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Monika Dalman Casting

@monikadalmancasting

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Monika Dalman, CDC.
Casting Director & Consulting Producer @typeehmedia @vfssaofficial

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I'm grateful to share I'll be a Guest at TIFF: The Market this September (in just a few weeks now!)

I'll be on stage with Elizabeth Dell, Susanna Karttunen, Christina G. Richardson, and Amber Dowling for the Summit Event: PERSPECTIVES The Global Rise of Microdramas: New Stories Captivating the World.

It feels very cool to be part of this inaugural event.

I love film and filmmakers, and it's been a joy to have cast, consulted on, and/or produced over 125+ verticals in the last 3 years since they came to North America.

There's PLENTY of live action 9:16 content coming your way in 2026 and beyond, and I'm excited to talk about it at such a prestigious event.

See you there?

#TIFF26 #TIFFTheMarket #TIFF by @monikadalmancasting

ACTORS: Here’s the easiest way to stay connected with us, find our breakdowns, get help with your materials, and jump into workshops or one-on-one consulting.

Our casting calls go through Breakdown Services (Actors Access) and Casting Workbook, but we also keep our own actor database that we use when we’re searching for specific roles and talent. If you want to be on our radar, make sure you’re signed up through the LinkTree in our bio!

We’ve also been building workshops and consulting options for actors who want more direct guidance, whether that’s help with positioning, materials, career questions, auditions, self tapes, or just figuring out your next step.

A few things we’re especially excited about right now:

• Our May 30th fundraiser workshop supporting Ashley’s son Chance in his fight against Cystic Fibrosis. Every dollar goes directly to the fundraiser and you’ll receive a tax receipt.

• Our Actor Fall Reset Workshop happening throughout August, which includes group sessions plus a one-on-one call focused entirely on you and your goals.

• Quick 30-minute consulting calls for actors who want direct feedback or advice without waiting months for answers.

If you have questions, please email our submissions team at:

submissionsmonikadalmancasting@gmail.com

because DMs can get buried very fast over here.

We love actors, and we love helping people build sustainable, successful careers. ❤️ by @monikadalmancasting

Welcome to @monikadalmancasting 🙏♥️!

My name is Monika and I've been casting narrative projects for just over 8 years, and commercial projects for longer.

I also recently brought on Tanya (Kelowna), Jennie (NYC), and Ashley (Toronto), and I'm teaching them everything I've learned so we can spread our wings and cast worldwide.

We are committed to finding the best talent for our clients while also making the industry safer for actors.

In case you are wondering what I've been up to, here is what I can share 👇

Past Production and Industry Partners:

BBC • Canada Council for the Arts • Cannes Film Festival • CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) • Crazy8s • Creative BC • DGC BC Greenlight • Game Theory • Ghetto Film School LA • Ghetto Film School London UK • Ghetto Film School NYC • Government of Canada • Harold Greenberg Fund • Historica Canada • Knowledge Network • Lionsgate • Marvel/Disney • Motion Picture Production Industry Association • National Film Board • NBC • OMNI • Telefilm • TELUS • TELUS StoryHIVE • TVO (TVOntario)

Projects and Scope of Work:

Animated Series • Canada Heritage Minutes • Cartoon TV Series • Commercials • Docudramas • Documentaries • Feature Films • Feature Pitches • Independent Short Films • Mini Series • Motion Capture • TV Pilots • TV Series • Movies for Television • Vertical Series • Video Games • Voice Over

Unions and Film Locations:

SAG-AFTRA, UBCP, ACTRA, and Non-Union contracts and in locations including Vancouver BC, Prince George BC, Victoria BC, Kelowna BC, Kamloops BC, Edmonton AB, Calgary AB, Montreal QC, Ottawa ON, Toronto ON, Atlanta GA, New York City NY, Los Angeles CA, London UK, Istanbul Turkey, Hawaii, and Alaska.

Where you can see verticals we have cast or consulted on:

JoyReels, PocketFM, ReelShort, DramaBox, FlexTV, ShortTV, SerialPlus, NetShort, Playlet, HiShort, GoodShort, TeleReels, DramaWave, DramaPops, ShotShort, YouTube Shorts, FlickReels, DramaReels, RapidTV, UniReel, SwipeDrama, GalateaTV App, galatea.com, YouTube, Dailymotion, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, ShortMax App, Vigloo App, DramaBox App, FlexTV App, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, IMDb, Tumblr, and more by @monikadalmancasting

Here's your reminder that Casting Directors are not Gods. We're just people who happen to work in casting.

We know some stuff about stuff. We don't know other stuff about other stuff. Some of us know a lot about certain stuff and absolutely nothing about completely different stuff.

We have experience, opinions, preferences, biases, and occasionally some spectacularly bad takes.

And yes, there's absolutely value in listening to people who have experience in this industry. But that doesn't mean everything a Casting Director says should be treated like divine wisdom.

Something one Casting Director swears by might be something another Casting Director couldn't care less about.

So listen to advice, consider the source, take what works for you, and feel free to leave the rest.

You don't need to agree with everything we say just because we have Casting Director in our job title.

Anyway, please don't eat paperclips.

And Kevin Bacon is a person. by @monikadalmancasting

People send me these stories all the time, usually with some version of "See! Never give up!" or "This is why you have to keep chasing your dreams!" And I know they're meant to be inspiring, but I actually find them incredibly sad.

