Open Call Casting

Meet the magnificent force of nature that is Jona Xiao. We had the privilege of chatting with Jona after she graciously hosted a Zoom sesh of puzzles and games. She shared her journey of falling in love with acting and many nuggets of wisdom for beginner and established actors alike. Thank you, Jona! For those looking to level up in their acting careers, check out careeractivate.com

When it comes to talent, we fit in all the grooves. Open Call breaks down the difficult parts about casting to connect directors directly to your talents. Coming to your favorite app store soon.

Here are some of the most important tips for nailing that next audition.

Get ready for a cinematic experience like no other with Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery! This film will keep you on the edge of your seat with its intricate mystery and top-notch performances. Dave Bautista as a men's rights activist streamer had us laughing and groaning throughout the movie and Jessica Henwick as the level-headed assistant provided much needed contrast to a colorful cast. Available to stream on Netflix.

A headshot - your key to an audition call. Starting your portfolio can be nerve-wracking, so here are some pointers on how to best showcase your money-maker (your face!)

How #StarringJohnCho Changed Hollywood At a time where Hollywood was turning a blind eye to diversity, #StarringJohnCho challenged the notions of American casting. In 2017, Scarlett Johansson was cast as Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell, igniting major uproar. “The original film is set in Japan, and the major cast members are Japanese. So why would the American remake star a white actress?” William Yu, the creator of the movement, started posting his #StarringJohnCho creations on Twitter. Soon, the internet ran with it. The hashtag is flooded with brilliantly photoshopped movie posters that made John Cho the star lead. From action films such as The Avengers, to rom-coms like 500 Days of Summer, the renditioned posters showcased a new perspective on casting and pointed out the fatal flaws of the industry. From internet meme to global movement, #StarringJohnCho amplified the demand for Asian representation. "The timing of this campaign was so perfect, in the sense that Asian Americans were ready to assert themselves and the public at large was probably primed to accept the idea in a way they hadn't before." -John Cho "The campaign wasn't just about John, and it wasn't just about money. Yes, diverse films do better finacially and are better returns on investment. But it's also the case that great films and built around great characters [that also showcase our humanity.] Our passions. Our pains. Our dreams. All of us deserve to see our flaws and joys depicted on screen," said Yu. Which is your favorite #StarringJohnCho poster?

Since the weather outside is frightful, we're SO ready to snuggle up this weekend and watch A Hollywood Christmas! This rom-com follows a successful movie director that begins to live her own Christmas movie when a handsome network exec threatens to halt her latest production. The film was released on December 1, 2022 and is available exclusively on HBO Max.

For Open Call's premier Talent Spotlight, we interviewed the multitalented Yoshi Sudarso! Our conversation touched on how his acting career started, how he balanced his life with acting, and what being "the bridge between worlds" means to him. We are so thankful for the opportunity to have this conversation with Yoshi and hope to continue to have more.

Only a few more weeks until 2022 comes to a close! Here are our staff's top films for the year.

Check out the whole lineup and full descriptions for these films at: https://www.sundance.org/blogs/2023-sundance-film-festival-announces-lineup-of-99-feature-films/