Empathy Machines

Empathy Machines (EM) is an international production company uniquely positioned to finance, produce, and distribute compelling content across major global territories, with a focus on US, Japan, and China. 

 

Hans Canosa, CEO

Hans Canosa's directorial debut CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER WOMEN (2006), starring Helena Bonham Carter and Aaron Eckhart, premiered at the Telluride Film Festival. The film won a Special Jury Prize and a Best Actress Award for Helena Bonham Carter at the Tokyo International Film Festival, and was released theatrically by Shochiku. Helena Bonham Carter also won the Best Actress Award at the Evening Standard British Film Awards. Gabrielle Zevin was nominated for the Best First Screenplay Award and Ram Bergman for the Producer’s Award at the 2007 Independent Spirit Awards. The film played theatrically in the U.S. and over two dozen other countries.

Hans directed and produced his critically acclaimed second feature, DAREKA GA WATASHI NI KISU WO SHITA (2010), based on the best-selling novel by Gabrielle Zevin, with Sony Music Entertainment Japan and the Toei Company. The film featured Japanese stars Maki Horikita, Kenichi Matsuyama and Yuya Tegoshi, with Anton Yelchin and Emma Roberts in supporting roles. Toei distributed MEMOIRS to wide release in Japan and sold the film throughout Asia.

Hans and producing partner Ash Nukui executive produced a Japanese language remake of the Russian TV police procedural The Sniffer with the Japanese network NHK. Suniffa: Kyukaku sosakan, starring Japanese A-list stars Hiroshi Abe and Teruyuki Tagawa, was the first scripted remake of a Western series to reach Japanese terrestrial broadcast when it premiered in October, 2016. A Suniffa TV Movie Special broadcast in March, 2018.

Hans produced HIDDEN STRIKE, a Chinese action film directed by Scott Waugh, starring Jackie Chan, John Cena and Pilou Asbæk. Released on Netflix in July, 2023, within 24 hours HIDDEN STRIKE was the #1 movie worldwide, ranking #1 in the US and in 54 countries, and Top 10 in 73 countries. In the first three days of release, HS had over 22 million views, with over 37.8M hours viewed.

Hans most recently produced and directed THE STORIED LIFE OF A.J. FIKRY, starring Kunal Nayyar, Lucy Hale, Christina Hendricks, David Arquette and Scott Foley. FIKRY was distributed in the US theatrically in 2022, and released by Universal International globally in 2023.

Ash Nukui, Producer

In the entertainment business, Ash Nukui has worked in movies, video games, theme parks, and events. 

After studying film & TV at UCLA, Ash co-produced his first feature, MEMOIRS OF A TEENAGE AMNESIAC (2010), based on the novel by Gabrielle Zevin. The film featured Japanese A-listers Maki Horikita, Kenichi Matsuyama and Yuya Tegoshi and included Anton Yelchin and Emma Roberts as supporting cast. Toei distributed MEMOIRS to wide release in Japan and the film also played in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia. The film was invited to the 2010 São Paulo International Film Festival. 

Ash's producing credits include the films POSITIVE+, RE:, MEMOIRS OF A TEENAGE AMNESIAC and the TV drama "The Sniffer.”

Daniel Ross Noble, Head of Development

Daniel began his career in unscripted television, working on shows ranging from CBS’s BIG BROTHER to WeTV’s MY FAIR WEDDING. After years in unscripted development and production, he moved into the literary division of the Independent Artists Group. After his agency days, he was an executive for Calamity Jane Entertainment, Thinkfactory Media, and PopSugar. His responsibilities included sourcing IP, developing series pitches, packaging, and selling scripted hours, half hours, MOW’s, as well as unscripted projects.

Daniel was responsible for sourcing and producing the pilot #FASHIONVICTIM, to E! Network, with Mark and Dan Waters. Additionally he's produced scripted features such as LOVER IN THE ATTIC (Lifetime), OSCAR PISTORIUS: BLADE RUNNER KILLER (Lifetime), DATING GAME KILLER (Discovery ID), and SURVIVING COMPTON (Lifetime), among others.

He began producing independently in 2018, specifically focusing on creative in the LGBTQIA2S+ space, science fiction, as well as stories surrounding mental health.

Daniel started the nonprofit Give A Little Drive, is the fundraising chair of SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition, a member of the West Coast Singers, and practices Transcendental Meditation.

Ivy Chu, Director of Development

Ivy started her career bridging the East and West in the media world. Since 2016, she began working on the sets of US-Chinese co-production commercials and films such as THE MEG (2018) and HIDDEN STRIKE (2023). 

Besides physical production, Ivy has extensive experience in TV & film development. Ivy is a Co-Producer of independent film THE STORIED LIFE OF A.J. FIKRY (2022). She also worked as a Creative Executive of COL Studios adapting Chinese web novels to US TV shows. Her responsibilities include evaluating submissions, getting projects green-lit, and leading the operation of the company. 

On a personal level, Ivy is a screenwriter. She is a 2nd rounder of the 2022 and 2023 Austin Film Festival Screenwriting Competition.