The International Casting Directors Association (ICDA) was heavily involved in the Berlinale and EFP Shooting Stars programme this year. 41 of our members participated in events from 18th to 20th February in Berlin.
Meet & Greet with Ukrainian Actors
On 18th February, ICDA organised a speed-dating event for Ukrainian actors who are registered in the actors’ database Aktorky-ta-aktory.org.
39 actors, most of whom have fled Ukraine and are currently living in Berlin and across Germany, came together with 21 international casting directors for a three-hour meet-and-greet to introduce themselves and their work in person. The aim was to support the artists in a practical and appreciative manner in light of the ongoing war.
Nancy Bishop, Ewa Brodzka, Nathalie Chéron, Domnica Circiumaru, Laurent Couraud, Anja Dihrberg- Siebler, Sofia Dimopoulou, Corinna Glaus, Timka Grin, Susanne Groen, Djamila Hansen, Yngvill Kolset-Haga, Kristina Kolytė, Beatrice Kruger, Ellen Sofie Michelsen, Jo Monteiro, Anders Nygaard, Dalia Survilaite, Rebecca van Unen, Lana Veenker and Jeremy Zimmermann all participated in the event on behalf of the ICDA.
Aktorky-ta-aktory.org and its supporters have been providing assistance to integrate Ukrainian actors into the European film industry since March 2022, with the help of CastUpload and its founder, David Zitzlsperger.
Dinner with the EFP Shooting Stars
On 18th February, our members had the chance to personally meet the 2023 EFP European Shooting Stars at a dinner organised specifically for ICDA casting directors.
Actors Industry Network (AIN)
On 19th February, our members were invited to the Actors Industry Network (AIN) at the Berlinale Co-Production Market and had the chance to participate in one-on-one meetings with the EFP European Shooting Stars.
The meet & greet was followed by an ICDA case study on the film Music by Angela Schanelec. The panel focused on the challenges of international casting in international co-productions and featured Kirill Krasovski (Faktura Film, Germany), Vladimir Vidić (Dart Film, Serbia), ICDA member Makis Gazis (casting director, Greece), and Pippa Harrison (Spotlight, United Kingdom).
Moderated by Amra Bakšić Čamo (SCCA/pro.ba, Bosnia and Herzegovina) the case study focused on the challenging task of setting up this co-production between Germany, France and Serbia, which was shot in Greece with an international cast, and ultimately utilising the casting process to make great discoveries.
ICDA General Assembly
As in many previous years, ICDA held its Annual General Assembly in Berlin on 20th February. Our members also had the opportunity to join the meeting virtually via Zoom.
The Assembly began with a moment of silence for our longtime colleague Simone Bär, who passed just weeks before the Berlinale.
Shooting Stars Awards & Screening
In the evening, our members were invited to the Shooting Stars Awards at Berlinale Palast, followed by a screening of the competition film Golda by Guy Nattiv.
Here are our members Lina Friberg, Tusse Lande, Kristina Kolytė, Dalia Survilaite and Nathalie Chéron at the EFP European Shooting Stars Awards Ceremony:
Finally, thanks to our sponsor WeAudition, our members in Berlin were able to see out the evening at a drinks reception at a nearby location.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our sponsors and partners at Berlinale Film Festival:
