Acclaimed as one of Australia’s finest young jazz vocalists, Emma Franz has had seventeen years experience fronting bands and working with many fine Australian musicians in performances at prominent jazz clubs and festivals in Australia and overseas. She is a recording artist and session vocalist, a songwriter for Warner Chappell, and in 1998 was a Finalist in the Australian National Jazz Awards.

After working in various capacities on both narrative and documentary shorts and features, Franz made her directorial debut with Intangible Asset No. 82.

Following eight years working around the world enjoying wonderful exchanges and making close friendships through music, I was inspired to make a film that illustrated music as the universal language that it is.

In this feature documentary, the accomplished jazz-drummer Simon Barker treks through Korea to attain a rare meeting with the elusive grandmaster musician, Kim Seok-chul. Following him through Korea, Franz’s film presents a musical, spiritual, and cultural journey of personal transformation. It is a testament to Franz’s keen observational sense, and her musical background, that we are absorbed by subtle insights into traditional Korean music and culture; she never fails to draw us more deeply into the film. The film is a documentary in the truest sense; through Barkers unique and extraordinary experiences, the film displays an overwhelming sense of human interconnectedness.

Intangible Asset No. 82 was an official selection at Silverdocs, HotDocs, and the SXSW Film Festival, and it won Best Documentary at the Durban International Film Festival. Franz is currently working on a new documentary on jazz guitarist Bill Frisell.