The 66th Thessaloniki International Film Festival is pleased to announce its 2025 collaboration with the International Casting Directors Association (ICDA), bringing to the forefront the distinct features, challenges, and crucial importance of the multifaceted art of casting. The ICDA is an international organization that serves as a global hub for connection and communication among casting directors, highlighting their decisive role in the process of cinematic creation. With members behind some of the most acclaimed films and television series of recent years, the ICDA is dedicated to promoting and safeguarding the creative contribution of casting directors, while championing the recognition of casting as an essential part of the storytelling process.
In collaboration with the ICDA, TIFF will host a series of events as part of its 66th edition. Specifically, the International Casting Directors Association will present its annual award in Thessaloniki, four distinguished guests will deliver masterclasses on the unseen art of casting in the modern era, and a closed workshop will be held for actors selected from the wider region. The events are supported by ICDA’s long-standing and valued partners, Filmmakers Europe and Spotlight.
Casting in the Age of Technology. Finding the Soul of a Story
Tanja Grunwald (casting director), Yngvill Kolset Haga (casting director), Lucinda Syson (casting director) & David Zitzlsperger (Filmmakers Europe)
Moderation by journalist Alexandros Diakosavvas
Saturday November 1st // 11:00-12:30 // Pavlos Zannas
The masterclass will be held in English, with a simultaneous translation in Greek.
Free admission, on a first-come-first-served basis
Casting plays a central role in defining a film’s character and identity. It’s where choices about presence, performance and chemistry shape the audience’s connection to the story. Like every part of filmmaking, the work of casting directors is being reshaped by new technologies, from digital databases to emerging AI tools. But while the methods may evolve, the heart of casting remains the same: a human craft built on insight, intuition and collaboration. This panel with members of the International Casting Directors Association will look at how the casting director profession is changing, and how its core values can be preserved for the future.
Who Are Tanja Grunwald, Yngvill Kolset Haga, Lucinda Syson & David Zitzlsperger:
Tanja Grunwald (Denmark) has teamed up with some of the most iconic names of the Scandinavian and world cinema, such as Ruben Östlund and Thomas Vinterberg, having contributed to the casting of landmark films over the recent period (The Girl with the Needle [2024) by Magnus Von Horn, The Promised Land [2023] by Nikolaj Arcel, The Triangle of Sadness by Ruben Östlund, Another Round [2020] by Thomas Vinterberg etc.).
Yngvill Kolset Haga (Norway) has worked as a casting director in the most celebrated films in the career of the star film director Joachim Trier, among which stand out Sentimental Value (2025) and The Worst Person in the World (2021).
Lucinda Syson (USA) has served as casting director in critically acclaimed and high-profiled films such as Children of Men (2006) and Gravity (2013) by Alfonso Cuarón, Batman Begins (2005) by Christopher Nolan and Syriana (2002) by Stephen Gaghan, as well as in a series of blockbuster hits (Wonder Woman [2017], Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation [2015], V for Vendetta [2005]).
David Zitzlsperger (Germany) heads Europe’s leading casting platform, Filmmakers Europe, which serves as the e-meeting point for communication and contact between actors-actresses, agents, casting directors and producers from all over the continent, both for film and TV projects.
2025 Semiramis Award for Excellence in Casting
Saturday November 1st // 18:00 // Tonia Marketaki
A screening of the film The Thing with Feathers by Dylan Southern will follow.
The ICDA will present the Semiramis Award for Excellence in Casting in Thessaloniki, in collaboration with the Festival and the renowned UK-based casting platform, Spotlight. This prestigious award recognises outstanding achievement in casting and underscores the vital contribution of casting directors internationally in shaping a film’s characters, performances, and audience engagement.
ICDA & Filmmakers Europe – Speed-Dating for Actors
Sunday November 2nd // 10:00 // Warehouse C
In addition, the ICDA is cooperating with Filmmakers Europe and Thessaloniki Film Festival to present a One Minute Monologue event for selected actors from the region. This event will take place at Thessaloniki Film Festival on Sunday, November 2nd, offering actors a unique opportunity to connect directly with ICDA casting directors.
TIFF is delighted to welcome the ICDA within the framework of its 66th edition, providing a platform for international dialogue around the evolving art of casting and its future.
