An international jury of experts, including Austrian director-screenwriter-producer Barbara Albert, Lithuanian producer Živilė Gallego, former Irish European Shooting Star Moe Dunford, British casting director Aisha Bywaters, and Greek PR officer, senior writer and industry reporter at Cineuropa, Vassilis Economou have selected ten exceptional talents, recognising their potential for an international career based on many factors, including their outstanding performance in recent feature films and drama series that were submitted for their nomination.

The EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS 2024 are Thibaud Dooms (Belgium), Margarita Stoykova (Bulgaria), Suzy Bemba (France), Salome Demuria (Georgia), Katharina Stark (Germany), Éanna Hardwicke (Ireland), Valentina Bellè (Italy), Džiugas Grinys (Lithuania), Kamila Urzędowska (Poland) and Asta Kamma August (Sweden).

German actress Katharina Stark is a graduate of the renowned Otto Falckenberg School in Munich. Throughout her studies, she appeared in numerous TV movies, films (such as Anna Roller's feature film DEAD GIRLS DANCING) and plays, often with roles on the stage of the award-winning Münchner Kammerspiele theatre. Katharina is currently starring as the Polish interpreter Eva Bruhns in the German Disney+ original mini-series THE INTERPRETER OF SILENCE, based on the novel by Annette Hess and directed by Isabel Prahl and Randa Chahoud. The jury is full of praise: "… Katharina executes an emotionally charged and demanding role with ease. Her character's depth is conveyed through a performance that is both understated and compelling.”

Katharina Stark on being selected: „I‘m beyond honoured and excited to be this year’s German European Shooting Star. I‘m especially grateful for this exceptional opportunity to meet all of the great talents at the Berlinale. I’m also very much looking forward to the encounters, creative conversations and exchanging ideas.“

Previous German EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS have included Leonie Benesch (2023), Emilio Sakraya (2022), Albrecht Schuch (2021), Jonas Dassler (2020), Emma Drogunova (2019), Franz Rogowski (2018), Louis Hofmann (2017), Jella Haase (2016) and Jannis Niewöhner (2015).

European Film Promotion will present the EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS 2024 to the international film world during the Berlinale’s first weekend. The programme will take place from February 16 to 19, 2024 in Berlin. The European talents will be introduced to international casting directors, agents, directors, producers and the media at various events and workshops. The programme culminates in a glamourous awards ceremony at the Berlinale Palast on Monday February 19, 2024, where each actress and actor will be honoured with the EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS Award.

EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS is made possible thanks to the support of Creative Europe – the MEDIA Programme of the European Union, the German Federal Commissioner for Culture and Media, the Berlin International Film Festival, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and Spotlight, as well as the national film promotion institutes and film centres from the Shooting Stars’ home countries (EFP’s member organisations).

German Films is a founding member of EFP (European Film Promotion) which is organising the EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS selection and presentation for the 27th time this year.