Lazar Djurdjevic is the winner of the etalenta scholarship for the International Screen Acting Workshop 2025 at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg.
He was selected by a jury of professional casting directors from hundreds of applicants via etalenta. We spoke with him:
Hi Lazar! Hundreds of actresses and actors submit for the International Screen Acting Workshop every year. How does it feel to have won the etalenta scholarship?
It feels surreal, to say the least. The sheer number of people who apply for this program every year — and rightfully so — makes it a huge achievement just to be among the fourteen participants selected to attend the workshop at the Filmakademie in Ludwigsburg this year. Winning this scholarship makes me feel deeply motivated and inspired to take on new challenges. At the same time, there’s a strong sense of responsibility to continue working just as hard in the future. I’m excited to see what’s next on the menu.
The Workshop brings together talent from across Europe – what are you hoping to gain from working with international colleagues and tutors?
It’s a great honor to be able to work on myself and develop further in an international context. I’m eager to learn from and be inspired by my colleagues, who come from all across Europe. I remember one of my professors at my first drama school telling us on the very first day that we should always «steal» from one another — in the best sense of the word — and learn from each other. With this group of wonderful people, that won’t be difficult, as they are all distinct and exciting new acting voices.
As for the tutors, I’m thrilled to learn different techniques that can help me become a better storyteller and interpreter of the human condition. They are all renowned acting coaches, casting directors, agents, and actors, and I can’t wait to absorb everything they have to offer.
What are you most excited to explore during the Workshop?
I love that this program approaches acting from multiple angles, offering a variety of craft methods that open up our instruments in new ways, while also remaining pragmatic and addressing the practical realities of the industry we are part of. I’m especially excited to explore new ways of accessing my vulnerabilities within acting and learning how to use them in the creation of compelling characters. At the same time, I’m equally interested in understanding where I fit within the current acting landscape.
Lazar’s profile on etalenta:
etalenta.me/lazar-djurdjevic
How did you discover etalenta and what made you decide to apply for the scholarship to the International Screen Acting Workshop?
I first heard about etalenta during my first year of acting studies at drama school in Montenegro, and I’d only heard positive experiences from others. I also learned about the workshop through etalenta. I loved what I discovered while researching it further online, and a few people I knew had participated in the past and spoke very highly of it. I was looking for an intensive program that would help me open up further artistically without neglecting the business side of our profession — so applying felt like a no-brainer.
What are your goals for your career in the next 5 years?
We live in challenging times, and I believe storytelling has never been more important — whether it’s telling unbelievable true stories or fictional ones that inspire change. Globalization has brought us closer together, and the idea of “it’s not my problem” no longer holds. Telling meaningful stories is essential in making sense of the present moment.
No matter the language we speak or where we come from, I believe it’s vital to see diverse casts interpreting all kinds of characters, further emphasizing the universality of the human condition. My goal is to be part of international projects that explore universal human needs through complex and compelling roles, while traveling, growing, and continuing to learn from different cultures.
And finally, if you could tell the casting directors, directors and producers reading this one thing, what would it be?
I would ask them to remain as open as possible and to pay closer attention to Slavic artists and Eastern Europeans in general. There are many talented, hardworking, well-educated actors in these regions with strong language skills and a real eagerness to grow.
I would also encourage them to stay imaginative. Imagination is the cornerstone of all great storytelling. Dare to envision us in roles we might not immediately seem right for — there’s real bravery in that, on all sides. Stay curious.
