Astin Rocks.

🎞️ BRONZELENS 2026 🎞️

Finally! Just had my first Bronzelens experience!

🏆 Screened my short film I KNOW IT’S ME for the first time in a traditional theater. My family, my friends, 🎬MY CREW🎬, and nearly all my coworkers came out 🤎

🏆 Moderated the Young & Hungry: The New Filmmakers panel! Such insightful knowledge about trusting the path - no matter how irregular it looks at first 🤎

🏆 Attended the awards show! Congratulations to all the nominees! Felt good to support. 🤎

Thank you Jason D. Gregory for encouraging me to submit this year! It was an honor to be considered.

Onward!

1st & Last Photo by Francesca Lowe 📸

WE WON BEST ☄️SPECIAL FX ☄️!!!

Ahem.

A week ago, I KNOW IT’s ME premiered at Carpool’s Drive-In Film Festival! I want to give DeShon Green (DeShon Green ) and Qiana Camille a huge shout out for pulling off a grassroots film festival for the second year in a row! We had such a good time watching our film on a hot summer night amongst friends! Congratulations to the other films as well.

We also want to thank for our first award! It’s only up from here!

Shout out to our Editor and SFX Designer Arielle Wallace!

Oh! And thank you to my friends that came out and watched it with me! Unforgettable 🌙.

FRIDAY, JULY 31 9PM

Come see “I Know it’s Me” at Carpool’s Drive-In Film Festival

Get CODE: BCSC15 (15% off) While supplies last!

Director: 💁🏾‍♀️
DOP: Colleen “Colbie” Inez
ProduceHer: Ceci Leon
Starring: me + Magic Monroe®
Art: Alfred Ward
Gaffer: Rayshad Pitts
DIT: Mimi🍭
AC: Daniel Gilstrap
Sound: DeShon Green

✨ UPCOMING SCREENINGS ✨

7/31 9pm - Carpool’s Drive-In Film Festival - Atlanta Metropolitan College 🟢 Lot • Message me for a Ticket Code!👾

8/21-30 - BronzeLens Film Festival - Tara Atlanta (TBD) 🙂

Yeah. I should mention that we got into BRONZELENS 2026!

A labor of love and true vulnerability, I wouldn’t have guessed I’d have two chances to share my story with the city, this summer!

Don’t miss the first screening, happening at Carpool’s Drive-In Film Festival next week! Link in my bio. Be there or be rectangular.

My name is Astin, and I rock.

Today, I’m 36. 🎂🎆 ♋️

Thirty-five was no walk in the park. One thing that I learned, ultimately, is this:

I know it’s me.

Pain hides in me. Change starts with me. Healing begins with me.

It was me holding on to the past this whole time. It’s me afraid to take charge of the future.

It’s me that learned how to give me myself grace.

It’s also me that learned when to take breaks. When to recognize burnout. When to refocus my creative attention.

Despite some very challenging moments, I managed to return to filmmaking.

Shout-out to Carpool’s Drive-In Film Festival for being the first film festival to accept my newest short, I KNOW IT’S ME. I’m super-excited to share something short, sweet, and personal after a long time away from the lens.

This film is for all my Black women holding it in. Reminder: You don’t have to.

ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL RECAP PART TWO:

Thank you to all the filmmakers that showcased their work at the festival this year! It was an honor to program your work, moderate your screenings, and get photographic evidence that we met!

Can’t wait to hear about what’s next for you and your stories! Y’all truly made one to remember.

ATLFF RECAP PART ONE 🎬:

THE SHORT FILM: The Medium vs The Calling Card

This year, I hosted my first CREATIVE CONFERENCE panel! I chose five of this season’s most exciting storytellers and we broke down why the short film is more than just “the proof” that you can direct:

It’s the Practice.
It’s honoring when the story has no more to say.
It’s art, simplified.
It’s creating room for more stories to be told, so we don’t have to wait to tell them.

To the Directors pictured, thank you so much for volunteering your time and wisdom to a valuable discussion! 🎤

Friends, if you’re checking out on VIRTUAL, look for these titles listed below-

- “INTERVIEW WITH A HERO”

- “OH HAPPY DAY” film is going to ABFF!

- “BY A HAIR” *get the soundtrack, too! 🎶

- “WHAT ARE GRANDCHILDREN MADE OF” ✨WINNER of Best GA SHORT✨

- “HIGH WATER”

Make sure you follow these Directors and their careers!

✨ And a special shoutout to LINDA BURNS for giving me my flowers in the third pic. I felt so awkward 😅 and very much seen. 😌

whyastinrocks

📸 : THE

TODAY!

Join us today! We’re talking about the landscape of short films and why they’re important! Come thru!

THE SHORT FILM:

THE MEDIUM VS THE CALLING CARD

TARA THEATER

1:30PM