Ashes to Films, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit arts organization founded in response to January’s wildfires, has announced the first batch of fire-affected filmmakers who will receive grants and other support to help them make short films.
Ashes to Films was founded by industry veterans deeply affected by the Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires, which killed more than 30 people and destroyed more than 13,000 homes. Ashes to Films supporters aim to harness the idea that creativity and the arts can help people heal from intense trauma.
“Ashes to Films exists to prove that hopes don’t burn, dreams don’t burn, and creativity doesn’t burn,” said founder Shiloh Strong. He is a photographer and filmmaker who lost his home in a wildfire several years ago.
Ashes to Films has raised approximately $85,000 to date and has partnered with notable backers and partners including Quixote, Blackmagic Design, We Make Movies, Echobend Studios, Samy’s Camera, and the New York Film Academy. Creative Coalition alumnus Alyssa Dudek has signed on as executive director. “When you support Los Angeles artists, you support Los Angeles’ future,” Dudek said.
Ashes to Films’ initial group of filmmakers are Selina Covarrubias, Eric Dyson, Carter Hudson, Jennifer Kim, Judy Collen, Kristen O’Meara, Kelly Anne Reid, Elle Schneider, and Maxwell Weidenfeld. The nine participants “represent a diverse group of adults and teens who lost their homes, schools, and communities in the fires. Their films explore resilience, imagination, and recovery,” said Ash to Films. They will have access to production equipment, soundstages, and instruction.
These short films will be premiered at the Ashes to Film Festival, which runs from January 7th to 11th, coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the fires that forever changed the face of the Altadena and Palisades neighborhoods.
Earlier this summer, Ashes to Films awarded scholarships to teenage filmmakers who completed a week-long intensive course and shot their projects on the Universal Studios backlot.
“We are proud to be an early supporter of Ashes to Films and the talented filmmakers they support through equipment donations and access to their facilities,” said Sean Griffin, Quixote’s senior vice president of sales. “These filmmakers deserve to be treated like VIPs, and we’re excited to roll out the red carpet for them.”
Aspiring filmmakers affected by the fires are invited to submit films that explore themes of recovery for the festival’s consideration by December 1. For more information, visit AshestoFilms.org.
(Photo: Ashes to Films young filmmaker Harper Secada-Borrego directs a scene at Universal Studios)
