[photo credit: Ashes to Films]
The Ashes to Films Festival, running January 9–11 at The Huron Substation in Cypress Park, presents nine short films from fire-affected filmmakers who received grants, equipment access, soundstage facilities, and mentorship through a nonprofit founded in the fires’ immediate aftermath.
The festival also screens 16 films created by teenagers ages 14–18 who were displaced by the fires, the result of a free one-week filmmaking workshop offered in partnership with the New York Film Academy Los Angeles. Young participants received equipment, instruction, and a $500 micro-grant to support their projects.
The nonprofit Ashes to Films was established in January 2025 by Shiloh Strong, a photographer and filmmaker with over 30 years in the entertainment industry who lost his own home to wildfire 16 years ago.
The organization said raised approximately $85,000, according to the organization, and secured partnerships with Quixote Studios, Blackmagic Design, We Make Movies, and the New York Film Academy Los Angeles.
“Ashes to Films exists to demonstrate that hope remains unscathed; dreams endure—and so does creativity,” Strong told Variety.
The nine grantee filmmakers include Emmy winners, Sundance-supported producers, and working actors pivoting to independent filmmaking. Among them: David Knott, an Emmy-winning animation director whose credits include conceiving the opening sequence for Disney’s animated series “Recess”; Judy Korin, a five-time Emmy nominee who produced Netflix’s “The Great Hack”; and Carter Hudson, best known for his lead role in FX’s “Snowfall.”
Executive Director Alyssa Dudek, who joined in April 2025, emphasized the organization’s economic significance: “Supporting artists in Los Angeles is supporting the future of the city.”
A free Los Angeles Wildfire Summit on January 7 at Quixote Studios in West Hollywood precedes the main festival, featuring industry leaders, city officials, and the world premiere screening of “Afterburn: The Psychological Fallout of the L.A. Wildfires,” directed by Logan Thomas Peterson.
The festival takes place at The Huron Substation, a Los Angeles Historic Landmark built between 1906 and 1908 that originally powered the region’s Yellow Cars streetcar system. Tickets are $15.
For more visit https://www.ashestofilms.org
