For 32-year-old independent filmmaker and Marine Corps veteran Ashton Defusco, the journey from military service to filmmaking has been anything but conventional. After serving in Afghanistan, traveling internationally and attending Columbia University, Defusco discovered a passion for storytelling that would eventually lead her into the film industry.
Now based in San Diego, California, Defusco is pursuing a master’s degree at San Diego State University while preparing her next independent film, Limpia, a neo-Western exploring the evolving relationship between two women from different cultural backgrounds.
Her journey reflects a career shaped by travel, personal conviction and a willingness to change direction when her experiences no longer aligned with her aspirations.
A Childhood of Constant Movement
Born in Pueblo, Colorado, Defusco spent much of her childhood moving across the United States, living in states including Colorado, Minnesota, Texas and Wisconsin.
Her mother’s employment in the airline industry provided opportunities for travel, but it also meant frequently relocating.
Although filmmaking was not initially part of her career plans, Defusco recalled experimenting with a video camera during her preteen years, creating humorous skits with friends.
By high school, however, her ambitions had shifted toward military service.
At just 15 years old, Defusco began visiting Marine Corps recruiting stations, determined to enlist as soon as she became eligible.
She joined the United States Marine Corps at 17 and trained as a signals intelligence analyst.
In November 2013, she deployed to Afghanistan, where she served for eight months.
Following her deployment, Defusco experienced a profound change in her personal beliefs and applied for conscientious objector status, a military designation for service members who develop a sincere objection to participation in war.
Her application underwent approximately one year of investigation before receiving approval from the Secretary of the Navy.
Defusco was honorably discharged on October 31, 2015, a date she remembers for an unusual reason.
“I’ll never forget that day because a clown gave me my DD-214,” she recalled, explaining that the Marine who handed her discharge paperwork was dressed in a clown costume for Halloween.
Finding Direction After Military Service
Like many veterans transitioning into civilian life, Defusco initially struggled to determine her next direction.
Rather than immediately entering college or pursuing a traditional career, she spent approximately a year traveling internationally.
Her travels included volunteering in Ghana, visiting Thailand and spending time in Costa Rica.
The experiences provided opportunities to explore different cultures and perspectives while considering what she wanted from the next chapter of her life.
Eventually, Defusco discovered the Warrior-Scholar Project, an educational program designed to help veterans transition into higher education.
Through the program, she spent two weeks studying at Yale University.
The experience encouraged her to apply to Columbia University, where she was accepted and began her studies in the spring of 2017.
Initially, Ashton Defusco had no clear academic direction.
She experimented with subjects including Latin and mathematics, searching for an area of study that genuinely interested her.
That changed when she enrolled in a film class.
After finding her second Latin course increasingly difficult, she decided to replace it with a filmmaking course, a decision that would ultimately reshape her career.
“Ever since that filmmaking class, I’ve had a dream,” Defusco recalled, describing a moment when she realized filmmaking was the direction she wanted to pursue.
Her growing interest in cinema also connected with her experiences traveling internationally.
Having visited 26 countries, Defusco found that studying international films offered a similar opportunity to experience unfamiliar cultures and viewpoints.
“Each new film was like traveling to a different place,” she explained.
From Film Studies to Production
Ashton Defusco initially focused on studying cinema, but her interests gradually expanded toward creating films herself.
In 2018, she enrolled in a screenwriting course that introduced her to the creative and technical aspects of film production.
She later pursued additional production and experimental filmmaking classes while completing her undergraduate studies.
Her degree from Columbia University was in film and media studies, but she increasingly wanted to move beyond analyzing films and begin telling her own stories.
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced Columbia University to transition to online instruction, Defusco recognized an opportunity.
Rather than remaining in New York City for her senior year, she relocated to Los Angeles while continuing her coursework remotely.
The move allowed her to begin gaining professional experience in the entertainment industry before graduating.
Her first significant opportunity came through a connection with an Army veteran who helped her secure work on a feature film called Zeus, a production centered on Filipino boxing.
The experience introduced her to the realities of working on a professional film set.
Defusco graduated from Columbia University in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree and continued working in the industry for approximately two years.
During that period, she also became a mother.
In 2024, she enrolled in a master’s program at San Diego State University, continuing her education while developing her career as an independent filmmaker.
