Details
Union:
Union
Area of media:
Feature Film
Network:
Paid?:
Yes
Rates:
ACTRA CIPIP 35% DISCOUNT
Deadline:
Oct 12, 2026
Shooting starts:
Nov 24, 2026
Shooting finishes:
Dec 11, 2026
Shooting locations:
Nova Scotia
Cities for response:
Halifax
Comments
We welcome submissions for all qualified performers without regard to race, religion, physical ability, age, gender identity or sexual orientation.
Storyline
After the devastating loss of her baby, Mara abandons her life in Montreal and drifts into the small coastal town of Rome, Nova Scotia, carrying little beyond a backpack, an alcohol dependency, and the memories of the people she has left behind. Hiding in the attic above a wine shop, she forms an increasingly intimate bond with its married owner, Simon, while fleeting friendships and painful memories gradually expose the grief, guilt, and fractured attachment to her younger brother that drove her to disappear.
When Simon’s wife unexpectedly returns, Mara’s fragile refuge collapses, forcing her to confront the loss she has refused to acknowledge. With the help of an unlikely friend, she begins to release her hold on the past and sets out once more: no longer simply running away, but tentatively moving toward a life of her own.
When Simon’s wife unexpectedly returns, Mara’s fragile refuge collapses, forcing her to confront the loss she has refused to acknowledge. With the help of an unlikely friend, she begins to release her hold on the past and sets out once more: no longer simply running away, but tentatively moving toward a life of her own.
Roles
| Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
| Principal | CHARLOTTE | Female 35 - 45 Years old |
Description Caucasian. Polished and unpredictable, Charlotte is Simon’s wife—a woman who’s floated through most of life with unbothered charm and curated grace. “White as an egg,” as if untouched by suffering. For years, Charlotte never had a bad day—until, about 15 years into her marriage, something cracked. Restlessness took hold. First, she pushed the boundaries of her and Simon’s intimacy—threesomes, retreats, asking him to watch her with other men. When that failed to bring relief, she uprooted their lives in New York and relocated their young family to Rome, Nova Scotia, a coastal town her father “practically owns.” There, she runs a wine shop with Simon but has largely disappeared—traveling through the Yucatán and beyond with their toddler, chasing something unnamed. Charlotte returns just as Mara, Simon’s new employee, begins to fill the space she left behind. Her return is marked by performative nonchalance and brittle charm, but she’s watching everything. Charlotte may seem impulsive and mercurial, but she’s sharper than she lets on—and Simon isn’t as guileless as he once seemed. | ||
| Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
| Principal | JULIAN | Male 40 - 49 Years old |
Description A bi-sexual, eccentric, grounded, sharp-witted regular at Simon's wine shop. A city man who has wound up in a small town all year round. Julian drinks and parties too much but yet is a cultured bon vivant with a theatrical flair and a taste for good wine, great conversation, and irreverent humor. Once a writer for the Berliner Opera before life and alcoholism led him to a quieter existence in Nova Scotia, he masks genuine loneliness with exuberance and wit. | ||
| Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
| Principal | SKY | Male 20 - 29 Years old |
Description Sky has the handsome, open face of a high school dropout—there’s something boyish in his swagger, but a sadness too, like he’s always waiting for his life to start. He’s never left Nova Scotia, clings to the same routines and spots with the quiet desperation of someone who knows the world is passing him by.A hopeless romantic, Sky reads intensity as intimacy. When he meets Mara, he sees not just a beautiful woman, but an escape—a challenge. Their one-night hookup leaves him electrified and longing for more, but Mara’s detachment confuses and hurts him. | ||
| Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
| Principal | BECKY | Female 15 - 17 Years old |
Description One of the teenage employees at the local hostel, Becky covered in freckles is gentle, empathetic, and noticeably more compassionate than her coworker Ginger. Though bound by the hostel's rules, she quietly advocates for Mara, offering her extra time to stay, food, toiletries, and genuine concern for her well-being before the season ends. | ||
| Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
| Principal | GINGER | Female 15 - 17 Years old |
Description One of the teenage employees running the local hostel as it closes for the season. Tall, blunt, skeptical and sometimes abrasive, Ginger initially keeps Mara at arm's length, but beneath her impatience she reluctantly extends small acts of compassion, allowing Mara a little more time to stay. | ||
| Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
| Principal | ROB | Male 30 - 45 Years old |
Description A lonely local man whose years of alcoholism have taken a visible toll, Rob meets Mara for a night of heavy drinking that ends in a brief, transactional sexual encounter. | ||
| Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
| Principal | CYNTHIA | Female 60 - 69 Years old |
Description Reformed city-dweller, former news anchor for NBC, she’s enjoying her retirement on Canada’s east coast, hosting lively dinner parties and privy to all the town’s gossip. | ||
| Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
| Actor | ELLA | Female 5 - 6 Years old |
Description Palestinian descent. Simon and Charlotte's sweet, playful daughter. Curious and affectionate, Ella quickly forms an innocent bond with Mara through games and laughter, | ||
| Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
| Actor | JOSE | Male 20 - 29 Years old |
Description Speaks Spanish. One of the Mexican seasonal workers staying at the hostel, José is shy, generous, and quietly sensitive. He befriends Mara through simple acts of kindness: inviting her to play ping pong, sharing meals, teaching her his special way of making coffee, and eventually confiding how much he misses the young child he has not seen in years. | ||
| Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
| Actor | MANUEL | Male 50 - 59 Years old |
Description Speaks Spanish. One of the Mexican seasonal workers staying at the hostel, Manuel is warm, observant, and quietly paternal. He welcomes Mara into the group's daily routines with small gestures of generosity and acceptance, offering food, encouragement, and companionship without asking for anything in return. | ||
| Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
| Actor | LUIS | Male 30 - 39 Years old |
Description Spanish speaking. Strong. One of the Mexican seasonal workers staying at the hostel. Confident, good-natured, and proud of the life he's building back home, Luis welcomes Mara into the group's nightly routines, encouraging her to join their ping-pong games and conversations. | ||
| Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
| Actor | FRANK | Male 60 - 69 Years old |
Description Jean's retired husband. Nova Scotian born and raised, Frank is a gruff, practical man who is wary of opening his home to a stranger. Suspicious of Mara from the outset, he repeatedly objects to her staying in their late son's bedroom, but beneath his blunt exterior is a grieving father still struggling with an unimaginable loss. | ||
| Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
| Actor | BARTENDER | Male 25 - 39 Years old |
Description The friendly, hipster bartender at O'Connell's Pub. Observant and quietly compassionate, they look after Mara without prying into her circumstances | ||
| Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
| Actor | TIRED-LOOKING MAN | Male 58 - 68 Years old |
Description The weary manager of a rundown hostel in Rome. Initially skeptical of Mara's attempt to barter cleaning work for a discounted room, he ultimately recognizes her desperation and quietly gives her a chance. | ||
| Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
| Actor | OBGYN | Female 40 - 50 Years old |
Description Mara's obstetrician, seen during a prenatal ultrasound in a flashback. Warm, professional, and reassuring, they share the joyful news that Mara is expecting a baby girl. | ||
| Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
| Actor | UNHOUSED WOMAN | Female 16 - 25 Years old |
Description A young pregnant Nova Scotian woman living on the streets. Mara senses her vulnerability although drug addiction has left her hard looking. | ||