Discussion with Maureen Hughes
During the international lockdowns, international casting moved to “Zoom” platform and home recorded self-tapes. Which new standards are here in the casting industry to stay and which will dissapear as the hoax of the digital prison we all were jugged in? Lithuanian casting directors together with renown film, television and theatre casting director from Ireland Maureen Hughes will discuss the new industry standards and local and international career opportunities for Lithuanian actors. How to appear, affect and not dissapear not only from the local, but also international casting directors, searching for talent for prominent film projects, radar?
Maureen Hughes, film, television and theatre casting director from Ireland. Over the past twenty years, she has worked with screenwriters/directors Martin McDonagh, Sam Shepherd, Paolo Sorrentino, Jim Sheridan and John Carney. Worked as Susie Figgis’ assistant on “The Butcher Boy” (1997) directed by Neil Jordan, who was awarded by Silver Berlin Bear and the Oscar and BAFTA winning “The Full Monty” (1997). Then returned to Dublin to work on “The Boxer” (1997), nominated for Golden Berlin Bear at Berlin International Film Festival and Golden Globes.
For American television, she has cast “Dawn” for Hulu and “Nighflyers” for NBC Universal. In theatre – cast all of Martin McDonagh’s early work including “The Beauty Queen of Leenane” and most recently “Lieutenant of Inishmore” at The Gaiety Theatre with Paul Mescal. Currently in development casting on 2 features with Irish award-winning director, Pat Collins and “The Canadian”, a first feature by Petros Silvestros, a recent winner of the Silver Bear at the Berlinale.
Dalia Survilaite, casting director, working for Lithuanian and international film and television projects. Conducted casting for HBO’s miniseries “Chernobyl” (2019), “The Summer of Sangaile” (2015, dir. Alante Kavaite), awarded by directing prize in Sundance, “The Purple Mist” (2019, dir. Raimundas Banionis).
Donatas Simukauskas, head of “Actors Agency Lithuania”, casting director, actor. As a casting director worked with more than 40 Lithuanian and foreign films and television series, among them – “Moscow Noir” (2019), “Paveldėtoja” (2018), “Tokyo Trial” (2016), “Redirected” (2014), “Nuodėmės užkalbėjimas” (2007).
Egle Sparnaityte in 2015 graduated from film studies in London and returned to work in Lithuania. Six years was working as a freelance casting director. From 2021 works at the casting agency “Face Bar”.
Irma Puzauskaite graduated from LMU Film School in Los Angeles for her Master degree in Film & TV Production. She is an Alumni of the Incubator Lab at Film Independent (US) and EKRAN+ at Wajda School (Poland). In 2016, Irma established an educational group “Directors Lab”. Together with professional actors she started “Vilnius Actors Studio”. Irma is currently in post-production of her debut feature film “9th Step”. She is also a part of “LIM | Less is more” script development program with the script of her second planned feature “Sophia’s World”.
The event in English.
The event took place on November 14th.
In partnership with Directors Lab.