It is an initiative of the Catalan Film Academy in collaboration with Catalonia International

The Catalan Film Academy and Catalonia International co-organize the Catalyst for Talent project for the third consecutive year. It is an initiative to internationalize the talent of Catalan cinema and provide Catalan actors with tools and practical advice to focus their careers at an international level, as well as putting them in contact with foreign casting directors.

The opening took place yesterday, Tuesday 2 July, at the SGAE headquarters in Barcelona. After some welcome words by the president of the Academy, Judith Colell, and the secretary general of Catalonia International, Laura Foraster i Lloret, there was a round table entitled "From Catalonia to the world: expanding borders through script and casting". Chaired by producer Valérie Delpierre, participants included filmmaker Aina Clotet, director and screenwriter Carlos Marqués-Marcet, producer Manuel Monzón and casting director Alejandra Alaff.

The international casting directors invited to the Catalyst for Talent this year are Nathalie Cheron (France), Iris Baumüller (Germany), Frank Moiselle (Ireland) and Piotr Bartuszek (Poland). All four will work for two days with 14 actors and actresses selected based on their international potential: Aina Clotet; Maria Molins; Pol Monen; Peter Vives; Joel Cojal; Marina Gatell; Anna Marchesi; Lolo Herrero; Aysha Daraaui; Alicia Reyero; Carla Linares; Maria Morera; Mourad Ouani; and Sergi Cervera. The programme also  comprises a workshop on networking by casting director Luci Lenox and a round table on intimate scenes in castings, moderated by casting director Tonucha Vidal.

The workshops and work sessions had a prologue on Monday with a visit to the cultural and touristic project of Món Sant Benet, organized by the Catalonia Film Commission, and there will be a festive closing tomorrow Thursday evening with the Catalan Cinema Summer Festival.