The central part of KRAFFT is dedicated to the competition programme, screening films that have been selected based on outstanding acting achievements. Films in competition are judged by a three-member international jury which on the final day of the festival awards up to five special acting prizes, called Golden Apples.
This year’s jury consists of renowned casting director Nathalie Chéron, as well as excellent Slovenian film and theater actors Nataša Barbara Gračner and Gregor Zorc.
Nathalie Chéron
Nathalie Chéron is a casting director noted for her work in both films and TV series. Her most notable films include The Blue Villa (1995), Crime Scenes (2000), The Brice Man (2005), Welcome Home (2008), and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, a science fiction action film directed by Luc Besson.
She started out between a dolphin and a camping stove, cooking hard-boiled eggs in a hotel room in Sicily for an American actress on the set of The Big Blue. 30 years later, this gold-digger has about a hundred films to her credit and sits patiently in her theater seat, evening after evening, marveling over a new face, a new voice. She’ll accompany these actors she loves passionately during long screen tests so that their paths cross those of a director, whose deep desire she will have unraveled. Nathalie Chéron is a member of ICDA, AMPAS, and ARDA.
Nataša Barbara Gračner
After completing her studies in dramatic acting and artistic speech, Nataša Barbara Gračner performed at the Slovenian Youth Theatre, where she garnered attention for her exceptional presence and expressive power. Since 1998, she has been a member of the ensemble at the Slovenian National Theatre Drama Ljubljana. She has played over two hundred roles in theater, film, television, and radio, engaging in in-depth character studies of dramatic characters from various backgrounds. She is an outstanding theater and film actress with a highly articulate expressive range, characterized by profound precision in performance with a lucid self-reflective tone, a delicate ear for stage speech, and powerful portrayal of emotional states.
She has participated in significant festivals across Europe, America, and Asia, receiving numerous prestigious awards, including the Prešeren Fund Award, nine Borštnik Awards, as well as several film awards and international recognitions. She holds the status of a leading actress. In addition to her acting work, she is also involved in theatrical directing. She is the head of the Department of Dramatic Acting and a regular professor of dramatic acting and artistic speech at the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film, and Television.
Gregor Zorc
Gregor Zorc graduated from Gimnazija Moste Ljubljana in 1996, where he regularly participated in festivals such as Podobe trenutkov, Gimnazijada, and Linhartova srečanja as a member of the drama circle. He then enrolled in the first year of acting at the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film, and Television under the mentorship of Prof. Boris Cavazza and Prof. Jožica Avbelj. He has been involved in both institutional and independent theater, including collaborating with Via Negativa since 2002.
He has appeared in more than twenty films, receiving the Vesna Award for Best Actor in 2002 for his role in Šelestenje directed by Janez Lapajne. In 2017, he was awarded the Borštnik Award for acting for his performance in the play Stenica. His creative work extends beyond the realm of theater, as he has contributed to various film projects, primarily as an actor and, in some instances, as a screenwriter.