SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS, MN!
PROJECT: Progeny
TYPE: Feature Film
GENRE: Sci-Fi Thriller / Body Horror
CO-WRITER-DIRECTOR: Justin Daering
CASTING DIRECTOR: Damian Bao
SHOOTING BETWEEN: August 25-September 26, 2025
SHOOT LOCATION: Minneapolis, MN Metro Area
CONTRACT: SAG Low Budget Agreement (open to union and non-union talent)
TALENT RATES: $810/day or $2,812/week for principal roles; $128/day (8-hour day) for kids and $200/day (12-hour day) for adults for background roles
NEW DEADLINE TO SUBMIT: Monday August 18, 2025
LOGLINE:
In a world where aliens rule as society’s elite, a man violently implanted with his alien boss’s parasitic offspring must risk his life, sanity, and marriage to remove the growing creature before it takes control.
DAMIAN BAO CASTING is currently casting principal and background roles for Progeny, a sci-fi thriller / body horror feature film.
Filming will start around August 25, 2025 for 4-5 weeks in the Minneapolis, MN Metro Area. This is a paid casting opportunity open to actors and non-actors for all roles. Open to union and non-union talent. Talent does not have to have prior acting experience to apply. First time actors are welcome to apply!
ABOUT THE CO-WRITER/DIRECTOR: Justin Daering is a director and co-writer with a deep passion for science fiction filmmaking. He believes that science fiction has the unique ability to move and change us by encouraging empathy, curiosity, and wonder. He began directing at the age of 10, borrowing his friend’s parents’ video camera and transforming his basement into a mad scientist’s laboratory. His continued interest in film led him to The University of Wisconsin, where he earned a BA in Cinema Studies. In addition to directing his own films, Justin has worked as a director’s assistant and creative executive on projects including The Accountant, Jane Got a Gun, and the television series The Americans. He holds his MFA in Directing from the American Film Institute Conservatory.
THE WORLD: Saccovens live among us. They are our teachers, our doctors, and our lawyers—our politicians and our celebrities. An alien race whose emissary came to Earth over 200 years ago and saved humanity from imminent self-destruction. We repay the Saccovens by hosting. Adult Saccovens implant their fertilized egg sacs into men’s bodies. The sacs grow until they rupture, and a Saccoven baby is born. The host families raise the Saccoven children until their teen years, when they leave and return to the Saccoven homeland. Hosting is an honor, and only a select few humans are chosen to be implanted in a clinical, anesthetized process. Our story takes place in a rural Midwestern town, where an orbital elevator rises above the clouds, allowing the Saccovens easy access to off-world transportation. The elevator looms overhead—a spire that extends beyond the clouds, a constant reminder of their superiority.
THE STORY: Factory-worker TANNER KEITH and his wife EMILY KEITH are desperate to become hosts. After their latest rejection from Host Services, Tanner is invited by his Saccoven boss BENOIT WALTON on a hunting trip on his private land. Alone in the woods together, Walton suddenly throws Tanner to the ground, holds him down, and pierces his neck with a razor-sharp appendage, implanting a gestational sac.
Tanner is haunted by the memory of how he became a host. He tries to extract the parasite from his neck with a knife, and Emily finds him in a pool of blood on the bathroom floor. He decides to hide the truth from her, and he reluctantly joins the other host fathers at the altar to have his gestational sac blessed by their pastor.
Alone in his fear, he seeks out an underground network of extraction clinics, run by JOJO out of an old barn. In order to win Jojo’s trust, Tanner must sneak into the hospital and steal medical records from Emily’s hospital.
As Tanner goes under the knife for his illegal extraction, the underground clinic is raided by a SWAT team. Emily discovers Tanner’s life is in jeopardy and helps him extract the alien parasite from his neck—but Walton finds them at the factory. Tanner must decide if he wants to be reimplanted or commit himself and Emily to a life on the run.
PROOF OF CONCEPT SHORT FILM: A short film also titled Progeny was made in 2019 as a proof of concept. It screened at 60 festivals worldwide and won top prizes at Screamfest, Maniatic, and Filmquest. Since 2022, it is available to view on Alter and has over 1.5m views. Click here to watch before you audition.
