Is it professional to have a family member(s) in your film?

[HeyAndy]

Is it unprofessional to have a family member or members of your family (parents, etc) act in your film if you intend to submit it to a film festival?

For my case I've just come up with an idea for a short film but only have a few days to film it. So asked my dad to act.

[Jason Ramsey]

not if they are good

[CallaghanFilms]

On the other hand;
Just because you love 'em doesn't mean the camera will...

[j1clark@ucsd.edu]

Is it unprofessional to have a family member or members of your family (parents, etc) act in your film if you intend to submit it to a film festival?

Quite a few big time directors have their spouses, children, third cousin who just won't go away... in their movies. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't... Sophia Coppola 'worked' well in the "Godfather"(1972), when she 'played' an infant... didn't work out so well in "Godfather III'(1990) as a major character (what did 'work' in that film...).

I just watched "Blow Out"(1981) and the lead female role was played by Nancy Allen, then married to director Brian de Palma. She had gotten a Goldgen Globe nomination for her role in another de Palma film, "Dressed To Kill"(1980), but to me her performance in "Blow Out" was not particularly good... could have been the script mostly, as the roles was that of a 'blonde ditz'...

More recently Will Smith, although not the director, has had his son, Jaden Smith in the son's role of "The Pursuit of Happiness"(2006).

[Barry_Green]

And Ron Howard always finds a role for his brother Clint Howard in pretty much anything he does.

Difference is, though, all of them are actors. If your dad's an actor, then sure, cast him. If he's not an actor -- well, yeah, you pretty much know how that's gonna turn out.

[CallaghanFilms]

Right-o. Clint Howard cut his teeth on Gentle Ben...only problem is it looks like Gentle Ben did the cuttin'

[Barry_Green]

Right-o. Clint Howard cut his teeth on Gentle Ben...only problem is it looks like Gentle Ben did the cuttin'

Gentle Ben? That was way into his career. He was slingin' Tranya three years before Gentle Ben...

[HeyAndy]

And Ron Howard always finds a role for his brother Clint Howard in pretty much anything he does.

Difference is, though, all of them are actors. If your dad's an actor, then sure, cast him. If he's not an actor -- well, yeah, you pretty much know how that's gonna turn out.

The character my dad played is supposed to be an unhappy and miserable widower. He kind of cracked the role even though he was just being himself.

[CallaghanFilms]

Gentle Ben? That was way into his career. He was slingin' Tranya three years before Gentle Ben...

[Barry_Green]

The character my dad played is supposed to be an unhappy and miserable widower. He kind of cracked the role even though he was just being himself.

Well that's the other way to go. Non-actors can work out very well, as long as they're not trying to act. If your dad's persona fit the role, and he just "was" himself on screen, then that can work out great.