AUBURN — A production company shooting a horror movie in Western and Southern Maine this winter has an unusual casting request.

Acting hopefuls ages 40 to 80-plus, the more scraggly, the better.

“We definitely don’t want anybody who is polished,” said production manager Bethany Field. “These are folks who have been cut off for a long time and they don’t really have a sense of what’s hip or cool or even the fact that they should necessarily get haircuts.”

Gum Spirits Productions of Portland plans 62 shooting days between January and March in places including Auburn, Rumford, West Paris, Windham and Sanford.

Its feature-length film, “Anniversary,” is about Whatley, a once-prosperous mill town hit hard when industry left.

“The winter of ’78 was particularly difficult and they got cut off from the rest of the world,” Field said. “They had to make some tough decisions about their survival.”

A professor who visits the town for food and nutrition research doesn’t interview too many residents before figuring out something in Whatley is decidedly off.

The local casting call will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Great Falls Performing Arts Center ata 30 Academy St. in Auburn.

A second is planned from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Gum Spirits offices at 400 Commercial St. in Portland.

Winter is key to the script, which was written by director Jim Cole.

“A stark but beautiful backdrop is what we’re going for,” Field said.

Gum Spirits’ previous movies include the indie films “Sundowning” and “Three Priests.” “Anniversary” is its first horror film and the first being self-financed. The budget is less than $100,000. Field said the company plans to spend a year in editing before the movie’s release.

The four leads, including the professor and a photographer, have been cast. Field said they have 20 to 30 roles left to fill. The parts will take a one- to three-day commitment.

People will be asked to do read-throughs on camera from one of four scripts: male and female “nice” roles and male and female “Whatley” roles.

A bit more about the movie, from press materials:

“An abandoned mill houses a lunatic who whispers hints about the village elders. Pale creatures are glimpsed at night, howling in the snow. And as the Professor digs deeper he begins to suspect a dark secret, carefully hidden since 1978. They will risk their lives to learn the truth about the town of Whatley, and its origins, at a shocking celebration called … Anniversary.”

Skipped a shave and a few haircuts? They’ll be waiting Saturday.

kskelton@sunjournal.com

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