Disney Making A Launchpad Short About A Pakistani Family Celebrating Eid
Last year, Disney announced a new “Launchpad: Shorts Incubator program”, which would be coming to Disney+. This special program would see Disney looking for experienced directors from underrepresented backgrounds with diverse and varied perspectives. With director(s) of each project will be paired with Disney creative executives who will serve as mentors. Select shorts will have the opportunity to live on Disney+ and may be considered for further development for long-form or episodic motion pictures.
One of these upcoming Launchpad: Shorts is going by the project name “American Eid” and is going to be directed by Aqsa Altaf.
Eid al-Fitr, also called the “Festival of Breaking the Fast”, is a religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan. This religious Eid is the first and only day in the month of Shawwal during which Muslims are not permitted to fast.
Casting is currently underway for a number of roles within the short including:
AMEENA
Actor to play 7 years old, Pakistani, a girl with strong determination and a big heart. Ameena has recently immigrated to the USA from Pakistan. Ameena learns that her favorite holiday Eid is not recognized as a national holiday. Ameena circulates a petition in hopes of getting the day off to celebrate the important holiday for herself and her sister. Heartbroken, Ameena gives up and concludes that she may never celebrate Eid again. She is surprised the next day to discover that her parents have collaborated with her teacher to have a special Eid celebration in the classroom…LEAD (1) Actors that speak Urdu a plus
ZARA
Actors to play13, Pakistani. Zara is Ameena’s big sister. Zara desperately wants to fit in at her new school in the United States – and doesn’t want to do anything to draw attention to herself. She wants to be called Z, practices speaking with an American accent and wears clothes that show her legs. When she learns that her sister is petitioning for them to get Eid holiday, she gets furious. Trying desperately to make new friends, Zara ignores the special friendship she has with her sister… Actors that speak Urdu a plus
ALTAF
Actor to play 40, Pakistani, a hardworking man and devoted father to Ameena and Zara. Even though he has to start from scratch in the USA Altaf is happy to give his daughters a life he wished he had growing up. He believes he is doing the right thing for his children but has to learn on how to handle the growing pains that come with big moves… Performers that speak Urdu a plus
JAMILA
Actors to play 39, Pakistani. Jamila is Ameena and Zara’s mother. Jamila carries the demeanor of a strict mother with a soft spot for her children. She goes to evening classes while working full time. She misses home as much as Ameena does but stays strong for her children… Performers that speak Urdu a plus
DADI AMI
Actors to play 70, Pakistani. Living in Pakistan, Dadi Ami is Ameena’s grandmother – and Ameena’s favorite person in the world. In a video call, she tries to console Ameena when Ameena complains about her first Eid in the United States. She offers her encouraging words…Performers that speak Urdu a plus
Casting applications are running through to 7/1/2020 and based in Los Angeles. You can apply by clicking here.