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castaway

SAG-AFTRA Short Film from Nathan L. Marquez

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about the project

After casting away his queer son to preserve his religious beliefs, a devout Catholic father begins to question a faith that once defined him.  When he chooses love over doctrine, he risks his marriage to reclaim his child.

Castaway is a slow-burning intimate drama. It is visually sparse, but emotionally rich, moving from loneliness to quiet hope.

character info + sides

Please find all your sides in the folder linked below. Your audition instructions, slating information, and additional requests are broken down by role. 

If you have any questions, get in touch! 

Jaime

Lead

  • Slate: Please tell us your name, height, and city of residence before turning profile. 

  • Take One: Please perform take one in Spanish.

  • Take Two: Please perform take two in English. 

As a teenager, Jaime is quiet, thoughtful, and sensitive. Jaime is beginning to understand who he is while growing up in a strict and religious household where he fears rejection. He carefully hides parts of himself to maintain peace at home but beneath that is a reserved young man longing to be seen and accepted. During this stage of his life, he is vulnerable, fearful, but also resilient with emotional depth. At 31, Jaime is a man who has truly found himself. He’s come to terms with the pain and trauma of his past, and though his story is still part of him, it no longer defines him. Therapy, the love of his husband, and the joy of raising his son, Andrés, have helped him rebuild - he’s whole, grounded, and at peace. He has learned to breathe again. There’s a quiet confidence in him now, the calmness of someone who knows who they are and where they’re headed. His life isn’t perfect, but it’s full of love, joy, and purpose. When he reunites with his father Victor, there’s some uncertainty, but Jaime can fall back on himself with the confidence he’s gained over the years.

Victor

Lead

  • Slate: Please tell us your name, height, and city of residence before turning profile. 

  • Take One: Please perform take one in Spanish.

  • Take Two: Please perform take two in English. 

Victor is Jaime’s father. A man shaped by duty, pride, and generational expectations. He enters the film as someone who seems set in his ways. He is emotionally guarded, but there’s something behind his silence. He’s a man watching his son change, and quietly questioning what that means for his own identity as a father. His love is buried under layers of discipline, pride, and fear of vulnerability. He is not cruel, but he is cautious with tenderness.

Sofia

Supporting

  • Slate: Please tell us your name, height, and city of residence before turning profile. 

  • Take One: Please perform take one in Spanish.

  • Take Two: Please perform take two in English. 

Sofia serves as president of the parish council at her local church. She plays the part of a Catholic woman and perfect wife. However, beneath that composed exterior, is a woman struggling to reconcile her faith, her family, and her fears. Sofia is not a villain. Instead, she is a deeply human mother whose desire to protect her family often conflicts with her ability to truly understand them. Sofia’s role requires the capability of balancing authority and emotional complexity. Sofia is not cold by nature; she is emotionally overwhelmed and tightly controlled. She moves quickly, keeps busy, and clings to routine and responsibility as a way to avoid confronting deeper guilt and grief. She believes she is trying to save her son spiritually, even as her inability to fully accept him contributes to their separation.

Michael

Supporting

  • Slate: Please tell us your name, height, and city of residence before turning profile. 

  • Takes: Please give us two takes of the side.

Michael is Jaime’s husband and partner in adulthood. He is warm, grounded, steady, and a caretaker at heart. While he comes from a different background than Jaime. Their love has built a foundation of trust, respect, and shared responsibility including raising their son Andrés. Michael doesn’t seek the spotlight; instead his strength is in the quiet assurance he provides. His presence symbolizes healing and the possibility of building a safe, loving home after hardship.

Young Jaime + Andrés

Supporting

  • Slate: Please tell us your name, height, age, and city of residence before turning profile. 

  • Take One: Please read the Young Jaime scene. This is an MOS scene, meaning there aren't lines, but lots of quiet acting! 

  • Take Two: Please read the Young Jaime scene. 

  • Take Three: Please read the sides for Andrés - Play this take with confidence, but a little shy to meet your Victor. 

  • Take Four: Please read the sides for Andrés - This time, lean more into the shy side, and let your confidence build as the scene goes. 

Young Jaime

Young Jaime is sensitive and observant. There’s a softness to him that makes him feel small, like he could break. But in that vulnerability, there’s a depth and capacity for love, hurt, and memory that stays with him into adulthood.

 

Andrés

Newly welcomed into Jaime and Michael's home, he knows little about the painful history that separates his family from their grandparents. Though initially shy around Victor, Andrés quickly becomes the bridge between generations, breaking the tension with the honesty and openness only a child can bring. The same age Jaime was when his own story began, Andrés serves as a powerful reflection of what has changed and what remains unresolved. Raised in a home where love is unconditional and identity is embraced, he represents the healing, acceptance, and sense of belonging that Jaime was denied. In many ways, Andrés is more than a son; he is a symbol of restoration, connecting a fractured past to a hopeful future.

Marisol

Supporting

  • Slate: Please tell us your name, height, and city of residence before turning profile. 

  • Take One: Please perform take one in Spanish.

  • Take Two: Please perform take two in English. 

 

A longtime parishioner who seems to know everyone’s business before Sunday Mass is over. Polished, prim, and deeply involved in the church community, Marisol is the type of person who always has a smile, a compliment, and a piece of gossip ready to share. She genuinely cares about the people around her, but her curiosity often blurs the line between concern and nosiness. When she congratulates Sofia on becoming Head of Parish Council, her enthusiasm feels sincere but perhaps a little performative. Charming and well-intentioned, Marisol embodies the familiar churchgoer who thrives on community connections, social dynamics, and keeping up appearances. Think warm but slightly calculating; friendly but not always authentic. Everyone knows a Marisol.

project breakdown

  • Project Name: CASTAWAY

  • Synopsis: After casting away his queer son to preserve his religious beliefs, a devout Catholic father begins to question the faith that once defined him. When he chooses love over doctrine, he risks losing his marriage to reclaim his child. Castaway is a slow-burning, intimate drama. It is visually spare but emotionally rich, moving from loneliness to quiet hope.

  • Project Type: Short Film

  • Union Status: SAG-AFTRA - Micro Budget Agreement

  • SAG ID: Attached to the email

  • Rate: Varies by role

    • $250 for Sofia, Victor, Michael, and Jaime.  

    • $150 for Marisol 

    • $100 for Young Jaime and Andrea (Talent will have 6 hours of shooting or less).

  • Producer(s):

    • Executive Producer - Mohammed Shaik Hussain Ali 

    • Producers: Thomas Z Seffernick + Jay Bell

    • Associate Producers:  Dhiraj Bodicherla + Aariana Gulhane Gawande

  • Director: Nathan L. Marquez

  • Writer(s): Nathan L. Marquez

  • Production Company: Z Marc Productions LLC

  • Dates:​

    • Callback/Chem Read Date(s): July 16th, 2026

    • Shoot Date(s): September 1 - October 14, 2026 (Estimated three days of shooting)

  • Locations: Chicagoland 

  • Film Festival Awards

    • 2026 BlueCat Screenplay Competition Quarterfinalist

    • 2026 Filmmatic  Drama Screenplay Awards Quarterfinalist 

    • 2026 Katra Film Series QuarterFinalist 

    • 2026 New York International Screenplay Awards Semi Finalist 

    • 2026 International Indie Screenplay Festival Finalist/Nomiee 

    • 2026 New Faces New Voices Teleplay Finalist

    • 2026 Best Short Screenplay New Voices New Faces Film Festival

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