Filmmaker Jess Londono's short film e-Mum is a slightly satirical, completely engaging exploration on motherhood in the age of AI. Emma lives a solitary life with no partner or kids, a point of contention between her estranged mum and her. As an intrusion on Emma's life, her mum delivers an android daughter for her to look after. In Emma's eyes, this AI creation is a mere tool, something that exists to do the tasks that she has no interest in undertaking herself. Emma finds herself gaining a connection with the robot, something that's jeopardised when it goes on the blink and she's left with a human shaped ornament rather than something she can engage with.
In the following interview, Jess talks about her vision as a filmmaker, where the idea of e-Mum came from, and her hopes to bring a Colombian sensibility to Australian films.
This interview was recorded ahead of e-Mum's screening at the 2026 Flickerfest, and is being published ahead of the upcoming screening at the Revelation Perth International Film Festival on 12 & 14 July 2026 as part of the WA Off Kilter Shorts line-up:
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