Q&A with Filmmakers Emma Josephson
Emma Josephson is a queer screenwriter, director, and editor whose work explores the search for meaning in a chaotic world, often through a surrealist lens. Her award-winning films, including BURY YOUR FISH, have screened at festivals such as Beyond Fest, Tacoma Film Festival, Seattle Queer Film Festival, Atlanta Film Festival, and Dances With Films. A 2025 AFI DWW+ finalist, she also edits branded content and music videos. Recent projects include I FELT LIKE MAGIC and SEW INTO YOU, with new shorts and features in development.
This Q&A is part of the Bushwick Film Fest Filmmaker Q&A series
What inspired you to create this film, and how did the initial idea come to you?
Performance Review is inspired by my broken relationship with my estranged biological father. I’m the eldest daughter of a man who is an addict, narcissist, and psychopath. My dad lied, stole, and gambled away all our family’s savings. He forged my mom’s name on documents leaving her hundreds of thousands in debt all before I turned double digits. This script is inspired by a scenario I’ve played over and over in my head. What if my dad came back? After all this time what would he even want? Maybe he’d want this “job” back.
How do you want people to feel after they see your film?
I know so many people watching may have broken or non-existent relationships with family members in their lives choose their own selfish desires over caring for the people they should. And if you are a child of someone who did that, it’s okay to be angry and it’s okay to for you to shut down and have a million questions that you may never get answers to. And most importantly it’s okay if you choose to not fully forgive them to accept them into your life again if that’s what they are asking for. We are all adults who make our own decisions in attempt to do what’s best for us at any given time, so it’s okay to have boundaries and do what’s best for you to protect your peace moving forward.
What was your favorite part of making your film? Memories from the process?
My favorite part of making this film was the fact that it was shot on film in such a gorgeous house. We put a lot of thought and time into lighting these spaces and visually it turned out to be everything I dreamed of for this film.
Why is filmmaking important to you? Why is it important to the world?
Simply the pursuit of this career as a filmmaker has created such a rich and fulfilling life for myself. There is no finish line to cross and there’s never going to be a point where I’ve learned it all or perfectly executed a vision. All there is to do is keep trying. Every day I get to experience the extreme emotions, uncertainty, and excitement of making films in collaboration with other inspiring artists. The possibilities and opportunities to grow technically and creatively are infinite and will always continue to profoundly shape who I am as a person.
What’s the last film you watched?
I've been working on some other scripts, all in the physcological drama/thriller genre so I've also been trying to consume movies of similar styles and tones. The last film I watched was Black Bear (2020). Such and interesting and strange film.
Early bird or night owl?
Early bird for suuuuure! I love walking to a coffee shop first thing in the morning to plan the day, write or just get some to-do tasks completed. A few times a week I also hike up in Griffith park because there's alot of people out and it's so peaceful.
This Q&A is part of the Bushwick Film Fest Filmmaker Q&A series