"We are very honoured that our regional and European colleagues have recognised the importance of this project, and we are pleased to announce that the ReActing as a Star programme has received the European Film Academy's mark for knowledge exchange as an outstanding training programme in Europe," said Tina Hajon, Head of Secret Arts Cinema and initiator of the ReActing project as well as its programme director.

As the goal of the programme is to connect regional actors and directors with casting agents and agencies, this year's key figures are casting directors Cassandra Han, known for her work on Oscars James Mangold's award-winning Ford Vs Ferrari and Terrence Malick's The Hidden Life, and Jeremy Zimmerman, who has worked with Todd Field, Ron Howard and Guillermo del Toro, among others.

Nineteen talented and renowned actors from the region will take part in the three-day event at Bled: Nika Rozman and Blaž Setnikar from Slovenia, Borka Tomović and Radovan Vujović from Serbia, Tihana Ćulafić and Petar Burić from Montenegro, Iva Mihalić and Slavko Sobin from Croatia, Amila Terzimehić and Boris Ler from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Nataša Petrović and Dimitar Gjorgjievski from North Macedonia.

Seven regional actors and actresses from the acting studio platform Talents Sarajevo will also join the programme: Anita Ognjanović, Anuša Kodelja, Luna Pilić, Mira Janjetović, Marija Labudović, Nebojša Rako and Dino Bajrović. The main guest of the event is the Serbian actress Branka Katić, who will hold a special mentoring workshop.

The ReActing as a Star programme was established on the initiative of the Slovenian Film Centre and the producer of the Secret Arts Cinema event, and in cooperation with film centres from Croatia (HAVC), Serbia (Film Center Serbia), North Macedonia (North Macedonia Film Agency) and Montenegro (Film Centre of Montenegro), as well as CineLink Industry Days within the Sarajevo Film Festival, the European Film Academy, the International Casting Directors Network and the Filmmakers.eu platform.

"In cooperation with film centres from the region, we support this project with the common goal of ensuring a greater presence of our actors in film, thereby achieving more opportunities for affirmation in the region and abroad. With the ReActing as a Star programme, Slovenia got an internationally recognised event, which is important both for the Slovenian film industry and for the entire region, where our filmmakers participate in numerous coproductions," Nataša Bučar, the director of the Slovenian Film Centre, said in a statement.