Casting Actresses for "The People in the Paintings" Short Film
After her grandmother Jessie's funeral, Joyce lingers to help her grieving mother settle the estate. When one of Jessie's disturbing paintings unexpectedly resurfaces, Joyce is thrown into a nightmare that dredges up the childhood trauma of watching her grandmother's mind unravel. As the night wears on, Joyce can't tell whether she's confronting something supernatural or slipping into the same inherited darkness that consumed Jessie. A psychological horror about grief, dementia, and the suffocating terror of inheriting the very thing that destroyed someone you love. Rate: Non-paid. Meals, credit, and a copy of the final film are provided. Transportation and necessary accommodations provided as needed. Format: Short film Genre: Psychological horror Union status: Non-union Shoot dates: May 11–15, 2026 Shoot location: Dayton / Greater Miami Valley area Audition format: In-person or self-tape accepted This is a student-led production supported by university faculty.
1 role
Former artist in the late stages of dementia (seen in flashback/nightmare sequences). Once imaginative and expressive, Jessie has become paranoid and fearful, convinced the figures in her paintings are watching her. Actor must portray cognitive instability with sensitivity and authenticity, shifting between fragility, confusion, agitation, and flashes of clarity. Physicality is important. Scenes will require heightened emotional states.
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