Casting Call: Hazel – Proof of Concept

Casting calls list

Short Film

Hazel – Proof of Concept

Details

Union:

Union or Non union

Area of media:

Short Film

Network:

Paid?:

Yes

Rates:

ULB, $100 total honourarium for lead roles, side characters volunteer. All roles paid in future feature development.

Deadline:

Oct 30, 2026

Callbacks:

Nov 1, 2026 Surrey, BC

Shooting starts:

Nov 13, 2026 (13th & 15th Nov. confirmed shoot dates)

Shooting finishes:

Nov 30, 2026 (Other shoot dates still TBC)

Shooting locations:

Vancouver, BC

Cities for response:

Vancouver

Storyline

*WORKING TITLE: CRAIGSLIST BABY DADDY*

After divorcing the man she thought she’d eventually have children with, Hazel Montgomery decides she’s done waiting for someone else’s timeline. Encouraged by her friends, she posts a Craigslist ad seeking a sperm donor—and is quickly flooded with a parade of bizarre and unsuitable candidates. After a long day of disastrous interviews, Hazel is ready to give up when Ryder Quinn walks in late, heavily tattooed, blunt, and nothing like what she expected. He may be her most unconventional candidate yet… but there’s something about him Hazel can’t quite ignore.

Must be able to work and travel to set in Metro Vancouver/Lower Mainland. Meals and credit provided. No travel compensation is provided.

This is for a short film festival submission for Shelf2Screen Film Festival, although we have hopes to turn Craigslist Baby Daddy into a full length feature film, and will hope to retain our original actors.

