University of Richmond & “FILM PRODUCTION 302” are seeking ACTORS for 10 non-union SHORT FICTION FILMS (around 7-10 minutes). Non-Paid (Student Production)
Audition Schedule: between 03/02 until 03/22
Project Specifications: These are short films (7-10 min) produced in the Film Studies Program at the University of Richmond. They will be shot with a Blackmagic pocket camera (4k or 6K, color) or a Sony A74 Camera (4K). These are non-union projects, so there won’t be any compensation but meals, a link to the film, and credit will be provided. The project will shoot 1 day (max 2) of principal photography between 03/16/22 until 04/12
Compensation: Food, Credit and Access to film (Final Showcase at the end of April at the University of Richmond)
Title of Film 1: A Phone Call
Director: Helen Mei
Story: With a job offer about to expire, a college senior calls her mother in Shanghai, trying to say she’s not coming home — though neither of them seems ready to hear it. CASTING: Auditions will be held by appointment on zoom. If you are interested, please submit your headshots / reel to [email protected].Character Breakdowns: 2
JUNE: Early 20s; Asian; female; fresh graduate in Marketing. Scared to be honest with her mother, June has to make a tough choice between returning to her family or establishing her career abroad.
SU-FEN: Late 40s, Asian, female; small vendor at a suburban flower market. Su-fen prides herself in her hardworking and optimistic spirit, yet can be sometimes dismissive as a mother.
Title of Film 2: You are Welcome!
Director: Caleb Schumm
Story: When working a charity event, a young college student is pulled in every direction by a demanding co-worker—until a crucial interview and a stolen donation force him to set boundaries and make a choice for himself.
CASTING: Auditions will be held over Zoom or at the University of Richmond campus. If you are interested, please submit your headshots / reel to [email protected]. If you have any difficulty or questions, don’t hesitate to email.
Character Breakdowns: 2
HENRY: 18-20, male. Henry is a well-meaning college student, he enjoys helping people and often does volunteer work for a charity on campus. His kind nature often means that he has trouble saying “no” to people, especially his friend Mary. A push-over. He has to learn how to set boundaries in his life.
MARY:18-20, female. Mary is Henry’s friend, and she volunteers for charity work. Mary is often able to get Henry to agree to do things for her—because she sees him as someone who won’t say no. Twist: when Henry finally makes a choice for himself, Mary may change her mind about him.
Title of Film 3: Byrd
Director: Jason Latina
Story: Cut off by his wealthy father, a college senior secretly pays tuition by hustling chess in underground games—until one high-stakes match forces him to choose between a guaranteed future and walking away from it.
CASTING: Auditions will be held by Zoom appointment. If you’re interested, please submit your headshots / reel to [email protected]. Inclusion of a resume, portfolio or a reel is encouraged but not mandatory. If you have any difficulty or questions, don’t hesitate to email.
Character Breakdowns: 3
ELLIOT BYRD (21–23, Male):An intelligent, quietly intense English major from money—cut off just enough to matter—who secretly bankrolls his tuition through underground chess hustling. At the board he’s controlled and fearless; off it he’s carrying a pressure he can’t quite name. Elliot is wrestling with whether real freedom is worth the price of losing the life he was promised.
CURTIS (45–60, Male): A seasoned park-chess regular and Elliot’s unlikely mentor. Grounded, observant, Curtis reads people as well as positions. He’s lived the trade-offs between stability and pride, and he nudges Elliot toward honesty—not with speeches, but with a steady presence.
MO (45-60, Male): Calm, disciplined, and unreadable. A private, high-stakes player who doesn’t posture, threaten, or perform. Mo is precision over ego, restraint over display, and his games with Elliot feel less like competition than a test.
Title of Film 4: Learning
Director: This is a short fiction film directed by Jeff Tsai. See past work sample.
Story: After a humiliating loss goes viral, a young skateboarder spirals into obsession until his brother pushes him to remember why he ever cared.
