Heidi K. Eklund, Csa
Casting Director/Owner
Heidi K. Eklund Casting
&
Hudson Valley Casting, LLC
Heidi K. Eklund Casting
&
Hudson Valley Casting, LLC
Heidi K. Eklund began her career on stage, mostly in Shakespeare, in her younger years. While living in NYC she acted in countless Off Broadway and regional theaters and primarily as an ensemble member of the Irondale Ensemble Theater along with a handful of fun TV and film projects. After making the decision to explore something more besides acting, she briefly explored script coordinating in Hollywood.
Eventually, after many adventures (like skydiving and traveling) Heidi found her way to a unique position at Vassar College. She expanded her casting role from her assistant position when she saw a need to connect students with professional actors in the Hudson Valley Community. In her 14 years there she cast over 40 short films which included many SAG-AFTRA actors.
Heidi is now the owner of Hudson Valley Casting and has served as the casting director for various types of projects including film, commercials, promos, voiceover and more. Heidi still loves acting and will return to it when she is old and gray. "I always knew my acting career would blossom when I was past the age of 60."
Heidi is so grateful to have cast numerous projects side by side with Amy Hutchings Casting.
Casting credits include:
The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Hans Canosa starring Kunal Nayyar
Lost on a Mountain in Maine by Andrew Knightlinger starring Caitlin FitzGerald
The Fledgeling by Joe Geitl with Juliet Landau and Anastasia Veronica Lee
The Green Veil (Limited Series) by Aaram Rappoport with John Leguizamo and Hani Furstenburg
Confession by Dayna Hansen with Sarah Hay and Clark Backo
As Sick As They Made Us, by Mayim Bialik with Dustin Hoffman and Dianna Agron
The Hating Game, by Peter Hutchings starring Lucy Hale
A Deadly Legend, by Eric Wolf starring Judd Hirsh, Corbin Bernsen, Lori Petty
Paint, by Britt McAdams starring Owen Wilson
Linoleum by Colin West starring Jim Gaffigan and Rhea Seahorn
Shoplifters of the World (a movie featuring the music of THE SMITHS) Starring Helena Howard and Ellar Coltrane
SKIN directed by Guy Nattive starring Jamie Bell
Driveways by Andrew Ahn starring Brian Dennehy and Hong Chau
Last Christmas Home (*was Last Vermont Christmas) by David Jackson for Hallmark
Then Came You by Peter Hutchings with Maisie Williams and Asa Butterfield
Furlough with Melissa Leo and Whoopi Goldberg
Fabled with Zosia Mamet
BURN: The Bitch The Thief, The Psycho with Josh Hutchinson, Suki Waterhouse, and Tilda Cobham-Herve
Already Gone with Sean William Scott and Shiloh Fernandez
I Killed My BFF The Preacher's Daughter ...Do Unto Others for Lifetime
Unintended with Elizabeth Lail
Heidi also has cast commercials, promos and industrials for Singlecare, Hannaford, Angry Orchard, Peacock, Truist Bank, I ❤️ NY, Delta Airlines, NY State Media Office, Hallmark and more.
Sunny Edelman,
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JADA HART,
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Classically trained in acting, Sunny has directed and performed roles from Shakespeare to Disney, working in regional, Off Broadway theaters, as well as in an Emmy winning television program and numerous Indie films.
Recently, Sunny played the part of the narrator in Discovery Investigations Emmy award winning drama, “A Crime to Remember.” She received a B.A. in Theatre Arts and Elementary Education from S.U.N.Y New Paltz and studied acting with Iza Itkin, Robert Castle, Bob Luke and Peter Sklar. Sunny also took classes at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Sunny has been teaching science for eighteen years at Twin Towers Middle School in Middletown, NY and has directed many school drama productions. She enjoys working with local Indie film makers and has served for a number of successful years as President of UPWIFT (Upstate Women in Film and Television). Sunny was also the events coordinator for the Hudson Valley International Film Festival and the Catskill International Film Festival. Sunny’s looking forward to working on the next Emmy awarded series or in any feature opposite Colin Firth. |
Jada Hart is an avid film & TV enthusiast and self-motivated worker from Queens, NY. Earning her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from The College of Saint Rose in 2022, Jada has a great passion for the production process, event planning, writing and even acting on occasion.
Throughout her time at Saint Rose, she has participated in many of the college’s media communications clubs as well as work on multiple local client-based video project. In her final year she served as head of distribution and PR with the college’s student-run Rose Record Label Group. In the realm of industry experience, Jada has worked as a media intern, marketing assistant, wardrobe coordinator, and Fellow/Program & Community Engagement Coordinator at Stockade Works all of which have taught her valuable skills and brought great connections. Now as a casting assistant with Hudson Valley Casting, she is excited to see the industry from a new lens and eager to creativity contribute to the dynamic world of film production. |
Emma Boyle, Intern
Emma Boyle began her internship with Hudson Valley Casting in August 2023, driven by her love of film and TV production.
Under the mentorship of Heidi Eklund, Emma has gained invaluable insights into the casting industry and the intricacies of pre-production. Emma finds great joy in her role as a casting intern and has been fortunate to witness a wide array of talent through self-tapes and live auditions. Ready to immerse herself further into the entertainment world, Emma is poised to graduate in Spring 2024 from SUNY New Paltz with a major in Interpersonal/Intercultural Communication Studies and a minor in Film and Video studies. She is excited to pursue a career as a casting or production assistant following graduation. Emma is an enthusiastic member of any team and looks forward to continuing to learn from and make meaningful connections with everyone she works with. |
Pau Bredl Marti, Intern
Pau Bredl-Marti is a current intern at Hudson Valley Casting. He graduating from SUNY New
Paltz in Spring 2024 with a major in Relational Communications and a minor in Film and Video Studies. He was born and raised in Manhattan and will return to NYC post-graduation. This is Pau’s first internship in the world of acting, film, and production. He is very interested and eager to be apart of this world, as he hopes to direct and film movies of his own. Some of his favorite directors are Agnes Varda, Alejandro Iñárritu, and Jean-Luc Godard. |