Shooting Stars presents upcoming actors from around Europe at the Berlin International Film Festival each February. As EFP's UK member, we are responsible for nominating a British actor on the verge of breaking through each year, and we have an enviable track record of selecting performers just before they hit international screens.

How to become a European Shooting Star

Each of the 37 member countries of European Film Promotion is invited to nominate a candidate. The final selection is made by an international jury of industry professionals, which decides on the ten most promising and internationally versatile young actors.

The selection changes slightly each year but is largely based on the following criteria:

• Aged 16-35 years
• Fluent in English
• A successful professional career in the UK
• A leading role in a feature film released in the 24 months prior to the nomination.

Nominations open in September each year. We will next be taking part in the search for a UK Shooting Star in Autumn 2021.

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Famous alumni

We have a good record of spotting some pretty impressive UK talent on the cusp of their international breakthroughs. Our past Shooting Star UK nominees include Andrew Garfield five years pre-Spiderman (2012), Rachel Weisz two decades before The Favourite (2018), and Daniel Craig before he'd even dreamt of playing James Bond.

Most recently, in 2018, we were delighted to nominate Michaela Coel, representing the best of UK acting talent following her small screen breakthrough with TV's Chewing Gum, and anticipating her first big screen lead in Tinge Krishnan's Been So Long (2018).

Here's a taster of Michaela's work:

Previous British actors chosen as Shooting Stars by the British Council:

• 2015 - Maisie Williams
• 2014 - George MacKay
• 2012 - Riz Ahmed
• 2011 - Andrea Riseborough
• 2010 - Edward Hogg
• 2009 - Carey Mulligan
• 2008 - Andrew Garfield
• 2007 - Kate Dickie
• 2006 - Lucy Punch
• 2005 - Archie Panjabi
• 2004 - Eva Birthistle
• 2003 - Jamie Sives
• 2002 - Lucy Russell
• 2001 - Kate Ashfield
• 2000 - Daniel Craig
• 1999 - Kelly Macdonald
• 1998 - Rachel Weisz

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