Biography

Ashton Avila grew up in Los Angeles, California. She received her BA with a major in Film Media and a minor in Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Rhode Island. She spent a year working in Los Angeles as a production assistant for NBC before attending Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University, where she received her MFA in Film Production with an emphasis in Directing. 

In addition to working in education, Ashton currently resides in Los Angeles and has been working in the entertainment industry for over a decade. She has shadowed directors David O. Russell, Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum and Martha Coolidge. She has been mentored by David S. Ward, Anne Beatts, Colleen Camp, Carl Ellsworth and many others. Her background includes work in production, casting and development. 

As a teacher, Ashton values practical assignments that give students hands-on experience that will translate to the workplace and brings networking opportunities to her courses to help students prepare for that next step after graduation.