CULTURE
“Ali and Nino” actress among 10 European Shooting Stars
Madrid, December 17, AZERTAC
European Film Promotion has revealed the young actors selected as the 2016 European Shooting Stars. The 10 talented thesps, who were selected by a jury of industry experts, will be presented to the movie world during the opening weekend of the 66th Berlin Film Festival. The Shooting Stars are Martha Canga Antonio (Belgium), Tihana Lazovic (Croatia), Lou de Laage (France), Jella Haase (Germany), Daphne Patakia (Greece), Atli Oskar Fjalarsson (Iceland), Sara Serraiocco (Italy), Reinout Scholten van Aschat (The Netherlands), Maria Valverde (Spain), and Kacey Mottet Klein (Switzerland).
Former Shooting Stars include Daniel Bruhl, Alicia Vikander and Maisie Williams.
The jury was composed of Romanian actor Anamaria Marinca, Italian producer Marta Donzelli, Greek film director Constantine Giannaris, German film editor and critic Tobias Kniebe, and Danish casting director Rie Hedegaard.
At the Berlinale, the 10 selected actresses and actors will take part in a weekend of profile-raising workshops and events alongside members of the International Casting Directors Network (ICDN), agents and filmmakers. They will also attend interviews and photo-shoots with international media. The program of events will conclude with the red carpet awards ceremony at the Berlinale Palast.
Spanish actress Maria Valverde was primed for the lead female role in Middle Eastern literary adaptation "Ali & Nino." The film is based on a 1937 historical romance by an anonymous author, known as Kurban Said, which charts the relationship as it grows across cultural and political divides in Azerbaijan. Adam Bakri, who starred as the title character in 2013's high stakes romantic thriller "Omar," is to play the role of Ali opposite Maria Valverde's Nino. Valverde had previously co-starred in "Cracks" alongside Eva Green and Juno Temple, a 2009 film directed by Ridley Scott's daughter Jordan, and has prominent parts in 2015 drama "Broken Horses" (with Anton Yelchin) and 2016 action film "400 Boys." Her interpretation of Nino's character is moving, emotional and honest; it's very clear that she will be the beating heart of our movie," said director Asif Kapadia in a quote carried by Deadline.
Filming on the Kapadia and Hampton vision of "Ali and Nino" is scheduled to start in February.