From Ellis Fortinberry at Chalmette Movies:

Starting today, Chalmette Movies will be accepting new and used DVDs in a drop box at the box office so they can send them to troops overseas. They are running this drive for the next several weeks in conjunction with the new film “Act of Valor,” which starts on 2/24. It doesn’t matter if the movie is a blockbuster or a sleeper hit, it’s for the troops who have limited resources overseas.

From the Times Picayune:

Local casting call draws hundreds of youngsters to Chalmette
Published: Thursday, February 16, 2012, 8:30 AM
By Jamie Landry Zimmer

The film, television and entertainment industry is making its mark on Louisiana, and St. Bernard is getting a slice of the pie. Movie industry executives have historically been drawn by the allure of the Big Easy, but it wasn’t until the state adopted tax incentives that traveling south became hard to resist.

More than 500 budding actors recently flocked to the St. Bernard Parish government complex council chambers in Chalmette for a casting call for the sci-fi thriller ‘Ender’s Game,’ a film starring Harrison Ford, Viola Davis, Ben Kingsley, Abigail Breslin and Asa Butterfield set to be released in 2013.

During 2010 in Louisiana, $1.5 billion was generated from industry-related projects. The economic boom trickled down to local businesses, and even jump-started a few new ones across the Pelican State. It’s a relationship that appears to be lucrative for St. Bernard, too.

In the past year alone, St. Bernard has served as a location for the Discovery Channel’s “The Colony”; “The Last Exorcism,” a 2010 supernatural horror film starring Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Iris Bahr, and Louis Herthum; “The Lucky One,” a Nicholas Sparks movie starring Zac Efron; “Cogan’s Trade,” starring Brad Pitt; “Parker,” starring Jennifer Lopez; and “The Dog Fight,” starring Will Ferrell.

According to Ryan Fink, St. Bernard Parish government’s director of film and television, location shooting offers residents and business owners an opportunity to cash in by lending their land, homes or businesses in trade for a negotiated payment.

With location shooting, also comes the need for the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office to provide security, local restaurants to provide catering and local gas stations to provide fuel, and the list goes on.

The most recent production to descend on St. Bernard is “Ender’s Game,” a science fiction adventure starring Harrison Ford, Viola Davis, Ben Kingsley, Abigail Breslin and Asa Butterfield. The movie, set to be released in March 2013, held an open casting call for teens and young adults 12 to 21 years old with more than 500 hopefuls flocking to the St. Bernard Parish government complex council chambers in Chalmette.

“This is one of the biggest things to happen to St. Bernard,” Fink said.
The casting call was for prospective extras for the movie’s futuristic military school. Due to the commitment involved with this movie, Fink said casting agents were particularly interested in home-schooled adolescents and young adults with flexible schedules.
As is the case with most big-budget films, extras for this movie will be compensated for their time.

St. Bernard Parish residents and friends Paulo Taffaro and Connor Dale, both 13-year-old home-schooled students, were among the budding actors to attend the casting call for “a chance to be in the movies,” Connor said, and maybe the possibility of meeting Harrison Ford.

Connor and his 14-year-old sister, Clara Dale, who also tried out, were both called back for a second audition, and eventually told their were cast as extras.
Excited about the opportunity, Clara said she is looking forward to the experience.

“I’ve never acted before, but I think the whole thing is pretty exciting,” she said.

Ender’s Game open casting call being held between 3:30-6:30pm this Thursday, January 19, 2012.

Alexis Allen, along with Batherson Casting, are seeking bright and talented kids, teens, and young adults ages 12-21 of varying ethnic background for the feature film production of Orson Scott Card’s “Ender’s Game”; based on one of the most famous science fiction novels of the last 40 years. The chosen group of background actors will portray an elite group of students, “the best that planet Earth has to offer”, set at a technical military school.

The film stars Harrison Ford, Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld and Abigail Breslin. Oscar-winning Director Gavin Hood will be filming Ender’s Game in New Orleans from February until June 2012, providing those selected with up to 8 weeks of work.

To be considered, please come to the casting call this Thursday, located at the address below between 3:30pm-6:30pm.

Please also bring a recent snapshot of yourself. Home schooled students are especially encouraged, because of the work during school hours.

Alexis Allen
Extras Casting Director, “Ender’s Game”
Tom Keeley
Extras Casting Assistant
NOLAactors@gmail.com

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