Casting Call - Chapman MFA Short Film

This is a Freelance Job

Seeking Actors/Actresses + Extras needed for Chapman MFA Film Production shooting April 3rd-5th in Orange, CA. Please email us with your interest and any reels/portfolios you might have!

Logline:

After her village in Omdurman is destroyed by militia forces and her family is
murdered in the attack, sixteen-year-old Rahma embarks on a harrowing journey on
the outskirts of El Fasher to seek refuge.

Role Breakdowns:

Rahma (Female)-teens (Lead):
A South Sudanese/East African girl who grew up as the dependable daughter in a tight knit family, helping her mother and father while also looking after her younger brother, Yasir. After the night her militia forces murdered her family and burned her home, she became convinced she failed to protect her family. She views vulnerability as weakness and doesn't trust easily or allow herself to get close to others, often preparing herself for the worse to protect herself from disappointment. But beneath her tough and guarded exterior, is still a young girl who misses her family deeply and is terrified that allowing herself to hope for a better future will only lead to more loss.

Sameera (Female)-late 30s (Supporting):
A Middle Eastern humanitarian field nurse who grew up in a middle-class neighborhood in Cairo. She's always been an overachiever and finds joy in helping communities around her who are struggling. She relies on structure and routine to manage the chaos around her and cannot tolerate feeling helpless. She wants to believe that the work she does matters and counts for something, but there is a part of her that fears no matter how hard she works it will never be enough.

Bushra (Female)-late 50s (Supporting):
A South Sudanese/East African woman who lost her husband and children during a militia raid and has been living in a refugee camp for the last five years. She masks the depth of her own loss with teasing humor and practical wisdom, choosing to care for those in her community because it is the only way she knows how to survive her own loss. She refuses to let the effects of the war strip her of her humanity, but underneath her kind and warm nature is a woman deeply grieving the death of her people.

Yasir (Male)-4-9years (Supporting):
A South Sudanese/East African boy with deep love for his family. He idolizes his older sister and hopes to be just like her someday. He's energetic, playful, and endlessly curious. He loves to dance, play sports, and test Rahma's patience from time to time. When war enters, his innocence gets dismantled in real time, but the presence of his sister keeps him grounded and makes him feel a sense of safety when he's with her.

Extras (any gender/age):
Seeking background performers to portray residents of a refugee camp. We are especially encouraging performers of East African/South Sudanese descent to submit!