enCAST.pro
Actors (m), 25-35, English spkrs, for int'l short film in Sicily
Casting Overview
Title: The Portrait
Category: Short Film
Casting Director: Marushka Almeida; Rabiya Mansoor
Directed by: Marushka Almeida (Syfy/Peacock’s Revival, Crave/Roku’s Made For TV with Boman Martinez Reid)
Production Company/Producer: Cult Following Pictures
Fee (type): low budget
Project information: A short film shot on 35mm as part of the 2025 Terre di Cinema program. Supported by Canada Council for the Arts. English dialogue.
Logline: After discovering how the Mona Lisa became famous, a struggling artist decides to steal his own uninspired self-portrait from a gallery—hoping it will turn him into a legend. Through Lukas’s journey, the film delves into themes of ambition, societal validation, and the subjective nature of art.
Shooting dates & filming locations:
Outside dates: September 4th to 21st 2025
One day of filming, 2 days of travel (if applicable)
Location: Siracusa, Sicily
The reason for the low budget is that it is part of a student program (the Terre di Cinema program). This program is to help directors and cinematographers learn to work on 35mm film.
We will also pay for accommodations in Siracusa, a small per diem, and flight/train to Siracusa.
The plan is for a film festival run after the short film is completed. The director has good connections with international festivals, so we believe it will be a good festival run. Additionally, our actor will receive a copy of the final, fully edited short film that they can use in their showreel. This will include sound design, color correction, etc.
Roles
LUKAS (late 20s, early 30s)
From the moment he came into this world, Lukas Bruno knew he was destined for greatness. That knowledge fostered his ambition to be memorialized. He’s fiercely competitive, especially with people who he deems have it easier than him. Lukas is resentful, bitter and also somewhat naive in his understanding of fame – believing it to be the true barometer for his self-worth. Underneath that, however, is a deeply relatable fear of being forgotten – that fuels this relentless pursuit of validation.
The role requires an actor who can make this insufferable art student cliche both infuriating and oddly sympathetic.
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