Encore

Production Company
United Ocean Production
Casting Director(s): 
Sally Hinke
Union Status
UBCP/ACTRA or Equivalent
Project Type
Film
Student Production
No
Compensation Details

Volunteer

Shoot / Performance Date(s)
July 17 - 19
Shoot / Performance Location(s)
Metro Vancouver, BC Canada
Submission Deadline
Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Submission Instructions

Email your full legal name, contact information including your phone number, headshot, demo reel (or previous acting footage), full availability between July 17-19, and union status if applicable to info@yymediaco.com.

Subject line: PROJECT: ENCORE - YOUR NAME - THE ROLE YOU ARE APPLYING FOR

Project Synopsis
Encore is a short drama about identity, success, and the quiet space that opens up when you finally arrive at the life you were chasing. On the night world-renowned pianist Daniel Chen receives the highest honour of his career, a family celebration and a familiar childhood melody send him drifting into memory. As fragments of his life surface, a boy at the piano, a first love, the long climb to fame. Daniel begins to see something he never had time to notice: somewhere along the way, while focused on becoming the polished, public version of himself, he quietly lost track of the boy who started music for love. He isn't unhappy. He isn't searching. He's just, for the first time, reflecting.
Additional Information & Safety Protocols: 

This is a production participating in VAFF's MAMM 21 (Mighty Asian Moviemaking Marathon). We welcome submissions from both union and non-union actors.

Character 1
DANIEL CHEN
Age
30-35
Gender
Male
Description
Chinese / Chinese American. A world-renowned concert pianist who has just become the first Asian American to win one of the biggest piano prizes in the world. On the surface, Daniel has everything: a beautiful home, a wife who adores him, a proud family, and the exact career he dreamed of as a child. Underneath, on this single night, something quietly opens up in him. He begins to see the boy he used to be, and the gap between that boy and the polished, public man he has become. Daniel does not speak a single word in the film. His entire performance lives in his face, his hands, and his stillness. We see him hold the weight of a celebration he can't fully feel, the warmth of a family who adores him, and the dawning realization of a life he never paused to look at. He is not unhappy. He is not in crisis. He is simply, for the first time, reflecting. Skills: Piano performance required (or strong piano doubling capability). Must carry the film with subtle, internalized emotional work. Comfortably perform same-sex romantic and intimacy scenes with the actor playing Alex (kissing, physical closeness, sharing a bed; tastefully shot, intimacy coordinator on set).
Character 2
Auntie Mei
Age
50-65
Gender
Female
Description
Chinese. Daniel's aunt and Lily's younger sister. Loud, funny, opinionated, and endlessly energetic. She brings warmth, humor, and chaos to every room while masking a deep love for her family. Language: Must be Chinese and fluent in Mandarin. 
Skills: Strong comedic timing and improvisational energy.
Character 3
Alex
Age
20-30
Gender
Male
Description
Asian (Open to East Asian backgrounds). Daniel's former love. We meet him over a series of warm, intimate flashbacks. Alex is the only person in the film who looks at Daniel and sees him, not Daniel Chen, the pianist. He represents a version of Daniel that was unselfconscious, freely in love, freely himself. 
Skills: Comfortably perform same-sex romantic and intimacy scenes (kissing, physical closeness, sharing a bed; tastefully shot, intimacy coordinator on set).
Character 4
Lily
Age
50-65
Gender
Female
Description
Chinese Daniel's widowed mother. Loving, proud, and emotionally resilient. Lily devoted much of her life to supporting her son's success and remains one of the most important people in his life. Language: Must be Fluent in Mandarin.
 Skills: Strong dramatic actor capable of conveying deep emotion with minimal dialogue.
Character 5
SARAH
Age
28-35
Gender
Female
Description
Chinese / Chinese American. Daniel's wife. A successful Chinese American lawyer. She loves Daniel completely and looks at him like a fan who can't believe she gets to be married to him. She is gracious, warm, capable, and slightly guarded. She loves Daniel deeply, and she is unaware of the deeper conflict Daniel carries within himself. Language: Fluent English.
Additional Characters

Ethan (Male | 15–18 | Chinese) : Daniel's teenage cousin. Auntie Mei's son. Permanently glued to his phone, perpetually mortified by his mother, but in one moment, he looks up and asks Daniel to play the song he used to play as a kid — the line that triggers the entire emotional movement of the film. Authentic teenage energy is essential; we are not looking for a "performed" teenager. Language: Fluent English.
 Skills: Naturalistic teenage performance.

Young Daniel (Male | 10–12 | Chinese): A gifted young pianist whose passion for music is pure and joyful before ambition and expectations reshape his life. 
Skills: Must play piano at a basic level (or be very coachable). Piano proficiency strongly preferred.

JOHN CHEN (Male | 30–50 | Chinese): Daniel's late father, seen in memories and photographs. Quiet, supportive, and deeply influential in Daniel's life. His presence continues to shape Daniel long after his passing.

Presenter (Female | 50–65 | Caucasian): The gracious host who presents Daniel with a prestigious award during the opening sequence. Professional and elegant presence.

Fans (Any Gender | 18–50 | Open Ethnicity): A devoted admirer whose brief interaction illustrates Daniel's public success and influence.


PHOTOGRAPHER / INTERVIEWER / STYLIST (Any Gender | 25–60 | Open Ethnicity): Small featured roles appearing in Daniel's success montage.