ACTORS WANTED FOR THE SHORT FILM ‘HOUSE ARREST’ – UNION AND NON-UNION MAY APPLY

MEDIA: Short Film / Student Film

STATUS: Union (Non-Union may also apply)

PRODUCTION COMPANY: Crash And Burn Pictures, Sheridan ATVF

CASTING BY: JGC – Jesse Griffiths Casting

CASTING DIRECTOR: Jesse Griffiths

CASTING ASSISTANT: Rebecca Ostroff

AUDITION DATE: First round by self-tape
– Those selected from submissions will receive self-tape instructions

SHOOT DATES: March 6th – March 9th

SHOOT LOCATION: Toronto

PAY RATE:  As per our ACTRA Agreement – this is a non-paying Student Film

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CASTING/PRODUCTION NOTES:
• Union and Non-Union members may apply.
• All characters are of Middle Eastern descent
• Fluency/ ability to speak in Farsi is an asset but not mandatory
• Fake drugs (prescription medication) to be used as props
• Script deals with themes of suicide
• Some scenes involve the use of a kitchen knife as a weapon to threaten self-harm
• Some coarse language included
• No nudity is required

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STORYLINE:
House Arrest is a short drama about Amal Taheri and her attempt to reconcile her family’s broken past. Seven years ago, Amal witnessed a domestic disturbance causing the imprisonment of her brother, Mo, and the departure of her father, Borna. Now, after his parole, Amal and her anxious mother, Raniya, attempt to welcome Mo back home. However, Mo’s homecoming dinner causes for painful memories of the Taheri’s to suddenly resurface. With tensions riding high, Amal must bridge the insurmountable gaps between her family members, all while wrestling with a secret that could shatter her familial bonds, forever.

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CASTING:

AMAL – LEAD ROLE – FEMALE – 17-20 YRS OLD – MIDDLE EASTERN
Amal is a university student living at home with her mother, Raniya. She’s smart, resourceful and cares deeply about her family. On the surface, she’s a model student and daughter. However, Amal has been living with a secret that has been eating away at her ever since Mo’s imprisonment: she called the police on him. Amal feels guilty, believing that she alone bears the burden of sending her brother to prison. As a result of her guilt, Amal is weary of her family’s love and feels unworthy of it. Compelled to make Mo’s homecoming as perfect as possible, Amal must atone for the damages she believes she caused.

RANIYA – PRINCIPAL ROLE – FEMALE – 50-60 YRS OLD – MIDDLE EASTERN
Raniya is an Iranian-Canadian immigrant who came to Canada in the late 1990s with her children and now ex-husband, Borna. Once an educated professional living in Tehran, Raniya’s life in Canada is now predicated on her children. Raniya loves both Mo and Amal equally. However, her strict values and expectations for her children often complicate her feelings for them. Raniya’s expectations enable her pride for Amal’s academic achievements and shame over Mo’s criminal transgressions. Upon seeing Mo for the first time in years, Raniya finds it difficult to reconcile her love and disappointment in him. Ultimately, Raniya struggles with the desire to reconnect with her son and the shame she feels over his bad behavior.

MO – PRINCIPAL ROLE – MALE – 20-30 YRS OLD – MIDDLE EASTERN
Mo is a warm-hearted but temperamental young man trying to move on from his criminal past. Prior to his prison stint, Mo found himself falling into crowds of delinquent kids with similar backgrounds to his. This rebellious streak caused a rift between him and his parents and, eventually, landed him in prison. Now, Mo recognizes the damage he’s done to both himself and his family and attempts to atone for his mistakes. However, Mo struggles with anger management issues that make his atonement difficult. Though he wants to repair his relationship with Raniya, he cannot help but fight her when she expresses disappointment. Though he maintains a positive relationship with Amal, he fears that his emotions will get the best of him when he learns of her involvement in his imprisonment. Mo ultimately struggles with his desire to do better by the people he loves and the compulsion he feels to lash out whenever things get difficult.

BORNA – PRINCIPAL ROLE – MALE – 50-60 YRS OLD – MIDDLE EASTERN
Borna is a stern and dogmatic, having been hardened by his time in mandatory military service as a young man. Living in Toronto, he works hard to put food on the table. He has a fraught relationship with his son, whose actions he completely disapproves of, but has a comparatively positive relationship with his daughter, who he views as the best thing that ever happened to him. He feels betrayed by Amal for calling the police during the domestic dispute, because he knows that a rift between the two of them has been created. When he leaves Amal sitting on the porch, he does so with a heavy heart: nothing will be the same between the two of them ever again.

YOUNG AMAL – PRINCIPAL ROLE – FEMALE – 10-12 YRS OLD – MIDDLE EASTERN
At eleven years old, Amal makes a phone call that changes the course of her entire life. During a violent dispute between her brother and father, she calls the police. This phone call results in her brother’s incarceration and her father’s abandonment. Amal is terrified in this moment, knowing full well that her actions will have severe consequences. She’s desperate to end the fight and needs to stop it before things get even worse. After the call is made and her brother gets sent away, Amal feels an immediate pang of guilt, which will ultimately consume her from here