Piffen Yonnie

"Cinema is a matter of what's in the frame and what's out.” Martin Scorsese

Yonnie Piffen Productions consists of talented Melbourne based filmmakers who work within the Australian film and television industry. With both feature and short films constantly being made and in development, we welcome interesting and original scripts.

Who we are

“Eighty percent of success is turning up.”
Woody Allen

Ashley Harris (Writer, Director, Producer)

Ashley is the Founder, Creative Producer and Director of Melbourne’s Yonnie Piffen Productions.

With a background in film, education and business management, Ashley completed a post-graduate Diploma in Film and Television – Producing - at the Victorian College of the Arts in 2005. Ashley followed that course up at the same college with a Masters in Film and Television – Script Writing.

In 2011, Ashley produced a Film Victoria funded, 27-minute short film titled, Tethered, which was nominated for and won various global awards.

Ashley also released a short film Long Way Down in May 2015. How Do You Know Chris? producer Steve Jablonski and Ashley produced this project while Ashley directed it. This film received several awards and was accepted into various film festivals around the world.

Ashley has collaborated with two Melbourne-based writers on two feature films respectively entitled How do you know Chris? and Methland. Both are low budget, character-driven films. The film How do you know Chris? received a national cinema release in 2020 before streaming for two years on Stan and was directed by Ashley. Methland is currently in development. 

Steve Jablonski (Producer)

Steve is a Creative Producer and Director with a long and extensive history working in the film, television and related media industries.

Having honed his craft over the last two decades, he is highly experienced across all stages of the production process from conception through to development, preproduction, production, post-production to completion, delivery and distribution.

Steve possesses a strong passion for storytelling and creating audio visual content across all platforms. With a clear understanding of audience, Steve’s ability to combine creativity and strategic thinking leads to bold, original and engaging content.

His broad range of experience spans film production (drama, documentary) and broadcast TV (scripted, factual), commercials, branded and integrated content as well as digital, live event, experiential and alternate media production.

Steve’s debut narrative feature as Producer was an independently funded film adaptation of Dostoevsky’s masterpiece novel Crime and Punishment... “a wicked tale of murder, sex, love and redemption”. The film premiered at the prestigious White Nights Festival in St Petersburg (Russia), the home of White Nights festivals and Dostoevsky’s hometown. It won numerous awards at film festivals around the world including seven best film awards, and three acting awards with more nominations and official selections adding to the list. How Do You Know Chris? is his most recent feature film with a slate of projects in development.

Along with these achievements, Steve has produced and directed numerous short films that have screened and won awards at film festivals both nationally and internationally, including Academy Award qualifying festivals.

Steve is a graduate of the renowned Victorian College of the Arts, attaining a Graduate Diploma and Master’s Degree in Film and TV.

Lilly Dawson (Casting Director)

Lilly Dawson has worked extensively in the entertainment industry for over 20 years primarily as a Casting Director.

She has worked on international films and television series and has cast video clips for Beyonce and U2 - as well as numerous worldwide campaigns. Lilly is now based in Los Angeles.

Over the past decade Lilly has welcomed talented artists from all around the world to Los Angeles for her development training program Hollywood Immersive. HI has attracted artists from 30 countries to participate in over 50 programs in LA.

This program has seen many performers break through and be signed in the US and other territories and go on to enjoy great professional success.

Since 2019, HI has been focusing on production. HI’s most recent work has seen Lilly producing content for the US State Department. She is head of content for the USA Pavilion, for World Expo 2020, Dubai.

Her most recent production was shown at The White House. Her role will see multiple productions developed in the lead up to the “Greatest Show on Earth” at Expo 2020 Dubai, now opening in October 2021. Lilly Dawson is represented by Buchwald Talent out of their New York office.

Where we come from

“There are no rules in filmmaking. Only sins. And the cardinal sin is dullness.” Frank Capra

We are a product of our own city and believe in telling stories and delivering awe-inspiring imagery that encapsulates Melbourne and Victorian locations.

Our philosophies

“We don’t make movies to make money, we make money to make more movies." Walt Disney

Our passion is film. Film is our life. We have stories to tell and will do all we can to make sure they are told.

How we work

“A great movie evolves when everybody has the same vision in their heads.” Alan Parker

When we’re not making films, we’re making television commercials through our sister brand, ANNIX. Our team works with each other all year round. When we’re not making TVCs we’re developing and making short and feature films.