FILM "NINE" Open casting call for 2 lead roles *virtual audition*

About the project and the company

Casting two lead roles in feature film “NINE” directed by Rachael DeCruz and Jeremy Levine. Paid positions! Will be filming a scene with Gerald in the immediate future so please reach out ASAP.

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**NONUNION SHOOT**

Young Gerald |Black males ages 16 – 23. 

Gerald is a dynamic, larger than life figure with a slight rebellious side. He is fun and light-hearted, but has a deepness to him. 

Looking for a Black man (ideally shorter with medium build, around 19 years old) with a dynamic on stage presence with a good emotional range, including the ability to move from fun, light-hearted banter to deep sadness and grief. 

Younger Henry | Black males ages 40 – 65. 

Henry is a soft-spoken, quiet, thoughtful character who is a father figure to some, but is respected by all. He has a slight southern twang. 

Looking for a Black man (dark complexion) who is short with medium build in his early 50s with a slight Southern twang.  Full beard is a plus.

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Nine tells the story of Gerald Hankerson, the only person in Washington State to receive clemency while serving a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. The film follows the Black 52-year old community leader as he campaigns to get his former cellmate and father-figure out of prison and fights for the men he left behind. Gerald met Henry Grisby—a man he came to lovingly call “Pops”—in Washington State’s most notorious maximum security prison, where both were serving life sentences for crimes they didn’t commit. Nine is ultimately about the enduring bonds of friendship forged across generations and decades, and the power it gives both men to push back against an overtly oppressive criminal justice system. Nine was an official selection of the 2021 Big Sky Pitch and the 2022 Points North Institute’s LEF/CIFF Fellowship at the Camden Film Festival. 

Nine is produced and directed by Jeremy S. Levine and Rachael DeCruz. Levine is an Emmy award-winning filmmaker and two-time Sundance Institute fellow. His work has screened at over one hundred film festivals including the Berlinale, Tribeca, and Sundance, streamed on Netflix, Amazon, Sundance, and Hulu, and broadcast nationally in nine countries. DeCruz is the Associate Director of Advocacy at Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research, helmed by Dr. Ibram Kendi, and the former Chief of Staff of Race Forward, the country’s largest multiracial, racial justice nonprofit. Alongside Levine, she directed The Panola Project, a short film that illuminates how an often-overlooked rural Black community comes together in creative ways to survive the pandemic. DeCruz’s work as a writer and opinionist has been published in outlets like the HuffPo, The Stranger, and The Seattle Times. DeCruz was the Communications Chair of the Seattle King County NAACP for over five years.

For anyone who is interested in auditioning:

• Email mightysquawkproductions@gmail.com with the role you are interested in in the subject line (Gerald or Henry)
• Include your contact information – (name, age range, short description about yourself)
• A brief statement on why you are interested in this film? 
• Include a recent photo recent photo 
• We will respond with next steps!

Location of Audition

Virtual

Other details

We are filming a few days here and there - first filming day is this Friday, August 26 with Young Gerald

Audition requirements

Please email us ASAP if you are interested! Will follow up with next steps.