Editor

Talented young actors to present their films in Portugal (28 – 30 May 2005)
SHOOTING STARS from nine European countries at the 21th Festroia – International Film Festival
They are already big names at home, and they are starting to attract more and more attention abroad. At the 21st Festroia International Film Festival audiences, guests and press representatives will have the opportunity from 28 to 30 May 2005 to meet a group of nine (from a total of 21) of this year’s SHOOTING STARS, selected by European Film Promotions’ (EFP) member organisations.
The actors will be presented with their latest films, six of which are screening in competition.
The presentation of this young talents in Setúbal (Portugal) starts off this year’s Touring Shooting Stars Film Programme, which introduces a number of these promising actors at international film festivals and events and gives them exposure to new audiences. Portuguese Shooting Star 2005 Marisa Cruz will welcome her colleagues in her home country.
The visit to the Portuguese coastal city of Setúbal marks the first time the SHOOTING STARS tour is being presented at a festival in Portugal. There is good reason for selecting Festroia for this occasion. The focus lies on Shooting Stars from countries that produce no more than 30 films a year and are therefore less often in the international limelight. The perspectives and problems of young European actors will be discussed at an international seminar during the festival.
Since 1998, when EFP first introduced SHOOTING STARS during the Berlin International Film Festival, the programme has steadily gained recognition throughout Europe. Following up on this success, EFP launched the Touring Shooting Stars Film Programme in 2002. Supported by the MEDIA Programme of the EU, the tour employs a concept and promotional platform similar to that in Berlin: the actors and their films are presented to the press and the local audiences with the aim of increasing the awareness of European films and talent.
Many of the 148 young actors and actresses who have participated in the SHOOTING STARS programme since its inception have benefited directly from the initiative. It has raised their degree of fame in their own countries and allowed them to make a name for themselves on an international level. Several of them have gone on to act in productions in other countries as well.