Sofia Tjelta Sydness. Foto: Ann Cathrin Buchardt
Norwegian actress Sofia Tjelta Sydness is one of ten promising European actors who will be presented internationally during the Berlin Film Festival in February.
Shooting Star is an initiative by European Film Promotion (EFP) to promote young acting talents at one of the world’s largest film festivals. For 2026, Norwegian actress Sofia Tjelta Sydness has been selected as one of the ten talents to be presented. She is the only Nordic representative.
Participation in the Shooting Star program involves intense days during the Berlin International Film Festival (February 13–18, 2026) and includes meetings with casting agents, press, and filmmakers from around the world. The Norwegian Film Institute (NFI) is Norway’s partner in Shooting Stars through its membership in European Film Promotion, and NFI nominates a Norwegian candidate each year based on suggestions from the film industry.
The goal of the Shooting Stars program is to help the selected actors gain visibility with the international press and audiences, as well as to build a network within the global film industry.
The actors take part in a tailor-made program that includes extensive press work and meetings with international casting directors, talent agents, and producers. During the Shooting Stars presentation at the Berlinale Palast, participants are honored in front of an international audience of industry professionals.
Sofia Tjelta Sydness first caught the public’s attention with her role as a troubled young woman in the drama series Delete Me Season 2 (2023), which earned her a Gullruten nomination. She was then cast in the Netflix miniseries Midsummer Night (2024) and will soon appear in Ruben Östlund’s upcoming film The Entertainment System is Down, where the rising star plays a central role as the daughter of Daniel Brühl and Kirsten Dunst. She has also demonstrated her range in the MMA drama Fighter, set for release in 2026, which marks Irasj Asanti’s directorial debut.
The selection committee consisted of Danish actor and former Shooting Star Danica Ćurčić, Bosnian Oscar-winning director Danis Tanović, Sudanese-British critic Leila Latif, Portuguese casting director Jo Monteiro, and Belgian producer Jacques-Henri Bronckart. Their reasoning for choosing Sofia Tjelta Sydness as a Shooting Star:
“Norwegian star Sofia Tjelta Sydness is fresh, direct, and unpretentious. With a strong personality, she has a vivid and precise screen presence. She is lively, dynamic and sharply tuned. In Fighter she elevates the material that she is given. She is reminiscent of Émilie Dequenne, with that same strong and powerful energy. Talented, beautiful and bigger than life – she is what we are looking for in a European Shooting Star.”
Previous Norwegian Shooting Stars include Kristine Kujath Thorp, Ine Marie Wilmann, Eili Harboe, Aksel Hennie, Kristoffer Joner, Jakob Oftebro, Anders Baasmo, Ane Dahl Torp, Trond Espen Seim, Nicolai Cleve Broch, and Anniken von der Lippe.
In Norway, the Norwegian Film Institute is the EFP member responsible for nominating the Norwegian candidate.
Read more about European Shooting Stars here
The Berlinale will take place from February 12 to 22, 2026.
Manager International Relations, Feature Films
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