Private Project

Jazz Hands & Other Survival Skills

When the arts are cut from the budget in Aglet, Ohio, and the school musical is cancelled mid-auditions, four pre-teens decide to take over directing twelve 8- to 10-year-olds in their own covert production. Despite some issues—a budget of $11.06, questionable talent, and a star who defects for Miss Fanny Bree's Starmaker School—the creative team pushes on, leading their quirky cast in songwriting exercises that improve dramatically from initial ditty attempts like "My Chicken Nuggets." Following Principal Slavchev's shocking admission about why the show was actually cancelled in the first place, the cast unites like the frayed ends of a shoelace held together by an aglet and presents a heartwarming musical revue.

  • Cynthia Gibb
    Director
    "Presumed Incompetent," "Lux Freer," and numerous acting credits: Fame, Gypsy (Golden Globe nomination), The Karen Carpenter Story, Youngblood...
  • Jill Johnson Mann
    Director
    Directorial Debut
  • Jill Johnson Mann
    Writer
    "Presumed Incompetent," "Lux Freer"
  • Jill Johnson Mann
    Producer
    "Lux Freer," "Presumed Incompetent," "Ocean's 14"
  • Jasmita Mani Lorenzato
    Key Cast
    "Betty Anne Marie"
    "Lux Freer," "Presumed Incompetent"
  • Leanna Mitev
    Key Cast
    "August"
    "Lux Freer," "Presumed Incompetent"
  • Ellie Rockwell
    Key Cast
    "Sutton"
    "Presumed Incompetent"
  • Maya Greenblatt
    Key Cast
    "Soul"
  • Beatrice Anderson
    Key Cast
    "Lily"
  • Momo Burns-Min
    Key Cast
    "Miss Crumb"
    "Lux Freer," "Presumed Incompetent"
  • Jennifer Malaquias Ryan
    Key Cast
    "Miss Fanny Bree"
    "Lux Freer," "Presumed Incompetent"
  • Filip Mitev
    Key Cast
    "Principal Slavchev"
  • Gwen Robinson
    Key Cast
    "Ella"
  • Samantha Heller
    Key Cast
    "Julie"
  • Sylvia Locke
    Key Cast
    "Stacy"
  • Morgan Leichter
    Key Cast
    "Matilda"
  • Samantha Flanders
    Key Cast
    "Beanie"
  • Ella Davis
    Key Cast
    "Ceci"
    "Presumed Incompetent"
  • Lola Rockwell
    Key Cast
    "Ari"
    "Presumed Incompetent"
  • Annika Simmelkjaer
    Key Cast
    "Sasha"
  • Ariana Goldman
    Key Cast
    "Raya"
  • Johanna Lawton
    Key Cast
    "Bobi"
  • Chloe Robbin
    Key Cast
    "Harper"
  • Blake Raho
    Key Cast
    "Young Slavchev"
    "Lux Freer," "Presumed Incompetent"
  • Matthew Bukzin
    Key Cast
    "Joey"
    "Presumed Incompetent"
  • Ryan Jacobson
    Key Cast
    "Mitch"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    22 minutes 15 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 5, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    12,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Cynthia Gibb, Jill Johnson Mann

Cynthia Gibb, Golden Globe nominee for her portrayal of the title role in GYPSY, opposite Bette Midler, has over 60 film and television credits to her name. She also played the title role in the KAREN CARPENTER STORY. With over 40 years professional experience as an actress, singer, and dancer, Gibb has worked with, learned from, and been influenced by some of the entertainment industry’s greatest talents. Her co-stars include Kennedy Center honorees Dick Van Dyke, Debbie Allen, Bette Midler; Academy-Award winners Shirley Jones, Burt Reynolds; and Tony-Award winner Donna McKechnie. As a regular on the series FAME, Gibb was directed by Debbie Allen and worked with choreographers Marguerite Derricks, Jamie Rogers, Otis Sallid, and (of course) Debbie Allen. Gibb worked opposite comedic icons Dabney Coleman and Christopher Lloyd, as well as stars Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, and Keanu Reeves. She has been directed by Woody Allen and Oliver Stone (in SALVADOR, opposite James Woods and Jim Belushi). Other industry greats she has worked with include producers Gary Goetzman, Neil Meron, and Craig Zadan (producers of the Academy Awards, Smash, and Chicago) as well as Broadway legends Stephen Sondheim, Jule Styne, and Arthur Laurents. Gibb is a member of the prestigious Actors' Studio and spent many years studying under Hollywood’s best acting coaches, including Milton Katselas, Caitlin Adams, and Larry Moss.

All of these professional experiences add up to thousands of hours on sets, watching, observing, and absorbing the talents of her co-workers. Gibb was inspired by the gorilla film-making of Salvador, shot in Mexico during the wars in Central America in the 80’s. Oliver Stone made a huge impact by showing her the importance of telling stories about difficult subject matters.

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Director Statement

Gibb’s experiences in the arts over the last four decades have been the motivating factor for moving into story-telling as a director. Her directorial debut, “Lux Freer,” portrayed the struggle of the LGBTQIA community for respect and equality. She followed that with "Presumed Incompetent," a miracle worker story starring nonspeaking autistic teen Wynston Browne. Mann and Gibb's latest collaboration is musical theater comedy focusing on a quirky cast of adorable 8- to 13-year-olds, all of whom contributed to the script, named their characters, and developed their own back stories. The kids' cast also wrote and composed most of the songs!

After spending time in the writing room with these young scribes,
we concluded age 8 to 13 is the sweet spot of creative collaboration! Making this film with this group was pure joy. We describe it as "Theater Camp" meets "Waiting for Guffman."

While Cynthia continues to work professionally, she has spent over a decade mentoring and teaching the next generation through her school Triple Threat Academy, which has students in L.A.; Westport, CT (Cynthia’s hometown); and across the globe virtually. Triple Threat’s Independent Film Project (3T IFP) grew out of a desire to expose students to all aspects of the entertainment industry, not just theater. Cynthia Gibb, Triple Threat Academy founder, and her academy Co-Director, Johnson Mann, saw a need to expose and educate the students in the world of film production, on- and off-camera. 3T IFP soon grew into its own professional production arm of Triple Threat Academy, bringing together students, professional actors, and a professional crew to create high-quality art that enlightens and entertains, while creating lifelong friendships and memories for everyone involved.