Support My Paranormal Short Film, 'The Odd Jobs'
Glasgow, Glasgow City, United Kingdom
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Aim
Raising funds for 'The Odd Jobs', a short film about the jobs actors do in between acting gigs, with a touch of paranormal.
The Odd Jobs
The Odd Jobs is a proof-of-concept short film for a TV series about the jobs actors do in between acting gigs, with a sprinkle of paranormal.
It follows the story of Jai Byrd, a 40-something struggling actor who is realising that there's something not quite right with the world.
His agent works hard to get him auditions for high profile jobs, but his heart isn't in it. He's tired of pretending to be other people while the world falls apart around him.
We join him as he's auditioning for a movie job, only to fail again. Confessing is career frustrations to his agent, Barb Weir, he ends up being hired by her to do an odd job, but there's more to the job than meets the eye.
Along the way we'll meet other characters in Jai's world, such as Charlie Pegg his odd job chaperone, and Vik Ram his career nemesis who just seems to nail all the auditions.
About Me
I'm Kal Sabir, actor, writer and director. On Netflix I can be seen as DCI Logan Bruce in Dept Q, Scott Frank's hugely popular crime series based on the books by Jussi Adler-Olsen.
Since my return to the acting industry in 2015, it's been quite a journey to rebuild my career. I had moved to London, again, to pursue the dream only to find the same pigeon holes.
Out of frustration, I started writing in 2019 just before the pandemic hit the proverbial fan.
My Calling Card
Kinaara (Edge) was my first short film commission as writer/director. It was produced by the National Theatre of Scotland in 2024, and gives a snapshot of the challenges of dementia care in the South Asian community.
It was an official selection at:
- Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival 2025
- Care For Me Film Festival 2025
- South Asian Film Festival of Montreal 2026
- Muslim International Film Festival (Toronto) 2026
- West Lothian Film Festival 2026 | Finalist in multiple categories
It was also screened at the Glasgow Film Theatre on August 11th 2026 as part of South Asian Heritage Month.
Watch the trailer for Kinaara below.
New Talent Mentorship
Using Kinaara as a calling card, I was lucky enough to be one of eight emerging filmmakers chosen for the Glasgow Film Festival New Talent Mentorship Scheme 2025-26.
Mentored over six monthly sessions by Sam Lavender of Java Road, I chose to research and explore a feature film idea about the Indian contingent of the British Army during WWII. I fell into this project after discovering an Instagram photo of two Indian soldiers standing with rifles outside a tent in Aviemore, Scotland, in 1940.
The feature film idea is in development along with three other projects in the pipeline.
Moving Forward
Over the next five years, I aim to make the transition from shorts to feature films and share untold stories from a more diverse perspective.
The first step is to produce an idea that kick-started my writing journey way back in the Big Smoke.
My Vision
The paranormal aspect of The Odd Jobs is very much influenced by The X-Files, the hugely popular TV series of the 1990s in which FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully investigate cases of supernatural and extraterrestrial phenomena.
I'll be introducing a touch of humour by finding a healthy balance between the comedy of Ghostbusters and the darker tones of Withnail & I.
The Why
I started developing the idea back in 2019 when I was still living in London and rebuilding my acting career. After four years in the Big Smoke I had become frustrated with getting stereotypical bit parts.
Like most actors I supplemented my acting gigs with various dayjobs, including theatre usher, printshop assistant, and handyman, to list a few. Just before the pandemic hit, I had become complacent working as a front of house manager and started to loathe the industry. At one point I joined the Army Reserves to get away from other actors.
Then the pandemic hit, the idea was shelved and I returned to Scotland.
The Cast
Our cast have a combined experience in film, television and theatre spanning decades. Vivien Taylor, Sani Mamood, and Sylas Shaw have all worked in short films I've produced, written and/or directed, which means there's a mutual understanding in our collaborative process.
You'll also notice a certain Kal Sabir in the cast list. I'm not a stranger to writing, directing and also acting in a project, in fact that's exactly what I did for my supernatural break-up film, A Coincidental Engagement, which helped me secure my first short film commission with the National Theatre of Scotland.
Vivien Taylor as Barb Weir
Talent agent Barb Weir will be played by award-winning actress, Vivien Taylor, who has over twenty years of professional film, television, theatre, and voiceover experience. Her screen career spans an eclectic range of characters and genres: As the Nazi Zombie Matron in Outpost:Black Sun, her appearance as Leila in Annika, and her voice work on CBBC’s BAFTA‑winning OOglies Funsize, where she brought many of the female characters to life. She also starred as Lavinia Whateley in H.P. Lovecraft’s The Dunwich Horror — the “world’s first audio movie” — which won Best of the Fest at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Her voice acting extends into video games, including roles such as Orla in Wargroove: Double Trouble and El in the newly released It Takes a War. On television, she recently appeared as the chilling Ancient Margery in CBBC’s Gifted, now available on BBC iPlayer.
