Producer Russ Emanuel Partners with Clapit in NSW Open Call Auditions for Film “Lighter Than Air”

SYDNEY – Aug. 28, 2017: In conjunction with the production release of his next film, producer Russ Emanuel announced today a NSW open call for actors to submit auditions for one male and one female speaking role via Australian social media app Clapit. The film, “Lighter Than Air,” will be shot in Los Angeles in October.

To support the open call for his next film, “Lighter Than Air,” Russ Emanuel has partnered with the social media entertainment network Clapit, where emerging performance artists can be discovered via an innovative, community-driven audition process from their mobile devices.

To apply, entrants upload video auditions using the hashtag #russemanuel. The most clapped videos, ranked by the Clapit community, will be showcased on Clapit’s global “Best” chart. Emanuel will select the winners from the top five eligible submissions with the most claps at the end of the voting period – a democratic crowd-sourced voting system to give two actors their first big breaks.

“Clapit is an innovative new casting tool for film and it's an honor to work with their up-and-coming actors that have so much talent,” said Emanuel. “By teaming with Clapit, we are able to expand our search for the best of the best, and with such ease.”

To participate, actors must submit videos up to 20-seconds long showcasing their acting talent. Entrants download Clapit for free from the iTunes app store, shoot and upload their video, hashtag their entry #russemanuel and then spread the word by asking friends to download Clapit and vote for them. All entries are subject to eligibility requirements and the official contest rule. The open call wraps on September 17, 2017 at 11:59 P.M. EST.

“We love seeing young actors get the chance to land a film role and pursue their dreams! Helping aspiring stars get discovered is at the heart of what we do at Clapit. We’re thrilled to partner with "Lighter than Air" and to work with Russ, who has directed such great films,” said Clapit co-founder Paul Bedwell.

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Media Contact: Paul Bedwell, pj@clapit.com, 0405 225 110

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About Russ Emanuel:

Originally from San Francisco, Emanuel grew up in Japan and the United States, garnering an international viewpoint of the world throughout his childhood. After graduating from the University of Southern California with degrees in Cinema-Television, International Relations and Japanese, (and after gaining further production experience at the UCLA Extension Program), he founded Russem Productions in 2002 in order to promote his short films, which include "Her Knight" (2003), the award-winning "Girl With Gun" (2006), "The Assassin's Apprentice" (2017) starring Robert Picardo and Marina Sirtis, and the documentary "Restoration of Paradise" (2014). He also produced several shorts including "Mavet" (2004), the zombie-flick "The Diary" (2004), the vampire film "Perfect Red" (2006), as well as two popular web series - "Cult 11" (2010) and "The Meeting" (2013), for which he also directed two episodes each.

Emanuel’s latest feature film, "Occupants" (2015), was released by ITN Distribution in the fall of 2016. It was the winner of the "Best Sci-Fi Feature Film" Award at Shriekfest and an Official Selection at the San Diego Comicon. “Occupants” was highlighted in the Huffington Post, and it marked Emanuel’s fourth foray into feature filmmaking after having directed "P.J." (2007), starring actors John Heard, Vincent Pastore, Robert Picardo, Glynnis O’Connor, Halie Kate Eisenberg and Patricia Rae; "Chasing the Green" (2009), starring actors Ryan Hurst, William Devane, Jeremy London, Heather McComb, Robert Picardo, Dan Grimaldi, Michael Masini, Larry Pine and Patricia Rae, which was the winner of the Director's Choice Gold Award at the Park City Film Music; and "The Legends of Nethiah" (2012), starring Robert Picardo and Theresa Russell.  Emanuel recently finished directing an action thriller, “Wisper,” produced with award-winning writer-producer, Howard Nash, and featuring three actors from Clapit open call auditions.

About Clapit:

Clapit is a social entertainment network and talent discovery platform that partners with film, television, fashion and music for Open Call Audition Competitions.  Available for free on the iOS store, emerging artists can upload videos to broadcast their talent to the world. The best content is clapped by the Clapit community, and it climbs to Clapit’s Best chart where it can be seen and recognized by celebrities, producers, directors, casting agents and the global community.

For more information on Clapit and the open call rules and prizes, visit clapit.com. To enter the open call, download Clapit HERE today!