Maori actor for feature film - Wellington

Jato Unit
Dark comedy

Logline: A darkly comedic journey into the modern realities of New Zealand’s youth culture and its over saturation of Americana.

‘Packed’ tells three interwoven stories that take place on one night in suburban Wellington: A naïve and enthusiastic TRAINEE OFFICER, who thinks he’s on the American reality TV show ‘Cops’, is on the night shift with his no nonsense veteran TRAINING OFFICER. A documentary cameraman is filming them while they respond to call-outs in an unmarked hot pink cop car, which they have been reallocated to due to the Trainee crashing their regular patrol car in pursuit of an infamous car he refers to as his white whale.

JIMMY and MARTIN, two close friends who enjoy almost relentlessly taking the piss out of each other, have just left a wrap-party and are on their way to Jimmy’s 21st birthday party. They are dressed as Alex de Large from A Clockwork Orange and Raoul Duke from Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas and carry with them a suspicious piñata. Heavily drunk and driving Martins very domineering girlfriend’s car, they immediately reverse into another car.

Running parallel is the 21st birthday costume party. It has an ‘Icons’ theme, and a group of Jimmy and Martin’s core friends sit around playing poker dressed as SUPERMAN, BATMAN, OPTIMUS PRIME and a STORM TROOPER. There is an obvious tension between Batman and Superman over a previous incident and what begins as pettiness quickly escalates.

The plot begins at its end, where the characters from the individual stories collide resulting in the two friends Jimmy and Martin being arrested along with a drug dealer who destroys their car with a baseball bat. The story then proceeds to tell the events and relationships that weave together their stories and sets in motion their final climatic confrontation.

Beneath the comedy ‘Packed’ takes a unique perspective in exploring, through the characters, story and sets, the over-saturation of American culture present in modern New Zealand. From start to finish is examines the gap between New Zealand’s conventional view of its own culture and the realities of increasing influence from international markets and media, in a point of view rarely seen in New Zealand cinema.

Role: 'Mark' dressed as Billy T James. Would suit a Maori actor with a good sense of comedy.

Filming is on nights and weekends so working 9 to 5 etc is not an issue.

Location: Wellington, New Zealand

Payment details: no pay

Applicants must be currently living in Wellington.