Eili Harboe, Alba August named Shooting Stars 2018

Eilo Harboe (23) had her international breakthrough with her stellar performance in Joachim Trier’s supernatural thriller Thelma. She also played in Kiss Me, You Moron by Stian Kristiansen and in the family film The Ash Ladd, in the Hall of the Mountain King by Mikkel Brænne Sandemose.

This year’s Shooting Stars jury comprising former Shooting Star Eduardo Noriega (Spain), director Mijke de Jong (The Netherlands), casting director and ICDN member Nicole Schmied (Austria), Croatian producer Ankica Juric Tilic and Norwegian film critic Mode Steinkjer said about her: “Embodying the fresh-faced, titular student in Joachim Trier's latest, critically-acclaimed outing Thelma, Eili shows a fascinating and impressive range as an actor, which really impressed the jurors. She bravely allows us insight into a character who seeks personal freedom, whilst attempting to escape from a strict upbringing. With skill far beyond her years, she combines a haunting vulnerability with a luminous and striking expression of mystery and inner strength."

Alba August (24), daughter of Bille August and Pernilla August, first trained at the drama school in Copenhagen and had her first major part in the TV series Jordskott. She was also cast in the feature films IRL by Erik Leijonborg, A Serious Game by Pernilla August and in Reliance by William Olsson. Most recently, she was cast in the Danish TV series Below the Surface and in 2018, we will see her in the film Becoming Astrid by Pernille Fischer Christensen and in the drama series The Rain, the first Danish original series commissioned by Netflix.

The jury said: "With an abundance of intuition and curiosity, Alba won over the jury with her convincing portrayal of the real-life writer, Astrid Lindgren, in Becoming Astrid, ably depicting her from an early age. Alba's performance on screen is as sensible and deep as it is unpredictable, imbuing the character with an inner life that allows us to explore the woman behind the writer." 

The ten Shooting Stars will take part in a tailor-made programme of profile-raising workshops and meetings with experts and industry members, rounded off by an awards ceremony at the Berlinale Palast on Monday, Feb 19, where each actor will be honoured with the European Shooting Stars Award donated by Leysen 1855.  The Shooting Stars event is organised by the European Film Promotion with support from Creative Europe-Media and the respective EFP member organisations.