When I read that an actor was sleeping on the subway, couldn't afford rent, or had $15 left in their bank account right before their big break, I don't think, "Wow, what an amazing success story!" I think about all the other actors who are in that exact same situation right now, except their big break might never come.

For every famous actor who gets to tell the story of how broke they were before they made it, how many thousands of equally talented actors went through the same thing and never got that lucky?

We love telling these stories backwards because we already know there's a happy ending. But when someone is actually living through it, there's nothing romantic or inspiring about not being able to pay your rent, buy groceries, or have somewhere safe to sleep.

And I really worry about how often we use these stories to normalize financial hardship as some sort of necessary part of becoming a successful actor.

You can be incredibly talented, work harder than everyone around you, do absolutely everything right, and still never have that one life-changing opportunity.

I want actors to have careers they love, but I also want them to have homes, food, financial stability, and lives outside of acting. And I don't think we should be encouraging people to sacrifice all of those things for the possibility that someday they'll become the next Chris Hemsworth.

I know people share these stories with the best intentions, but I really wish we'd stop treating surviving poverty as proof that someone wanted success badly enough.

Being broke isn't a prerequisite for being a great actor. And becoming famous shouldn't be the thing that makes all that suffering worthwhile. by @monikadalmancasting

A bunch of people DM'd asking if it was satire or a joke they didn't understand ☠️😅.

Nope. It's real.

P.S. this is a video from Newfoundland. by @monikadalmancasting

VHS 2026 ✨ Thank you to our incredible filmmakers for the work that you do — it means everything. To our sponsors for supporting this production, we could not do it without you. Our fearless and insanely hard-working Team VHS, our wildly talented panelists, our wonderful volunteers, and community partners — and to every single person who came out to participate, enjoy the programming, take in a panel, perform in a reading, hit the red carpet and take it all in. It truly takes a village and we are so grateful to have SUCH an awesome village.

And of course — @dave_taylor_space_nurse is the person holding it all together with a smile on his face and a broom to sweep up the popcorn in his hands. Such a brilliant leader and beautiful person.

That closes out year nine of @vancouverhorrorshow ✨ Next year, it will be a decade 😱 see you there! ✨📼🍿

📸 @odearrr ✨❤️
📸@jessiefraserstudio ✨❤️ by @monikadalmancasting

A little public service announcement for all my friends, agents, producers, and colleagues in LA (and Toronto!).

Starting November 1, 2026, BC is no longer changing our clocks. We're staying on UTC−7 permanently.

That means for roughly four and a half months every winter, Vancouver will be one hour ahead of Los Angeles and only two hours behind Toronto.

LA and Vancouver will be back on the same time when the U.S. springs forward on March 14, 2027.

Please keep this in mind when scheduling meetings, calls, auditions, and anything else involving those of us up here in Vancouver! by @monikadalmancasting

I've come to the realization that a LOT of the advice we give actors on a daily basis would be absolutely TERRIBLE advice to give someone about their dating life.

The funny thing is, most of this is actually really good advice when it comes to navigating the acting industry. Take the exact same advice and apply it to your romantic relationships, though, and suddenly we're just encouraging everyone to accept some pretty spectacular red flags.

So, actors, please continue to take our casting advice. But maybe don't apply all of it to your relationships.

What's the funniest piece of acting advice you've ever received that would be absolutely horrifying to hear from a dating coach? by @monikadalmancasting

Another festival, another lanyard to add to the collection!

As I get ready to head out to the St. John's International Women's Film Festival tomorrow, I've been thinking about how grateful I am to have had so many opportunities this year to participate in film festivals, industry events, and conversations about the future of our industry.

Whether I'm attending as a casting director, speaking on a panel, or meeting with filmmakers and other industry professionals, I never take for granted how lucky I am to be invited into these spaces.

There's something really special about being surrounded by people who care so much about storytelling and the people who bring those stories to life. I've learned so much, met some incredible people, and had conversations that have changed the way I think about our industry.

I'm especially grateful that the work I've been doing in the vertical space has opened up so many opportunities to share what I've learned and contribute to conversations about where film and television are headed.

Next stop, Newfoundland! Can't wait to see some familiar faces and meet a whole bunch of new ones.

🙏❤️ by @monikadalmancasting

It kind of sucks to be an actor.

I mean, when you actually stop and think about what we expect actors to put up with, it's kind of ridiculous.

You spend money to apply for jobs you probably won't get, you're constantly being judged on things you have absolutely no control over, and you can give the best audition of your life and still not book because you look too much like someone who's already been cast.

And unlike most jobs, you don't usually get a rejection letter. You just never hear anything again.

I'm saying this as a casting director who makes a living being part of this very strange process.

I think sometimes we spend so much time talking about how lucky actors are to get to pursue their passion that we forget how much they're expected to tolerate just to have a chance at doing it.

And I don't have some big inspirational message about perseverance or trusting the process. I just think it's worth acknowledging that this is a pretty tough and occasionally absurd way to try to make a living.

❤️🙏 by @monikadalmancasting

We are so grateful for the incredible actors we get to work with every day. For the time, energy, preparation, and heart you put into every audition, every self-tape, and every role. We know how much work goes on behind the scenes, often without recognition, and we want you to know that we see it and appreciate it. Thank you for trusting us with your work, sharing your talent, and continuing to show up with such dedication to your craft. We couldn't do what we do without you.

Thanks everyone! by @monikadalmancasting