Ashley Gianni is an award-winning actor, writer, director, and indie film producer whose work spans film, television, and theatre...
Ashley currently shares the screen with Lindsay Lohan in a national Pure Leaf Tea campaign and is on the festival circuit with her acclaimed directorial debut, “Sorority”, a trans-centric short film earning 12 laurels and 6 awards, including the 2025 CinePride Brian Anderson Memorial Award for directing and 2025 Cinema Diverse’s Director’s Choice. Ashley Executive Produced, Directed, Co-Wrote, and starred in “Sorority,” which celebrates sisterhood, identity, and the courage to see yourself fully and serves as a love letter to our trans sisters.
Ashley also Executive Produced, Co-Wrote, and Starred in the award-winning short film “The Fuscos” (12 Official Selections, 3 Awards), a female-driven, queer twist on the classic 70s mob flick. She is currently financing her drag-inspired featured comedy “No Rules”, which landed in the Top 5% of over 120k scripts on Coverfly, placing in 9 festivals and securing 12 laurels. “No Rules” continues her mission to amplify bold, underrepresented voices through humor and heart.
You can catch Ashley in Gone Tomorrow and as Karen Cane in Community Theater Christmas (Amazon), with past credits including Grow House (DJ Pooh), Kiss Me (Jeff Probst), and The White Orchid (Steve Anderson).
As founder of Pizza Bagel Pictures LLC, Ashley champions authentic, intersectional storytelling and has produced everything from web sketches and live comedy to short and feature-length films. A proud SAG-AFTRA, WIF, WIM, and FilmmakeHERs member, Ashley brings her full self, female, queer, and fearless, to every story she tells.
IN FESTIVALS
14 Laurels & 7 Awards
OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
Official Selection 2025 OUT at the Movies
Official Selection 38th Annual Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival
Official Selection 2025 OutSouth Queer Film Festival
Official Selection 2025 CinePride Film Festival
Official Selection 2025 Hell's Half Mile Film & Music Festival
Official Selection Cinema Diverse 2025
Official Selection 15th Annual Catalina Film Festival
Official Selection 12th Hollywood International Diversity Film Festival
Official Selection 2025 aGLIFF Prism Film Festival
Official Selection The Micheaux Film Festival 2025
Official Selection San Diego Film Week 2025
Official Selection Ashes to Films 2026
Official Selection Tag! Queer Shorts Festival 2026
AWARDS
SEMI-FINALIST Outstanding Screenplays Shorts Competition
2ND PLACE OUT at the Movies International Film Festival 4th Annual Emerging Artist Film Grant
WINNER Best Short Film Audience Award 38th Annual Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival
WINNER CinePride Brian Anderson Memorial Award (Dir. Ashley Gianni)
WINNER Cinema Diverse 2025 Festival Favorite
WINNER Cinema Diverse 2025 Director’s Choice
WINNER 12th HIDFF LGBTQ Perspective Award
WINNER San Diego Film Week Women’s Voice Award
COMING SOON
Congratulations on finally coming out! Equal parts orientation, indoctrination, and camp, this satirical 90s corporate training video onboards “late-in-lifers” with everything you didn’t know you needed to survive modern-day lesbianism. Please adjust your VCR tracking.
Beneath the VHS static and bureaucratic absurdity, “The Late in Life Guide to Modern Day Lesbianism”, playfully explores the vulnerability, excitement, and quiet grief of coming out later in life. With affectionate insider humor and heightened camp, “Late in Life”, satirizes the idea that queerness arrives with rules or paperwork, while honoring the very real desire for guidance, community, and belonging. What begins as an instructional tape gradually reveals something more tender, the relief of finally being seen, the joy of shared language, and the comfort of knowing you’re not late, you’re right on time.
FINANCING
No Rules (Feature) Top 5% of All 120k Scripts on Coverfly!
In the glittery ‘90s, a rambunctious Jersey Drag Queen and her best Judy go to extreme lengths to realize their dream of opening their own artistic sanctuary.
Directed by Catriona Rubenis-Stevens
Written by & Starring Ashley Gianni
produced by Laura Scarano
co-produced by Danielle Beckmann
SUPPORT THE FILM
You can make a tax-deductible donation to No Rules through our fiscal sponsor, The Film Collaborative HERE !! And when you cover the transaction fee during checkout, more money will go to No Rules.
Thank you for your support!
AWARD WINNING FILM
The Fuscos
The three estranged Fusco sisters come together on the eve of their Mob Boss father's funeral to fight for liberation amidst the male-dominated landscape of 1975.
directed by Jennie Girardo
written by Ashley Gianni & Danielle Beckmann
in Association with 10 of Cups Productions
WINNER Best Ensemble Award 37th Annual Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival
WINNER Female Perspective Award Hollywood Int. Diversity Film Festival
WINNER Best Female-Driven Cast City of Angels Women's Fim Festival
WINNER Best Cinematography Black Magic Film Festival
WINNER Best Color Black Magic Film Festival
Official Selection 37th Annual Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival
Official Selection Fishnets & Film 2024
Official Selection Picture's Up! 2024
Official Selection Hollywood Int. Diversity Film Festival
Official Selection Imagine This Women's Film Festival
Official Selection 37th aGLIFF Prism
Official Selection Silicon Valley Queer Film Festival
Official Selection NoHo Cinefest 2024
Official Selection Newport Beach Film Festival
Official Selection City of Angels Women's Film Festival
Official Selection LA Queer Film Festival
Official Selection 2024 Blackmagic Film Festival & June Pick of the Month
CONTACT ASHLEY
