Great News! Ashton Pina’s film, “Nana’s Boys” is now available on:
IN THE NEWS!
PURPOSE comes first when you ask Ashton Pina, MBA’15 about any of his projects. AND, THERE ARE MANY!
September 22, 2022, in The Reckoning Magazine article by Dionne N. Walker, the storyteller, strategist, collaborator, mentor and advocate, MCNY Media Management Alumnus Ashton Pina, discusses his feature-length film debut, Nana’s Boys.
Black Queer Filmmaker Brings Shattering Romance ‘Nana’s Boys’ to Out On Film
For just about everyone, year one of the Coronavirus pandemic bought both losses and gains. Self-described “outrageous storyteller” Ashton Pina was no exception: Starting the lockdown as up-and-coming communication professional in a committed relationship, the queer storyteller ultimately ended the first chapter of the Covid crisis as an unemployed, single man.
From those losses, however, came one tremendous gain—the framework for a cinematic exploration of love and transition that, until recently, had only lived in his very creative head.
The fruit of his journey materializes in Nana’s Boys…Read the article in its entirety.
Watch the trailer for Nana’s Boys
New York Screening/Streaming Information:
“Nana’s Boys” will be screened on October 15 at The LGBT Community Center as part of the 34th Annual New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival. The film will be streaming from October 13-25 and available digitally later this year. For information on the film, tickets and more, visit NewFest.org or nanasboys.com.
More About Ashton Pina
Ashton Pina is an award-winning storyteller committed to empowering and amplifying the voices of Queer folks and People of Color. Ethnically, his family hails from Cabo Verde and was raised in New Bedford, Massachusetts. His academic training has contributed to his success as a storyteller and his extensive background in hospitality and customer service operations has fueled his heart to serve. With a fierce passion to empower the next generation of storytellers, Ashton supports LGBTQ+ youth filmmakers through the Queer Storytelling Project and recently launched a non-profit to award scholarships to HIV+ college students. He takes great pride in showcasing diverse storylines (like In The Paint or FAYTH) that connect and inspire global audiences.
“The MBA in Media Management from MCNY gave me practical tactics and tools to understand the business side of the entertainment industry,” says Ashton Pina, MBA’15, “I am confident in reviewing contracts, designing marketing strategies, and building business plans for film and television projects. Because of my coursework and diverse network of professors at MCNY, my debut independent feature film was acquired by a major distribution company.”
As a media strategist, Ashton’s tenacious spirit has resulted in coverage in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Forbes, Inc., Business Insider, Fast Company, Food & Wine, and other publications. He closely supported Radha Blank on Netflix’s The Forty-Year-Old Version as Director’s Assistant and has been blessed with amazing opportunities like working with Yvonne Orji, Lena Waithe and Beyoncé. Ashton currently works as a commercial producer at an award-winning healthcare agency and resides in Puerto Rico.
Photo Credits: top image-Daniel Eggert, bottom-Julian Pearson
