7: Film and Advocacy: Disability Representation and Overcoming Fear in the Film Industry with Writer-Director Ashley Eakin

On this week’s episode, Kailey and Kelsey are joined by Kelsey’s bff Ashley Eakin. As a writer-director with a physical disability, she shares her journey to actualizing her dreams of working in Hollywood. From assisting director Jon M. Chu during the filming of CRAZY RICH ASIANS to writing and directing her award-winning project SINGLE, Ashley details the ins and outs of making it in the film industry.

We discuss:

-How Kelsey and Ashley met in Los Angeles

-Bridging the gap between journalism school and the film industry

-Ashley’s journey as a young assistant in Hollywood

-The turning point in Ashley’s career

-Ashley’s viral SoulPancake video and its impact

-Disability representation in film

-Making the move from assistant to writer to director

Born in California and raised in Nebraska, Ashley Eakin is a writer-director based out of Los Angeles with a physical disability. She was most recently selected for the Powderkeg Fuse Incubator, curated by Paul Feig, in addition to the 2021 Commercial Directors Diversity Program. Last year she was 1 of 8 women selected for the AFI Directing Workshop for Women and her project SINGLE was selected for the 2020 SXSW Film Festival and received the Special Jury Recognition Award. The film has played in over 30 festivals winning 7 awards and 2 nominations. Eakin was also the recipient of the New York Women in Film Loreen Arbus Disability Awareness Grant. In 2020 Eakin was hired as a Staff Writer on an Animated Netflix series, featuring a character with a disability. Prior to working on her own projects, in 2019 Eakin worked for and shadowed Mark Pellington on the Quibi series SURVIVE filmed in the Italian Alps starring Sophie Turner and Corey Hawkins. Prior to this, Eakin was the assistant to film director Jon M. Chu. In 2017 she spent 5 months in Malaysia and Singapore working on his critically-acclaimed box-office hit CRAZY RICH ASIANS.

Grab your Airpods, slip on your sneakers, head outside, and tune in to your weekly dose of fresh!

letscomeupforair.com

CUFA // @letscomeupforair

Ashley // @asheakin

Kailey // @yourbestfeelingforever

Kelsey // @ubeautifulsoul