THE LAST ASHLYN, 9min,. USA
Directed by AJ Moss
A young girl in an ancient, fantasy world attempts to stop her mother and father, the last of her family, from dueling to the death over honor and spite.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

For a decade I have slowly added to this fantasy world as both a hobby and in hopes that one day it might become something more. I wanted to tell something very contained and personal so I chose this small story that took place early on in the world when the world was at a very low point filled with war and division. It reflects a lot of the division I see in our world today.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

I wrote the script about 2 years ago but circumstances with cast and crew demanded that we keep pushing the production date until we were all ready to make something we knew we could be proud of. When we finally started production it I think we all felt the wait was worth it.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Beautiful tragedy

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Circumstances demanded that we reshoot a chunk of scenes but it also gave us the opportunity to make the film a ton better.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

Pleasantly surprised! They had a lot of positive things to say and I was happy to hear that so much of the film landed for them.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

When I was 11 or 12 I thought I wanted to be an actor in movies so I started making my own movies. But I quickly discovered a much greater love for creating amazing stories from behind the camera and dedicated my time to directing and screenwriting.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is my favorite film of all time (despite actually being 3 movies). I remember watching the DVDs over and over again as a kid and being wowed by the story telling and overall film making. It's probably a bit obvious that I took a lot of inspiration from it for my short film (The Last Ashlyn).

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

I honestly don't know what else I could recommend. I'm honored to have been a part of it and am very grateful for the lengths the festival went to give me feedback.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

Great! It's made it easy and reliable.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Steak.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

I'm always working on something new. I try to have some idea of what my next short film will be but I'm always writing feature length screenplays in hopes I can find a way to direct my first feature in the near future.