THIS FILM IS BROUGHT TO YOU IN B&W

Emiko Jones makes her way to a premier after-party for a movie called ‘THE ATOMIC MAN’ (think Oppenheimer). Amongst the sea of white, Emiko spots a woman. The only other Asian in the room. They eventually get talking, even conversing in Japanese. Like all good conversations, it leads to a song—a song Emiko’s Japanese grandmother used to sing to her—one she hasn’t sung since she was a child. It’s through this meeting that Emiko remembers parts of herself that have been long forgotten and denied.

TONE & FEEL

Emiko Jones will be shot in B&W and on 35mm. The film is an ode to the B&W era of film-making-particularly the Golden Age of Hollywood and Japanese and French New Wave. Think Casablanca’s cross-fades and chiarusco, the inclusion of self-conscious push-ins, your classic end of movie iris-outs (and of course a song and a dance!), but with the grounded, real, and sometimes awkward performances of modern, well-rounded female roles.

The combination of earthiness and a heightened sense of realism and romance is what will make Emiko Jones sing. This is a film that celebrates film--it speaks to the things we have lost, both narratively, and in the 35mm format itself. The inclusion and un-stereotypical depiction of two East Asian women as the lead roles in this British film is what makes it necessary and alive. For all its beauty, the humanity of Emiko Jones is the most essential thing.

THE TEAM

HANAKO FOOTMAN (writer/director)

Hanako is an actor, writer and director, with over ten years experience working in film, television and theatre. Her credits include The Crown (NETFLIX), Official Secrets (IFC, Entertainment One) and Defending The Guilty (BBC) in which she played a series regular. Hanako’s West End debut was in 2022 in the world premiere of Theresa Rebeck’s Mad House, starring alongside Bill Pullman and David Harbour. Her debut novel Mongrel was published this February with Bonnier Books, and was long-listed for the Mo Siewcharran prize and short-listed for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize. Emiko Jones will be her directorial debut. Hanako trained at LAMDA.

IZZY MEIKLE-SMALL (producer)

Izzy Meikle-Small is an actor and producer. Her most recent short, Spirit of Place (dir. Jack Cooper Stimpson), stars Mark Rylance and is at the beginning of it's festival journey. It was the first short film to use the Equity Green Rider and is already BIFA qualifying. Previous shorts include I'm A Good Person (dir. Tamsin Topolski), which is also at the beginning of it's festival journey, and Not A Mourning Person (dir. Charlotte Hamblin) which is mid-festival journey. Izzy is currently in development for her first feature with writer-director Charlotte Hamblin. Izzy also has an extensive acting background, and is currently filming for the final season of Outlander in Scotland.

WILL MATTHEWS (producer)

Will is an Associate Producer at Film & Television Production company, Free Turn. He is currently in post-production on feature-film, William Tell (dir. Nick Hamm), starring Claes Bang, Connor Swindells, Golshifteh Farahani, Ben Kingsley & Jonathan Pryce, and is currently in development for his first feature with writer-
director, Jack Cooper-Stimpson. Previous shorts include I'm A Good Person (dir. Tamsin Topolski), which is currently at the beginning of its film festival journey, and Not A Mourning Person (dir. Charlotte Hamblin) which is mid-festival journey.

ABIGAIL LAWRIE (associate producer)

Abigail Lawrie is a BAFTA award winning Scottish actress with over ten years experience working in TV, film and theatre. Most recently, she starred in the Paramount+ thriller No Escape and appeared in Amazon Prime’s Good Omens. In 2021, she won a Scottish BAFTA award for her performance in the Sky Atlantic
drama Tin Star. This is Abigail’s first experience in production and she is thrilled to
be embarking on a new journey with the rest of the Emiko Jones team.

ED TUCKER (cinematographer)

Ed studied Art and Visual Culture and began his career collaborating on artist’s moving image projects, later branching out into documentary, music promos, commercials and narrative. His approach is rooted in naturalism whilst always pushing to capture and connect with subject matter, characters and narratives. Ed's recent credits include TV series’ Such Brave Girls (dir. Simon Bird) for A24/BBC, Juice (dir. Rosco 5) for BBC and Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared (dir. Joe Pelling, Becky Sloan and Baker Terry) for Channel 4/BFI.

ERIKA FOOTMAN (composer)

ERIKA Footman is a musician and composer. They are a touring multi-instrumentalist for Skunk Anansie, backing & guest vocalist for Japanese artist, Hotei, has toured extensively with MIKA as his backing singer, and has recorded a guest vocal on two tracks with #1 UK artist, Bastille. Erika has released her own music on her record label for close to 20 years. She has composed and recorded tracks for TV (Real Housewives,
Hollyoaks) and for various ads in both English and Japanese. ERIKA has performed on The David Letterman Show, The Ellen de Generes Show, on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury and at Brixton Academy--with audiences of up to 800,000 people.