Film
Joy’s debut feature 7 KEYS had its World Premiere at SXSW in March 2024 and will have its UK Premiere at Frightfest this summer. 7 KEYS is a thriller starring Emma McDonald (Moonhaven) and Billy Postlethwaite (SILO) as Lena and Daniel, who go on a wild ride through London, getting to know each other in other people’s homes. But what begins as a risky fantasy soon becomes a deadly threat.
Previously, the film was selected for the Locarno Pro ‘First Look’ strand, curated by Locarno Film Festival in collaboration with the BFI.
Press for 7 KEYS at SXSW:
“7 Keys is a white-hot thriller… a lean and mean thriller, flushed with sex appeal, emotional explosions, and sick twists” Mashable
“Joy Wilkinson’s fiery meet cute descends into a must-see psychothriller” Geek Vibes Nation
“7 Keys is about power and obsession. It’s tense, creative, and completely unhinged. 7 Keys is SXSW 2024 gold.” Reel News Daily
“7 Keys channels the sexy, erotic thrillers of the ‘80s & ‘90s… everything you want from a movie within the genre: hot people acting naughty, high-stakes character arcs and innovative, stylistic filmmaking.” Agents of Fandom
“7 Keys not only unravels a thrilling narrative but also delves deep into the intimate spaces we call home.” Creepy Kingdom
“Stylish execution of a high concept British thriller” The Geek Show
“An intoxicating whirlwind thriller… an unpredictable and haunting rollercoaster” The Film Experience
“Hums with electricity… a sexy smart surprise” Next Best Picture
“A thrilling introspective on loneliness” The Daily Grindhouse
“7 Keys’ delicate dance of intrigue, suspense, and horror… Joy Wilkinson’s Hitchcockian love-lorn nightmare weaves through London on a fast track to terror.” Mo Moshaty, NightTide Magazine
Joy is developing feature projects with producers in the UK and US, including sci-fi feature STALAG X for New Republic Pictures and director Francis Lawrence, and original comedy ENTER THE DRAGONS (Jeva Films/Rebel Park), starring Gemma Arterton. The script was selected for the Brit List and won development funding from Creative England/BFI.
Her previous short film, THE EVERLASTING CLUB, is a very modern twist on an old ghost story, inspired by the work of Arthur Gray (Ingulphus). It’s one of Joy’s passion projects and is a proof-of-concept for a longer form version. It was shot during lockdown and enjoyed an extensive festival run, with selections world-wide from St Louis and the London Short Film Festival to Monster Fest, Ax Wound and India’s Wench Festival for female-led genre films, winning several prizes along the way. You can watch the trailer here and follow #TheEverlastingClub for updates.
Joy’s directorial debut MA’AM won funding from the international Bumble Female Film Force. It had its premiere in 2020 at the BIFA-qualifying Shortest Nights Festival, its US premiere at the Oscar-qualifying St Louis International Film Festival, has been selected for numerous other festivals world-wide, and won several awards including the top prize for Emerging Talent at London’s New Renaissance Festival. More details on FFF here and follow Ma’am on Twitter for updates.
She is a Screen International Star of Tomorrow and was selected as one of Den of Geek’s ’50 Brilliant Screenwriters to Watch Out For’. She was selected for the iFeatures development slate and the Guiding Lights initiative, which paired her with mentor Sir Kenneth Branagh.