‘Cecil’: Change Your Name, Change Your Life
IndieWire Staff
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Tweetable Logline: A family comedy set in 1996 about a boy who can’t pronounce his name due to a lisp. He needs a new one. The choice… Michael Jordan!
Elevator Pitch: The comedy is set in the 90s and is about a boy who has a speech impediment that bars him from being able to correctly pronounce his own name. After being bullied, he decides the only way to save himself from social travesty is to change his name to Michael Jordan. With a strong anti-bully theme, children should walk away from this film with the idea that it is not only okay to be different, but being unique is better!
Production Team:
Director/Writer: Spenser Fritz (Directed Feature: “A Matter of Time,” Shorts: “Pushing 60,” “Murderererer,” “Rock Hunter in 3D.”)
Executive Producer: Jay Dee Walters (EP Features: “Blind Turn” and “Chasing Ghosts”)
Producer: Amanda Dillingham (“A Matter of Time,” “The Upside of Down,” “Online,” “Pushing 60”)
About the Film: Cecil is loosely based off of Spenser’s (director/writer) childhood in Indiana. While growing up he had a speech impediment where he couldn’t pronounce his R’s. His middle name was Michael and Michael Jordan was his role model. He always thought it would just be easier to just switch schools and go by a different name. That didn’t happen, but it did create awesome content for this film.
Current Status: Fundraising
