Atli Óskar Fjalarsson selected for Shooting Stars 2016
The Icelandic actor Atli Óskar Fjalarsson has been selected for Shooting Stars 2016, an annual showcase of 10 promising, young European actors and actresses. The selection is made by European Film Promotion (EFP), a network of organizations that promote cinema, and the awards will be given out at the Berlin International Film Festival, which will be held from February 11 – 21.
Atli has garnered attention recently for his performance in Sparrows, writer/director Rúnar Rúnarsson‘s award-winning feature.
The jury's reasoning for selecting Atli Óskar Fjalarsson as a Shooting Star reads as follows: “Atli convinced us with his generous, poetic yet contained performance in Þrestir / Sparrows. Playing a sensitive boy caught in a cold and harsh environment, he showed us a new and refreshing take on the role of the quiet dreamer.”
Despite his youth, Atli has considerable acting experience. A summer job as a dubbing actor for cartoons and films at the tender age of 12 subsequently led to Atli starring in Rúnar Rúnarsson's award-winning short 2 Birds two years later. He then made his feature acting debut in Baldvin Z's Jitters and followed this with roles in films, TV shows and shorts. Atli – who is now studying acting in Los Angeles – was reunited with Rúnarsson to portray the angsty teen Ari in the director's second feature Sparrows which premiered in Toronto last September.
The 10 Shooting Stars were nominated by their respective national organizations. The event in Berlin will consist of three event-filled days of networking – including meetings with agents, casting directors and filmmakers – interviews with international media and receptions.
EFP's Shooting Stars is now in its 19th year. Over the years, the following Icelandic actors have been selected for the showcase:
Ingvar E. Sigurdsson, 1999
Hilmir Snær Gudnason, 2000
Baltasar Kormákur, 2001
Margrét Vilhjálmsdóttir, 2002
Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir, 2003
Tómas Lemarquis, 2004
Álfrún Örnólfsdóttir, 2005
Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, 2006
Gísli Örn Gardarsson, 2007
Hilmar Gudjónsson, 2012
Edda Magnason (Icelandic/Swedish actress, representing Sweden), 2014
Hera Hilmar, 2015
Some established actors and actresses who have been selected as Shooting Stars over the years are Rachel Weisz (1998), Iben Hjejle (1999), Daniel Craig (2000), Daniel Brühl (2003), Nikolaj Lie Kaas (2003), Carey Mulligan (2009) and Alicia Vikander (2010).