ABOUT THE FILM

My name is Julia Thompson and I am the writer and producer of the short film One Up. One Up is my Columbia University thesis film, and is adapted from a feature I've been developing for two years now. I am very interested in exploring female identity and how our social environments inform how we experience our gender and sexuality. 

I love coming of age stories, but feel that the genre often offers overly simplified resolutions to the emotional journeys of their protagonists. My intention with One Up is to create a story that mirrors the universal feeling of confusion we experience during adolescence and to communicate the impulsive and confusing nature of that period in life rather than a clear and conclusive sense of growth. 

We shot the film a month ago in Connecticut and New York. The film was made by a group of friends committed to the craft of narrative storytelling, and most importantly committed to creative collaboration. This supportive environment enabled us to succeed in shooting a very ambitious film.

Now it's time to bring the film into post-production. So far we relied on the support of our fellow independent filmmakers in  New York as well as my Columbia classmates to shoot this film on a shoestring budget. The film is stored on hard drives and in order to get it through the post-production process we need your help.

The process of filmmaking has made me aware that no one can carry the weight of an independent film project alone. In order to respect the integrity of our cast and crew for all of their hard work, and for the inclusion of complex female narratives in film, I am turning to you for your support to help us bring this film into the world. It really takes a community to make a film!

WHO WE ARE

Director Eimi Imanishi is a Japanese filmmaker born in the United States and raised in France. She studied at University College London’s Slade School of Fine Art. Her first narrative short film Battalion to My Beat (16) was shot in the Western Saharan refugee camps and is screening at TIFF this year as part of their official selection. She lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.

Writer and Producer Julia Thompson is an MFA candidate in Creative Producing at Columbia University. Over the years she has collaborated on several award-winning short films, independent feature films, documentaries and music videos. She began her career working in the locations department on studio films and television productions in NYC. In 2015 she won the Michael Haussman Award for Excellence in Producing at the Columbia University Film Festival. 

CINEMATOGRAPHER Christian Cruz is a Venezuela born US citizen. After serving in the US navy he turned to work professionally in the camera department on independent film sets. A collaborator by heart, he aims to create images that represent the vision of the director, with a strong belief in framing with the story in mind. Christian currently lives and works in New York, USA.

EDITOR Andrew Stephen Lee ( b. 1988, San Mateo, CA ) is an first generation Asian American Director based in New York City. Before moving to Manhattan, Stephen received his BA from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He worked closely with Magnum Photographer Jim Goldberg before becoming an MFA Candidate in Columbia University’s Graduate Film Program. His last film Touch premiered at the 2015 Los Angeles Film Festival and played at Clermont Ferrand's International Competition in 2016.