Film centres from Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, North Macedonia and Montenegro signed a three-year Memorandum of Cooperation on the ReActing as a Star project

Memorandum has resulted from the successful organisation of the first international programme dedicated to actors from this region, promoting their networking as well as increasing their mobility and visibility in the European film industry.

During the CineLink Industry Days in cooperation with the Sarajevo Film Festival, on 17 August 2022, the directors of film centres from Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, North Macedonia and Montenegro signed a three-year Memorandum of Cooperation, which has resulted from the successful organisation of the first international programme dedicated to actors from this region, promoting their networking as well as increasing their mobility and visibility in the European film industry. At the initiative of the Slovenian Film Centre, the first international programme ReActing as a Star, which brought together actors, directors, casting directors, and talent agents, took place in June of this year in Kranj, Slovenia, as a part of the 2nd edition of the KRAFFT Film Festival. The programme was prepared by the producer Tina Hajon, who conceived the project under the slogan “Play Locally, Act Internationally!”. By signing the Memorandum of Cooperation on this project, which brought together all of the regional film funds for the first time, the slogan’s meaning has been fulfilled. 

The signatories of the Memorandum of Cooperation committed to working together for the next three years with the aim of empowering, encouraging, and promoting the professional development of actors from the countries in this region.

“I am glad that the idea born at the Slovenian Film Centre has convinced my colleagues from the region of the importance of this cooperation. The signing of the Memorandum is just a confirmation of how well we organised the first edition of ‘ReActing as a Star’. Until now, actors lacked a true platform that would enable them to present themselves in our region as well as in Europe to promote their work. Our region certainly has talented actors, and our cooperation will allow them to present themselves and acquire new knowledge and experience, which, in turn, will make it possible for them to cooperate even beyond the regional borders,” said Nataša Bučar, the director of the Slovenian Film Centre.

All signatories of the Memorandum of Cooperation emphasise the importance of the first edition of the ReActing programme, as do all the participants of the event in Sarajevo, who were enthusiastic about it and enjoyed the opportunity to get to know their fellow actors, casting directors, and talent agents from the region and beyond, as well as to share what is truly important to them: innovative ideas leading to progress, both locally and regionally.

“By signing the Memorandum of Cooperation between the countries of the region, I believe that we will be able to work in a number of fields and, above all, strengthen the cooperation between actors and directors. Openness and the possibility for the actors to work abroad is an additional bonus for all future participants,” said Chris Marcich, the director of the Croatian Audiovisual Centre.

The common objective of this partnership is to create opportunities for networking and increasing the visibility of actors from the entire region.

“The gathering of film professionals from the countries of the region represents a good opportunity for the realisation of new events aimed at promoting important issues. By signing this agreement, we undertake to enable the continuity of work and wish to focus on actors and casting directors. Such cooperation will surely contribute to our own as well as regional cinematography,” added Bojan Lazarevski, the director of the North Macedonia Film Agency.

This project aimed at actors is the first of its kind in the region. All signatories are truly enthusiastic about meeting again and being able to further develop this unique idea that is about to come true after the official signing of the document.

One of the signatories of the Memorandum on the future cooperation is Gordan Matić, the director of the Film Centre Serbia, who also expressed his expectations: “As the film centres in our countries, we have to balance all the needs of cinema and determine what should be changed or where to invest the resources, for example in professional training. I believe that with this programme aimed at actors, we will be able to see the results in cinemas within a few years.”

The youngest film centre that will contribute by signing the Memorandum of Cooperation is the Film Centre of Montenegro. “We are the youngest centre that participates in the Memorandum. I am glad that our actors will have the opportunity to work and cooperate with other actors from the region in a very different way, developing their skills as well as contributing to the development of Montenegrin cinema. Pushing professional and private boundaries will represent a challenge and source of satisfaction, all through dedicated and continuous work,” concluded the director of the Film Centre of Montenegro, Aleksandra Božović.

The second edition of ReActing as a Star, a regional platform for audio-visual actors from all five cooperating countries, will take place in June next year as a part of the 3nd edition of the KRAFFT Film Festival in Kranj in Slovenia.

Source: Slovenian Film Centre