Successful Second Edition of ReActing as a Star Programme at Bled
The second edition of the international ReActing as a Star programme, dedicated to regional actors from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montengero, North Macedonia, Slovenia and Serbia took place from 15 to 17 June in Bled, Slovenia, with the aim of encouraging networking among actors, casting directors, agents and film directors from the region and the rest of Europe, and increasing their mobility and presence in the European film industry.
Over 40 film professionals, including representatives from European Film Academy, Film funds and centres, Filmmakers, largest european platform for actors, International Casting Directors Association and the 19 regional actors and actresses, spent three intensive days in the beautiful setting of Bled, Slovenia. They engaged in networking, enhancing their competencies, and knowledge sharing.
The second edition of ReActing began with a masterclass titled 'In conversation with Branka Katić.' In an intimate atmosphere, this actress shared her international experience working with renowned directors such as Peter Kosminsky, Michael Radford, Anthony Minghella, Michael Mann, and Sally Potter during an inspiring one-hour talk with Nataša Bučar, the director of the Slovenian Film Centre.
Branka Katić shared her experiences from the completed program: „ReActing was fantastic! Only while you're an actor at the academy, studying acting, you have room to make mistakes and try various things. Then, when professional work starts, you often work on projects where there is no time for rehearsals. You don't have time to explore. Here, it was magical, because we were like playful children again, where the result wasn't the most important thing, but rather to learn as much as possible in the process.“
A special program called ReActing Presentation was organized on the second day, where selected attending actors presented their portfolios to the regional media. This was followed by two round tables with renowned guests.
The first round table, moderated by Timka Grin, President of the International Casting Directors Association (ICDA) and an experienced casting director, focused on the topic of talent agents,casting directors and their support and services for actors. The participants of the second round table were casting directors Kirjana A. Nikolovska, Ljubimka Pavasović and Sanja Gregorčič, as well as agents Anila Gajević, Bojana Rnjak and slovenian actress Nika Rozman.
The participants of the second round table, moderated by film scholar Nebojša Jovanović, were regional film directors Dubravka Turić (Croatia), Damjan Kozole (Slovenia), and Srdan Golubović (Serbia).
Director Dubravka Turić said: "Reacting as a Star was a beautiful event. I think the concept is really good. I had the opportunity to see 20 young, brilliant actors from the entire region, which is a privilege because it's usually difficult to reach them, and networking is always very important in our profession. We had a panel about working with actors, and the discussion that took place after the lecture was particularly interesting for us directors, and I believe for the actors as well."
The international ReActing as a Star programme also included workshops by casting directors Cassandra Han and Jeremy Zimmermann who had an opportunity to meet and work with selected 19 regional actors. Cassandra Han specializes in crossing over between the German, Italian, UK, and US markets, while Jeremy Zimmermann is one of the UK's leading casting directors who has worked with notable directors such as Todd Field, Ron Howard, Guillermo del Toro, Bille August, Giuseppe Tornatore, and many others.
Tina Hajon, Head of Reacting project said: „We were absolutely thrilled to have had the opportunity to present a fine selection of actors and actresses representing the great diversity of our region to such a distinguished group of casting directors, agents, film directors and journalist. We are happy that these Intensive days of ReActing as a Star programme stimulated a rich and creative dialogues about acting and casting and was platform for sharing knowledge and talent discoveries.“
The ReActing as a Star programme is an initiative of the Slovenian Film Centre and Secret Arts Cinema who is the producer of the event. The ReActing as a Star programme is realised in cooperation with film funds and centers from Croatia, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro, as well as the Sarajevo Film Festival's CineLink Industry Days Training and Skills program, the European Film Academy, the International Casting Directors Association, and the Filmmakers.eu platform.
The ReActing as a Star programme holds the European Film Academy's Knowledge Sharing label for its 2023 and 2024 editions. Under the Knowledge Sharing label, the European Film Academy aims to support outstanding projects that connect people who are keen to share with those willing to listen and learn.