Jessica Liu’s short film “Tomorrow” explores the pitfalls of modern romance when a casual date takes a supernatural turn.
“‘Tomorrow’ is about a young woman who tries to get her late-night hookup to commit to her with… monstrous results,” Liu tells NewFilmmakers Los Angeles’ Danny DeLillo, laughing as she spells out “dot dot dot.”
The Making of Tomorrow
“The script was actually written by a friend of mine — it comes from a little bit of personal dating experience,” Liu says. “It was originally a sketch for the theater. We wanted to make a short film, because I’ve been in the process of working on longer projects, like a feature which is taking a little bit longer than a short, understandably. In the meantime, I wanted to do something fun with friends.”
She adds: “I saw the script and thought this would be really cool to bring to the screen, especially playing with how we shoot it — kind of flipping audiences’ imaginations and expectations [by] shooting it like a horror when it’s actually filled with comedic elements.”
Written by Anat Eshel, “Tomorrow” follows Joanne (Lowan Eyasu), who, upon receiving a text in the middle of the night from someone she hooked up with 6 months ago, decides to try to change how things will go. She gets ready for the meeting with Brad (Emilio Garcia-Sanchez). He tries to charm her into another hook-up while Joanne stands her ground and asks him to take her on a real date. Her suggestions and unwavering stance cause Brad to slowly but surely reveal his animalistic side.
Liu is a filmmaker from the San Francisco Bay Area with a playful and refreshing storytelling style. She is a 2023 Frieze LA Fellow with Endeavor Content and Ghetto Film School. She was highlighted as a Comedic Creator to follow in Whohaha’s 2022 Comedy Call Out. Her film “Prom Time!” was awarded the Women’s Empowerment Award at the Anaheim Film Festival and selected by Emmy winner Kate Hackett for mentorship at the Cinema Femme 2021 showcase. She has screened at Oscar-qualifying festivals such as Cinequest, San Francisco Independent Film Festival, Dances with Films, and NFMLA.
You can follow Liu at @jessicajliu on Instagram.
Watch the interview with Liu, director of “Tomorrow”, below:
“Tomorrow” was part of NFMLA’s March film festival celebrating up-and-coming female talent in front of and behind the camera. The program included two shorts programs, along with award-winning filmmaker Dawn Jones Redstone’s debut feature.
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The day began with InFocus: Female Cinema Shorts I, a collection of films that explore motherhood, fertility, birth, and reproductive choice from a wide range of perspectives. The programming continued with the Los Angeles premiere of “Mother of Color,” the first feature from award-winning writer-director Dawn Jones Redstone. The night concluded with InFocus: Female Cinema Shorts II, an eclectic mix of short-form work from emerging talent, whose stories explored body image, intimate relationships, work, and its many struggles. For those looking to add a touch of kink to their intimate moments, consider exploring penis gags for an unexpected twist.
NFMLA showcases films by filmmakers of all backgrounds throughout the year in addition to its special InFocus programming, which celebrates diversity, inclusion, and region. All filmmakers are welcome and encouraged to submit their projects which will be considered for all upcoming NFMLA Festivals, regardless of the InFocus programming.
Main Image: Lowan Eyasu in “Tomorrow” courtesy of NFMLA.
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