CASTING: At your earliest convenience, please contact [email protected]. Include video of free choice of monologue (maximum 1 min), slate of name, aware of NON-UNION film, role submitting for, location/distance from Richmond, height. Headshot and resume optional to submit. For Jonathan’s role, a videotape of yourself skateboarding is required by stating different types of tricks in captions.
Should you have any questions, don’t hesitate to text producer Jeff Tsai at 804-610-4476 or [email protected].
Character Breakdowns: 2
JONATHAN: 17–19, male. Witty, ambitious, and insecure, Jonathan is a competitive skateboarder who becomes low-spirited and obsessed with redeeming himself after losing the semi-finals of a national qualifier and being ridiculed online. He must navigate his frustrations by reconnecting with his love for skateboarding. Must be comfortable skateboarding on pavement and falling from a board, skilled in intermediate tricks. Preferably Asian; must bring your own board.
MIKE: 23–26, male. Jonathan’s older brother. Responsible, earnest, a workaholic in denial. He’s grounded in the practicalities of life that led him toward working in pharmacy. Attentive, sharp, and a good listener who pushes his brother to think differently. Preferably Asian; skateboarding experience preferred and must be comfortable driving a car.
Title of Film 5: Paraphasia
Director: This is a short fiction film directed by Jolie Schreiber.
Story: Unwillingly dragged to visit his grandfather in a memory center, Joey is forced to confront change and loss on his 14th birthday.
CASTING: Auditions will be held by Zoom appointment or at the University of Richmond campus. If you’re interested, please submit your headshots to [email protected]. Inclusion of a resume, portfolio or a reel is encouraged but not mandatory. If you have any difficulty or questions, don’t hesitate to contact the director.
Character Breakdowns: 2
JOEY:12–16, an observant old music lover with a stubborn streak. He’d rather be alone in his room cleaning records on his birthday, and he’s incapable of hiding emotions on his face. Karen: 35–45, a strong-willed hard worker thrown by the newfound stress of caretaking. She puts her best foot forward in every aspect of her life, but she wishes she could be bird-watching to pass her time instead of talking to insurance providers.
KAREN: 35–45, a strong-willed hard worker thrown by the newfound stress of caretaking. She puts her best foot forward in every aspect of her life, but she wishes she could be bird-watching to pass her time instead of talking to insurance providers.
GEORGE: 60+, a man softened by age and affected by dementia, blissfully unaware of his loneliness.
Title of Film 6: Rank up!
Director: This is a short fiction film directed by Steven Perla.
Story: When a busy college student returns to his persona as a video game live-streamer, he has to decide between the promise of easy money and his relationships and career.
CASTING: Auditions will be held by Zoom appointment or at the University of Richmond campus. If you’re interested, please submit your headshots to steven.perlablanco@richmond.
Character Breakdowns: 3
ANDREW: 18-19 years old, mostly introverted, in his second semester of college, he works a part-time job to cover his personal expenses, as his family is not doing well financially. Busy trying to balance his education, job, and relationship with his girlfriend, he finds an opportunity to go back to his hobby as a video game livestreamer. However, the support of his existing fanbase and the promise of money from his livestream persona start affecting his priorities, and later on, his current personal life.
MARY: 18-19 years old, Andrew’s girlfriend, with a proactive personality, currently focused on finding career opportunities and exploring new hobbies. She has recently started practicing music more seriously and is preparing for an important recital.
ADAM: (VOICE-OVER ONLY) Andrew’s old friend, currently unemployed and spending most of his time playing video games.
Title of Film 7: Lost in the Archives
Director: This is a short fiction film directed by Lily Nipper.
Story: When Mary, a radio show host, fixes an old foreign cassette tape, she struggles to confront the dark history beneath the singer’s aesthetics.
CASTING: Auditions will be held by Zoom appointment or at the University of Richmond campus. If you’re interested, please submit your headshots to [email protected]. Inclusion of a resume, portfolio or a reel is encouraged but not mandatory. If you have any difficulty or questions, don’t hesitate to contact the director at (832)-760-6166.
