Jo @ UK Film profile picture

Jo @ UK Film

'If you always do, what you always did, you will always get, what you always got'

About Me

Jo Ho started in the film and television industry ten years ago on roles varying from production management to now producing, writing and directing, working on award-winning productions such as Popular Mechanics for Kids (TV, Canada) and Jiang Hu: The Triad Zone (Feature Film, Hong Kong).

In 2000, Jo was profiled in CREATION magazine as a 'young, driven and fanatically hardworking woman'. Shortly after this, her first short script THE GUARDIAN was selected for the TAPS (Television Arts Performance Showcase) writing showcase. Having developed a passion for writing, Jo had her first commission at 25, by Channel 4 for her TV series DIM SUM, in development with acclaimed producer Kenith Trodd.

Jo completed her first short film, ISOLATION 9 in the summer of 2006, as writer, producer and director. ISOLATION 9 has now been picked up by The British Council for representation, and won the festival award at the Buffalo Black & Asian Short Film Festival.

Her second film, MONKEY NUT TALES, shot just three months after, is a live action mixed with animation and cgi short, and has just been screened at the London Film Festival, and also in Shanghai and Beijing. MONKEY NUT TALES wrapped in Dec and is funded by UK Film Council/Film London's 2006 PULSE scheme. Jo is now searching for funding to shoot the full feature version.

Monkey Nut Tales is about an eight year old control freak, who has to live with the cantankerous grandmother from China she has never met before, when her mentally ill mother is hospitalised. The only way Grandma can communicate with Mai is via the fantastical stories she tells her. As they battle each other over their new roles in the house, they come to terms with their grief.

Jo currently has a fantasy series in development with CBBC, which will hopefully be shot in China, utilising local talent, wire expertise, cg houses etc..

In addition to writing and directing, Jo freelances as a script reader/consultant to private clients, studios and companies. She also teaches screenwriting. Currently, Jo is one of the judges for BBC Bites, a new development scheme for writers run by BBC Writersroom, targeting new writers who wish to write about the British Born Chinese experience.

Please contact her on [email protected] if you'd like to enquire about these services.

Jo is an Aries, repped by The Dench Arnold Agency and considers herself extremely witty.

WHAT I'M ABOUT

" In addition to my Western projects, it is one of my aims to make films that show real representation of the modern Chinese experience whilst combining this with western story-telling techniques. I also hopes to encourage more females into the film and TV industry, and especially those from an ethnic minority background."
'A genius is one who shoots at something no one else can see, and hits it.'

LINKS

The following are some links for some amazingly talented people who I'm also lucky to call my good friends.
http://www.chrismaris.com - Award-winning Cinematographer who's experience has spanned over 20 years and the talent who's shot both my films.

http://www.markdubeau.com - Award-winning VFX Art Director who's recent work has just won him a Visual Effects Society award for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project.

JUST FOR FUN (who says I can't do Marvel Comics??).


My Interests

Film, film, film (directing, writing, producing and of course, watching), boxing, dancing, photography, art, travelling.

I'd like to meet:

Just in case they're reading and have 30 mins for a quick coffee: Oprah Winfrey, Aaron Sorkin, Ang Lee, Stephen Chow, Denzel Washington, Luc Besson, Tim Burton, Angelina Jolie, Hilary Swank, Charlize Theron, Johnny Depp, Joss Whedon, Billy Bob Thornton, Jack Black.

Below are a few screenshots from my new film, MONKEY NUT TALES starring Charlotte Nguyen (Tombraider II), Pik-Sen Lim (The Lost Empire) and Claire Perkins (Secrets & Lies).
A young girls carefully crafted magical world shatters when her mother is hospitalised and her estranged Grandma comes to stay. The only way Grandma can communicate with Mai is via the fantastical stories she tells her. As they battle each other over their new roles in the house, they come to terms with their grief.

Monkey Nut Tales is live action mixed with animation/cgi and will utilise my art background, as I will be pushing the visual boundaries to create a Chinese fairy tale set in a British house.



ISOLATION 9, short film synopsis
Amy is sick with a disease that keeps her in hospital isolation. While on his daily cigarette break, a janitor spots her. The two end up forming a tenuous friendship, one which occurs from different sides of the glass and only ever lasts as long as it takes for Ben's cigarette to burn down.

Below are some stills from my short film, ISOLATION 9 starring Junior Laniyan (28 Days Later) and Jennifer Lim (Hostel).Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

Music:

Maxwell, D'Angelo, Joe Budden, Donell Jones, The Roots, Kelis, Jamie Foxx, Diana Krall, Sting, latin and world beats, film soundtracks (composers Joe Hisaishi, Tan Dun, Jan A P Kazmakarek, Eric Serra, Trevor Jones, Ennio Morricone, Rachel Portman, plus my two composers, Mat Davidson and Edwin Sykes!).

