dani
& jo
THE COUPLE
H E R s t o r y
H I S s t o r y
Jo and I first met while earning our MFAs at The American Film Institute Conservatory in Los Angeles. Jo was in his second year at AFI, when I was entering my first semester. I had seen Jo around campus, but we didn't get to know each other until he came to my impromptu birthday party and talked my ear off for three+ hours. From there, we became movie going buddies who shared the same interest in obsessively going to the movie theatre. Like 2-3 times a week. We would see everything from the latest releases to the special screenings of movies like JAWS and GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER at the LACMA. I even made Jo watch GONE WITH THE WIND with me, to my surprise, he actually liked it. Jo would bring me cappuccinos on a regular basis at school, which always added a little sparkle to my studying/prep for my next short film. I would get excited anytime I saw his car parked at school when I drove onto campus. His license plate read “ARUBA JO” on a big red jeep, so it wasn’t easy to miss. Eventually we started to see more and more of each other and to be honest I can’t quite remember when we officially started dating but the rest is history!
It was an AFI party and Dani’s class of filmmakers were just starting off their year. As second year AFI Fellows, we were eager to meet the newcomers, so we joined the festivities. While I had noticed her in the halls in the days before, it was at this party that I officially met her for the first time. I’m pretty sure I had her attention from the start, though she will probably tell you different! Don’t believe it! I heard she was having a birthday celebration coming up, and I said I might swing by (I was absolutely going to be there). We ended up talking for a little bit. The next few weeks and months I charmed her the best way you can get to any producer’s heart — coffee. Lots and lots of coffee, which I would bring her every day. Eventually coffee became movie nights… we’re producers, so it was strictly professional. And then movies became dinner dates… I mean we had to eat at some point, and it might as well be at a romantic restaurant. Before we knew it, it‘s 8 years later and we’re getting married! For those who are wondering, I am still in charge of Dani’s coffee orders.