Emma Thompson is such a big fan of Oscar-hopeful short Jane Austen’s Period Drama, she’s boarded the film as “executive menstrual advisor.”
Julia Aks and Steve Pinder’s live-action comedy follows Austen-esque heroine Miss Estrogenia (Aks) as she gets her period during a long-awaited marriage proposal. This leads to a series of comic misunderstandings with her would-be fiancé, Mr. Dickley, as the short inventively satirizes the struggles of both men and women in destigmatizing menstruation.
Two-time Academy Award winner and beloved British actress Thompson — an outspoken advocate for women’s rights and bodily autonomy — called Jane Austen’s Period Drama “a bloody little gem.” She said: “I’ve sent it to everybody, and everybody just goes completely berserk about it.”
“Steve and Julia asked me to EP ahead of their Oscar campaign,” she explained. “But I tend not to take a producer credit unless I’ve actually done some work. But I think a comic title, such as Executive Menstrual Advisor, is something I’m very happy with.” She jokes: “I realize I’m not going to be remunerated in any way. I’ve had a discussion with my agents about it — they can be very violent under certain circumstances — but no, they’re fine. And I love that title.”
“I’ve never seen anybody deal with it in this way,” she added. “It’s such a wonderfully, bravely, revolutionarily funny thing to do.”
Aks said Thompson’s enthusiasm for the film “means the world … She’s a Jane Austen icon and a Dame, for God’s sake,” referencing the star’s Oscar-winning Sense and Sensibility (1995). Pinder added: “Her support adds legitimacy not only to the fight against period shame but to comedies as serious awards fare.”
The film’s Oscar campaign comes on the heels of a notable film festival run. It premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and went on to screen at the Tribeca Festival, with both festivals adding screenings due to popular demand.
The 13-minute film has garnered over 28 awards to date, including the Oscar-qualifying jury award for comedy at Aspen Shortsfest and the highest-rated audience award in the history of the Cleveland International Film Festival. The directors garnered more attention at festivals for publicly providing free period products, cheekily branded “complimentary cotton stoppers.”
Jane Austen’s Period Drama is produced by Elli Legerski and stars Aks (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Ta’imua (Doctor Odyssey) and Samantha Smart (Bull).
Thompson’s recent projects include action-thriller Dead of Winter and Apple TV’s Down Cemetery Road. Her advocacy spans to chairing the Helen Bamber Foundation, supporting Greenpeace and Elect Her and serving as a patron of the Food Foundation.
The Oscar shortlists for live action short and a number of other awards will be announced on Dec. 16, which just so happens to be Jane Austen’s 250th birthday.