|
Now in its 6th year, we have continued to expand the program to include more informal, intimate gatherings in which Rising Star participants can meet and share creative ideas in a personal setting with the directors, producers,
writers, veteran actors, and prominent industry executives who will be at
the Festival this year.
The Rising Stars Program is directed by Lina Todd and David Nugent. The Festival is pleased to announce the 2007 Rising Stars are Hannah Herzsprung (4 MINUTES), Blake Lively (ELVIS AND ANNABELLE), Egbert Jan Weeber (VIVERE) and Jess Weixler (TEETH). Many thanks to OK! Magazine, our program sponsor.
RISING STARS
BLAKE LIVELY
Starring in ELVIS & ANABELLE
Blake Lively has quickly become one of the most sought after young
actresses in Hollywood. She can be seen this fall as the lead character in the new CW series “Gossip Girl,” which was adapted from the best-selling book series. Last summer Blake starred alongside Justin Long in Universal’s summer comedy Accepted, which was directed by Steve Pink (HIGH FIDELITY). She had her screen debut last year in Warner Brothers’ THE SISTERHOOD of the Traveling Pants for director Ken Kwapis.
Blake recently completed production on the independent feature ELVIS &
ANNABELLE, which is in competition at HIFF this year for a Golden Starfish Award. The film, directed by Will Geiger, also stars Max Minghella and Mary Steenburgen.
Blake was nominated for the 2005 Teen Choice Award for “Breakthrough
Performance” for her work in THE SISTERHOOD of the Traveling Pants. She will also be honored at the December 2006 Hollywood Life Breakthrough Awards.
She graduated from High School last spring and resides in Los Angeles.
EGBERT-JAN WEEBER
Starring in VIVERE
Egbert-Jan Weeber is from the Netherlands, where he has worked as an actor
since graduating from high school. He studied theater for four years at
Vooropleiding Theater Groningen, in the Netherlands. But the camera was calling, and Egbert-Jan made his television debut soon after finishing theater school. He won roles in series and made-for-television movies in Europe like FINALS, UITGESLOTEN, POLONAISE, DUNYA & DESIE and BIJLMER ODYSSEE.
However, as television beckoned, so did the silver screen. Egbert-Jan landed
roles in Dutch films like Oesters van Nam Kee, Van God Los, Snowfever,
Eilandgasten, Flirt and last year's Vivere (Germany). His acting achievements
earned him a Gouden Kalf nomination (an important award in Dutch film) for
VAN GOD LOS and UITGESLOTEN, as well as a Gouden Beeld nomination (Dutch Academy Award) for Uitgesloten. He is currently working on BOLLYWOOD LOVE, produced by IdtV Film, in which he will act in English.
Egbert-Jan also has his own weekly radio program, and is a DJ in his spare time. In VIVERE, a Hamptons Spotlight film, Egbert-Jan gives a charismatic and complicated performance as an aspiring rock star in love with a high school girl.
JESS WEIXLER
Starring in TEETH
Jess Weixler won the Special Jury Prize for Acting at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival for her work in the motion picture TEETH. Prior to that, she received terrific notices for the Independent feature THE BIG BAD SWIM. Additonally, Jess has done several guest spots on television including CRIMINAL INTENT and HACK. She is soon to begin filming a leading role in the feature flm WELCOME TO ACADEMIA.
Jess graduated from the prestigious Julliard School of Drama in 2003 where she amassed an impressive list of classical and contemporary roles. She recently premiered a new show Off Broadway called STAY.
She resides in Brooklyn, New York.
HANNAH HERZSPRUNG
Starring in 4 MINUTES
Born in Hamburg, Germany, Hannah made her debut in 1997 on the German
television series Aus heiterem Himmel. Shortly after her breakthrough role in Chris Kraus's FOUR MINUTES (for which she won the Bavarian Film Award for Best Newcomer), she starred alongside Katja Riemann and Ulrich Noethen in Alain Gsponer's DAS WAHRE LEBEN. For this, she received the German Film Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Hannah recently completed DER LOTSE, directed by Nicolai Rohde, a fictitious retelling of the tragic plane crash over Lake Constance in 2002. She will also be portraying Liesl Karlstadt in the upcoming film, KARL VALENTIN UND LIESL KARLSTADT, directed by Jo Baier.
|
