Birdcage Movie

CASTING CALL

CASTING CALL 150 150 Alistair Chekaoui

***ACTING ROLES*** (More roles will be announced soon):

 *OSKAAR (Male), 22 Years Old (Playing Age: 18-30), Ethnicity (Mixed Race, Middle Eastern, North African, Mediterranean, Pakistani, Indian, South Asian, Latino/Hispanic): -Oskaar is shy when put in embarrassing situations or faced with sexual flirtation. He thinks he needs a deeper connection first and enjoys intellectual chats or debates. Living with his overly-controlling parents, he isn’t used to expressing his true opinion because it’s not worth the hassle. And now he doesn’t realise he has any value to the world. He craves freedom and a meaningful purpose. Upon finding true fulfilment, it’s a struggle to give that up, but his moral compass is very strong.

*CHARLIE (Male), 26 Years Old (Playing Age: 20-34), Ethnicity (Any): -The young creator of the camp and a system that he strongly believes in. All he cares for in life is spreading his abundant inner happiness to others that are ready to receive it. Eccentric, childish yet with an ability to understand all his camp-mates’ emotions accurately at any moment. He is the epitome of unconditional love. But he does have ONE condition, his fierce attachment to the camp rule of ‘NO JUDGEMENT’. 

*EMILY (Female), 21 Years Old (Playing Age: 18-30), Ethnicity (Any):
-She is a forward and direct girl who usually gets what she wants. Emily is also very intelligent and she won’t hold back her honest opinion. She cares deeply for her fellow camp members and doesn’t want to hurt their feelings but can also be a wind-up merchant. Emily is also comfortable having sexual conversations. She presumes everyone fancies her and is an unapologetic flirt. Her loyalty is unquestionable but she won’t tolerate anyone breaking THE RULE, even her love interest.

*ARTHUR (Male), 28 Years Old (Playing Age: 18-36), Ethnicity (Any): -He used to live a restricted life, but the camp has enabled Arthur to pursue his passion for ‘midnight fishing’. Now he encourages the others with their individual passions. He is very competitive, impulsive and cheeky. Arthur feels very valued in this camp and is a strong advocator of its philosophy. He feels the camp’s way is the best way and any other way he won’t want anything to do with.

*DANIELLA (Female), 20 Years Old (Playing Age: 18-30), Ethnicity (Any): -She is very sweet, nice and especially caring for her friends. She has been through a lot in this camp, emotionally and physically. But she shuts all of that off and doesn’t complain because they show her so much love.

*DAWSON (Male), (6 Foot +), 24 Years Old (Playing Age: 18-32), Ethnicity (Any): -This seemingly gentle giant is so socially anxious he can’t even make eye contact with the girls. He doesn’t like speaking out loud or turning up for social gatherings. But the group enable him to be more accepting of his anxiety and also to do what he wants. In the real world, he could never have a girlfriend with how he is, but when he feels sexual desire in this camp, he acts on it. 

*THE MAN (Male), 34 Years Old (Playing Age: 24-40), Ethnicity (Any): -He seems mentally disturbed with a crazy look in his bulging eyes that makes him appear like he hasn’t slept in years. He is unpredictable, lacks any morality and has a strange obsession with fires. The camp has given him an outlet for his dark urges, and anyone who steps between that will have his fury unleashed upon them.

*BRANDON (Male), 10-12 Years Old (Playing Age: 8-14), Ethnicity (Any): -(All child actors will need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian on set. We will also have a DBS checked chaperone present at all times. The production will abide by local ‘Working with Children’ regulations). -A confident young chap who speaks to the adults as equals. He has a caring and considerate side too. But has a short fuse and is easily wound up by the right wind-up-merchant. 

*THEODORE (Male), 10-12 Years Old (Playing Age: 8-14), Ethnicity (Any): -(All child actors will need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian on set. We will also have a DBS checked chaperone present at all times. The production will abide by local ‘Working with Children’ regulations). -The most mature of the children at camp and makes decisions with a lot of reason for someone his age. He really appreciates being made to feel special but gets agitated and feisty if someone is actively messing him around.

*SYNOPSIS: 

22-year-old Oskaar lives an inhibited life with his overly controlling parents until he meets Charlie and Arthur out of his bedroom window who introduce him to their camp in the woods that live by one rule – No Judgement. They’re a community of ordinary people that commit to inner-happiness by accepting everyone and everything.

Oskaar’s journey to becoming a cherished member of the camp turns into a series of increasingly disturbing events. As things get worse, Oskaar knows he will have to risk giving up his freedom to act on his conscience. But to stop an atrocity occurring, he will have to save them from themselves.

                                                                                                                                                                          

HOW TO APPLY:

We want to encourage applications from everyone irrespective of your level of experience. We are taking this approach to ensure we find the people most suited for each role.

