Today the EFP (European Film Promotion) announced the ten young European actors who are to be honored at the Berlinale as EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS 2020. Jonas Dassler from Germany has been selected as one of Europe's most outstanding young talents.

An international jury of experts, consisting in 2020 of British casting director Lucy Bevan, Finnish director Dome Karukoski, producer Katarína Krnáčová from Slovakia, former Bulgarian Shooting Star turned director Vesela Kazakova, and film journalist Rüdiger Sturm from Germany selected the EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS 2020. They were chosen from 28 candidates who had been nominated by member organizations of European Film Promotion – also including German Films.

Jonas Dassler was cast for his first feature film, WE ARE FINE, right before starting his studies at Berlin’s Ernst Busch Academy. Next up was Julia Langhoff's LOMO. LANGUAGE OF MANY OTHERS, for which he received the Götz-George Nachwuchspreis and Bavarian Film Award as Best Young Actor, an award he took home again for his work in Lars Kraume’s THE SILENT REVOLUTION. His performance in Fatih Akin's THE GOLDEN GLOVE earned him a nomination for the German Film Award. Next up is a role in Lena Stahl's debut, MEIN SOHN. Jonas is a member of the Maxim Gorki Theater in Berlin. His new play ”In my Room” (directed by Falk Richter) premieres 15.01.2020.

The jury’s statement about Jonas Dassler: “Actors are adventurers. They dive into the treacherous tides of mankind’s affairs. Jonas Dassler knows how this feels. And what it takes. He has shown the human side of monsters and revealed the monstrosities of humans. In this he also exposed the dark humor of the absurd, which proves his astounding maturity. With his commanding physical presence, bravery and sophistication, he is set for even greater adventures. Fasten your seatbelts!“

Besides Jonas Dassler from Germany, the following nine actors were selected: Martina Apostovola (Bulgaria), Pääru Oja (Estonia), Victoria Carmen Sonne (Denmark), Zita Hanrot (France), Levan Gelbakhian (Georgia), Bilal Wahib (The Netherlands), Bartozs Bielenia (Poland), Joana Ribeiro (Portugal) and Ella Rumpf (Switzerland).

Former German SHOOTING STARS include Emma Drogunova, Franz Rogowski, Louis Hofmann, Jella Haase, Jannis Niewöhner, Daniel Brühl, Hannah Herzsprung, Alexander Fehling, David Kross und Anna Maria Mühe.

European Film Promotion will present the EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS to the international film world on the first weekend of the Berlinale. At various events and workshops, the European talents will be introduced to international casting directors, agents, directors, producers and press representatives. The ultimate highlight will be the award ceremony for the EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS on stage at the Berlinale Palast on 24th February 2020.

The EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS program is supported by the EU's Creative Europe - MEDIA program as well as the participating EFP member organizations and additional cooperation partners.

German Films is a founding member of EFP (European Film Promotion), which organizes the EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS selection and presentation for the 23rd time this year.

Further information about the EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS can be found here.