CAPE MAY – Grant Wilfley Casting is seeking locals to work as background extras in a feature film shooting in Cape May from May 12 to 16, for scenes taking place at a concert in 1965.

According to NJ.com, “A Complete Unknown,” starring Oscar-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet as legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, will be filming in Cape May for scenes depicting the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.

The 1965 festival was the first time Dylan played an electric guitar onstage, angering some fans over his switch from acoustic folk to rock-and-roll. That festival was also the first time he performed his song “Like a Rolling Stone” live, a song from which the upcoming movie gets its title.

“It’s all been pretty cool,” Cape May Mayor Zack Mullock said about interacting with the location scouts. He said that New Jersey is trying to make the state more attractive to the film industry, and he thinks Cape May is appealing on multiple levels.

“First, we don’t charge any fees,” he said, although any extra police coverage is paid for by the production company. “To have Cape May in any film, you just can’t pay for that type of publicity.

“Another cool aspect is that Cape May has always been home to a mix of artists of all types, so to have a movie about a singer-songwriter, that just makes sense.”

Mullock said the location scouts didn’t really know Cape May, so they worked closely with the Greater Cape May Chamber of Commerce and Kacie Rattigan, director of Convention Hall and Recreation Activities, to select about a half-dozen sites they plan to shoot at for the film.

“We have a section with 1950s-style homes, we have all the small businesses, the docks in Lower Township,” Mullock said. “I think the city has done a really good job preserving itself, and back in the 1970s when buildings were 90 or 100 years old, it was precious for us to preserve those buildings. It becomes more and more precious to preserve our city as Cape May ages. We have so many unique aspects to our city that I think there are so many opportunities for us in the future.”

According to the casting call, individuals need to be able to work inside and outside, have no allergies to wool, be OK with a period-appropriate haircut and facial hair, and are willing to work around smoke. Everyone in the cast will need to attend a paid costume-fitting in Jersey City prior to the shoot date. Transportation will be provided to/from Cape May to Jersey City for the fitting.

So did Mullock ask to be considered as an extra for the movie?

“I did not,” he said, laughing, leaving that opportunity to others who live locally.

Efforts to reach the casting company were unsuccessful.

To be considered for the casting call, email brothers@gwcnyc.com.

Contact the author, Karen Knight, at kknight@cmcherald.com.