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Each year we are proud to partner with the European Film Promotion to celebrate ten emerging European talents as part of their ongoing Efp Shooting Stars programme. Today we’re pleased to join the reveal of 2023’s cohort, who we’ll be getting to know better next year at the 73rd Berlinale.

Here are 2023’s European Shooting Stars:

Joely Mbundu (Belgium), Alina Tomnikov (Finland), Leonie Benesch (Germany), Thorvaldur Kristjansson (Iceland), Benedetta Porcaroli (Italy), Yannick Jozefzoon (The Netherlands), Kristine Kujath Thorp (Norway), Judith State (Romania), Gizem Erdogan (Sweden) and Kayije Kagame (Switzerland).

We’ll be meeting with each of the Shooting Stars out in Berlin next February and speaking to them. So, remember to check back next year for those interviews.

In the meantime, here are more details about each of the intake from the Efp themselves.

Belgium / Joely Mbundu ©Tina Herbots

Joely Mbundu hails from Villeneuve-St-Georges, France and attended school in Flanders,...

TollywoodGalla Ashok has been keen on starring in films for a long time now, say sources.Digital NativeDigital NativeMahesh Babu’s nephew Galla Ashok is all set to make his acting debut in the Telugu film industry. The latest is that Ace producer Dil Raj is bankrolling the debut film of Ashok which will be helmed by Krishna Reddy G, a former associate of Baahubali filmmaker SS Rajamouli. According to sources, Dil Raju has bought the remake rights of Turkish film Love Likes Coincidences starring Mehmet Günsür and Belçim Bilgin Erdoğan, directed by Ömer Faruk Sorak and produced by Oğuz Peri. But the story will be aligned suiting to Telugu audiences. With the pre-production work underway currently, the movie is slated to go on the floors very soon. Ashok has been undergoing rigorous training in acting, dance, and stunts at Mumbai and New York film institutes for the past one year or so and is now ready for his debut. Son of Mahesh Babu’s elder sister Padmavati and ace politician Galla Jayadev (Telugu Desam Party MP), and grandson of veteran actor Krishna, Galla Ashok has been keen on starring in films for a long time now, say sources. Jayadev, the brother-in-law of Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu, has been trying to bring his son even when he was a kid. In fact, Ashok’s entry into films was talked about way back in 2009, when he was just 16-years-old. Now, he is 23 and is learned to have taken acting lessons. It may be mentioned here that Dil Raju will be bankrolling Mahesh Babu’s landmark 25th film under his banner and this project will be directed by Vamsi Paidapally. The actor is currently busy with his 24th film, Bharat Ane Nenu, which is being helmed by Koratala Siva. With Galla Ashok from the Krishna family making his debut, it is the third generation from the star’s family making it to the film industry. (Content provided by Digital Native)...

[Our thanks to Serdar Kökçeoğlu for the following review.]

In the mid 90's, a young man publishing caricatures for humour magazines walked on stage, and against everybody's expectation, changed the face of Turkish comedy - His name was Cem Yılmaz. Also described as "not so handsome but highly sympathetic", he started performing his stand up comedy shows in Leman Cultural Center. His one man performances received high responses from the crowd, making him very popular; so popular in fact that the elite society started to invade the back streets of Beyoğlu, unknown area to them until then. His shows were filling thick and fast at the Leman Cultural Center. Using only a chair and his wit, he told us the life stories of different extraordinary fictional characters, and tackled with ease subjects otherwise thought to be slightly sensitive. He portrayed the Turkish identity from a unique parody angle in today's popular culture.

With such a successful stage debut, it...