Jessica M. Thompson is an Emmy-nominated Australian filmmaker who lives in New York City. She’s made several award-winning short films alongside Carlo Velayo, including “Hike,” “Percepio,” and “Across the Pond.” As an editor, she has worked with twice Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, Liz Garbus, and on the Sundance-winning film, “Watchers of the Sky.” Thompson also edited Cheryl Furjanic’s award-winning and Emmy-nominated documentary, “Back on Board: Greg Louganis,” which recently premiered on HBO. “The Light of the Moon” is Thompson’s feature directorial debut.
“The Light of the Moon” will premiere at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival on March 12.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
JT: The film is about a successful New York City architect who is sexually assaulted during an evening out with her friends. She decides to keep the assault a secret, and as a result, her relationships and work begin to fail.
It is not a stereotypical courtroom drama, or an unbelievable rape revenge fantasy; it is an intimate and realistic portrayal of the first six weeks after a serious trauma and the struggles of one woman to accept the truth and regain intimacy and normalcy in her life.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
JT: I decided to make this film because I wanted to create a raw and realistic portrayal of trauma and recovery, which is told solely from the victim’s perspective. I was sick of seeing assault overused in mainstream media — usually by male writers — as a mere plot device and it was not explored in an honest and real way. Hopefully, this film will help change that and encourage a more open dialogue about an issue that affects more than one in five women.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
JT: What they felt, and why, what they learnt, what they loved, what they hated, who they empathized with, what they now understand on a deeper level, and what moment they remember the clearest.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
JT: Honestly, the hardest part was overcoming the fear of failure and saying, “We’re doing this!” Making an independent feature film is so much responsibility — you have around 90 people working on your film. They are all taking major pay cuts or volunteering their services, and they are putting in so much of their energy because they believe in you and your idea.
There’s so much pressure! Overcoming that huge fear of failing and running with the tiny little voice saying, “Yes yes yes!” was definitely the hardest part for me.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
JT: We crowdfunded the first $50,000 to help us with development and then brought on private investors and executive producers to make the rest of the film. It is a true indie film, where we would run out of money and then have to pause to raise more funds. But that is just part of the ride!
W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at SXSW?
JT: I have been working towards this moment since I was 12 years old, when I took my first acting and writing class at the Sydney Theatre Company, and I am so thrilled to be premiering my first feature film at SXSW.
I love Austin and SXSW is such a cool, groundbreaking festival — I could not have hoped for a better home for my first film. And having “The Light of the Moon” premiere at such a reputable festival is already working wonders in getting my second film — and many others — off the ground, so it truly is a dream come true!
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
JT: Good question!
Best advice: You will get a thousand “nos”, but you only need one “yes.”
Worst advice: “Settle down already!” But clearly, I didn’t listen.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
JT: Keep persisting. Even when you see the man — who is the same age as you and who has little-to-no experience — be handed opportunities galore on a silver platter and land a big breakout film and it makes your completely-overqualified-and-ridiculously-talented blood boil, I implore you to take a deep breath and keep persisting.
You have a wonderful community of fellow female filmmakers who have your back and we are all in this together. If one of us succeeds, then we all succeed. Keep up the good fight, ladies!
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
JT: Jane Campion’s “The Piano.” I have such vivid memories of seeing that film for the first time. It stays with you long after you have left the cinema. And I still play the soundtrack often.
W&H: There have been significant conversations over the last couple of years about increasing the amount of opportunities for women directors yet the numbers have not increased. Are you optimistic about the possibilities for change? Share any thoughts you might have on this topic.
JT: I am an eternal optimist, so yes, I am optimistic about getting more women behind the camera, but I think we really need to get to the bottom of this issue as a society and ask why. Last year, I and many other people were rightfully upset about #OscarsSoWhite and the fact that some brilliant films by and starring African-American people were seemingly snubbed by the Academy.
But what did we see this year? A brilliant response to the previous year’s criticism. We saw a record number of black people nominated and “Moonlight” took the Best Picture Oscar, which is just such a phenomenal win for people of color, the LGBTQ community, and independent cinema.
But I want to ask society, why are we not doing the same for women? We know the stats are appalling and that ridiculously talented women behind the camera and in front are not given the same opportunities or pay as their male-counterparts, but why are we not outraged about this?
And why are we not seeing the ratio change much from year-to-year? Diversity is more than just a hot topic or a trending hashtag — it is vitally needed on every level of our society — from our leaders, to our artists, to our media. Diversity creates inclusion and gives previously voiceless people a platform in order to be heard.
We need more of this. And plus, it’s good for business! Women and minorities are more resourceful and resilient, because we have had to fight against the odds in order to “make it.” You give a woman or a minority person a million dollars and they make one of the most beautiful films of the last decade, “Moonlight.” So even from a business perspective, it makes no sense that we are not doing more in our industry to promote our talented women and give them more opportunity.
That being said, I am optimistic, because I believe in the power of the people. And I believe our voices are being heard. And that people are voting with their wallets on what films are important to them. The change in traditional distribution platforms, and giving the power to the audiences to decide what they want to watch, could be the best thing for minority filmmakers.
I think we will see many more women making original content for various groundbreaking platforms and that Hollywood will have no choice but to follow suit. So yes, the future is female! We are here, and we are going to keep battling against the odds until equality is reached.
