Shorts Exclusive: Tony Winner Annaleigh Ashford Joins ‘After Words’ as Executive Producer

Tony Award winner Annaleigh Ashford has lent her name and prowess to a short film to keep our eyes on as this season begin to develop. Filmmaker Isaiah Bryant has created a film about a young, ambitious peformer is surprised by her connection to a jaded writer, and their relationship brings into question ideas of jealousy and how you give yourself to another person as you are trying to present your most determined self. The film stars Clara Spannaus and Toon de Melker.

Bryant’s film debuts on April 13 at the Beverly Hills Film Festival as part of the Shorts 3 block.

Below you can find statements from Ashford and Bryant as well as the film’s trailer.

From Annaleigh Ashford:

“So often, young actors find themselves constantly fighting to manifest their dreams but without a clear goal in sight. This project became a way not only to support the art form that I love, but to tell a story that feels deeply personal—one that explores the challenges of maintaining a relationship when everything hinges on artistry and creative pursuit.

Additionally, producers and stars, Clara Spannaus and Toon De Melker, are immigrants in this country. While the film itself doesn’t directly address that experience, it played an important role behind the scenes. We made a conscious effort to collaborate with people who share a similar journey. Almost the entirety of our cast and crew were not born in the United States, but are here chasing their dreams.

Built on almost no budget, driven purely by passion and a shared belief in its importance, this film represents a collective effort from people who deeply care about carving out a space for themselves in an industry that too often makes you wait.”

From Director, Isaiah Bryant:

“This is not a love story. At its core – ‘After Words’ is a story about how love shapes art and how art shapes love. To me, art and love have always derived from the same place. They are our truest form of human expression. To love is to give oneself. To create is to do the same. We challenged ourselves to create something that felt not only honest but true. If you’re left with anything, I hope it’s a desire to create, but more importantly to love.”