![]()
A few years back, I found myself in my Orthodontist's waiting room watching Good Morning America and suddenly became mesmerized when this very talented and very funny Italian chef named Fabio Viviani came on and gave an "animated" cooking demonstration on how to make "Drunken Spaghetti”. Although the dish itself looked delicious, I ended up drunk with intrigue on the peculiar way Italians use their hands to communicate. It seemed like their passion for life just radiated from their hands and often times it appeared that their hands were not just an extension, but an entirely different individual all together! As that observation simmered, just one question formulated in my mind…….what would happen if a pair of older, Italian man hands were given to someone else, such as a young, American woman? Thus was the moment that the idea for my short film was created.
Mani means ‘hands’ in Italian
Mani is about the story of a woman who becomes the recipient of hairy, Italian man arm transplants, and her struggle to keep her new appendages under control.
![]()
Like all great endeavors, the journey is always filled with many ups and downs, this one has been no different. The Mani venture started off as a "Community College" one-man production with very meager resources and limited equipment. Given the circumstances, this project has seen its fair share of starts, setbacks, delays, and disappointments. But its also brought together some amazingly talented and very funny people who believe in the Mani project and have donated their time, expertise, and resources to make this project come to life and who have kept the passion and spirit of the film alive during its long hiatus.
We feel that Mani has grown into something bigger than all of our expectations. It's whimsical, it's quirky, and unforgettably funny and we just know you will love it as much as we do. We have and always will be determined to see this project through until the end, but we haven't reached that point yet; there's still so much to do! We sincerely hope that you join us in completing this project and become apart of the Mani famiglia.
![]()
From the moment the idea struck me and throughout the writing process, the hilarity of Mani had me laughing out loud the whole time. As others, read the script and came aboard, they too were captivated by this whimsical tale and agreed that it must be created and shared. After all, who could resist a charmingly, quirky comedy full of laughs?
But for us, while the laughter is important, as dedicated artists, its execution is equally significant. We wanted to craft a film as believable as possible and we feel that the ONLY way to achieve that is to set the bar as high as we can and strive to produce a film in the most professional manner as possible; from locations to equipment, and of course special effects make-up. We are certain the end result will be nothing less than an enchanted original comedy worthy of your laughter. But our aspiration for Mani really won't end there, we won't be truly satisfied until we hear laughter coming from as many venues and festivals that we can possibly showcase Mani in.
![]()
![]()
Kansas Starr - Writer/Director/Producer
Her childhood passion for writing has lead to an extensive study of the screenwriting craft at both UCSC (go Banana Slugs!) and UCLA. Her experience includes positions from P.A. and Script Supervisor to Development and 1st A.D. and has worked at Blue Cat, Mad Chance, and Warner Bros. among others. Mani is her directorial debut but aims to create and direct more comedy, historically-inspired adventure, and even a sci-fi musical.
![]()
Jack James - Executive Producer/1st A.D.
Jack James is relatively new to film and comes mostly from a theatre background where he worked as an Equity Actor as well as a Director, Producer, Scenic Designer and Technical Director in numerous tours and regional theatres. He has taught classes and workshops in both acting/improv and tech theatre at several colleges around the country. He is a graduate of Second City in Chicago and SUNY New Paltz.
![]()
Lleya Sherrod - Producer
Lleeya is an LA based producer. She has worked in film and television on various levels over the course of her career on sets like FabLife, Marriage Bootcamp, several press junkets and behind the scenes featurettes for major studios. She has recently turned her sights on short films starting by writing/directing/producing her own short film, Bleach Blonde and now joining the Mani production team.
![]()
John Froehlich - Costume Designer
John Froehlich began his career in costumes at the theatre department of Palm Beach Community College designing several shows. He then honed his skills while taking courses and working on shows at Florida International University in Miami, Florida. During his studies, John worked professionally with City Theatre, the Roxy Theatre Group, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, and Actors Playhouse. John currently spends his days working in costuming at a major theme park in Southern California, and taking on additional projects as time allows. He is very excited to be a part of the production team for Mani.
![]()
"Dana Armstrong" played by Joya Mia Italiano
Joya Mia Italiano is an LA-based actor and comedian. She performed weekly in LA's longest-running show, Point Break Live! in Hollywood. While a student at Sarah Lawrence college in New York, she studied abroad in Arezzo, Italy, where she received conservatory training in commedia dell'arte, clown, and physical theater. How fortuitous that a project such as Mani would come into her life!