Movies:

Babel, Little Children, Pans Labyrinth, Leon, Star Wars (original one), Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Oldboy, Galaxy Quest, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Strictly Ballroom, Practical Magic, Life Is Beautiful, Kramer Vs Kramer, The Fifth Element, The Sixth Sense, Eat, Drink, Man, Woman, Cinema Paradiso, The Best Man, Thomas Crown Affair (remake), Seven, Kung Fu Hustle, Amelie, Little Miss Sunshine, Million Dollar Baby, Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, The King, The World's Fastest Indian, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Swimming With Sharks, Independence Day, Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Princess Bride, Superman Returns, Die Hard, Indiana Jones, The American President, Aladdin, School of Rock, Bowfinger, Muholland Drive, ET, Heat, Rear Window, Marnie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Happy Feet, Bad Santa, Bad News Bears, Icelandic Dream...plus many, many more.

Television:

The West Wing! The Oprah Winfrey Show. Dexter, Sex and the City. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Heroes, 24. Weeds. Entourage. Action. Nip/Tuck (series 1, 2 and 4, NOT 3), Carnivale, Prison Break oh and...American Idol, Property Ladder.

Books:

The Kitchen God's Wife, The Belgariad & The Mallorean, Rebel without a crew, One Child, Scripts by Aaron Sorkin, Joss Wheydon, One hundred secret senses, John Grisham, James Patterson, plus hundreds more i can't think of right now.

Heroes:

Ang Lee, Hilary Swank, Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey, Bryan Fuller, Aaron Sorkin, Charlize Theron, Stephen Chow, Zhang Yimou, Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Joss Whedon, Tim Burton, Neil Gaiman.

My Blog

Join www.writewords.org.uk where I host the film & tv forum

If you’d like to get some advice on writing/filmmaking from me or just like to chat amongst other writers, www.writewords.org.uk is the UK’s largest online community of writers. It’s...
Posted by Jo @ UK Film on Thu, 13 Mar 2008 01:46:00 PST

BBC seeks Chinese Writers! Press Release

Information on the BBC's new development scheme to find new Chinese Writers which I am a judge on, along with Benedict Wong, Kate Rowland (BBC Writersroom) and Mark Boothe (B3 Media).Get writing and e...
Posted by Jo @ UK Film on Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:17:00 PST

Online interview with BBC

Hi, Here's a link to my first online interview on the BBC website. Happy Reading!http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2007/10 /26/lff_london_calling_feature.shtmlJo x...
Posted by Jo @ UK Film on Tue, 30 Oct 2007 06:05:00 PST

Concepts for my next project

Hi All,I've had a lot of people ask what I've been up to lately and since I haven't had a chance to reply to all the messages, thought I'd take a short cut and blog it up again. I've been working on m...
Posted by Jo @ UK Film on Wed, 24 Oct 2007 04:11:00 PST

Watch ISOLATION 9 online

Hi Guys, You can now watch ISOLATION 9 online at:http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/filmnetwork/A13532096Please vote and or leave a comment on the site to let me know what you think.Jo x...
Posted by Jo @ UK Film on Wed, 19 Sep 2007 06:38:00 PST

MONKEY NUT TALES screening at The London Film Festival 29th Oct

Hi All,Just a quick note to let you know that MONKEY NUT TALES will be screening as part of the London Film Festival on the 29th October at 2100, NFT1. For info, price and booking please visit: http:/...
Posted by Jo @ UK Film on Wed, 19 Sep 2007 06:32:00 PST

LA pics

A few LA pics...Venice BeachWalking onto the Fox Studios NYC setAnother part of the huge setFox studios sound stagesGeorge S Clinton conducting at 'Bury My Head At Wounded Knee' tv series sound record...
Posted by Jo @ UK Film on Wed, 04 Apr 2007 12:33:00 PST

Screening at Curzon Cinema, Soho Thurs 9th Nov

The lovely people at B3 Media will be screening ISOLATION 9 as part of their Black Creativity Works event at the Curzon Cinema, Soho, Thurs 9th Nov, 1900. www.b3media.net    ...
Posted by Jo @ UK Film on Thu, 02 Nov 2006 11:42:00 PST

Getting in the picture event Mon 30th Oct 1345, ICA London

3 Media at "Getting In the Picture"As part of the Times BFI 50th London Film FestivalA day of talks, screenings and workshops on how to break into film and stay in the game. NAL CALL The Institut...
Posted by Jo @ UK Film on Fri, 27 Oct 2006 12:55:00 PST

The worlds first made-for-phones horror series!

Check out the new horror series, 'When Evil Calls' which my good friend Ben Grass produced. Also stars Jennifer Lim who was one of my leads in Isolation 9.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebCCo0i2s44 ht...
Posted by Jo @ UK Film on Thu, 26 Oct 2006 01:48:00 PST