OPEN CASTING CALL
DONOVAN MUSIC PRODUCTIONS
Feature Film: Before The Fall (TBD)
There’s the story everyone tells, and then there’s the one that came before it.
Set two years before the events of Alice Across The Land, Before The Fall is a standalone feature-length film that dives deep into the quiet unraveling of a girl named Alice Asaka. This is not a continuation. It’s not a side note. It’s the beginning of everything.
On the surface, it’s about a girl in a small town. Homeschooled. Quiet. Watched. It’s about late nights she couldn’t explain and shadows that followed her long before the world ever saw them. But underneath, Before The Fall is a slow-burning storm; an exploration of isolation, emotional inheritance, and the ache of not being seen until it’s too late.
Alice’s world is quiet, but it’s not still. The people around her, some cruel, some kind, some too complicated to name, aren’t just background noise. They’re part of the tragedy. Part of the reason she becomes who she does. This film doesn’t just introduce characters you’ll see again in Alice Across The Land. It peels back the layers of people you thought you understood, and reveals the moments that shaped the lives to come.
Written and directed by the creator of Alice Across The Land, Donovan Combs, Before The Fall is the first installment in what is being called the “Before Era”—a body of work that traces the origin stories of four main interconnected girls*, Alice (Before The Fall), Evie (Before The Fuel), Justine (Before The Flames), and Jennifer (Before The Fire), before they ever stepped into the same room. But Before The Fall belongs to Alice alone. And her story isn’t here to comfort you. It’s here to haunt you.
The film and stands as a core entry in the Alice Across The Land universe, but no prior knowledge is needed. You can begin here and still fall just as hard.
*additionally, a B-Sides album with Alice's past boyfriend, Joseph Thompson, and an EP for Marcina Willson of Alice Across The Land, is in the works.
SEEKING TALENT FOR THE FOLLOWING ROLES:
[YOUNG ALICE] – Lead / Female / 8-10
Delicate. Observant. Haunted. Not your typical child—something about her feels ancient. Spends much of her time alone, hiding in corners of a too-quiet home. Must have strong emotional range and subtlety. Think grief before it has words.
[ALICE ASAKA] – Lead / Female / 15-17
Complex, ethereal, and deeply fractured. Alice speaks softly, but her presence is thunderous. She does not cry easily—but when she does, it floods the world. Must embody internalized pain, slow unraveling, and quiet fury. This is the role the entire universe hinges on.
[JOSEPH THOMPSON] – Lead / Male / 15-17
Gentle, grounded, emotionally intelligent. Loves Alice deeply, but doesn’t always understand her darkness. Loyal until the very end… until the end makes him question everything. Must be charismatic, soulful, and capable of intense chemistry.
[MOTHER ASAKA] – Supporting / Female / 30-45
Cold. Detached. Trapped in her own shame. Never cruel, but never present. The kind of silence that breaks a child in half.
[FATHER ASAKA] – Supporting / Male / 30-45
Bitter, angry, often absent. More shadows than substance. A man who resents his own life—and takes it out on his family in silence.
[TEACHER / SHOPKEEPER / NEIGHBORS] – Day Players / All Genders / 14-70
Small-town characters with a passing presence in Alice’s life. Often clueless to what’s brewing behind her quiet eyes.
NOTE:
Before The Fall is an independent, non-union film.
• All roles are unpaid, but meals, screen credit, and footage for reels will be provided (per request)
• This project is a labor of love—and we’re looking for performers who connect deeply with the story and want to help bring something emotionally powerful to life.
• Filming will take place in natural, rural environments—must be comfortable working in atmospheric, grounded settings.
“If you’ve ever felt invisible, this story sees you.
If you’ve ever been silent too long, this story screams for you.”
—Donovan