OPEN PRINCIPAL ROLES (SPEAKING):
BELOW ARE PRINCIPAL ROLES (SPEAKING) CURRENTLY OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS.
PAYS $810/day (8-hour day) or $2,812/week for speaking roles
CLINT– Male. Any ethnicity. 30s. Tanner’s best friend and coworker at the factory. He has no desire to elevate his status, unlike Tanner. / SUPPORTING ROLE – OPEN TO TALENT WHO CAN WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MN LOCAL.
LUKE – Male. Any ethnicity. 30s. Beard and Tattooed human. Luke acts as the brawn to Jojo’s underground abortive program. (Stunt experience is a plus but not mandatory.) / SUPPORTING ROLE – OPEN TO TALENT WHO CAN WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MN LOCAL.
DARLENE – Female. Any ethnicity. 40s. Rough and tumble. A factory worker who sometimes fills in for Tanner. A rebel with a cause, though her employers don’t know that yet. Darlene is a key player in the rebellion, unafraid to take a stand and make a move. / SUPPORTING ROLE – OPEN TO TALENT WHO CAN WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MN LOCAL.
DARRYL – Male. Any ethnicity. 40s-50s. Supervisor of the factory. Darryl is the enforcer of Walton’s will and Tanner’s superior. A bigger guy, who sports a polo and khakis. He turns a blind eye to Walton’s power grabs. / SUPPORTING ROLE – OPEN TO TALENT WHO CAN WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MN LOCAL.
DR. ANDREWS – Male. Any ethnicity. 40-60. An effusive Saccoven (an elite alien species) doctor at the fertility clinic, Emily’s boss. Caring and attentive, yet unable to relate to the humans he treats. (Talent must not be allergic to latex and silicone. SFX MAKEUP REQUIRED. This character will have to wear practical makeup and prosthetics.) / SUPPORTING ROLE – OPEN TO TALENT WHO CAN WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MN LOCAL.
BEVERLY – Female. Any ethnicity. 50-60s. Emily’s mother. A well to do woman dedicated to keeping the status quo. She loves her family, but not more than she loves the Saccoven’s (elite alien species) regime and rules. / SUPPORTING ROLE – OPEN TO TALENT WHO CAN WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MN LOCAL.
FRANKLIN – Male. Any ethnicity. Late 50s-70s. Emily’s father. Respectable and slightly cold. He is proud of his son for carrying a Saccoven (elite alien species) progeny, and looks down upon his son-in-law Tanner for his factory job and lack of status. / SUPPORTING ROLE – OPEN TO TALENT WHO CAN WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MN LOCAL.
RALPH – Male. Any ethnicity. 15 years old. Saccoven (Alien). Darryl’s teenage Saccoven son. (Talent must not be allergic to latex and silicone. SFX MAKEUP REQUIRED. This character will have to wear practical makeup and prosthetics.) / DAY PLAYER ROLE – OPEN TO TALENT WHO CAN WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MN LOCAL.
FEMALE NEWSCASTER – Female. Any ethnicity. 20s. Human. A screen-ready human newscaster wearing shimmery-white makeup to match the aesthetics of her Saccoven (Alien) co-host. She is theatrical with exaggerated reactions. / DAY PLAYER ROLE – OPEN TO TALENT WHO CAN WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MN LOCAL.
DOCTOR BERMAN – Male. Any ethnicity. 20s-30s. Human. Loyal member of Jojo’s underground rebellion. The main “doctor” who performs abortive procedures for undesired progeny. / DAY PLAYER ROLE – OPEN TO TALENT WHO CAN WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MN LOCAL.
WILLOW – Female. Any ethnicity. 20-30s. Human. A loyal, tech-savvy member of Jojo’s underground rebellion. Stunt experience is a plus but not mandatory. / DAY PLAYER ROLE – OPEN TO TALENT WHO CAN WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MN LOCAL.
MRS. WETHERLY – Female. Any ethnicity. Age 20-30. Human. An optimistic, bubbly, and affectionate host-mother and wife to Mr. Wetherly. She’s pleased that Mr. Wetherly is now a newly-implanted host. They are middle class or above. / DAY PLAYER ROLE – OPEN TO TALENT WHO CAN WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MN LOCAL.
