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Jaylan – Playing the role of Asha 
Bernard – Playing Chris (Asha’s dad) 
Izzie – Playing Luna (Asha’s sister) 
Mia – Playing Mia (Asha’s closest friend) 
James – Playing the part of David (Asha’s employment advisor) 
Pasquale – Playing the role of Daniele (working in HR) 
James – The driving force behind the film. 
Lewis – The man behind the camera 
The production company making the film 
Jaylan – Playing the role of Asha 
Bernard – Playing Chris (Asha’s dad) 
Izzie – Playing the role of Luna (Asha’s sister) 
Mia – Playing Mia (Asha’s closest friend) 
Yasar – Playing the voice of Karim from HR 
Pasquale – Playing the role of Daniele (working in HR) 
Vanessa – Playing the voice of Kate (from HR) 
James – Playing the part of David (Asha’s employment advisor) 
Jeff – Founder and CEO of Boredom Boy Productions.
Expand the list, below, to see information and background details of the cast and crew
Jaylan – Playing ‘Asha’
A screen actress who has received a Silver Arts Award with BFI (British Film Institute) and a first class degree in ‘Acting and Performance’.
Training at the London-based school led Jaylan to lead roles in the university’s end of year stage productions: ‘The Ferryman’ and ‘The Lovely Bones’.
Additional training includes multiple online screen acting courses: ‘Brian Timoney’s Acting’ and ‘Actors Gym’ – frequently hosted by ‘Sex Education’ actor Asa Butterfield.
Since graduating, Jaylan has gone on to complete a diverse range of short films – booking four lead roles this year alone and is in pre-production for an upcoming feature film.
As a post-graduate student moving back home, she understands the huge significance in sharing an unfortunately relatable experience of the ever-present unemployment crisis.
Izzie – Playing Luna (Asha’s older sister)
Izzie is an actor, presenter and producer from Bradford with 20 years performing experience.
She works regularly in screen, theatre, radio, events and medical role play. She loves what she does and relishes the opportunity to connect people through art.
Bernard – Playing Chris (Asha’s dad)
Bernard is a retired Drama teacher and taught in secondary schools for 28 years.
He has acted in a range of Theatre productions including Edward Bonds ‘Crime of the 21st Century’ at the Dancehouse Theatre Manchester.
He has also performed in a number of student films and a BBC short film entry.
One of his most recent works was a film project for the Manchester 48 Hr Film challenge – ‘Ruff and Ready’, which was voted Best Film and was screened at the Raindance Film Festival in London.
James – Playing David (the employment advisor)
James is an Actor and Entertainer originally from Southampton.
His screen work includes Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Funny Woman, Gandhi Before India, Cloner, Midnight Crisis, The Lonely Farmer, The Door In The Wall and many commercials the most recent including Skoda’s Curtain Twitcher, One Family’s Gold Man and John The Master Brewer in the record breaking Longest Advert Ever for Fentimans.
His Theatre credits include To Kill A Mockingbird (Uk tour and West End) Journeys End (MESH Theatre), Moonfleet (Angel Exit), Demon Dentist (UK tour and West End) Treasure Island, Around The World In 80 Days, Three Musketeers, Wind In the Willows (Box Tree) Thomas and Friends (Ministry Of Fun) Cbeebies Live (BBC) and several pantomimes such as: Cinderella (Lichfield Garrick) Aladdin (Marlowe Canterbury) and Peter Pan (Ashcroft Croydon).
He is an associate of the Magic Circle with silver star and lives in Warwickshire with his wife Justine and his two children.
Pasquale – Playing Daniele (head of HR)
Pasquale is an Italian actor, writer and director. His way of approaching acting has been shaped by his vision and practice of Zen Buddhism.
He gained international recognition for his role in the third season of the acclaimed TV series Gomorrah (Sky Atlantic). This success led to him being cast in other international productions such as Hotel Portofino (PBS), Industry (BBC-HBO), and Ripley (Netflix).
Mia – Playing Mia (Asha’s best friend)
Mia is new to acting but has a strong sense of purpose when it comes to telling a story visually.
Yasar – VO Actor – Playing Karim (Human Resources expert)
Yasar is an international keynote speaker, leadership coach and creator who helps people and organisations win at work and in life. His content reaches over 1.6 million followers with more than 700 million views across platforms.
Over two decades he led talent and people functions at HelloFresh (Global VP, Talent & People), Zalando and Wipro. He is the founder of OVD Labs, Ahmad & Partners, The Talent Community and 1000 Billion, working with brands worldwide.
A trusted voice on leadership, workplace culture and personal growth, Yasar has been featured by The New York Times, HR Magazine, The Mirror and many morex Based in the UK, he speaks globally on building stronger teams and leading with confidence.
Vanessa – VO Actor – Playing Kate (from HR)
We are very lucky to have secured the services of a number of actors who are strongly vested in telling the story of Asha.
One of our VoiceOver actors, Vanessa, when asked why she was interested in playing her role, said that her first ever job was at the Department of Work and Pensions, collating data on the people now referred to as NEETs. What a coincidence – You couldn’t make it up!
James Ballard – The driving force behind the film
James is the co-founder and managing partner of Annapurna Recruitment, with over 25 years experience in the recruitment market.
James is also the founder of ERUPT (previously The Business Transformation Network, The BTN), an international thought leadership platform for content and events, generated by a community of 100,000+ members.
Aside from his work at Annapurna, James is a cricket coach for children and a champion for equity in the workplace. His social conscience was what initially drew him to Asha’s story. As someone who really understands the impact unemployment can have on young people, James is now the driving force beind the making of 12 Stages of Unemployment.
Jeff – The producer
Jeff founded Boredom Boy Productions in 2025, after spending 3 years performing as a support actor. He believes that every project is unique and deserves a tailored approach.
Jeff helps run his local community Film Group and has been interested in film since his teen years.
Having a career in IT training, speanning more than three decades teaching around the world, he knows how to engage an audience.
Lewis – Camera
Lewis is a Director of Photography known for a meticulous approach to image-making and an uncompromising attention to detail. His work spans numerous productions, from feature films to documentaries, with each project driven by a desire to create images that feel considered, atmospheric and alive.
Beginning his career in his early teens, Lewis learned the craft from the ground up, assisting experienced camera professionals with backgrounds at the BBC and NBC. He favours complete control of the environment in which he works, carefully shaping light, texture and composition to serve the story.
Drawn to older, characterful lenses, Lewis embraces the imperfections and unique qualities of vintage optics, using them to bring depth, texture and a distinctive sense of atmosphere to every frame.
In his spare time, he can often be found experimenting with new camera techniques or revisiting the films of David Lynch with a glass of Bordeaux.
12 Stages of Unemployment - A short film 