![]()
"Doctor" played by Robert Byrne
Robert grew up in a family of thieves and lunatics, which accounts for his imagination and humor. Robert is a veteran of stage, student and independent films, stand-up comedy, improv shows, local TV commercials and operas in and around the Los Angeles and Santa Barbara areas. He has had professional training with Peter Frisch and Dante the Comedian.
![]()
"Nurse" played by Maria Elena Heredia
Maria Elena Heredia, Born in Venezuela is one of the most important comediennes in her country, her programs broadcast by the major network Venevisión, are well known in other countries such as Panama, and the Caribbean islands. Also, Maria E. has broad experience in drama. She recently won the “Best Lead Actress” award at the DCFI (Directors Cut Film Initiative) Festival in Texas with her bilingual (English/Spanish) performance in the short film “Parasites” .
![]()
All proceeds will do directly to the production of this film. We've estimated that we need to raise a minimum of $10,500 in order to successfully fund Mani. Our dream goal is $15,000 to allow us to cover post-production, screening costs, festival submissions and marketing.
![]()
Special FX/Makeup - The lionshare of our budget. In order to maintain an equal tone throughout the film, a good make-up and hair person is essential and they usually aren't free. In addition, due to the nature of the script, we will need wizardry to make a beautiful young woman appear to have the arms of an Italian bear. For this film to work, this effect needs to be believable. That means bringing in a pro, and that costs money.
Post-Production - Once we are done shooting this amazing opus, we have so much more to do! There's editing, sound mixing, ADR, color correction and so many other things to do before its fit for consumption.
Equipment Rental/Consumables - Many of the pieces of equipment needed for film production cost thousands of $$$$. So we rent them. Then there's the things we can't rent, because we use them up, like gaffers tape, lighting gel, canned air, and batteries, that can only be used once.
Insurance - Whoops! That lens the P.A. just dropped costs $10,000! There goes the budget! Needless to say....that's why we have to have insurance.
Locations Fees/Permits - Hey! Mind if we take over your home or restaurant so we can shoot? Yeah....not many people want a bunch of people traipsing through their business or home so we have to pay them. The city gets their cut too if we want to film outside.
Cast & Crew - While in a perfect world, people could create art for art's sake, you can't pay the rent with a painting. While nobody's going to get rich off this film we have tried to make room in our budget to pay the basic expenses of the technicians and artisans who so generously give their time and professional know-how.
Props/Set Dressing - From stethoscopes in the hospital to pictures on the wall to just about anything that isn't an actor, creating a film means creating a believable environment. That means "stuff". And most "stuff" costs "money".
Catering/Craft Services - Mange! Mange! During days of shooting there isn't a lot of time for breaks so it is customary to provide food on or near the set for all the many actors, artisans, and technicians that it takes to make our production come to fruition.
P.R./Fundraising - We have to raise funds and as the saying goes "It takes money to make money!". This portion of the budget will pay for ads to promote this campaign as well as the fees charged by IndieGoGo and the payment processors.
What happens if we don't reach our goal? Although challenging, our crew has a knack for creating high-production value from shoe-string budgets. We may have to drop some of our grander ideas/ locations, but we believe that we can still create an engaging short film with limited money.
But what if we EXCEED our goal? Perfect! This would give us more room to add higher production value to the film, and work in a few of the more expensive/ elaborate ideas that we think would help bring this film to the next level. It would also give us a bit more in the pocket to cover festival submissions.
Perks, Perks, Perks
We've put together a fantastico selection of perks for those that decide to support us in bringing Mani to life; everything from posters to producing and everything in between! See the column to the right column and choose the level that shows your support!
![]()
One non-financial way you can become a part of the Mani famiglia is by simply sharing this page to encourage others to support our endeavor. The more people that see this page, the more likely we are to be able to reach our goal and make Mani. In addition, more followers potentially means greater distribution opportunities! Be sure to visit and share our other social media sites as well as to keep updated on the film's progress and upcoming events.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Manishortfilm
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manishortfilm
Twitter: https://twitter.com/manishortfilm
You can also help simply by commenting on this page. Scroll to the top of this page and click [comments] and leave a comment of encouragement or a question. More comments will help us get onto the front page of IndieGoGo, which will lead to more funding.
Another way you can help is by simply contributing yourself/business products, your skills or expertise, your time, or your company services.
Thank you so much for your support really does make a difference! Please help us bring Mani to a screen near you!