***To apply, please email alistairchekaoui@gmail.com with the following

-ACTORS:

1. The Character/Role you’re applying for

2. Basic information (Name, Age, Location, Credits)

3. Headshot 

4. Showreel (If you have one)

5. Link/links to Spotlight, Mandy, IMDb, Website (OPTIONAL)

If you are interested in being a part of the film CREW – we also encourage you to get in touch.

We look forward to hearing from you.

The Camp : Spin-off short film based on Birdcage

The Camp : Spin-off short film based on Birdcage 150 150 Alistair Chekaoui

Recently I was very focused on ‘success’ objectives, visions and manifestations in the future that were very much attached to lifeless ideals of how I could be better. I think the reason I resonated with a lot of these success objectives was mainly because I was stuck procrastinating and not doing much for a while. Whereas living towards a ‘successful’ future was giving me some level of discipline and energy. Although, it was the wrong energy. I meditated and let go of that lifeless compulsion, and started to do what I really resonated with and actually felt something for. Upon being informed about some short screenplay competitions, I felt inspired and excited to write a spin-off short film based on birdcage. I figured seen as I knew all the characters fairly well, it would flow out of me fairly effortlessly. And I was right. It was an absolute joy to write, I decided to tell the short film through Arthur’s point of view (one of the main supporting characters in Birdcage). I felt Arthur was not too dissimilar from Oskaar so it would be more beneficial for use as some sort of proof of concept for Birdcage. They both have curfews due to their restrictive parents although for different reasons. The Camp is based a few years before the events in Birdcage takes place.

Arthur lives a life of missing out – while his friends spend every weekend fishing, he only has one beloved summer memory fishing in the midnight lake while his parents were away one time. After peeking into Arthur’s melancholic life for a while (caused by his restrictive Mother and overly enforcive older Brothers), Arthur stumbles upon a joyous group down by the lake. Later that day, he gets invited over to join them where he meets Charlie (who later becomes the creator of the Birdcage camp). Charlie is an eccentric ray of sunshine, beaming with good energy. Arthur feels comfortable as well as encouraged by this small group of people. But Arthur stays out too long that day fishing with Charlie and his friends, so his family aren’t happy when he arrives back 30 mins late for their ‘cold dinner’. Arthur walks through the forest, right past that group by the lake, the very next day. Charlie chases after his new mate and invites him down again. But Arthur lets out his pent-up home frustrations on Charlie. Charlie almost child-like, can’t understand why Arthur won’t join them. Arthur explains that he has a strict mother and ‘basterds of brothers’. But Charlie with resolve affirms to Arthur that if he wants to fish here every single day, then he can. Arthur breaks down. Arthur leaves home in the middle of the night and joins this group by the campfire alongside Joseph, one of the guys Arthur was brought into the group by on that first day. One of the girls, who is quite cute and provocative, gets a bit friendly and touchy with Arthur. Joseph gets jealous watching her and confronts Arthur – “I don’t like how you are touching my girl”. Arthur apologies. Charlie walks up to them both and asks what’s the problem. Joseph rudely and aggressively explains. Charlie loses his shit with ….

If you’d like to read more – send an email at alistair@birdcagemovie.com – requesting ‘The Camp’ short script to be sent your way, and it will be. If you haven’t read Birdcage either then please get in touch too.

Best,

Alistair – writer/director

INVESTMENT & DONATION

INVESTMENT & DONATION 150 150 Alistair Chekaoui

After overseas investment, we have now raised £15,000 for the film. We still need to raise the remainder of the money before filming can commence. If you are interested in investing in Birdcage, please email or get in touch by phone call +447593793920

If you can lend or donate any props, here is our wishlist: Normal camping tents (multi-coloured), large camping tents (blue), Cylindrical glamping style tent (white), large square marquee style tent (white), wooden boat, fishing rods, metal gas tankers, fake dynamite, firewood, large fake rocks (1mx1m). Please email or get in touch by phone call +447593793920

To all partners, donors and collaborators. “I am deeply grateful and moved by anyone helping this production move forward.” ~ Alistair Chekaoui, Writer-Director

Giving birth to Birdcage

Giving birth to Birdcage 150 150 admin

I fall into a trap where I don’t feel like my films are as good as others’. It makes me feel like a failure or incapable. Sometimes for many months at a time, I have this thick cocktail of dark feelings in my chest. I watch other movies to escape that feeling, but they are constant reminders of my worthlessness. 

One day, after an intense meditation, I cried those feelings out and afterwards came a state of pure peacefulness. I felt so connected to me, and it felt great.

At that moment this is what I wrote-‘ Our world is not as it seems, it looks like an emporium of pleasures and prizes held within Birdcages that we have to grow wings to access. However it isn’t true, we are the birdcages and the gifts are already inside of us’- I want everyone to realise that feeling of complete comfort in their own skin x

The Journey Begins

written by Alistair Chekaoui