About 500 people from the Coast came to the New Beachcombers Christmas casting call in Gibsons Wednesday night.
At 6 p.m. the line of would-be stars stretched from the doors of the curling rink to the far edge of the pool building. Eleven-year-old Nathan Hemingway was first in line, sitting on a chair awaiting his chance to read lines for director Stuart Aikins.
"I've done some acting in class and I like it," said Hemingway. Aikins held the casting call specifically to find young talent to appear in a Christmas pageant scene in the movie.
"He found four or five kids he thought could be interesting, and he'll call them back for another reading," said producer Nick Orchard.
Melvin and Maureen Brown were sitting on stools they brought from home. They were in the over-30-year-old category of extras awaiting a shot at appearing in the film.
"We've done some amateur dramatic work in parts of the U.K., mostly comedy theatre, but we haven't done anything locally," said Maureen.
Other people at the casting call had not had acting training but wanted a shot at being seen by the camera.
"I've never acted before, but this seemed like something neat to do," said 33-year-old Deborah Smith.
Orchard said he was pleased with the number of people who came for the casting call and noted potential actors will be called back. Shooting will start on July 16 at a condominium in Gibsons and then at Gibsons Elementary School.
The basic plot of the movie shows Dave Thomas, who is now running Molly's Reach, trying to redeem himself in the community by co-ordinating an NHL old-timer's hockey game to raise money for needy families.
"Of course it doesn't go well and there are some problems along the way," said Orchard.
Because the movie is set in the winter, Orchard hopes for cloudy skies and occasional rain during the shoot.
"We might bring in a rain machine, but hopefully we won't have to," he said.
The film crew will be shooting in and around Gibsons from July 16 to Aug. 13.
