Organised by Pari Pikule and Secret Arts Cinema, the programme brings together 12 selected actors from the region. This year’s participants include Admir Šehović and Helena Vuković from Bosnia and Herzegovina; Marina Redžepović and Janko Popović Volarić from Croatia; Vesna Kuzmić, Jurij Drevenšek, and Alen Kermac from Slovenia; Milica Janevski and Joakim Tasić from Serbia; Vule Marković and Lidija Kordić from Montenegro; and Ana Stojanovska from North Macedonia. Joining this year’s edition as a special guest is Judita Franković Brdar, a prominent Croatian actress and participant in the first edition of ReActing as a Star.

On the first day the showreel screenings presentation and short interviews with the participants will take place. Saturday is dedicated to hands-on work and meetings with top international casting directors, later following on with one-on-one meetings and a panel conversation with the focus on strategies for positioning regional actors on the international market. The final day, is dedicated to on-camera performance through the workshop Energising the Scene, led by acclaimed Slovenian actor Sebastian Cavazza.

Since its inception, over 60 actors have established important connections with leading international professionals and, beyond its industry significance, ReActing as a Star also fosters a strong cultural and educational dimension.

The event is taking place alongside the KRAFFT Film Festival, organised by actors for actors, and coproduced by the Krafft Film Society and the Kranj’s theatre Prešeren Theatre Kranj in collaboration with the Municipality of Kranj. The competition programme of the festival’s 5th edition (held 13 – 20 June 2025) is curated by one of Slovenia’s most acclaimed actors, Marko Mandić, who describes it as “a diverse range of films for a diverse range of acting embodiments”.

The lineup features an eclectic mix of films from around the globe, including Urška Djukić’s debut feature Little Trouble Girls as an opening film. Little Trouble Girls / Kaj ti je deklica (Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Serbia) was produced by Spok Films, Staragara I.T., and Izazov 365, and coproduced by Nosorogi, RTV Slovenija, and Non-Aligned Films.

The Competition Programme includes ten titles, which will be considered by a three-member international jury, who will present the festival’s official awards, the Golden Apples, at the closing ceremony,