Editor

European Film Promotion presents European acting talents for the twelfth year at the 2009 Berlinale

European Film Promotion (EFP) will be cooperating for the first time at the Berlin International Film Festival 2009 with Studio Babelsberg for the SHOOTING STARS programme. Both sides agreed to a long-term collaboration with a focus on the international promotion of young talents.

During the 2009 edition of the film festival in Berlin, EFP will be presenting ten outstanding young European actors as SHOOTING STARS in various events from February 7 - 9. As the main sponsor, Studio Babelsberg will be donating the SHOOTING STARS AWARD which will now be presented for the twelfth year in a glamourous event on the big stage of the Berlinale Palast.

Christoph Fisser, board member of Studio Babelsberg AG: "The activities of EFP are immensely important for European cinema. We are pleased that with SHOOTING STARS we can support a project that gives opportunities to young talents from all over Europe to introduce themselves to the international film community."

EFP managing director Renate Rose adds: "We are particularly looking forward to the collaboration with our new partner - and not just because of the financial support, although programmes like SHOOTING STARS would not otherwise be possible. Our enthusiasm is also due to the focused and professional exchange with the motivated team of Christoph Fisser and Dr. Carl Woebcken. Studio Babelsberg is an ideal partner for our European event with its international orientation."

SHOOTING STARS is supported financially by the MEDIA Programme of the EU and the participating member organisations. Over the years, the programme has become a talent exchange for the best European actors. The 10 SHOOTING STARS 2009 will be selected by an international jury at the beginning of December.

Studio Babelsberg is the oldest large-scale studio complex in the world and one of Europe's leading service providers for feature films and TV productions. Countless renowned filmmakers like Fritz Lang, Erich Pommer, Alfred Hitchcock, Roman Polanski, Wim Wenders and Volker Schlöndorff produced film classics in Studio Babelsberg. Current co-productions include Stephen Daldry's The Reader with Kate Winslet, Valkyrie with Tom Cruise, Tom Tykwer's new film The International with Clive Owen and Naomi Watts as well as Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds with Brad Pitt.