Film School
RISING VOICES - LEVELED - SPEC CHANGE
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Details
Union:
Union
Area of media:
Film School
Network:
Paid?:
Yes
Rates:
$137.50 Honorarium (approx. 1 hour). Must be ACTRA/APP
Deadline:
Apr 16, 2024
Shooting starts:
May 16, 2024
Shooting finishes:
May 16, 2024
Shooting locations:
Virtual Table Read
Cities for response:
Toronto
Comments
The Rising Voices Canada Mentorship Program is a career accelerator for emerging Canadian Black, Indigenous and Persons of Colour (BIPOC) filmmakers offering them tangible skills, resources and networks to build their careers in film. RVC is programmed by BIPOC TV and FILM & Hillman Grad, in collaboration with Indeed & TIFF.
Storyline
A Muslim hijabi girl enlists the help of her ill mother when she enters a dance competition. But, to pursue her dream to dance, she must first have the courage to believe in herself and let go of the expectations placed on her as a dutiful Pakistani daughter.
Roles
| Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
| Lead | SAFA | Female 19 Years old |
Description First-generation American, South Asian, Muslim, Hijabi with a dancer physique, challenges cultural and religious ideologies. Living under her grandmother, Zuli’s outdated rules, Safa struggles with finding her voice. When she enlists the help of her mother after secretly entering a dance competition, she pushes boundaries in pursuit of her dreams but fears being judged by her community. Although stubborn at times, Safa is determined, loyal and almost always uses her heart to guide in the right direction.Ultimately, her love for her family and best friend Ilias is what gives her the courage to believe in herself. | ||
| Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
| Supporting | ZULI DADI | Female 60 - 65 Years old |
Description Zuli, mid 60s, South Asian, embodies the typical South Asian Matriarch, who stubbornly holds onto her cultural ideologies, even if they don’t fit into the world she currently lives in. Her need to control her family keeps her at arm’s length from truly understanding who they really are. Picking up the pieces of her late husband’s gambling addiction, she’s determined to make sure Safa walks the straight and narrow path. Unable to accept her granddaughter’s dream to dance, she finds ways to thwart Safa’s plans and hinder her ability to be the person she was always meant to be. | ||
| Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
| Supporting | SANAM | Female 40 - 50 Years old |
Description Muslim, American, South Asian, Sanam is a loving Mother and devoted wife who chooses to prioritize family over her personal desires. Despite battling an aggressive form of cancer, she is determined to help Safa achieve her dream to dance by enlisting as her trainer for a dance competition. Sanam uses the skills she’s learned from her background as a dancer, to help her daughter triumph as an aspiring dancer. Holding onto her traditions but embracing new ones, she’s ahead of her time and wishes to break the generational trauma by showing her girls what it means to live a life with truth and love. Juggling both her life at home with her family and managing her illness presents its challenges, but her strong-willed attitude should not be underestimated. Her spirit for all things magical is at the heart of who she is. | ||
| Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
| Supporting | ILIAS | Male 18 - 22 Years old |
Description First-generation American, Muslim, Pakistani, best friend, and confidant to Safa, is an aspiring filmmaker. Heart throb for many, he only has eyes for since Safa since childhood. Close friends with her family, he watches Safa chase her dreams which in some ways is the catalyst for him to follow his own. His love and loyalty to Safa is apparent. His witty charm and forward-thinking attitude are what sets him apart from the rest of his community.PERFORMER WILL BE REQUIRED TO READ FOR AN ADDITIONAL ROLE (CHOTO) CHOTO, 7-10 years old child. First-generation American, Muslim, South Asian, is younger sister to Safa and daughter to Sanam and Bilal. She symbolizes light, hope and new beginnings. Her witty sense of humour and immense love for her family is what holds the family together during turbulent times. At seven, she’s smarter than the average and helps Safa with her secret plan to dance in the competition. | ||
| Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
| Supporting | BILAL | 40 - 50 Years old |
Description South Asian, American Muslim, is husband to Sanam and Father to Safa and Chotu. Bilal isn’t your typical Pakistani Father or Husband. He’s committed to breaking the generational cycle by creating a better upbringing for his girls. Bilal’s desire to stay neutral between his Mother, Zuli, wife and daughter’s, backfires at times creating more tension and angst. But, his love for Sanam inspires him to be a better man be a better man with every passing day. | ||