Films
Rain In My Head - 3X WINNER
Genre: Romance
A deeply intimate and poignant depiction of the lives of Sarah and Marie, two deaf individuals who share a queer relationship.
Best Actor Award (Layne Apffel) | Best Director (Chrissy Marshall) | Best Film | Award at Sony Picture Studios
See the film on IMDB
The Last of Us - A Fan Film
Genre: Drama | Psychological Thriller | Post-Apocalyptic
In the aftermath of Joel's death, Ellie's mission of survival becomes a haunting reflection on grief, mercy, and the cost of carrying on. A short film featuring Layne Alba (Apffel) as Ellie from The Last of Us, exploring the complexities of Ellie’s grief in an apocalyptic world.
Exhale
Genre: Psychological Triller / Arthouse Horror
The cigarette as a symbol of control, addiction to the relationship, and the slow destruction of the self—each light and extinguish mirrors a cycle of violence and respite. Each “drag” is a moment of survival, submission, or defiance. The final long breath out. A sigh of death, release, or hollow victory.
About Layne
“'Rain in My Head' was the big winner at the 10th annual Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, taking honors for best film, director Chrissy Marshall and actor Layne Apffel." –Variety Magazine
WINNER: Best Actor, Easeterseals Disability Film Challenge | International Award
Layne Ryn Alba (Apffel) wins the Best Actor award for her protrayal of a Marie, moving through a relationship with the challenge of different languages while also communicating her struggle with thoughts of suicide. Layne specializes in 'still waters run deep' characters – those whose internal intensity fuels the external flame.
“I’ve worked with [actor] Sophia Morales before, so I already knew that she’s an amazing talent that I wanted in all my films, honestly. And same goes for Layne. They’re both so incredibly talented, and I’ve seen them work in a bunch of different mediums, and they nail it every time." –Chrissy Marshall, Director
With over 600 films since its inception, the awards were held at the Cary Grant Theater at Sony Studios drawing celebrities like Jameela Jamiland Peter Farrelly. ABILITY Magazine’s George Kaplan interviewed some of the nominees and presenters in attendance on the orange carpet. Sweeping three major categories, “Rain in my Head” took home Best Director for Chrissy Marshall, Best Actor for Layne Apffel and Best Film.
Article | Video Interview | IMDb | Variety Magazine | Film Freeway
In Layne's Words
Acting truly changed the trajectory of my life. I started acting in 2021 on social media platforms. It was a hobby at first. Just something to do with my time. It quickly evolved into a big passion. I've struggled since that fateful day as a 14-yr-old kid. This was a big deal.
My reels gained attention as my audience grew. They scored me an amazing opportunity to be a part of a film challenge. In 2023 I was cast in the short film, Rain in My Head, which won Best Film and Best Director for the EasterSeals Disability Film Challenge. I am thrilled to be awarded Best Actor for my role in the movie.
I was usually the odd one out when it came to the social aspect of my life. I was born deaf and underwent cochlear implant surgery when I was two years old. This gave me a different perspective on life and it taught me to observe and learn from my environment. This skill helped me with acting. Since I lacked one of the senses almost everyone uses, I studied how people interact and how emotions factor into everything. I saw all the little movements a face can make, and what different body language meant. Studying this– and more– helped me understand people and the world better.
Spiraling
When I was 14 years old, I was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome. This explains my deafness but also told me I was eventually going to go blind. Being a teenager who loved art and drawing, I spiraled into a deep depression. I gave up on everything. Because of the diagnosis, I was forced to look at life through another lens—again—and to rebuild myself from ground zero. This started with simply wanting to live.
To Paint "Life"
After years of learning how to live life well, I now want to show the world the art of being human. This is what pushed me on the path of pursuing an acting career.
The world looks pretty dark and cruel from my perspective as a deaf, queer individual. But it also inspires me to show this world exactly what "human" looks like, behind and in front of a camera.