In 2022, Vivien earned two Best Actress Awards for her performance as Evelyn in the psychological horror short Tealight. She also played Maisie, the precocious younger sister, in the multi‑award‑winning Censure, starring Tom Conti. Vivien later reunited with the same creative team for the acclaimed short Confines, and she is leading their upcoming psychological horror feature Bambola, currently in production.
Alongside her screen work, Vivien is an accomplished theatre performer, a seasoned voiceover artist, and a radio presenter. She hosts her own Saturday morning show, Vivien’s Vault, on Radio One Mallorca.
Sani Mamood as Vik Ram
Vik Ram will be embodied by Sani Mamood, who is a Scottish actor of mixed South Asian heritage and was the lead actor in my short film Kinaara. Known for playing series-regular ‘Struthers’ Magnusson in Irvine Welsh’s Crime (ITV) and ‘Naz’ Mallick in Granite Harbour (BBC), plus a guest appearance in season 1 of Dept Q.
“As a South Asian artist, I crave working on stories that illuminate the lived South Asian experience. Growing up, it was rare to see people like me, telling the stories that showcased and connected us to the world — our success, our struggles, our wins and our losses."
Sylas Shaw as Charlie Pegg
Actor and stand-up comedian Sylas Shaw will be playing Jai's chaperone, Charlie Pegg. Born and raised in Transylvania, Romania, Sylas moved to the United Kingdom at the age of 19 to pursue a career in acting. After completing his formal training in December 2017, he has been active on stage and screen since 2019. His diverse interests include drama, comedy, action, and horror, both in theatre, film and TV.
Notable works include White Dreams and collaborations with notable actors such as Bill Paterson, Mark Bonnar, Fiona Shaw, Tchèky Karyo, and Bernadett Ostorhàzi.
Sylas is also a stand-up comedian and has created content such as weekly interviews with immigrant artists, a weekly vlog, and short and long form sketches on YouTube.
In 2026 he performed in a global theatre tour spanning three continents of Jekyll and Hyde by TNT Theatre productions.
Kal Sabir as Jai Byrd
Finally, I'll be playing Jai Byrd. As mentioned in the introduction, I returned to the industry in 2015 and have been rebuilding my acting career through film, television and theatre.
My most recognisable role is as DCI Logan Bruce in Dept Q. Before that I've had fleeting appearances in high-end projects such as Half Man, Slow Horses, Gran Turismo, Mary Queen of Scots, and Armchair Detectives.
On stage, my recent work has been Kenmure Street, a play about the events of May 13 2021 in Glasgow when an entire community came out to oppose a dawn immigration raid. The play received four star reviews in The Scotsman and The Herald ("Sabir does a mean impression of lawyer Aamer Anwar").
The Production Team
Behind the camera I'll be working with some familiar faces, crew members I've worked with on projects as a producer and/or writer/director.
For this reason, there's a mutual understanding in terms of communication, working methodology, and also just having a fun experience.
The Costs
The bulk of the costs will be for cast and crew fees, food/drink expenses, costumes, set and supplies. We've managed to secure some in-kind support for locations and equipment.
Including contingencies and crowdfunding fees, the project will cost £4000.
Risk Reduction
- Most of the film, apart from once scene, can be filmed in and around one key location, which saves time and cost
- Filming is aimed for January 2027 which is a fairly quiet period for cast, crew and venues. We'll be filming over three consecutive weekends
- Weather in Glasgow can be a challenge. Our outdoor scenes are few, but we have the option of three weekends to film them on a good day
- As much as possible, we'll be making use of props, costumes, and set dressings that are freely available to us
Future of the Film
Unlike my previous film, Kinaara, I will not be submitting The Odd Jobs to festivals as it's intended as a proof-of-concept for a TV series.
Once it has had a private screening for cast and crew, I plan to share it with stakeholders and production executives to build interest.
Alongside that I will seek to launch it on limited digital channels to build interest and viewings.
All this means I don't have to include festival submission costs in the fundraising campaign, and the film gets seen sooner rather than later.
Ways You Can Help
Ideally, I'd like you to support my campaign by opting for one of the enticing rewards, or making a donation of your choice using the 'Donate' button which can be found at the top right of the page.
However, I understand forking out your money for a short film may not be on your festive gift list.
Instead of monetary support, you can be a massive help by sharing a link to this crowdfunding page with your family, friends, and extended social circle. You can do that by selecting the 'Share' button, which sits next to 'Donate' at the top right.
Getting the word out there is half the battle. If you have a popular Instagram account I'd be happy to consider a collaboration in posting about the campaign.
Questions
Finally, if you've managed to read this far then congratulations! Thanks for sticking with it and sharing your time and interest.
If you're unsure about the next step, about whether or not to support the campaign, then I'd be happy to answer any questions.
Please feel free to get in touch.
Warm regards,
Kal Sabir
Actor | Writer | Director
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 15th December 2026 at 6:56am