Ashes to Films

“I started Ashes to Films because I’ve lived it.”

Sixteen years ago, while attending school in Santa Barbara, I lost my home to a wildfire. The experience was devastating—not just the physical loss but the overwhelming task of rebuilding. When the immediate crisis passed and the world moved on, I was still navigating the emotional and financial fallout, trying to find stability while everything around me kept moving forward.

I was lucky. I had the support of my friends and family to help me through that time. And when I finally picked up my camera again, I realized that storytelling wasn’t just my career—it was my way of making sense of everything. Creating films became a healing process, a way to take control of a narrative that had felt completely out of my hands. That experience shaped me, and it’s why I started Ashes to Films—because I know what it feels like to lose everything, and I know how powerful it is to rebuild through creativity.

I don’t want filmmakers who’ve lost everything to feel like their artistic dreams have been destroyed along with their belongings. Ashes to Films is here to make sure that doesn’t happen. Through direct funding, mentorship, and an annual festival, we give filmmakers the opportunity to reclaim their voice, tell their stories, and prove that creativity doesn’t have to die in disaster—it can thrive.

• Shiloh Strong (Founder of Ashes To Films)