Variety has unveiled its fourth edition of 10 Europeans to Watch, highlighting 10 talents from across the Continent who are all poised for breakthroughs in 2018. The group will be feted at a reception hosted by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg at the upcoming Berlin Intl. Film Festival.
Mehdi and Milad Avaz
Denmark
The brothers’ debut feature, “While We Live,” is nominated for five Danish Film Academy awards, including best picture. The film was sold at Cannes last year by LevelK and was distributed locally by SF Studios, receiving critical acclaim. Through production shingle Rocket Road Pictures, they are developing a TV series as well as other features.
Laura Bispuri
Director
Italy
Bispuri’s transgender-themed “Sworn Virgin” was a 2015 Berlinale competition standout and she returns to the festival competition with “Daughter of Mine,” about a young girl torn between her natural and adoptive mother. Germany’s the Match Factory is on board as co-producer and world sales agent.
Linda Hamback
Popular on Variety
Director-producer-writer
Sweden
The founder of LEE Film in Stockholm is behind several animated shorts and her animated feature “Gordon and Paddy” unspools in Generation KPlus at the upcoming Berlin festival.
Louis Hofmann
Actor
Germany
Hofmann’s resume includes critical hit “Land of Mine,” “Alone in Berlin,” Ralph Fiennes’ “The White Crow” and German Netflix series “Dark.”
Tim Kalkhof
Actor
Germany
The actor garnered praise in 2017’s critically acclaimed “The Cakemaker,” and is attached to the adaptation of Jerzy Kosinski’s “The Painted Bird,” directed by Vaclav Marhoul.
Philipp Eichholtz
Director-writer
Germany
The filmmaker gained attention with 2014’s “Love Me!” and 2016’s “Dancing Quietly.” His latest feature, “Away You Go” is opening Perspektive Deutsches Kino at the Berlinale.
Marta Prus
Director
Poland
Prus’ documentary feature “Over the Limit,” a look at the world of Russian gymnasts, electrified audiences at the Intl. Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam.
Ella Rumpf
Actress
Switzerland
Rumpf starred in one of the most auspicious debuts in recent years, Julia Ducournau’s “Raw.” In 2017, she starred in “The Divine Order” and “Tiger Girl,” with Detlev Buck’s “Gorillas” on deck.
Jan Zabeil
Director
Germany
The DP turned director earned critical praise and the Variety Piazza Grande Award at Locarno with 2017’s “Three Peaks.”
Martin Zandvliet
Director-writer
Denmark
The “Land of Mine” director moves into English-language features with “The Outsider,” starring Jared Leto.