Character Breakdowns: 3
MARY: 18-22, playful, impatient, sweet. Loves 70s jewelry and cheap makeup.
IMRE: 18-22, intelligent, rational, softly in love with Mary.
Professor Miller: middle/late age, polite, refined, loves watching Instagram reels during his lunch break.
Title of Film 8: Trying to Understand
Director: This is a short fiction film directed by Michelle Rho.
Story: When Jay’s girlfriend disappears after a fight, he retraces their final conversation, haunted by the possibility that her last words were a warning he failed to understand.
CASTING: Auditions will be held by Zoom appointment or at the University of Richmond campus. If you’re interested, please submit your headshots to [email protected]. Inclusion of a resume, portfolio or a reel is encouraged but not mandatory. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if there are any questions.
Character Breakdowns: 2
GRACE: 20¬‐30, Korean. After repeatedly quitting her jobs, she feels trapped and disconnected from her identity. Though she wants Jay to recognize her inner turmoil, Grace struggles to communicate her feelings, relying on hints or symbols, hoping Jay will understand her.
JAY:20-30, Grace’s boyfriend, pragmatic and grounded. While he genuinely wants to support her, by giving practical solutions like finding work, fails to understand Grace’s underlying distress. After she leaves, he becomes consumed by guilt and confusion, replaying memories in effort to make sense of the misread signals he may have overlooked.
Title of Film 9: Elle’s Home
Director: This is a short fiction film directed by Kate Ely, film student at the University of Richmond. Along with her work at her university, she has participated in intensive classes at the New York Film Academy in New York, New York: https://www.nyfa.edu/.
Story: When college student Elle Kaufman returns to her family home for Christmas after a long exchange in Europe, she must grapple with the growing pains and new relationship dynamics that greet her—and “home” no longer feels the way she remembers.
CASTING: Auditions will be held by Zoom appointment or at the University of Richmond campus. If you’re interested, please submit your headshots/reels to [email protected].
Character Breakdowns: 4
ELLE:College age (around 20), female. A charming, nostalgic person, Elle must come to terms with the new realities and types of friendships that time and distance are now forcing her to face.
LIZ: Mid-20s, Elle’s sister. A funny, comforting, wise figure, and having experienced the specific time that growing up/college consists of, Liz is a source of light as well as truth (for her younger sister).
SAM: 50s, Elle’s father. An invested parent and emotionally/intellectually intelligent, loveable staple in Elle’s life and all who are close to him.
SANDRA: 50s, Elle’s mother. A constant source of maternal comfort as well as a sage resource in times of distress.
Title of Film 10: Waiting for Steve
Director: This is a short fiction film directed by Yi Quing Lu (you can also call me Luke Lu).
Story: Two bored college students go out for a late-night coffee in a desperate attempt to escape their stagnant routine, only to discover that even in the waiting, they might find something meaningful.
CASTING: Auditions will be held by Zoom appointment or at the University of Richmond campus. If you’re interested, please submit your headshots to Yi Qing Lu. Inclusion of a resume, portfolio or a reel is encouraged but not mandatory. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if there are any questions. Email: [email protected] Instagram: bohrskywalker (Luke Lu)
Character Breakdowns: 3
COLE: Around 20 years old, a sophomore college boy. Tall but thin, he’s been thinking about his film script, but he’s struggling with it (He can’t write anything). He needed to look extremely tired because he had been thinking about the script lately. Cole is rather introverted but becomes very outgoing when friends are around. In this story, he needs to find some inspiration.
MIKE: A sophomore college boy, around 20 years old. Medium height, but muscular. He is Cole’s roommate, and they are good friends. His background in philosophy often allows him to utter insightful remarks, but he frequently falls into self-doubt. He has an outgoing and talkative personality.
LINA: A sophomore college girl, around 20 years old. Medium height, and she always smiles. Lina works in the Starbucks close to the school. She can always help Cole with his script.
***The Virginia Film Office is not affiliated with this project and it is up to the participants interested in this opportunity to vet the project and get more details directly from the company.***