SGFF Scholar

Ashton Rasolkhani

Creative Producer · Director · Writer

I create work that honors where I come from while speaking to where we're all going. Rooted in Iranian storytelling traditions, built for the culture we're shaping now.

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What I Stand For

01

Integrity

I do what I say I'll do. My word is my reputation, and I protect both by showing up consistently—especially when no one's watching.

02

Growth

I stay teachable. Every project, every collaborator, every mistake is an opportunity to get better at the craft and at being a person worth working with.

03

Accountability

I own my outcomes. When things go wrong, I look at what I could have done differently before pointing elsewhere.

04

Cultural Responsibility

The stories we tell shape how people see themselves and each other. I take that seriously and aim to leave things better than I found them.

Creative Mission

I want to make work that bridges worlds—Iranian heritage and American now, commercial viability and artistic truth, individual vision and collective impact. My aim is to create experiences that move people, whether that's a short film, a live event, or a story that shifts how someone sees themselves. I hold myself to a standard of craft, honesty, and care—because I believe how you make something matters as much as what you make.

How I Show Up

I stay steady under pressure—deadlines and chaos don't change how I treat people.

I take ownership of mistakes quickly and focus on solutions, not excuses.

I seek feedback early because I'd rather adjust course than deliver something off-target.

I prioritize long-term collaboration over short-term ego—the work is more important than being right.

I communicate clearly and directly, because vagueness wastes everyone's time.

I show up prepared—research done, questions ready, energy present.

Selected Work

A selection of projects that represent how I think, collaborate, and create.

Voices of Diaspora Gala event space with warm lighting
Associate Producer 2024

Voices of Diaspora Gala

Assisted in producing a 400-person fundraising gala celebrating immigrant artists in Los Angeles. Managed vendor coordination, run-of-show documentation, and day-of logistics for a six-hour event that raised over $180,000 for arts education programs.

What I Learned

Large-scale events require you to hold the whole picture while executing small details perfectly. I learned that staying calm when things shift is more valuable than any checklist.

Film production set with camera equipment and lighting
Writer / Director 2024

Saffron & Smoke — Short Film

Wrote and directed an indie short exploring intergenerational memory in an Iranian-American family. Led a crew of twelve through a five-day production, managing creative vision alongside practical constraints and a budget of under $8,000.

What I Learned

Resource constraints force creative solutions. I also learned to advocate for my vision while staying genuinely collaborative with the larger team.

Creative workspace with design materials and campaign mockups
Creative Director 2023

Youth Arts Collective — Brand Campaign

Directed visual identity and marketing assets for a nonprofit's annual fundraiser targeting Gen Z donors. Led a team of three to produce social content, event graphics, and a mini-documentary that increased first-time donations by 40%.

What I Learned

Creative direction means making decisions that serve the work, not your ego. Learning to give clear feedback without micromanaging changed how I lead.

Experience

Associate Producer Voices of Diaspora Foundation — Event production and logistics for cultural programming 2024
Creative Director Youth Arts Collective — Brand identity and campaign strategy for nonprofit arts org 2023
Production Intern Participant Media — Research and production support for documentary development 2022
Freelance Writer Various — Short-form narrative and creative copywriting for independent clients 2021 — Present

Education & Development

Education

Fairfax High School

Visual & Performing Arts Magnet

Los Angeles, CA · Class of 2024

GPA: 3.7

Los Angeles City College

Film & Media Studies (In Progress)

Expected 2026

Leadership & Training

Creative Leadership Cohort

SGFF Scholar Program

Peer Mentorship Training

SGFF Scholar Program

Values-Based Life Planning

SGFF Scholar Program

Applied Collaboration Training

SGFF Scholar Program

Where I'm Headed

I'm building toward producing work that lives at the intersection of cultural storytelling and commercial reach— projects that don't ask audiences to choose between what's meaningful and what's watchable. In the next chapter, I want to work with teams who care about craft, collaborate across disciplines, and aren't afraid to make things that haven't been made before. I'm looking for collaborators and opportunities that match the seriousness with which I approach the work.

Let's Work Together

Available for collaboration, production, and creative direction

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