HOST FATHERS – Male. Any ethnicity. Age 20-40. Human host fathers with a visible sac on their neck. (Talent must not be allergic to latex and silicone. SFX MAKEUP REQUIRED. This character will have to wear practical makeup and prosthetics.) / DAY PLAYER ROLE – OPEN TO TALENT WHO CAN WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MN LOCAL.
SACCOVEN ATTENDING RESIDENT – Male. Any ethnicity. 30s. Saccoven (Alien). A stern attending resident on call when Tanner sneaks into the hospital. (Talent must not be allergic to latex and silicone. SFX MAKEUP REQUIRED. This character will have to wear practical makeup and prosthetics.) / DAY PLAYER ROLE – OPEN TO TALENT WHO CAN WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MN LOCAL.
NIGHT SHIFT NURSE – Female. Any ethnicity. 30s. Human. A no-nonsense night shift nurse who wants to please her superiors. / DAY PLAYER ROLE – OPEN TO TALENT WHO CAN WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MN LOCAL.
POLICE OFFICER 1 – Male. Any ethnicity. 30-40s. Human. Police Officer inspecting an explosion at Walton Industries factory. Observant and determined to find the cause of the explosion. / DAY PLAYER ROLE – OPEN TO TALENT WHO CAN WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MN LOCAL.
SACCOVEN NEWSCASTER – Male. Any ethnicity. 30s-40s. Saccoven (Alien). A polished, cheerful newscaster who delivers unsettling stories with a friendly detachment. (Talent must not be allergic to latex and silicone. SFX MAKEUP REQUIRED. This character will have to wear practical makeup and prosthetics.) / DAY PLAYER ROLE – OPEN TO TALENT WHO CAN WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MN LOCAL.
JOHNNY LATELY – Male. Any ethnicity. 30s-50s. Saccoven (Alien). Slick. Big-talking Saccoven talk show host. (Talent must not be allergic to latex and silicone. SFX MAKEUP REQUIRED. This character will have to wear practical makeup and prosthetics.) / DAY PLAYER ROLE – OPEN TO TALENT WHO CAN WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MN LOCAL.
PASTOR – Male. Any ethnicity. 40-50s. The pastor at Emily and Tanner’s church. He leads the congregation in prayer and anoints all the host fathers. He preaches the gospel of Saccoven (Alien) holiness and their sacrifice to save the human race. / DAY PLAYER ROLE – OPEN TO TALENT WHO CAN WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MN LOCAL.
WATERMELON SAC MAN – Male. Any ethnicity. 40-60. Human. A proud, longtime host father with a large, visible sac on his back, supported by a special harness. He advocates for “natural birth.” (Talent must not be allergic to latex and silicone. SFX MAKEUP REQUIRED. This character will have to wear practical makeup and prosthetics.) / DAY PLAYER ROLE – OPEN TO TALENT WHO CAN WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MN LOCAL.
HOST SERVICES OFFICIAL – Female. Any ethnicity. Age 50-70. Human. A frumpy and weathered government worker who examines cases at the Host services office. She is blunt and cuts to the chase with Tanner and Emily about their Host status. / DAY PLAYER ROLE – OPEN TO TALENT WHO CAN WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MN LOCAL.
DR.BARNES – Male. Any ethnicity. 60-80. Saccoven (Alien). Authoritative. Lead Surgical Doctor on Charles’ Sanfords case. (Talent must not be allergic to latex and silicone. SFX MAKEUP REQUIRED. This character will have to wear practical makeup and prosthetics.) / DAY PLAYER ROLE – OPEN TO TALENT WHO CAN WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MN LOCAL.
TO SUBMIT A TAPE FOR SPEAKING ROLES:
Step 1-IMMEDIATELY: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD SELF TAPE DIRECTIONS FOR THE OPEN SPEAKING PRINCIPAL ROLES BELOW. PLEASE SEE THE SPECIFIC DESCRIPTIONS FOR EACH ROLE TO MAKE SURE YOU FIT THE ROLE AND QUALIFY FOR THE LOCATION REQUIREMENT.
