The project Ella is written and to be directed by Dan Chen. He grew up Manhattan, Kansas and this film is loosely based off his life. Nichole Bloom, star of NBC’s Superstore, is attached to play Ella.
Ella explores an unlikely bond between two Asian American teenagers, a high school recluse and a charismatic college dropout in small town America. We follow them as they traverse the streets and social groups of their community culminating into a tense moment where our main character betrays what they love most in order to establish an identity.
Auditions will be on 4/13 in Lawrence Kansas and on 4/14 in Manhattan, Kansas from 4p-7p.
***Audition location TBD
Production Dates: 5/5-5/7
Union: SAG/AFTRA (can be non-union)
This is a paid opportunity
All submissions should be sent to: ellashortfilmcasting@gmail.com
Sides are below the character breakdown:
ABE
ASIAN MALE
14 YEARS OLD
ACTUAL TEENAGER / MUST LOOK LIKE A HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN. An introverted high
school freshman with a crush on his older brother’s charismatic ex-girlfriend, Ella. The son of
Chinese immigrants in the Midwest, he’s a fish out of water determined to find a home. He’s
quiet and has an intense presence, and tries to push others away with his unkempt appearance.
While he tries to play it cool, he strives for love and acceptance among his peers.
MILES
NO SET ETHNICITY / MALE
18 YEARS OLD
Charismatic and scruffy: Miles is the Millennial update of the classic “captain of the football team”
king of high school. A stoner who reads philosophy, a varsity soccer player, an easy crush for
most girls at the school. Miles may never leave this town, but the good times will keep rolling.
JERMAINE
BLACK MALE
17-18 YEARS OLD
The arbiter of cool at the local high school, Jermaine seems perpetually unfazed. He carries an
intense desire to move to the big city after graduation, and treats his time as a high school
senior as a charmed life, a dream, an amusement. Some may call him a Hypebeast, others might
say the best dressed kid in school, all agree that he is moving on to bigger things.
JORDAN
WHITE MALE
17-18 YEARS OLD
A large coiled ball of energy, Jordan could be the high school bully in a Disney movie. But his
passion for having a good time, his loyalty to his friends, and the joy he carries as a high school
senior at the peak of his physicality means means that any collateral damage he inflicts on the
other kids is purely incidental- like a train rolling over rocks.
SASHA
NO SET ETHNICITY/FEMALE
14-15 YEARS OLD
ACTUAL TEENAGER / MUST LOOK LIKE A HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN.
A daughter from a conservative household. She’s one of the fastest girls on the track team, and
is starting to feel a thirst for adventure outside of her peaceful life at home. She hangs out with
troublemaking older kids and is starting to push the limited boundaries her parents set out for
her. In the past she’s been somewhat quiet, somewhat sheltered, and now she’s setting out to
prove that she can handle all life has to offer.