Cynthia Gibb's Directorial Debut LGBTQ Short LUX FREER Makes NY Premiere As Part of Dances With Films

The uplifting teen film "Lux Freer" is set to screen at Dances With Films film festival, which opens on Thursday at Regal Union Square. Golden-Globe-nominated actress Cynthia Gibb (Gypsy, Fame, Youngblood) is thrilled to have her first project from behind the camera finding great success on the festival circuit. "Lux Freer" won Best USA Film, with Gibb grabbing Best First-Time Director, at the NY Cinematography Awards and was named Outstanding Narrative Short at the Ridgefield Independent Film Festival in Connecticut (where the short was filmed).

Gibb's film also earned an "Honorable Mention" in the Best LGBTQ Short Film category at L.A.'s Indie Short Fest. "Lux Freer" screens in Shorts Block 9 at 2 pm on Sunday, December 3, at Regal Union Square. Tickets are available here: Lux Freer Screening. The lead, Echo Bodell, will attend, along with Gibb, writer Jill Johnson Mann, Director of Photography Mike Galeotti, and other cast members, including Cameron Mann (who played the pivotal role of Ryan Ross in HBO's Mare of Easttown with Kate Winslet).

Mother-daughter duo Josy Pitaro and Jean Louisa Kelly (Top Gun: Maverick, Malignant, Mr. Holland's Opus, Uncle Buck) light up the Lux screen. Jamie Martin Mann (Brody on Netflix's Country Comfort, Tate on Days of Our Lives) and Natalia Mann (Hannah in Netflix's A California Christmas franchise) join their brother Cameron to round out the Mann Clan. But most heartwarming is the screen debut by Gibb's student Echo Bodell, a non-binary songwriter/actor who plays the non-binary protagonist, Lux Freer. Bodell has three original songs in the film, one of which they perform. The lyrics of that song, "Monarch," fit the film's plot perfectly, but the screenwriter did not discover the existing song until after finishing the script. Call it "lux"!

In the film, Lux, a middle-class, non-binary teen, feels like an outcast in their new town of rich jocks and beauty queens, until a wishing well and the most popular guy in town embolden the teen to take in the view from the top of the social ladder. In true Fame fashion, Gibb found a way to showcase the cast's triple-threat talents-the entire kids cast sings and there is a terrific dance number as well (choreographed by Gibb's longtime student, Jamie Martin Mann).

"My experiences in the arts over the last four decades have been the motivating factor for moving into storytelling as a director," says Gibb. "Jill Johnson Mann's timely script, portraying a non-binary teen's struggle for acceptance and respect, gave me the gift of a directorial debut that is meaningful, powerful, and may even be life-changing for some of our young actors and even some viewers."

Gibb has mentored and coached Bodell since they were a pre-teen and Mann watched Bodell (now represented by Edge Entertainment Management and Stewart Talent) grow up down the street. "Parts of the script are inspired by actual scenarios experienced by Echo on their challenging journey to live in a way that feels authentic," says writer/producer Johnson Mann. "After the film wrapped, Echo told us that those were the best two weeks of their life. They stepped into the spotlight timidly on day 1 and strutted out a new person on day 10. That is how Cynthia (director/producer) and I define success. Likewise, several trans teens in our cast found acceptance, like-minded friends, and a new confidence we watched grow from day to day."

Gibb adds, "Our cast is a blend of professional actors with impressive credits and many making their screen debuts. It is also a blend of the 'popular' kids and those who exist on the fringes of the social strata. At the beginning, there were cliches. By the end, we were one big film family. It was life imitating our art, and we hope viewers enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it."

Gibb and Mann are looking forward to releasing their next film, "Presumed Incompetent," which stars a nonspeaking autistic teenager, in early 2024. "It's a true Miracle Worker story," says Mann, "and casting the incredible young man who inspired the story is groundbreaking. Working with him was one of the most powerful experiences Cynthia and I have ever had."

Lux Freer, a non-binary teen, has recently moved to ritzy Westport, where they have the humiliating job of delivering pizzas. Nothing could be worse than arriving at aspiring prom queen Arabella Astor's mansion wearing a cap emblazoned with pepperonis. Lux's encounter with the bully Arabella and her sweet beau Drew sets in motion a plot to upend the social stratosphere at Westport Academy. Emboldened by a mysterious wishing well and a compassionate peer, Lux takes center stage at the school talent show, where even the most macho jock in town learns something about tolerance.