[photo credit: Eventbrite]
Among them is Eric A. Dyson, a member of the church’s congregation and a veteran camera operator with more than 30 years in the film industry. Dyson directed the church’s sesquicentennial documentary, “Building on Faith — The First 150 Years,” which premiered there in late 2024. On Saturday, he returns to the same sanctuary to screen “Altadena: The Heart, The Art, and The Soul,” a film exploring the community’s cultural identity in the wake of the fire, according to press materials from the event’s organizer, Ashes to Films.
The screening, titled “We Are Not the Disaster,” runs from 7 to 9 p.m. in the church’s sanctuary at 500 E. Colorado Blvd. The five films were produced through grants from Ashes to Films, a nonprofit that provides funding, mentorship, and production resources to artists affected by the fires, according to the organization’s press materials.
The Eaton Fire ignited on January 7, 2025, and destroyed more than 9,400 structures, according to Cal Fire. The five filmmakers in this program were among those directly affected.
“Ashes to Films was founded to champion creative recovery,” Shiloh Strong, the organization’s founder, said in a statement. “While relief efforts often focus on rebuilding physical structures, we believe that reconnecting people with their creative voices is an essential lifeline.”
Strong, a filmmaker and photographer who lost his own home in a Santa Barbara wildfire in 2009, founded Ashes to Films in 2025 after the Eaton and Palisades fires, according to the organization’s website. The nonprofit has raised approximately $85,000 and partnered with organizations including Quixote, Blackmagic Design, and the New York Film Academy, according to a November 2025 report in Variety.
The four other films in the program address the fire’s aftermath from distinct angles. Kristen O’Meara’s “Eaton Alive” follows a family living in displacement; O’Meara lost her home and has been living in an RV on her burned lot with her husband, according to the Eastsider LA. “Disaster Cats,” an animated film by David Knott and Jennifer Kim, recounts the true story of a house cat that survived the Eaton Fire and reunited with its owner 32 days later, according to the same outlet. Carter Hudson, an actor known for his lead role in FX’s “Snowfall,” directed “Doula.” Kerry Ann Reid’s “Primal Scream of the American Housewife” rounds out the program.
“These films prove that while a disaster may have happened to these artists, they are not defined by it,” Strong said.
The films will be followed by a Q&A with Strong and Alyssa Dudek, the organization’s senior director of programs and festival, according to press materials. A reception after the Q&A will give attendees the chance to speak directly with the filmmakers.
The Saturday screening follows the inaugural Ashes to Films Festival, held January 9 through 11, 2026, at the Huron Substation in Cypress Park, which featured more than 40 films, according to Discover Los Angeles.
First United Methodist Church of Pasadena has served the community since 1874 and occupies a neo-gothic building dedicated in 1924. Admission is free. Tickets are available at eventbrite.com by searching “We Are Not the Disaster.” Free parking is available at the rear of the church, with the entrance off Green Street. Overflow parking is available at 80 S. Oakland.
The five filmmakers received their grants as part of Ashes to Films’ first cohort of nine adult grantees, selected from artists who lost homes, schools, or communities in the fires, according to the organization. Five of those nine will screen Saturday in Pasadena — in a church where at least one of them has been a congregant for years.
“WE ARE NOT THE DISASTER” FILM SCREENING & RECEPTION Date & Time: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM. Venue: First United Methodist Church of Pasadena, 500 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101. Phone Number: (626) 796-0157. Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/we-are-not-the-disaster-films-by-eaton-fire-impacted-film-makers-tickets-1983149196632?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
