ABOUT THE FOUNDATION
The Ash Christian Film Foundation (TACFF) was established to further the work and legacy of an Emmy award-winning actor, director, and producer filmmaker who dedicated his all-too-brief life to directing and producing independent films and giving voice to the underserved.
Ash's Story
Dallas native, Ash Christian was an Emmy Award-winning producer, actor, filmmaker, and LGBTQ activist. He died in his sleep on Friday, Aug. 13, 2020, while vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. He was 35 years old.
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Christian was a prolific filmmaker with numerous projects in various stages of production like “As Sick As They Made Us,” Mayim Bialik’s directorial debut starring Dustin Hoffman, Candice Bergen, and Simon Helberg; “Nightfall,” with Matt Bomer and Sam Worthington, directed by Addison McQuigg (“Bloodline”); and “The Sixth Reel,” directed by and starring Charles Busch and co-directed by Carl Andress.
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Christian had several new releases in the works, including “Chick Fight” with Malin Akerman, Fortune Feimster, and Alec Baldwin, coming out this fall, and “Paper Spiders,” featuring Lili Taylor, Max Casella, and Peyton List.
Christian had recently worked with Jordan Levine on “After Everything” with Marisa Tomei, Gina Gershon, and Jeremy Allen White, and “Burn,” with Josh Hutcherson, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, and Suki Waterhouse.
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Christian's love for entertainment began in a little community theatre in Paris, Texas. At 14 years old, he began writing and directing short films. At 16, he took off to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams of being an actor. At 19, he wrote, starred, and directed his first feature film, “Fat Girls,” which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and won the Outstanding Emerging Talent Award at L.A. Outfest 2006. Christian was also known for several of his television roles, starring in “The Good Fight,” “The Good Wife,” and “Law and Order.”
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Under his own company, Cranium Entertainment, Christian developed and produced feature films for both specialized and mainstream audiences. He went on to produce dozens of award-winning films and productions like “Hurricane Bianca,” “1985,” “Hello Again,” “Social Animals,” and “Coyote Lake.”
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Christian was based in Dallas, and he had lived in New York, where he also had his hand in Broadway producing, including the award-winning musical, “Next to Normal.”
