A coming-of-age short film, The Polar Project blends powerful storytelling with meaningful community engagement. Set in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, the film follows 13-year-old Leon as he navigates grief, growing up, and the complexity of life—shot in black and white until he discovers the colour in the world around him.

More than just a film, The Polar Project is a collaborative initiative involving local talent and Sixth Form students, offering hands-on work experience and creative input throughout the filmmaking process. Rooted in Sleaford and shaped by its people, this is a film made by the community, for the community.

 CASTING CALL

Key Information 

Location: Sleaford, Lincolnshire 

Shooting Dates: 23rd-27th July 2025 

Auditions: 9am-12:30pm Saturday, 21st June 2025

Location: The Peake Room, St Denys Church Hall, Church Lane, Sleaford 

Contact: polarfilm@mazeboundfilms.com 

About the Film 

Polar is a heartfelt short film exploring themes of grief, friendship, and the vibrant complexity of life. It follows Leon, a 13-year-old navigating his first summer without his Grandad, seeing the world as increasingly grey until a series of moments and people begin to restore his colour. 

This is a community production focused on local talent and youth engagement. We welcome applicants with all levels of experience! We want to note that, although the playing age of our central characters is 13, we’re openminded as to what age we can cast and would be happy to adjust the script to suit the best lineup of performers. If sixth form age students would like to audition for the roles, they’re more than welcome to! 

Roles Available 

LEON 

Plays Age: 13 | Performer Age: 14+ | 4 Shooting Days 

A thoughtful and melancholic boy coping with the recent death of his Grandad. 

JOSH 

Plays Age: 13 | Performer Age: 14+ | 4 Shooting Days 

Leon’s best friend. Funny, loyal, and well-meaning. 

LILY 

Plays Age: 13 | Performer Age: 14+ | 2 Shooting Days 

Smart, kind, and confident. A grounding presence. 

HOLLY

Plays Age: 17 | Performer Age: 16+ | 1 Shooting Days 

Lily’s older sister. Loves her sister a lot but perhaps enjoys the company of her mates a bit more.

TEACHER 

Plays Age: 25-45 | 1 Shooting Day (24 July) 

Exhausted but caring, trying to hold it together during the last lesson of the school year. Yearns for a holiday and a pint. 

DAD 

Plays Age: Late 30s | 1 Shooting Day 

Leon’s father. Still grieving his own dad. Emotionally strained and financially stressed but loves his son deeply. 

NANNA 

Plays Age: Mid-60s | 1 Shooting Day (26th July) 

A widow struggling to find meaning after the loss of her husband. Witty, loving, and deeply layered. 

STEVE 

Plays Age: 30s-50s | 1 Shooting Day 

A friendly man buying Leon's Grandad’s car. Minor but key role. 

Audition Details 

Date: Saturday 21st June 2025, 9am-1pm 

Location: The Peake Room, St Denys Church Hall, Church Lane, Sleaford 

Format: Read 1-2 pages of script, followed by an informal chat about the film and the characters. 

No experience necessary! 

How to Apply 

Email polarfilm@mazeboundfilms.com with: 

1. Your Name 

2. Role(s) you're interested in 

3. Preferred audition time 

4. A short intro to yourself (no CVs needed!) 

We’ll reply with a time slot and the relevant pages of script we’d like you to read from. If you’d like to read the whole script you’re more than welcome to, especially parents who would like a sense of the content. 

Safeguarding & Young Performers 

All communications about auditions for under 16s must be made through a parent/carer. 

Performers under 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult. This can either be a parent or carer, or another adult can be named in prior emails as to who the child will be accompanied by. The responsible adult is more than welcome to sit in on the audition if preferred. 

Auditions will be recorded for reference only and will not be shared publicly. We will require clear permission from a parent carer to film these. 

It’s worth noting to parents that, during shooting, child actors must be always accompanied by a chaperone or parent. We are arranging licensed chaperones to cover the shoot but may ask parents to assist with this. 

Final Notes 

Help us bring Polar to life! Whether you’ve acted before or want to try something new, we’d love to hear from you. This is a great chance to join a meaningful and high-quality community film project.