New York Times article
“Five Horror Movies to Stream Now”
“The writer-director Luis Ferrer has guts. Not the red and viscous kind you usually see in horror, but the kind it takes to make a deeply unsettling psychological thriller that embraces being small and speaks in silence and whispers, not screams.
In the nearly wordless opening stretch of “Mia,” we watch as Aaron (Shah Motia), a middle-aged drifter, nervously tools around small-town streets before tailing Brenda (Julie Lucido) and her teenage daughter, Emma (Emiliana Jasper), to the motel where they’re staying. Aaron soon abducts Emma, an attack that takes place on the margins of the frame, as do many other scenes in this disorienting and confined-feeling film.
Aaron thinks the girl is Mia, the daughter he’s been desperately searching for since she was kidnapped 12 years earlier. Emma thinks he’s crazy — until she starts to wonder if perhaps he’s right. Whose memory is right? I won’t say more because the surprises of this humanely observed and tenderly acted two-hander are best experienced cold.”
By Erik Piepenburg
iHeart Radio’s
Rated LGBT Podcast
Named one of the industry’s “Actresses to Watch,” Emiliana joins Rated LGBT Radio for a captivating 42-minute conversation about her acclaimed performance in MIA, her film and theater career, and her experiences navigating the entertainment world as a young, talented lesbian actor.
Diversity Rules Magazine
July 2025
Emiliana is featured as the cover story for Diversity Rules Magazine’s July 2025 Edition.
Emiliana Jasper is turning heads as the breakout star of the new psychological thriller MIA, and Diversity Rules Magazine is taking notice. The July issue of the LGBTQ publication features Emiliana on the cover, with a stunning two-page spread inside that dives into her journey, her role in MIA, and why she’s quickly becoming one to watch. Bold, fearless, and undeniably talented, Emiliana brings depth and edge to a story that explores identity, trauma, and survival.
Twin Cities Scene Magazine
MIA stars Emiliana Jasper, an actress who was born and raised in a St. Paul suburb.
This interview profiles actress Emiliana Jasper in celebration of the July 8 streaming release of her latest film, MIA. The piece highlights the whirlwind circumstances that led to her casting, the intensity of the shoot, and her connection to the material. It also touches on her Minnesota upbringing, early theater experiences, and shift from stage to screen. Throughout, the article frames MIA as both a professional milestone for Jasper and a glimpse into her dedication to emotionally driven storytelling.
Windy City Times
July 2025
In his monthly SHOWBIZ article for the Windy City Times, Andrew Davis mentions Emiliana Jasper .
“Lesbian actress Emiliana Jasper stars in the psychological thriller Mia, which is now available on TVOD platforms, a press release noted. The movie follows Aaron (played by Shah Motia), a man unraveling as he becomes convinced that a young woman named Emma (Jasper) is his long-missing daughter, Mia. Emma, however, insists she’s never met him. What begins as a mystery becomes a psychological showdown that forces both characters—and the audience—to question what’s real and what’s imagined. Jasper said, “Emma’s journey is filled with contradiction. She’s not just resisting someone else’s version of her; she’s trying to remember her own.” The trailer is here. “