[Capdist-auditions] Casting Call for Short Film "Elfio"

[Christopher Gaunt]

*Casting Call*
*For the short film*
*     "Elfio"*

*Based on a true story, this short film spins you through the tumultuous*
*decades of the 1920's - 1950's from the eyes of a second-generation
Italian immigrant.*

This casting opportunity is for a local short film that will shoot in the
summer of this year in and around the greater Albany, NY area. Please
submit an audition tape of the sides, as well as any other reels, resumes
or materials that are representative of your work to
josh at lamplitpictures.com


*Character Descriptions:*

*Role name: Carmela (Elfio's Mother)*
Role Type: Supporting
Gender: Female
Age min: 30
Age max: 65
Skills: Italian, singing
Expected duration 1.5 days

Message:  You may use a doll in place of a child for this self-tape.
Singing must be in Italian. You may perform the song Ninna Nanna or feel
free to find and choose your own selection of an old Italian lullaby. You
don't need to be a professional singer to apply. The preferred dialect for
this role is Calabrese but this dialect isn't required.

Description: Carmela is in her early 40s. She immigrated to the United
States from Italy about 15 years earlier in 1910. She and her husband know
just enough English to get by, but in their home, they only speak Italian.
She has five children. Elfio is her youngest. She loves her children dearly.
___________________

*Role name: Alfred*
Role Type: Lead
Gender: Male
Age min: 18
Age max: 30
Expected duration 3 days

Message: This is one of the most important scenes of the film. Looking for
someone who can convincingly perform this emotional scene. Read the sides
carefully. The progression of emotions is important. Alfred goes from
smiling - happy to be home, to holding back a heavy sorrow that escapes in
a cry and then a sob, in spite of him holding it back at first. We will
watch each submission thoroughly.

Description: Alfred has dark brown or black hair. He's in his early 20's at
the end of the WWII. He's a quiet, pensive man. He has a kind, likable way
about him. Even though he's the lead role of the film, he has a relatively
small amount of lines.
___________________

*Role name: Sister Ann*
Role Type: Supporting
Gender: Female
Age min: 40
Age max: 85
Expected duration: 1 day

Message: Sister Ann, is the teacher calling roll at the school.

Description: Sister Ann is a stern nun and school teacher. She appears in a
critical scene where Elfio first realizes he's expected to respond to a
name he's never heard, "Alfred." From the nun's point of view, she has an
overcrowded classroom and she doesn't have time for students to be shy.
Alfred is the name that was given to her and she has an idea who the child
is, even though he hasn't responded. Like many teachers in those days, she
would strike a child who misbehaved.

___________________

*Role name: Kate*
Role Type: Supporting
Gender: Female
Age min: 18
Age max: 30
Expected duration: 2 days

Message:
For the self-tape, we'd like to see a convincing clip of when Kate
(literally) bumps into Alfred and is surprised but happy to see he's home,
in spite of being with another date at the time. Along with this, there are
a few other lines we'd like to hear. On the sides, Kate's lines are
highlighted. NOTE: in the scene where Kate wakes Alfred up – she is in
labor, about to have a baby.

Description: Kate has dark hair and eyes. She's in her 20s. The girlfriend
and then wife of the main character. Her role is important for bringing
Alfred (the main character) out the of past and into his future. She only
has a few lines and short scenes but they're important.

___________________

*Role name: Elfio*
Role Type: Supporting
Gender: Male
Age min: 4
Age max: 7
Expected duration: 1 day


Message:
We want to make this a really fun and safe experience for this young actor.
This film set will be a kind of and emotionally tuned place where everyone
is treated with respect. A few things we're looking to come through in this
role: The ability to say his line with an Italian accent, the warmth in
emotion in the scene with his mother, discomfort and fear in the scene at
school, these things can be subtle and feel free to show different versions
if you'd like.

Description: Dark hair and eyes. Elfio has grown up in a home where his
family only speaks Italian. But he lives in NY. It's the late 1920s and
he's about to go to his first day of school. See more details in the sides
attached. Elfio's lines are highlighted.

___________________

*Role name: Mini (Census Worker)*
Role Type: Supporting
Gender: Female
Age min: 18
Age max: 65
Expected duration: 1/2 day

Message:  Feel free to try the lines in a few different ways.

Description: Mini is coming to document a child's birth for state records.
Her colleague is a bit rough around the edges. She's just trying to do her
job without shaking the boat too much.


*SIDES and SCENE SET-UP:*

*CARMELA (Elfio's Mother):*
It's 1922. Day.Interior.
We hear CARMELA'S voice signing an old Italian lullaby. She's singing
softly, in Italian almost at a whisper with a baby on her lap.  CARMELLA
speaks warmly to the baby:
"Buon giorno, Elfio!"
These shots are slow and beautiful.  We'll take our time with these before
the moment is interrupted by a knock at the door.

*ALFRED:*
The sound fades to a 40's radio broadcast. "Across the country, millions of
Americans are flooding the streets to celebrate the end of the war in
Europe".  The nose cuts to silence with an echo and now, ALFRED is standing
alone, outside his childhood home. He enters and sees his mother asleep in
her chair.  He approaches and as he kneels in front of her, she stirs and
says "Elfio".  She kisses his cheeks. He smiles at first but chokes back
tears before laying his head in her lap.  She cradles his head and he
releases a loud, heaving sob.

*SISTER ANN:*
Elfio comes running outside to meet his friend Anthony and the two start
running to school playfully shoving each other as they go.  As we watch,
the audio transitions to the next scene where we hear a woman's voice
taking role.
"Anothy Rosato"
Here
There's a pause.
"Alfred Oliverio"
Elfio looks at Anthony - confused and nervous.  Anthony looks back at him
just as confused. Silence fills the room. The teacher rises from her desk
and begins to walk.
We hear the steps approaching. His eyes follow her.  She strikes the desk
loudly with a stick.  The room echos.
"Alfred Oliverio"!

*KATE:*
Leaving a bar, Alfred bumps into a couple as they enter.  The man say Hey,
why don't ya watch where ya...
Kate says: " AL ??"
Kate:  "Al, wake up"
Kate:  "Wake up, it's time!"
A baby is born
Kate: "we're going to name him after his father"

*ELFIO:*
This line should sound like broken English with an Italian accent.
"Hello my name is Elfio Oliverio.  What is your name?"
Then, there is a flashback to the classroom scene where the nun is taking
role call and a young Elfio says
"Here"

*MINNIE:*
The two census workers approach the home and knock.
Minnie: "This is the Oliverio's"
              (Minnie stumbles on the pronunciation of Oliverio's)

They enter the home. As they exit the home and a bit of time has passed...
Minnie: "Are you sure she was saying 'Alfred'?"
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