Production: Crimson Star (Short Film)

Location: Toronto

Employer: Bash Entertainment

Duration: 5 shooting days, starts Early October

DIRECTOR: Jon Gagnon.

SYNOPIS:

In a remote town isolated from the rest of the world, a cult known as the temple of the Crimson star has lived undisturbed for almost 40 years. Believing that the world is almost at an end everyone is on high alert and particularly vigilant on keeping order to their faith. Their leader Pesh (65) keeps a watchful eye over everyone. Candice (26) and her sister Abby (16) have been keeping Abby’s puberty a secret for quite sometime in hopes that the end of the world will arrive and Abby will not have to blessed by Pesh, a traumatic experience for Candice which involves having sexual relations with their aging leader. When Meredith, a particularly nosy member of the cult, discovers the girl’s blasphemy, she quickly reacts to rectify the situation, even if it means breaking Pesh’s teachings. Her husband Alfred begins to see a member of his faith break all the rules with little regard and questions about the purity of their religion. While Candice is now locked up secretly in Meredith’s room and Abby now forced to be blessed, strange lights and noises are heard thought the compound; which immediately labels the coming of the Apocalypse. Panic sets in and each member is forced to come to terms with their greatest fear.

Apply to: Bardia Shahali. Email: crimsonstarcasting@hotmail.com

5 breakdowns:

1. Female / 31-40 yrs. / Any Ethnicity. MEREDITH PACKARD (45) : Meredith is the nosy step mother that no body invited. She is constantly on the move and always has a watchful eye on Candice and Abby. She believes that without their parents to raise them properly, they have grown into two irresponsible brats. Meredith has established her faith within the cult and is given many responsibilities by Pesh to uphold their way of life. She takes these responsibilities with great seriousness. Meredith is stern and forward, but most of all she is a person of power that shouldn’t be reckoned with.

2. Male / 61+ yrs. / Any Ethnicity.PESH (69): He is the leader and founder of the Order of the Crimson Star. His confidence and strong will only match by his ability to per sway people with the power of his words. Originally named Shiloh Goldman, After a delusional episode, he was told by ‘God'that in order to pay penance for the sins of the world, he himself must have sex with children in order to save the world from certain doom. Shiloh was told to pay for the sins of the world by committing these horrid crimes as a sacrifice to god. Shiloh then changed his name to ‘Pesh’ Hebrew for ‘a crime against God’. Pesh takes no joy in these actions, but believes it to be the will of God.

3. Male / 31-40 yrs. / Any Ethnicity. ALFRED PACKARD (42): An average member of the Crimson star and husband to Meredith. Polite and mild mannered, he lives each day as a gift from his beloved Pesh. His world comes crashing down and puts his faith into question when he see his own wife betraying their sworn faith and the trauma that is inflicted upon every young child who has been blessed by Pesh.

4. Female / 18-24 yrs. / Any Ethnicity. CANDICE (26): has been taking care of Abby ever since. Candice has carried the burden of raising her sister since her father died when they were 6 and 16. Candice is constantly caring the internal scare she was left after having sex with Pesh. Although she has had many years of learning to cope with this pain, with every breath she takes she still feels it deep inside. Candice believes she can keep Abby’s condition a secret for a little longer, when the blessing wont need to be performed any more. Candice is constantly fighting an inner battle between her faith and loyalty to Pesh, and her love for her sister.

5. Female / 18-24 yrs. / Any Ethnicity. ABBY (16): is young and naïve. She trusts her sister more than her faith, but doesn’t understand why she is not aloud to go through with the blessing. To her sister, Abby is more mature and confidant, but in front of others in the cult, she puts on an act of immaturity to help hide her maturing state.