Telling Stories Through Independent Film
Defusco’s filmmaking portfolio includes projects addressing military experiences, personal struggles and unconventional relationships.
In 2020, she shot War Bonds, a film examining military suicide, a subject connected to the challenges facing veterans and service members.
She later completed Stealing Hollywood in 2025, a project in which she took on multiple responsibilities as an actor, director and producer.
Although she enjoyed performing in front of the camera, the experience helped her recognize the demands of balancing acting with the responsibilities of directing.
“I can do my job better as a filmmaker if I’m behind the camera,” Defusco explained.
She emphasized that she has not abandoned acting entirely but believes directing allows her to concentrate more fully on storytelling and managing a production.
For independent filmmakers, those responsibilities can be particularly demanding.
Without the financial and logistical resources of major studios, filmmakers frequently manage multiple aspects of production, including casting, scheduling, location scouting and fundraising.
Defusco acknowledged that independent filmmaking provides creative freedom but also presents significant challenges.
She does not view remaining independent as a permanent rejection of the studio system.
Rather, she considers herself in the early stages of a career where opportunities must be developed through experience, professional relationships and participation in film festivals.
“I’m discovering my own path, which everyone has their own path in the film industry,” she said.
Her Next Film: Limpia
Defusco is currently preparing her next film, Limpia, a neo-Western set in San Diego.
The story follows two women, one white and one Chicana, who begin as enemies before gradually developing a friendship.
Although Ashton Defusco declined to reveal the complete storyline, she described the relationship between the two women as central to the film.
The screenplay took approximately two years to develop and has now entered pre-production.
Defusco is finalizing production logistics, including locations, casting and crew arrangements.
At the time of the interview, most of the cast had been selected, although she was still searching for an actress to portray Ruby, the Chicana co-lead.
The production was being planned for September, with Defusco intending to focus primarily on directing rather than performing a lead role herself.
She explained that her experience on Stealing Hollywood helped her recognize how difficult it can be to act while simultaneously directing and overseeing the needs of an entire production.
For Limpia, she wants to give the story and performers her full attention.
The project also represents another step in her development as a filmmaker while completing graduate studies at San Diego State University.
The Challenges of Building an Independent Career
While Defusco has gained experience on professional sets, she remains committed to building her portfolio through independent productions.
She explained that entering the studio system is not simply a matter of choosing between independent and major productions.
For emerging filmmakers, especially those seeking careers as writers and directors, securing opportunities often requires years of developing projects, submitting films to festivals and establishing professional connections.
Defusco has worked on studio productions as a production assistant, but she has not yet directed a studio-backed film.
She remains open to those opportunities in the future.
For now, her focus is on developing her own creative voice and continuing to learn through practical experience.
Her journey has also reinforced the importance of collaboration, particularly among independent artists who rely on networks of actors, production professionals and other creative contributors.
Although she was not actively seeking general volunteers for Limpia during the interview, Defusco expressed appreciation for those willing to support independent filmmaking.
Following Her Own Path
Looking back on her journey, Defusco sees a connection between her experiences in the Marine Corps, her international travels, her education and her filmmaking career.
Each stage required her to make decisions about what she believed was right for her, even when those decisions led away from a conventional path.
Her decision to leave military service as a conscientious objector was particularly significant, as it required her to confront a change in beliefs after years of wanting to become a Marine.
Later, her decision to study film emerged unexpectedly during a period of academic uncertainty.
For Defusco, those experiences reinforced advice she received from her father about trusting her instincts.
“My dad always told me, listen to your gut, listen to your intuition,” she said.
She believes self-awareness and understanding one’s personal values are essential to making meaningful career and life decisions.
Her advice to young people interested in filmmaking, or anyone struggling to determine their future, is to remain true to themselves rather than follow a path simply because it is expected.
“Self-awareness and self-knowledge is really key to that,” she said.
From a childhood spent moving across the country to military service in Afghanistan, international travel and eventually the film industry, Defusco’s journey has been defined by exploration and reinvention.
Now, as she prepares Limpia and continues her graduate education, she hopes to build a career telling stories that introduce audiences to different perspectives and experiences.
For Ashton Defusco, filmmaking is more than a profession. It is another way to explore the world, understand others and share the stories that connect people across cultures.
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