She first developed an obsession for cinema while studying English at the University of Western Australia, with interests ranging from the classics to the avant-garde. In the classroom, Ash enjoys deconstructing films with her students, delving into cinema history, and experimenting with claymation, greenscreens and stop-motion technologies. Some of her favourite directors include Billy Wilder, Stanley Kubrick and Chris Marker. In 2015, Ash was an ATOM Awards judge for the Best Tertiary Documentary category.