Roles

Role type	Role	Gender & Age range
Lead	Hazel Montgomery	Female 30 - 36 Years old
Description Hazel Montgomery has just divorced her husband of 8 years after he reveals he doesn't want to have kids—the one thing Hazel wants most in the world. Tired of waiting for someone else's timeline and her own biological clock, she decides to take matters into her own hands. Encouraged by her friends, she posts a Craigslist ad looking for a sperm donor, a baby daddy if you will. At her core, Hazel is longing for a loving family of her own. She looks forward to raising her kids her way and dreams of a perfect family for herself. She is loving, warm, a little quirky and sometimes quick to judge. However, most importantly, she is determined!
Role type	Role	Gender & Age range
Lead	Ryder Quinn	Male 30 - 36 Years old
Description Ryder Quinn is Hazel’s eventual love interest. Handsome, heavily tattooed, and athletically built, Ryder has a naturally rugged charm that he doesn’t seem particularly aware of. After being fired from his full-time job at a bar, he’s desperate for enough cash to cover his rent and bills while he searches for something new. When he comes across Hazel’s unconventional Craigslist ad for a sperm donor, he’s highly skeptical—but just desperate enough for the money to give it a shot. Blunt, sarcastic, and effortlessly funny, Ryder has a tough exterior but a genuine heart of gold. Beneath his laid-back attitude, he’s a thoughtful guy with big dreams of becoming a published author, though he hasn't quite figured out how to get there yet. His interview with Hazel gets off to an awkward start, but as they talk, an unexpected chemistry begins to build. There's something about Hazel that intrigues Ryder—her determination, her honesty, and, admittedly, the sheer insanity of what she's proposing. He has no idea what he's getting himself into, but for some reason, he decides to go along with it.
Role type	Role	Gender & Age range
Supporting	Bree Hobbs	Female 30 - 36 Years old
Description Bree Hobbs is Hazel’s fun-loving, outspoken best friend who brings a little chaos and a lot of heart wherever she goes. With her bohemian, witchy aesthetic and extroverted personality, Bree marches to the beat of her own drum and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. She’s fiercely loyal, endlessly supportive, and always ready to hype up the people she loves—but she’s also a tell-it-like-it-is kind of gal who has no problem calling someone out when they need to hear the truth. When Hazel is struggling to figure out her next steps after her breakup, Bree is the one who encourages her to think outside the box and suggests posting a Craigslist ad to find a sperm donor. What starts as a wild idea quickly turns into an entertaining adventure, and Bree is more than happy to help Hazel navigate the bizarre parade of candidates who respond.
Role type	Role	Gender & Age range
Supporting	Ivy Montgomery	Female 30 - 36 Years old
Description Hazel's older sister, fiercely protective, endlessly loving, and never afraid to tell it like it is. Ivy is Hazel's biggest cheerleader and voice of reason, offering unwavering support while keeping her younger sister grounded. Equal parts encouraging, skeptical, and thoroughly entertained by the chaos, she's the kind of sister who will support your questionable life choices, but absolutely reserve the right to say "I told you so".
Role type	Role	Gender & Age range
Day Player	Brayden	Male 40 - 45 Years old
Description Brayden is a man in his 40s who still lives in his mom’s basement and has decided that $6,000 is exactly what he needs to finally turn his life around. His big plan? Starting a professional turtle racing business. He talks about it like he’s on the verge of becoming a successful entrepreneur, despite having no business plan, no investors, and only three turtles. Brayden is completely convinced he is a catch—and that Hazel would be lucky to have his DNA.
Role type	Role	Gender & Age range
Day Player	Truce	Male 30 - 36 Years old
Description Truce is a beefy, slightly doughy guy in his early 30s—not fat, not particularly muscular, but built like someone who spends a lot of time talking about going to the gym. He’s obnoxiously confident despite having very little to be confident about, with the kind of misplaced self-assurance that makes him completely oblivious to how ridiculous he sounds. He’s not intentionally creepy or malicious—he’s just spectacularly dumb, socially unaware, and way too comfortable with himself. He treats the interview like a dating opportunity, assumes Hazel is impressed by him, and keeps trying to sell himself despite every possible red flag.
Role type	Role	Gender & Age range
Day Player	Foot Fetish Guy	Male 20 - 30 Years old
Description A socially awkward, overly enthusiastic candidate who seems relatively normal at first—until Hazel realizes he has a very specific fascination with feet. He has absolutely no sense of when he’s crossed the line into TMI and keeps finding increasingly bizarre ways to bring feet into the conversation. Completely oblivious to Hazel’s discomfort, he genuinely believes his honesty is refreshing and that this interview is going extremely well. Actor should have strong improv experience.
Role type	Role	Gender & Age range
Day Player	Tarantino Fan	Male 20 - 40 Years old
Description A wildly enthusiastic Quentin Tarantino super fan who has somehow turned the interview into an opportunity to discuss his favorite films. He quotes scenes, analyzes obscure details, and keeps comparing the sperm-donor process to moments from Tarantino movies. Completely oblivious to Hazel’s growing impatience, he’s convinced she’ll be impressed by his encyclopedic knowledge of Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, and Inglourious Basterds. Actor should have strong improv experience and be comfortable with rapid-fire comedic dialogue.
Role type	Role	Gender & Age range
Day Player	Doomsday Prepper	Male 20 - 40 Years old
Description A paranoid survivalist who sees Hazel’s ad as an opportunity to ensure “strong genetics” for the coming apocalypse. He has a 20-year emergency plan, distrusts the government, and somehow manages to work the phrase “when society collapses” into every answer. Actor should have strong improv experience.
Role type	Role	Gender & Age range
Day Player	Wellness Guy/Gymbro	Male 20 - 40 Years old
Description A painfully earnest man who believes his body is “basically a temple.” He refuses processed food, drinks questionable homemade supplements, and insists his sperm is “high vibration.” He spends more time explaining his diet than answering Hazel’s actual questions. Actor should have strong improv experience.
Role type	Role	Gender & Age range
Day Player	Amateur Detective	Male 20 - 40 Years old
Description A suspicious, overly analytical guy who has researched Hazel before the interview and arrives with a notebook full of questions of his own. He keeps trying to determine why she’s really doing this and treats the whole thing like an unsolved mystery. Actor should have strong improv experience.
Role type	Role	Gender & Age range
Day Player	The Culinary Snob	Male 20 - 40 Years old
Description A pretentious aspiring chef who is far more concerned with whether Hazel has “refined taste” than whether they’re compatible. He somehow turns the interview into a discussion about artisanal cheese, obscure restaurants, and his belief that supermarket bread is “an insult to civilization.” Actor should have strong improv experience.
Role type	Role	Gender & Age range
Day Player	Motivational Speaker	Male 20 - 40 Years old
Description An aggressively positive self-help guy who treats the interview like a business seminar. Every question Hazel asks becomes an opportunity to tell her that she needs to “manifest the life she wants.” He is completely convinced they’re having a breakthrough together. Actor should have strong improv experience.

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