Step 2. FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS AND RECORD YOUR TAPES BEFORE DEADLINE. MAKE SURE TO RECORD IN A SMALL FILE SIZE. PLEASE NOTE THAT EACH FILE SHOULD BE LESS THAN 500MB IN SIZE TO BE ABLE TO UPLOAD FOR FREE.
Step 3-FINAL STEP. ONLY CLICK HERE TO GO TO WHERE YOU WILL NEED TO UPLOAD AND SUBMIT YOUR VIDEOS. THIS PAGE IS THE ONLY PLACE WHERE YOU CAN SUBMIT WITHOUT BEING CHARGED A FEE BY CAST IT. PLEASE SUBMIT ALL OF YOUR VIDEOS AT THE SAME TIME. Do not start on Step 3 until you have created all of your videos and are 100% ready to submit.
DAMIAN BAO CASTING HAS PAID THE CASTIT PLATFORM TO COLLECT AND STORE SELF TAPES SO THAT YOU CAN SUBMIT TO OUR OFFICE FOR FREE. YOU CAN UPLOAD FILES STRAIGHT FROM YOUR PHONE, TABLET, OR COMPUTER BY CLICKING ON THE LINK IN STEP 3. IT’S A VERY EASY SYSTEM. OUR OFFICE WILL BE NOTIFIED WHEN YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY UPLOADED YOUR MATERIALS.
STORAGE SPACE IS EXPENSIVE SO THE CASTIT PLATFORM MAY CHARGE YOU IF UPLOAD ANY FILE THAT IS OVER 500MB. PLEASE KEEP YOUR FILES BELOW THE SIZE LIMIT. DAMIAN BAO CASTING WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACTIONS OF TALENT WHO DO NOT FOLLOW DIRECTIONS.
IT IS 100% FREE TO SUBMIT YOUR AUDITION SELF TAPE. AUDITIONING COMES AT $0 COST TO TALENT AND AGENTS. PLEASE NOTIFY OUR OFFICE IMMEDIATELY IF ANYONE IS ASKING YOU FOR PAYMENT TO SUBMIT.
TO SUBMIT FOR EXTRAS / BACKGROUND ROLE:
(AGE 1-100. ALL GENDERS. ALL ETHNICITIES. NON-SPEAKING)
Pays $128/day (8-hour day) for kids and $200/day (12-hour day) for adults pending role.
CLICK HERE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE CONSIDERED AS AN EXTRA OR BACKGROUND TALENT (NON-SPEAKING). TALENT MUST BE BASED IN THE MINNEAPOLIS, MN METRO OR WILLING TO WORK AS A LOCAL HIRE. ALL TALENTS BASED IN THE MINNEAPOLIS, MN METRO CAN TAPE FOR ANY/ALL SPEAKING ROLES THAT THEY FIT OR CAN RELATE TO AND ALSO SUBMIT FOR BACKGROUND CONSIDERATION. =)
TO CONTACT US FOR HELP:
PLEASE READ AND EXPLORE THIS WEBPAGE FULLY AND CLICK ON THE LINKS ABOVE TO FIND YOUR ANSWERS BEFORE REACHING OUT TO OUR OFFICE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROJECT OR ROLE(S) OR TECH ISSUES THAT ARE NOT ANSWERED ON THIS PAGE, YOU CAN EMAIL OUR OFFICE AT “FILM@DAMIANBAO.ORG” AND INCLUDE “PROGENY” IN THE SUBJECT. PLEASE CONTACT CASTIT IF YOU NEED SUPPORT WITH THEIR PLATFORM TO SUBMIT FOR THE SPEAKING ROLES.
PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO THE HIGH VOLUME OF EMAILS THAT OUR OFFICE RECEIVES DAILY, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO REPLY TO YOUR EMAIL IMMEDIATELY. IF YOUR ANSWER IS ALREADY ON THIS PAGE, WE WILL UNLIKELY REPLY.
TO KEEP TRACK OF THE PROJECT’S STATUS AND LEARN ABOUT OTHER PROJECTS WE ARE CASTING, FEEL FREE TO FOLLOW OUR CASTING DIRECTOR @DAMIANBAO AND CASTING STUDIO @DAMIANBAOCASTING ON INSTAGRAM.