Joey is a moody rom-com about a perpetually single young black woman, content to do yoga to Fetty Wap and enjoy Spades nights with her girlfriends, until she meets a dude with whom she vibes. They have so much in common - except he's not single...

Interview with writer Johanna Middleton

Congratulations! Why are you making your film?

If you type “Black women least likely to” into Google, a slew of articles come up about marriage, romantic partnership, and dating. These articles point to statistics that tell black women that we’re the least desirable on dating apps and the least likely to get married – WOMP, WOMP.

I wanted to create a relatable, funny, empowered black woman protagonist who is hopeful for a romantic partnership while still finding fulfillment flying solo. Joey is unlucky in love but still in love with life, obvi…it’s the 21st cent.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

Joey is a rom-com for every woman who’s heard “it’ll happen when you least expect it!” and for every woman who’s said, “I’m taking a break from Tinder!” It’s for every woman who hasn’t quite figured out that magic formula of finding her match…or even A MATCH.

It can be anxiety producing to search for romance. Joey will make you feel the opposite of anxious. We hope you’ll laugh and, at the same time, recognize a character who might be like you. Single and ready to mingle but wondering HOW?

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Joey is ultimately the product of discussions that I’ve had with other girlfriends about being single and dating (or not) in Los Angeles. Especially conversations I’ve had with black women. We don't all have the same story, but we find ourselves asking similar questions. And, as a black woman, I am interested in how the understanding of our own desirability comes into play in our single womanhood.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

I've had the pleasure of receiving feedback from other industry professionals who gave me great notes. I tweaked bits of the scripts over and over again - we'll shoot from maybe the 10th draft of the script?

What type of feedback have you received so far?

We had a successful IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign that just wrapped up - I was pleasantly surprised that about 10% of the backers were people I'd never met who were excited about the project.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

I'm happy to know that I'm not the only person wrestling with these questions.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

I'd love to reach a larger audience, especially those who specifically are looking for content that represents diverse storytelling.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

We look forward to submitting to festivals after we've made our film. We'd love to be able to expand Joey into a feature film or television show.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I'd like this to provide a different sort of narrative for women who don't recognize themselves on screen in most media.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

How should black women take action to change the statistics about their success in finding life partners?

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

You can find more about our projects on our websites - www.johannamiddleton.com and lacident.com

Interview: November 2017

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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

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Joey

Director: Laci Dent

Producer: Brett Takeshita

Writer: Johanna Middleton

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/joey-a-short-film--2/x/17533417#/ (BIOS HERE)

Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):

Social media handles: @johannaoflala

Facebook: #joeythefilm

Twitter: #joeythefilm

Instagram: #joeythefilm

Made in association with: Girlie Stories Productions