Jo Ho

Repped UK Screenwriter and Director

Personal Details

Name: Jo Ho

Last visit: Nov 15, 2008

Interests

Boxing (I like to do this with my trainer, but don't like to watch the sport - it's too violent...and yes, I know how that sounds, I plead woman). Love cats, children and the sound of running water. House renovations, cooking and walks along rivers. Plus I'm a mean gamer.

Books

Coraline, The Kitchen God's Wife, Stardust - The Illustrated Story, Rebel Without A Crew, Buffy and West Wing scripts, One Child, A New Earth.

Movies

In no particular order: The Professional, Kung Fu Hustle, Edward Scissorhands, Oldboy, Little Miss Sunshine, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Babel, The American President, Million Dollar Baby, Eat, Drink, Man, Woman, The Ice Storm, Spirited Away, The Princess Bride, A Chinese Ghost Story, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Television

The West Wing, Buffy, Dexter, Carnivale, Entourage, Greys Anatomy, Sex and the City, Studio 60, Weeds, Oprah, Oprah's Big Give and Extreme Makeover Home Edition.

About Me

Born in Dagenham, Essex, Jo Ho is a British born Chinese screenwriter and director. Originally from an art background, she worked her way through various production roles until eventually moving into writing and directing.

She had her first TV series commission at the age of 25, with DIM SUM. It was picked up by Channel 4 but never made it onto screens.

A few years later, Jo wrote, produced and directed her first short film, ISOLATION 9, which went on to win the best film award at the Buffalo Black and Asian Film Festival in 20076. MONKEY NUT TALES, shot just three months after ISOLATION 9, was funded by the UK Film Council and Film London as part of their digital shorts PULSE scheme. MONKEY NUT TALES went on to screen at the BFI London Film Festival, in Shanghai and Beijing.

In 2008, Jo became a judge for the BBC's first writing scheme targeted at finding British Chinese writers, BBC BITES.

Most recently she has had her children's TV series BO AND THE SPIRIT WORLD commissioned by CBBC. The show is an ambitious fantasy based on ancient Chinese myths and legends and stars a young Chinese girl and her brother, who along with their friends, enter into a mythical Spirit World in order to save the universe from the evil warlord Li and his Shadow Ninjas. Filming begins April 2009.

BO AND THE SPIRIT WORLD will be the first TV drama series, made in the UK that is created and written by a Chinese person.

Jo is a member of Bafta and repped by The Dench Arnold Agency, UK.

Goal

"In addition to my Western projects, it is one of my aims to make films and TV series that show real representation of the modern Chinese experience, ones that are also compelling, commercial projects. The UK needs to start representing the Chinese population within it's media, both in front of and behind camera, and it is my hope that I will be able to contribute to this. I also hope to encourage more females into the film and TV industry, and in particular, those from an ethnic minority background."