ReActing as a Star 2026 Returns for Its 5th Edition: Regional Acting Talents and Leading European Casting Directors Gather in Slovenia
KRANJ, Slovenia – The unique regional platform ReActing as a Star, which connects the film industry with talented actors from Southeast Europe, announces its fifth edition. This prestigious networking and professional development programme will begin on Friday, June 12, 2026.
Produced by Pari Pikule and Secret Arts Cinema, the programme is organized in partnership with the Slovenian Film Centre and with the support of the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Film Center Serbia, and the Film Centre of Montenegro. The project’s international relevance is further confirmed by its long-standing cooperation with the world’s leading casting director associations, the International Casting Directors Association (ICDA) and the Casting Society (CSA), whose support guarantees the high professional standard of the entire event.
This year’s edition of ReActing brings together twelve outstanding actors from the region who are already making a significant impact on the regional film and theatre scene and represent a new generation of authentic artistic voices with diverse poetics, experiences, and sensibilities. This year’s participants include Maja Izetbegović and Zlatan Vidović from Bosnia and Herzegovina; Romina Tonković and Roko Sikavica from Croatia; Lea Mihevc, Urban Kuntarić, and Klemen Novak from Slovenia; Isidora Simijonović and Miodrag Dragićević from Serbia; Jelena Laban and Lazar Dragojević from Montenegro; and Slagana Vujoshevikj from North Macedonia.
This year’s ensemble offers an exceptional combination of talent and impressive professional biographies, including numerous regional and international awards, work at prestigious repertory theatres, and roles in major regional and international film productions, including collaborations with renowned directors such as Terrence Malick.
A special guest of the programme is American actor Darren Pettie, a graduate of the prestigious Juilliard School, known for his acclaimed performances in the award-winning series Mad Men, as well as his recent role in the globally successful science-fiction series Foundation on Apple TV+. Throughout his distinguished career, he has delivered notable performances in film, television, and theatre, collaborating with some of the most prominent creators on the American audiovisual scene.
An exclusive guest of this edition is also Katarina Čas, one of Slovenia’s most successful actresses with an impressive international career, known for her roles in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, Danny Collins alongside Al Pacino, and Terminal with Margot Robbie. She will open the three-day professional programme on Friday with a conversation entitled “From Slovenia to Global Screen”, during which she will share her experiences of balancing regional and international careers and discuss the challenges of building a successful international profile.
Saturday’s programme begins with the official presentation of the twelve selected actors through screenings of their showreels and short interviews moderated by writer and journalist Srđan Sandić. This session will provide an opportunity for participants to get to know one another and network with industry guests. The stage will then be taken over by award-winning Montenegrin director Ivan Marinović, whose films The Black Pin and Forever hold your peace have received international acclaim. Through a conversation titled “Filmmaking and Performance”, he will offer his perspective on working on set and his close relationship with the acting process.
At the heart of the ReActing platform are one-on-one meetings between actors and leading international casting directors who actively shape today’s European film and television industry. Among this year’s guests is Swedish casting director Pauline Hansson, nominated for a BAFTA Award for her work on the Cannes Palme d’Or winner Triangle of Sadness and also known for her collaboration on Ruben Östlund’s The Square. From Sarajevo comes the highly respected Timka Grin, whose extensive international portfolio includes projects such as Skyfall, Murina, Death in Sarajevo, and the popular television series Robin Hood and I Know Your Soul.
Representing the Italian industry is Maurilio Mangano, recipient of the prestigious David di Donatello Award for Best Casting for the acclaimed film Vermiglio. He has also enjoyed a long-standing collaboration with director Marco Bellocchio on projects including The Traitor,Kidnapped, and the television series Portobello. Joining from Denmark is Anders Nygaard, a casting professional with more than twenty years of experience on Scandinavian and international hits such as The Bridge, Normal People and White Sands. The line-up of distinguished professionals is further strengthened by Italian casting director Teresa Razzauti, whose credits include more than sixty productions, among them Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci and the recent series The Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints. She received two Emmy Award nominations for Master of None and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. From the United Kingdom comes Claudia Blunt, nominated for a British Independent Film Award (BIFA) for casting the film Bonus Track, which was presented as part of the Cannes Great8 showcase. Germany is represented by Alexandra Koknat, recognized for her work on acclaimed productions such as Dogs of Berlin and Berlin Alexanderplatz.
On Sunday, participants will attend an exclusive practical workshop led by Maurilio Mangano entitled “Worlding in an Empty Box – The Self Tape as an Act of Creation.” The workshop will provide regional actors with an opportunity to refine their audition-taping techniques and gain insight into what casting directors are looking for on online platforms today.
The programme’s finale is dedicated to the business side of the profession under the motto “Play Locally, Act Internationally.” A panel discussion on talent representation will bring together leading figures from the regional agencies Zona Talents, Slavic Artists Management, and Fidelis Actors, joined by distinguished international guests: Joseph Powell from one of the United Kingdom’s largest talent agencies, Curtis Brown, and Aleksandra Mandić from the Swedish agency Agentfirman, who played a key role in the international promotion of Nordic stars such as Bill Skarsgård and Noomi Rapace.
The entire three-day programme will conclude with an open and informal “Ask Me Anything” session, during which all participants will have the opportunity to receive direct answers to specific questions regarding the development of an international acting career.
Over the course of its five editions, ReActing as a Star has brought together more than 70 actors from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Slovenia, and Serbia, alongside a distinguished roster of international casting directors, filmmakers, producers, and talent agents. The programme consistently attracts strong interest from actors across the region, while casting professionals value it as a unique platform for discovering emerging talent from countries that are often underrepresented on the international film and television market.
%20(1).jpg)