Shooting Stars: meet the sales agents

Charles Gant at the EFM

For the international sales agents here at the Berlinale selling films in the market, the Shooting Stars designation for their cast members can be a welcome boost. At the Doc&Film stand, the poster image and marketing materials all feature the face of Miriam Karlkvist from South Is Nothing (Il Sud E Niente), just one of the films the Italian company is presenting at the EFM. Doc&Film's Daniela Elsner long ago considered festival offers, and agreed with Toronto, Rome and the Berlinale Generation strand that they would be the first three steps in the film's life – a plan negotiated up-front and agreeable to all. Of course, at this point, Daniela had no idea that in Berlin her lead actress would be feted as a Shooting Star.

“We liked the image,” explains Daniela. “We have three films at the Berlinale, but the South Is Nothing poster is specifically with Miriam, and it makes sense to us with the Shooting Stars. It gives another light on the film in Berlin. I think it's well-established enough that people know. If you mention Shooting Stars, it means something. That's also because of years of work of everyone, which was not so much the case in the beginning.”

Over at the TrustNordisk desk, CEO Rikke Ennis is in the happy position of selling three films featuring Shooting Stars. She has On The Edge, fresh from its Rotterdam premiere, featuring both Denmark's Danica Curcic and Norway's Jakob Oftebro; Berlinale competition entry In Order Of Disappearance, with Jakob; and The Absent One, with Danica, which is in post-production.

“We always mention Shooting Stars,” says Rikke. “It's a good platform and to promote the film. It's good sales-wise. Here in Berlin there are so many films, all the attention you can get, all the visibility is always welcome. If you have a cast with Shooting Stars, and all the glamour around it, it always helps.”

In Order Of Disappearance, also starring Stellan Skarsgard, Bruno Ganz and former Shooting Star Anders Baasmo Christiansen, premieres in the Berlinale tonight (Feb 10)