Monday, 9 February ----

As it has done for the past twelve years, European Film Promotion, the pan-European body that represents 30 individual film boards, is presenting a group of ten young actors selected by a professional jury as "European stars of tomorrow".

The ten young actors selected for this year follow in the footsteps of previous talents who have since become recognizable names, including Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, Franka Potente, Daniel Brühl, Ludivine Sagnier, Cécile de France and Jérémie Renier.

The young talents were treated to a whirlwind of press conferences, individual interviews, photo shoots for a spread in Vanity Fair, all culminating with the presentation this afternoon of the group to the international press at the Kaisersaal of the Sony Center complex, the hub of the Berlinale. After an on-stage presentation this evening on the stage of the Berlinale Palast, the thespians were feted at a gala ceremony and party at one of Berlin's most chic nightspots, the Goya discotheque in historical Nollendorfplatz.

The impossibly beautiful group of actors and actresses included:

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.

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.

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".

David Kross / (Germany) stars opposite Kate Winslet in The Reader directed by Stephen Daldry which screened out of competition at this year's Berlinale. 

 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.  
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. 

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.  

Verónica Echegui / (Spain) won several awards for her first major film role in I am Juani which led onto a role in The Least of All Evils by Antonio Hernández in 2006. She can also be seen in My Father's House by Gorka Merchán and Prison Yard by Belén Macías which both premiered at the 2008 San Sebastian Film Festival.

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.

 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.

For further information on the event and each of the actors, and to view the trailer please go to: www.shooting-stars.eu. Recent interviews with the SHOOTING STARS are posted on the Cineuropa website: www.cineuropa.org

Sandy Mandelberger, Berlinale Dailies Editor