Since presenting her short film, ‘Midnight’, at ADFEST 2019, Jo Motoyo has been invited to several festivals around the world, including YDA in Cannes.

‘Midnight’ premiered at ADFEST as part of the festival’s Fabulous Five program. It tackles a taboo topic, telling the powerful story of a young girl attempting suicide, and won the Popular Vote at the ADFEST 2019 Lotus Awards.

Motoyo is a Director at Taiyo Kikaku Co. Ltd. in Tokyo, and you can watch her film here

What was it like to present your film to a live audience at ADFEST? Were you nervous?

It was a great honor to present my work at ADFEST. It was also the first time I’ve seen my work presented on the big screen and so I was very moved. But of course, I was very nervous. At the same time I was also really excited to see everyone’s work as well.

Do you think that being a Fabulous Five director at ADFEST has helped your career?

Yes, of course. Life after receiving the award is very different from before. I’ve been covered by lots of media and have had more and more opportunities to speak in interviews like this one. I’ve realized things about myself and my own ideas in interviews that I hadn’t thought about before, which is great. I’ve also been having more meetings but as a working woman today, I’m trying to be careful to maintain a healthy work life balance.

‘Midnight’ is one of the first short films you have ever directed. What was the hardest part of making your film – especially considering you were dealing with the topic of suicide?

The hardest part of making the film was probably the time constraints. We had very little time and so I had to keep up constant communication with the whole team, describing in detail everything that I wanted to do, and wanted to capture. I’m still filled with so much thanks and love for everyone that joined me in this process, through some hard and tough times.

Your story is inspired by the theme of ADFEST 2019, ‘TMRRW.TDAY’. Can you tell me how you had the idea for your script?

When I first saw the theme ‘TMRRW.TDAY”, the first thing that came to me was the fact that today and tomorrow are always inevitably separated by midnight.

Tomorrow is often portrayed as bright and full of positivity in the world of advertising, yet in reality tomorrow can go against our own feelings and desires, coming at us relentlessly. If you have an important presentation, for example, you’d rather tomorrow didn't come, right? Lol.

I thought about the kinds of people that don’t want tomorrow to come, and came up with a character that wants to ‘die today’. From there, the script came pretty naturally.

What have you been doing since ADFEST 2019?

I’ve had the pleasure of being invited to several advertising festivals around the world. After ADFEST, I got to go to YDA and some others. It’s been a very enriching and fulfilling time. And yes, I’m working on a very interesting project at the moment, which unfortunately I can’t talk about yet. Wish me luck!

How long have you been working at Taiyo Kikaku Co. Ltd.? What is your proudest achievement there?

I've been working here for almost 4 years, first as an Assistant Director and now as a Director. I'm super proud to have been considered for and awarded this award and also to have had the opportunity to create something directly from me, that I both wrote and directed. 

Do you have any advice for other directors: what does it take to ‘make it’ as a director?

Hmm… It’s a tough one. Just don’t give up, lol.

What are your goals for the next 12 months?

I’ve actually never directed a music video before, so I want to start making loads of them! I also want to make more short films, and maybe even take on the challenge of a feature film. I have lots of plans, lots of ideas… so if there are any producers or investors out there, get in touch!

What is your favourite memory of ADFEST 2019?

Right after my film had been screened, people rushed over to me and shook my hand and gave me some really positive feedback. It was my first time to experience something like that, so it’s a really unforgettable moment. And then, after the screening and the Q&A, my nerves finally calmed down and I went for a swim. There was no one else in the pool and the evening sun was shining in, it felt unreal.

taiyokikaku.com

* Would you like to be a Fabulous Five director at ADFEST 2020? Simply write a short film script inspired by the theme, ‘Fired Up!’ Scripts must be submitted online here by 3rd January 2020.