2 shoot days + up to 4hrs of unpaid rehearsal time + up to 1 hour paid hair & make-up consult

STORY films are 10-15 minute shorts from directors, producers and editors in the Norman Jewison Film Program at the Canadian Film Centre. The films are professionally produced in the fall, edited before the New Year, and submitted to the international festival circuit. Recent STORY films have premiered at TIFF, VIFF, CIFF, Fantasia and many more! This is a chance for actors to connect with Canada’s most exciting emerging talent, both on and off screen, and to collaborate with writer/directors on a piece that supports a feature film in development.

Luvleen Hunjan is a Delhi born filmmaker based in Toronto, Canada. Her recent project “On the Cosmic Shore”, screened at the 2023 TIFF Next Wave Festival. She is currently 1 of 5 selected participants of the Canadian Film Centre’s 2024 Director’s Lab. Within her filmmaking, Luvleen is inspired by the interconnectedness of people, and the feelings and situations which link individuals together. She also finds herself drawn to exploring the natural world and its connection with femininity. She enjoys the process of creating, and the ways spirituality rests between the layers of thinking, feeling, making, and waiting. She hopes to create films that evoke the soul: films that people feel more than think about.

Leila is out on a date with her fiancé, Jack, one week before their wedding festivities begin. As the two walk on the street, before reaching the restaurant, she is approached by a stranger, Arash, forwardly pursuing her. Leila notices Jack’s lack of response during the encounter. Leila allows the situation to escalate, exploiting her own vulnerability and testing the boundaries of her partner’s courage, or lack thereof. Afterwards, her feelings of distance and confusion toward Jack linger within the restaurant. After getting a phone call while ordering, she leaves towards the alley behind the restaurant and meets up with Arash. She hands him money, and shares a silent moment of understanding with him, before he leaves. She remains outside in the alley, uncertain on whether to re-enter, for what feels like eternity.