film Calm Chaos by Antonello Grimaldi alongside Nanni Moretti and Valeria Golino, and Giovanna's Father by Pupi Avati which screened at the Venice Film Festival last year. Her most recent films include Luca Guadagnino's I Am Love together with Tilda Swinton, and L'Uomo Che Verra by Giorgio Diritti.
Verónica Echegui (Spain) won several awards for her first major film role in I am Juani which led onto roles in The Least of All Evils by Antonio Hernández in 2006. She can also be seen in My Father House by Gorka Merchán and Prison Yard by Belén Macías which both premiered at the 2008 San Sebastian Film Festival, and next in Paul King's Bunny and the Bull.
Celine Bolomey (Switzerland) first starred in Le voyage de Noémie by Michel Rodde in 1986 followed by leading roles in AM-PM by Francesco Cesalli in 2001, and Vincent Pluss's On dirait le Sud and The Noise in My Head which she has received a "Best Actress" nomination for the Swiss Quartz 2009 Film Prize.
All of the actors participating in the programme this year are encouraged to see themselves as the new ambassadors for European cinema and film entertainment.
SHOOTING STARS is a unique pan-European initiative which helps to put emerging new acting talent at the forefront of the entertainment agenda which unfolds yearly at the Berlinale. The initiative is supported by the MEDIA Programme of the European Union.