CASTING USC Thesis Film

Afterlife 

Casting By Kara Sullivan, CSA

SAG-AFTRA project

USC MFA Thesis Film

Director: Fiyin Gambo 

Writer: Ahmed Uthman 

Producers: Mikayah Lee and Dani Orlando 

Shoot Dates: 

November 1st & 2nd

November 8th & 9th

November 15th & 16th

November 22nd & 23rd

Pay: Copy, IMDB credit, and meals

Shoot Location: Los Angeles, CA area

Email headshot and resume to karasullivancasting@gmail.com if you are interested in auditioning 

Loglin: Set in The United States. Ahmed, a Nigerian engineering student studying in the US, prepares to commit a suicide attack after his best friend Hakim is abducted for suspicion of terrorist activity, descending from a devout muslim into a weapon. 

Director’s Statement: I was in high school when I first saw the breaking news of the “underwear bomber.” He was Nigerian, just like me. He looked like me, spoke like me, and yet he tried to take down a plane full of people. That moment shook me to my core and left me with a question I have carried for years: how does a boy become a weapon?

The more I learned about him, the more unsettling it became. He came from privilege. He was educated, exposed, and had every opportunity to choose another path. Yet, he chose violence. That contradiction haunted me.

As I grew older, I began to see the cracks around me. Friends quietly battling depression. Young men were uprooted from their homes in the North. Boys who were lonely, disenfranchised, and desperate for belonging were pulled into extremist groups that promised identity and purpose. I realized it wasn’t just about one boy. It was a pattern.

Afterlife is my attempt to wrestle with that pattern. It is not a film that seeks to justify or sensationalize violence, but a deeply personal investigation into the wounds that fester when empathy feels distant and connection is lost. Through the lens of one boy’s journey, the film confronts how systems and silences allow young people to fall through the cracks, and how extremism preys on that vulnerability.

At its core, Afterlife is about choice: the choices that define us, the ones denied to us, and the terrifying ones that ripple through the world when a boy searching for belonging is offered violence as the only answer.

Through this character-driven story, I hope to spark dialogue about resilience, identity, and the urgent need to see humanity in one another before it is too late.

Director’s Bio:

Fiyin Gambo is a writer and director whose work merges emotional intimacy with cinematic spectacle. His storytelling has been described as if Ryan Coogler and James Cameron had a baby, creating worlds that are both imaginative and deeply human. At the heart of his films are ordinary people placed in extraordinary circumstances, where personal choices carry extraordinary consequences.

Fiyin began his journey with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, a foundation that shaped his taste for worldbuilding and design. His vision is to build creative infrastructures that allow diverse stories to reach the screen and shape how future generations see themselves and their possibilities.

He has directed several of the most successful titles in contemporary cinema, including The Wait, which debuted at number one on Netflix within twenty-four hours, and The Blood Covenant, which reached number one on Prime Video. His Showmax original DIICHE won critical acclaim and solidified his reputation as a bold visual storyteller. These works earned him a nomination for Best Director at the 2023 AMVCAs and recognition as one of the Top Ten Highest-Grossing West African Directors of 2022. His films have been featured by the BBC and premiered at international festivals in Germany, the United Kingdom, and beyond.

Now pursuing his MFA at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Fiyin continues to explore new frontiers in storytelling. He directed CODE RED, a VR action comedy selected for development at Ganek Immersive Studio at USC, while also serving on the executive programming board for the African American Cinema Society. His experience spans directing features, interning on sets like Netflix’s Squid Game commercial, producing independent projects, and working across the full spectrum of filmmaking from script coverage and budgeting to design and festival strategy.

Shaped by a cross-continental life, Fiyin brings a global perspective to his work. His African experiences fuel his distinct creative voice, giving his stories an energy and perspective that stand out on the world stage. His films build worlds that feel expansive yet always remain rooted in human emotion.

For Fiyin, spectacle is only as powerful as the humanity at its center. His vision is to create stories that resonate across cultures, grounded in character yet bold enough to capture the imagination of audiences everywhere.

AHMED ABDULMUTTALAB

Male: 20–25: Black, Nigerian: LeadIntelligent, soft-spoken, and disciplined devout Muslim. Ahmed is a top engineering student in the US who lives a regimented and pious life. His world spirals when his best friend Hakim is abducted by counterterrorism agents, leaving him disillusioned and vulnerable to extremist recruiters. Ahmed struggles with guilt, anger, and belonging, ultimately questioning his faith and choices. ROLE REQUIRES THAT HAS OR CAN DO A NIGERIAN ACCENT, PLUS WILLING TO LEARN SOME NIGERIAN PHRASES. 

Hausa language ability (or willingness to learn key phrases) is a plus. BUT AGAIN THIS IS NOT A MUST AS THE DIRECTOR IS WILLING TO TEACH TALENT PHRASES IN EITHER LANGUAGE IF NEED BE.

HAKIM

Male: 18–22: Middle Eastern/North African (Tunisian/Arabic): SupportingCharismatic, playful, full of life, with dreams of becoming a professional footballer. His optimism and humor balance Ahmed’s seriousness. Wrongfully detained and later crippled, Hakim’s story becomes the catalyst for Ahmed’s descent into extremism. Despite his suffering, Hakim embodies resilience and hope

ROLE REQUIRES THAT HAS OR CAN DO EITHER AN ARABIC OR NIGERIAN ACCENT. Soccer/athletic ability is a plus but not required

AMIR: Male: 19–25: Middle Eastern/North African: Supporting a sharp, calculating teenager with a calm exterior that hides a manipulative streak. Amir is a recruiter-in-training, loyal to Bilal, and skilled at spotting weakness. He lures Ahmed deeper into radicalization by playing on his grief and guilt. A mix of charm and menace. ROLE REQUIRES TALENT THAT HAS OR CAN DO AN ARABIC ACCENT

Being fluent in Arabic or Nigerian, or Hausa is a plus but not required, as if you are a few phrases will be done in one of these languages.

BILAL/Al-nawar Male: 45–60: Middle Eastern/North African: Supporting charismatic and authoritative mosque leader who becomes Ahmed’s mentor and radicalizer. Outwardly warm and fatherly, but beneath the surface, Bilal is manipulative and ideological, justifying violence as defense of the faith. His speeches are impassioned and persuasive. ROLE REQUIRES TALENT THAT HAS OR CAN DO AN ARABIC ACCENT.  

Being fluent is a plus but not required, as if you are a few phrases will be done in Arabic if so

HAKIM’S MOTHER (VO ROLE)

Female: 40–50: Middle Eastern/North African: SupportingLoving, grieving, and deeply emotional. She blames Ahmed for Hakim’s disappearance, her voice notes are pivotal in pushing him toward guilt and extremism.ROLE REQUIRES TALENT THAT IS FLUENT IN ARABIC.