Public encouraged to participate in production of movie in Washington Terrace
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- Beverly’s Terrace Plaza Playhouse in Washington Terrace — pictured Monday, Aug. 11, 2025 — is set to be the primary filming location for the Community Film Project’s production of “Murder at the Lufferton Christmas Musical.”
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- The Community Film Project is holding auditions for its production of “Murder at the Lufferton Christmas Musical” through Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025.
WASHINGTON TERRACE — Ever wanted to have a credit in a feature-length film without the hassle of uprooting your life to go to Hollywood?
The Community Film Project has an opportunity for you.
In a press release Friday, the Community Film Project announced auditions for its upcoming production, “Murder at the Lufferton Christmas Musical,” set to be filmed at Beverly’s Terrace Plaza Playhouse.
Kara Jensen, head of content and music with the Community Film Project, told the Standard-Examiner the group melds two mediums of performance art.
“We are an initiative that’s put together with the idea in mind of taking the concept of community theater where people can just show up, audition and be a part of it … and we put that into film,” she said.
She added that it’s not just acting talent they seek out for productions.
“There’s so many other roles within the Community Film Project to fill,” she said. “You can be a writer. You can be an assitant writer. You can come on and do set building. You can be a part of the production crew, which in and of itself has a bunch of different roles. Or you can come on and be an actor if you want to — whether you’ve been on screen before and you’re a seasoned professional or not. The whole point is that we will teach as we go. We want to teach people about filmmaking through the process of actually making a feature film.”
The Community Film Project’s first production was 2017’s “Before Your Time” and involved 1,000 volunteers, according to the press release, which adds that the Community Film Project operates “on a deferred payment model, meaning cast and crew are compensated when the film generates revenue. This approach allows everyone involved — juggling jobs, families, and real life– to learn and contribute creatively without financial barriers.”
Next up is the making of “Murder at the Lufferton Christmas Musical.”
“It is a murder mystery that is set at Christmastime,” Jensen said. “It’s also a comedy and it’s a large ensemble cast. We have a number of different roles to fill, and we are currently taking auditions for those roles — this is actually the last week that we’re taking (them) — and those close on the 16th (of August), and then we will be having in-person call backs on the 23rd to get this casted and get our script out to everybody.”
She said they are looking for local talent both in acting and in production.
“I know somebody that said, ‘I’ve always wanted to see my name in film credits,'” she said. “Well, this is the time to do it, so he jumped on board and he’s helping with some of the design aspects. We want people local who want to learn what it’s like ot be on a film set and be on a film production crew, so we also have a space for them on our website to just apply to be on the production crew as well.”
Jensen said filming is likely to begin either at the end of September or early October and wrap up sometime in December.
She added, from personal experience, the productions that the Community Film Project undertakes allows her to pursue filmmaking in a realistic way.
“I have a degree in theater arts from Weber State University and I currently am a stay-at-home mom,” she said. “I taught theater for a little bit in schools, but now I’m a stay-at-home mom and this has been the coolest thing for me to be involved in my professional arena but still be able to live real life outside of that.”
Jensen said that’s one thing this production offers everyone.
“You get the real-world experience of making a professional film, but you don’t have to uproot your life to go dedicate your life to the process in Hollywood,” she said. “You can get that experience and you can understand what it’s like to be on a real film set, but with the understanding you can still live your life.”
She says the goal of the Community Film Project is to keep giving local talent this opportunity well into the future.
“We want to keep this going,” she said. “We would like it to grow and be Utah-based and always be able to pull talent from our local community and give that experience, no matter what.
For more information, including auditioning, visit https://communityfilmproject.com/auditions.
