[photo credit: Eventbrite]
The screening, titled “We Are Not the Disaster,” will showcase films made through grants from Ashes to Films, a nonprofit that provides funding, mentorship and production resources to fire-affected artists, according to the organization’s press materials. The Eaton Fire, which ignited on January 7, 2025, destroyed more than 9,400 structures, according to Cal Fire, and the five filmmakers in this program were among those directly affected. The event brings their work to a venue less than five miles from the Altadena neighborhoods where the fire caused its worst damage.
The films cover a range of subjects rooted in the fire’s aftermath. Eric A. Dyson’s “Altadena: The Heart, The Art, and The Soul” explores the community’s cultural identity. Kristen O’Meara’s “Eaton Alive” follows life in displacement. David Knott and Jennifer Kim created the animated “Disaster Cats.” Carter Hudson, an actor known for the FX series “Snowfall,” directed “Doula.” Kerry Ann Reid’s “Primal Scream of the American Housewife” rounds out the program.
“Ashes to Films was founded to champion creative recovery,” said Shiloh Strong, the organization’s founder, in a press 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 to a wildfire in Santa Barbara 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 March 21 screening follows the inaugural Ashes to Films Festival, held January 9 through 11, 2026, at the Huron Substation in the Cypress Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. That event featured more than 40 films, including nine short films by adult grantees and 16 by teen participants in the organization’s young filmmakers program, according to Discover Los Angeles.
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 offer attendees the chance to speak with the filmmakers.
The screening runs from 7 to 9 p.m. in the church’s sanctuary at 500 E. Colorado Blvd. Admission is free. Tickets are available on Eventbrite. Free parking is available at the rear of the church, with the entrance off Green Street.
First United Methodist Church of Pasadena, which occupies a neo-gothic building dedicated in 1924, has served the Pasadena community since 1874, according to the church’s website. The congregation is located in the Playhouse District.
“These films prove that while a disaster may have happened to these artists, they are not defined by it,” Strong said.
“We Are Not the Disaster” Film Screening and Reception Saturday, March 21, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Cost: Free. For more information click here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/we-are-not-the-disaster-films-by-eaton-fire-impacted-film-makers-tickets-1983149196632
