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Kool-Aid Stand

An inner city, latchkey kid must stand-up to the school bully and a local gang leader in order to help his mom pay the overdue electricity bill.

  • Jennifer Marie
    Director
  • Jennifer Marie
    Writer
  • Jared Graham Jr.
    Key Cast
    "Reese Jackson "
  • Jennifer Marie
    Key Cast
    "Raelaunda Jackson "
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 44 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 4, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    18,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - New York Film Academy
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Jennifer Marie

Say hello to actor, producer, director, comedian and writer Jennifer Marie aka j Marie (@jennifermarieakajmarie ) .
She was born in Iola, KS, but raised in Kansas City, MO and now resides in Hollywood, CA…this is where she would birth her production company, No Wooden Nickels LLC in 2021.
Jennifer decided to add Producer to her resume in 2018 after working in the entertainment industry since 2009 as an actor and host. She executive produced and starred in the hit Mini TV Series ‘Revenge of Side Chick’. Watching that come to life, she was encouraged to do more, so she later produced and starred in projects such as: ‘The Nun, The Witch and The Bloodsucker’, ‘Christmas The Wright Way’, AND the hilarious and inspiring podcast ‘Gyrl Talk With j Marie’ and this is just the beginning to what Jennifer Marie plans to bring to Hollywood.
In 2019, the first project she Directed and Executive Produced was a short documentary entitled “fRIENDS to fRAMILY and that project was selected for the New Filmmakers LA film festival!!
In 2023, Jennifer Marie wrote, directed and starred in two short films: The Ally and Kool-Aid Stand. Both projects will make a festival run in 2024.
In 2023, she also graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 4.0 from the Master’s program for Film and Media Production at New York Film Academy in Burbank, CA . As her next step in life was to add even more knowledge to the passion she has for filmmaking. That experience was beyond pleasurable and confirmed her purpose and mission in this industry.
Going from in front of the camera to behind the camera is such a bold decision, but that was the next thing for her to push towards her full potential.
j Marie’s mission is to produce and create content that the world can love, laugh and learn from. So far, so good.
Thanks for joining the journey where the sky is never the limit! So, see you on the screen or on the stage!

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I must pay homage to some of the best black filmmakers that inspired me to be courageous enough to tell these real stories about our black inner city communities. Thank you John Singleton (Boys N Da Hood) and the Hughes Brothers (Menace II Society) and an overflow of others!

I am EXTREMELY passionate about the Short Film project Kool-Aid Stand because the lead character, Maurice “Reese” Jackson is a representation of parts of my childhood and many of the children that I serve an mentor today.

Growing up in my home we did not have a lot of money, but we had a LOT of love. There were times we went without electricity and other utilities, but we never went without pure, unconditional love. That gave me the heart and love I have today for others.

Currently, I am Senior Mentor and Fitness Coach with an incredible organization R.O.C ERA. We serve and mentor the beautiful kids in the Watts, CA community. The way these children display resilience, strength, love and inspiration is unmatched.

I’ve done mission work in multiple countries for over 10 years, but the mission we have RIGHT HERE in the city of Watts, CA cannot be undermined. So, I have had such a pleasure writing this story for kids and teenagers like the ones I love to serve so they see that WE see them, we love them and we are doing all we can to be the village they NEED.

It’s part of my everyday purpose to gain enough knowledge and skills to produce projects that will allow those kids in these underprivileged areas to know their worth and that their dream can also be achieved no matter WHAT A STATISTIC says about them.

I was a kid that didn’t have a lot as well, but I just did it in a different neighborhood. I was blessed to get out and be who I am today. I was a kid that knew nothing about going to college, but I had a coach that believed in me and now I am the first person to have a Bachelor and Master’s degree in my family.

I know what happens when you are a kid with a lot of energy, personality and creativity, but lacking the means to exert that towards your purpose. Thankfully, I’ve figured it out and now I need to pay it forward.

The kids write about in this short-film project Kool-Aid Stand and are in predominantly black neighborhoods. It is not common for them to see a black female director. It is certainly not common for them to see and director or filmmaker creating a film in THEIR neighborhood with THEM featured throughout the project.

As a mentor for Arts and Entertainment with these incredibly talented kids were my starting point for casting and several come from within our organization and that community.

It’s my purpose to see their purpose fulfilled. I will not stop. With all the hard work it requires, I take pleasure in making sure it is done in EXCELLENCE so that they will be proud to see their stories told. This will hopefully be an inspiration to them to follow their dreams and fulfill their purpose. I am grateful this project is allowing me to fulfill mine.

I was a kid that didn’t have a lot as well, but I just did it in a different neighborhood. I was blessed to get out and be who I am today. I was a kid that knew nothing about going to college, but I had a coach that believed in me and now I am the first person to have a Bachelor’s degree in my family and on the Dean’s List in my Master’s Program.

I know what happens when you are a kid with a lot of energy, personality and creativity, but lacking the means to exert that towards your purpose. Thankfully, I’ve figured it out and now I need to pay it forward.

The kids write about in this short-film project Kool-Aid Stand and are in predominantly black neighborhoods. It is not common for them to see a black female director. It is certainly not common for them to see a director or filmmaker creating a film in THEIR neighborhood with THEM featured throughout the project.

As a mentor for Arts and Entertainment with these incredibly talented kids were my starting point for casting and several come from within our organization and that community.

It’s my purpose to see their purpose fulfilled. I will not stop. With all the hard work it requires, I take pleasure in making sure it is done in EXCELLENCE so that they will be proud to see their stories told. This will hopefully be an inspiration to them to follow their dreams and fulfill their purpose. I am grateful this project is allowing me to fulfill mine.