Although he is admittedly particular when selecting roles, Rory Culkin had no hesitation about signing on for Dear Shop Girl.

Writer-director Nira Burstein’s short narrative film premieres next month at the Woodstock Film Festival. Lorraine Farris and Fred Armisen also appear in the project that debuts its first footage in a clip exclusive to The Hollywood Reporter, which can be seen below.

“Obviously, the first thing I say when I walk into the store — about how he wants to find the outfit he’s going to wear when he takes his own life — was an interesting starting point,” Culkin tells THR. “And then actually, it was mostly the shopgirl’s reaction that I found really interesting and made me want to go in there and play with it. She’s just not judging, and she’s going to help me.”

Dear Shop Girl is a 15-minute film centering on a struggling vintage shop owner (Farris) tasked with helping a customer choose the outfit to wear when he dies by suicide. Jeff Spivack produces the short.

Armisen, who serves as executive producer, previously worked with Burstein on the 2021 documentary Charm Circle.

Culkin, who was a child when he starred opposite Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo in 2000’s Oscar-nominated movie You Can Count Me, admits that he can be particular when it comes to picking roles. His recent television credits include Under the Banner of Heaven, Swarm and Black Mirror, and he is aiming to direct a feature in the near future.

“I’ve always been pretty selective,” Culkin says of his projects. “Especially when I was a kid, I was saying no to everything. I made a strong choice when I was a child that, ‘I don’t want to be in kids’ movies. I want to be in movies that are made for adults.’ So I’ve always had that cynical asshole in me,” he says with a laugh. Culkin adds, “But with this, there was no reason to not do it.”