In a showcase of talent and creativity, Port Chester High School senior Toni Ash has garnered significant recognition by producing a film titled “The New Normal,” earning her a top 10 standing in a contest for the Ghetto Film School’s Fellowship Program.
Click here to watch Toni's film "The New Normal"
The Fellowship Program, a visual storytelling course for high school students, involves more than 1,000 hours of immersive, college-level training over the course of three years. Courses cover both the art and business of cinematic storytelling and production training from leading filmmakers and industry experts. Fellows may also receive college application advice, test prep support, and internship placement at top media and creative companies.
Toni discovered the Fellowship Program through her mother, a Delta alumna, who received word from her chapter about Delta GEMS (Growing & Empowering Myself Successfully), an organization that aims to assist African American adolescent high school girls in reaching their goals. After connecting with the Delta GEMS, Toni befriended a student with common interests who told her about the Ghetto Film School. She was accepted into the program after a lengthy application process.
In addition to the Fellowship Program, Toni is in her second year of Jesse Fernandez’s International Baccalaureate (IB) film course at Port Chester High. In the course, she is building on what she learned in her first year, developing critical thinking and analytical techniques.
“I always knew I wanted to do something in the arts,” Toni said when asked why she decided to pursue filmmaking. “My mom, who is an interior designer, has always inspired me to follow my passions.”
Doing just that, Toni joined the Port Chester Theatre Program, took art and photography classes, and even got involved with the Port Chester Council of the Arts. It was in her photography class that Toni’s curiosity for filmmaking was sparked. The rest is history.
According to Toni, producing her film for the Fellowship Program was no small feat.
“I had to work my way backwards,” she explained. “I started with the location, which was actually my mom’s office, and the rest became clear.”
What is the message that Toni wanted audiences to come away with after watching her film, “The New Normal”? To be more light-hearted.
“You don’t need to be in control of everything all the time,” she said.
Toni’s film was shown with that of other contest finalists on September 18 at the Alamo Drafthouse in Brooklyn.
"It went great! I didn't get into the top three sadly but there was a full theater of people who came out to watch, including industry professionals, which was really exciting."