jig show | leon claxton’s harlem in havana · 2019. 3. 2. · media kit. jig show | leon...

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JIG SHOW | Leon Claxton’s Harlem in Havana

A documentary film by Leslie Cunningham

Media Kit



FILM: Logline


Brown-skin showgirls, whites-only audiences, and the brave African-American showman who left an extraordinary legacy despite the insurmountable odds against him and his dreams.

Visit jigshow.com.


Step right up, folks! The last remaining great troupers are finally telling their storiesabout one of America's most successful traveling shows. JIG SHOW | Leon Claxton’sHarlem in Havana is a compelling hour-long documentary film narrated by filmmakerLeslie Cunningham who takes viewers on a tour of her family’s popular Black andCuban stage show that broke carnival records across the U.S. and Western Canada,birthed music icons Rufus Thomas, Fontella Bass and Mercedes Valdés, andsignificantly impacted Black and Latin entertainment during Jim Crow. Also unearthedis the life and lore of her grandfather Leon Claxton, a brave African-Americanshowman who left an extraordinary legacy despite the insurmountable odds againsthim and his dreams.

Read more at jigshow.com.


FILM: Synopsis




A graduate of the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University with a Certificate in theDocumentary Arts, Leslie’s collection of engaging documentary film and videos have screenedon public television, online and at film festivals in the U.S. and internationally. Leslie’s firstfeature-length documentary film was M.I., A Different Kind of Girl, which debuted at the HaytiHeritage Film Festival in March 2012, followed by a three-city Pride Festival tour. M.I. was alsochosen for The North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Atlanta’s Out On Film in 2012 andMassimadi, the LGBT Film Festival of Africa and its Diasporas in 2016.

Leslie is currently making JIG SHOW | Leon Claxton’s Harlem in Havana, a film about herfamily’s stage show which documents the legacy of her grandfather, Leon Claxton, one of thetwentieth century’s most successful traveling show producers. Sponsored by the SouthernDocumentary Fund, JIG SHOW was selected for the Cucalorus Filmmaker WIP ResidencyProgram and participated in the Sundance Institute New Frontier Program in 2016.

A lover of community media, Leslie has produced a number of popular shows for the localpublic television station The People’s Channel, in Chapel Hill, NC. She is a member of FilmFatales, an inclusive community of women feature film and television directors and iscommitted to mentoring young filmmakers of color.

Visit:lesliecunninghamfilms.com.


FILM: LESLIE CUNNINGHAM, Producer /Director /Editor




FILM: ALEX GAZIO, Director of Photography

Alex has more than 17 years of experience in television production and nearly a decade of HD shooting experience. He has traveled the world capturing impressive footage for corporate and broadcast clients and his documentary experience allows Alex to treat projects with an unsurpassed attention to detail. Passionate about his craft, Alex has an eye for powerful storytelling with compelling imagery. He’s extremely flexible, easy-going and loves a good challenge, while his news experience has taught Alex to be a fast and accurate videographer. He’s won 13 Emmy Awards and several regional awards and has traveled the world shooting video for the syndicated program “Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures.” Director of Photography for the PBS documentary “Untamed Legacy,” Alex’s soulful depictions of horse, human and heart were breathtaking and earned him the Emmy for Best Photography.

Visit gazioproductions.com.


JIG SHOW | Leon Claxton’s Harlem in Havana is a feature length documentary film which will bemarketed to the public, media, and film industries in the U.S. and abroad. JIG SHOW is intended toreach demographically diverse viewers of all generations who are united by an interest in African-American History and Latin-American Arts and Culture. The film has an international scope with ageographic focus on North America, specifically the U.S., Western Canada and Cuba. We believethe film will engage audiences of all races in these locations, although viewers of Black and Latindecent will be most affected by the film.

JIG SHOW is ideally suited for networks that highlight voices from undeserved communities. Thefilm highlights stories, people and music that explore Cuba before to the Revolution in 1959.Perfect for public television, this film will contribute to discourses in popular society andeducation in Afro-Cuban History, the Anthropology of American Music, and the history of African-American entertainment. This film will also be applicable to studies in American HistoricalAnthropology, American Humanities Studies, African-American History, Latin American History,Afro-Cuban History, and Anthropology of American Music.


FILM: Audience



Geographic Regions Highlighted: U.S. Western Canada, North America, Cuba

Distribution: U.S. and International Film Festivals, Public Television, DVD/VOD. Educational and international distribution.


FILM: Audience



• Shirley Bates- Johnson (Former lead dancer) • Leslie Cunningham (Filmmaker,

granddaughter of Leon Claxton; • John Cunningham (Son of Leon Claxton) • Dr. Susan Greenbaum (Past Professor of

Anthropology at USF, Afro-Cuban Historian) • John Myers (Blues vocalist /Five Pennies)


FILM: Confirmed Cast & Clips


JIG SHOW | Leon Claxton’s Harlem in HavanaA documentary film by Leslie Cunningham

FILM: Confirmed Cast & Clips continued


• Carol Lawyton (Former dancer) • Doc Rivera (Museum curator/carnival

historian); • Dr. Cheryl Rodriquez (Director of Black Life at

USF and past patron); • Laura Sedlmayr (Royal American Shows); • Charles Smith (Past patron); • Andrea Woods-Valdés (Professor of Dance at

Duke University/ Afro Cuban inspired dancer);

• Dr. Joan Francisco Valdés Santos (Cuban Historian).


ABOUT: The Harlem in Havana ProjectThe Harlem in Havana Project aims to entertain, titillate and educate audiences about the significant role Leon Claxton's Harlem in Havana revue played in shaping Black and Latin entertainment and popular culture in the Jim Crow era. Created by artist and filmmaker, Leslie Cunningham of TRIBES Entertainment, the goal of the project is to revive Harlem in Havana's rich history through a variety of thought-provoking content, including:

• A website home, harleminhavana.com.

• A documentary film JIG SHOW, Leon Claxton's Harlem in Havana,

• Brown-skin Showgirls – A photography book and exhibits

This multimedia documentary project will engage communities of color in a way they are not being served in the media today. Ultimately, this project is a celebration of our multi-faceted past and a path for the descendants of African-Americans and Latinos to reflect, embrace, and liberate their own stories from historical amnesia. Visit harleminhavana.com.




ABOUT: Brown-skin Showgirls



The perfect film companion, BROWN SKIN SHOWGIRLS is a black and white photographic collection of the Black and Cuban women who performed burlesque, exotic, rhumba, salsa, calypso, striptease and female impersonation on Leon Claxton's Harlem in Havana Revue during its run on Royal American Shows from 1936 to 1967.

Available in Vol I and II, this book series is guaranteed to expand your knowledge of Black and Cuban performers that shaped American popular culture.

Available in print on Amazon!

Visit harleminhavana.com.


ABOUT: TRIBES Entertainment Films

TRIBES Entertainment is a boutique multi-media production company based in Durham, NC telling stories from the frontline of urban music, arts and culture. We specialize in the creation of compelling and entertaining documentary and narrative film about important social issues and the pioneers behind them. Visit tribesmagazine.com to learn more.




Film Contact:• Leslie Cunningham, Producer/ Director

• Phone: 919.841.8134

• Email: [email protected], [email protected]

• Web: jigshow.com or harleminhavana.com

• Facebook: facebook.com/jigshow

• Twitter: twitter.com/jigshowfilm



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jig show | leon claxton’s harlem in havana · 2019. 3. 2. · media kit. jig show | leon...

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