First Impressions

After six months of dating, Christian, a twenty-something Filipino man, decides its time to introduce his girlfriend, Courtney, to his traditional Filipino parents. Over dinner & coffee, life-altering secrets pour out, which threaten to ruin Christian’s relationship with both his parents and girlfriend.

Ashleigh Coffelt is a Filipina American director and cinematographer based in Los Angeles. As the child of a first-generation Filipina immigrant, she went on to study psychology and business, earning her BS in Psychology, Business & Electronic Media and Film from Towson University. Ashleigh has gone on to be a Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab Semi-Finalist, as well as having been awarded numerous awards, including “I For I” (director, cinematographer), winner of Best Director at Festival de Cannes with the Creative Mind Group & RAW: Baltimore Filmmaker of the Year. Ashleigh’s stories focus on her experiences, combining an array of themes, including identity, relationships & psychology. She is currently in the development of a feature film tackling mental illness portrayals as well as a Choose Your Own Adventure episodic series for the streaming platform, Twitch.

Plays in

Shorts Program IV: DIASPORA