20 years of ASL Film

2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the ASL Film Festival! What began as a small, student-driven screening has grown into one of the school’s signature creative events, now honoring two decades of storytelling, collaboration and artistic risk-taking.

The program’s roots stretch back to 2002, and include a group of drama students and teachers creating a 22-minute short film, Ascension, set entirely in a handmade elevator constructed backstage, as well as students turning short stories into short films. A few years later, the first official film festival took place—three student-written shorts were shown during lunch in the School Center. The project owes much to a number of dedicated teachers in the English, drama, and visual arts departments, and what began with lo-fi setups and high creative energy has flourished into a hi-tech, student-led tradition that goes from strength to strength. 

By 2017, the festival had transformed into a celebrated evening event, drawing larger audiences and featuring feedback from industry professionals. In 2018, an independent study course was introduced to offer dedicated instruction for student directors. Most recently, the festival moved off-campus to the Everyman Cinema, further raising the bar for production and audience experience.

Throughout the festival’s evolution, its heart has remained the same: students stepping bravely into new roles—writer, director, actor, editor—and learning to tell powerful stories together. This year’s films showcased that spirit, with genres ranging from drama to dark comedy, and themes as wide-reaching as identity, grief and belonging.

This year’s panel of industry guests included House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal and ASL alumna and screenwriter Simi Prasad ’15, who offered feedback and encouragement to the next generation of filmmakers.

As ASL looks back on more than 20 years of student storytelling, the festival continues to be a place where bold ideas take shape, creative voices emerge and young artists learn the joyful—and sometimes chaotic—process of bringing their vision to the screen.