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When flames appeared on a hillside near her home in Pacific Palisades last week, documentary filmmaker Tracy Droz Tragos knew to get out fast. She had witnessed firsthand the catastrophic force of a wildfire while working on the documentary Rebuilding Paradise, about the terrifying Camp Fire that razed Paradise, CA in 2018.
She escaped with her family and dogs. Tragically, as for so many others in the Palisades, Altadena and other areas of Los Angeles, she lost her home and the precious, irreplaceable memories it contained.
The wildfires have severely impacted many in the documentary community for whom Southern California is home. As directors, producers, writers, editors and others in the field take the first tentative steps to process this devastating experience, we asked Droz Tragos if she might be willing to join the Doc Talk podcast. We are grateful that she agreed, in the midst of all that she and her family are going through.
In the spirit of bringing the documentary community together at such a difficult time, and to show our collective solidarity with all who have lost so much, we asked other leading filmmakers and pillars in documentary to join us for a conversation. In this episode, recorded on Saturday, we convene with Oscar-nominated director Smriti Mundhra, a lifelong Los Angeles-area resident who was forced to evacuate from Malibu Canyon; Lucy Walker, the L.A.-based Oscar-nominated filmmaker, and Tom White, the former longtime editor of Documentary magazine, himself a longtime L.A. resident.
Walker’s seminal 2021 film Bring Your Own Brigade explored the Camp Fire in Paradise and the Woolsey Fire that tore through Malibu in 2018, examining missteps by government officials and forest mismanagement that have increased the likelihood of catastrophic wildfires at a time of worsening climate change. (For those who would like to watch Bring Your Own Brigade, it can be streamed for free on the CBS News website).
In the episode we discuss ways to help those who have suffered losses, be they professionals in the documentary or entertainment field or in any walk of life. See below for some of the agencies and organizations providing assistance, as aggregated by Deadline.
Doc Talk is co-hosted by John Ridley (12 Years a Slave, Shirley) and Matt Carey, Deadline’s documentary editor. The show is a production of Deadline and Ridley’s Nō Studios.
DONATIONS
The Motion Picture Television Fund is providing financial assistance, providing supportive counseling, and assistance navigating insurance needs. It also helps navigate the county, state and federal resources available to victims of the fire as well as Red Cross and others. Several industry organizations are funneling donations to the MPTF. Call 323-634-3888 or donate here.
The Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation is providing emergency financial grants to members of the theatrical distribution and exhibition community impacted by the L.A. wildfires, offering hotel placements and re-housing grants, grocery vouchers and meal support, essential hygiene and toiletry supplies, clothing, and funds for transportation. Apply here.
The SAG-AFTRA Foundation is accepting donations to its natural disaster relief fund and has an extensive page of resources for fire-related needs. Donate here.
The Entertainment Community Fund, the organization dedicated to supporting the needs of performing arts and entertainment professionals, has created a dedicated resources page as well as direct pages for those seeking emergency financial relief, and a page for donations. Emergency financial assistance is available for people who are unable to pay immediate basic living expenses such as housing, food, utility bills or health care. Donate here.
The Entertainment Industry Foundation’s Defy:Disaster program, which previously administered funds to victims of the 2023 Maui wildfires as well as the deadly Camp and Woolsey Fires of 2018, is gathering donations. Donate here.
CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort), a nonprofit co-founded by Sean Penn and headquartered in L.A. has deployed an emergency response team to support those near the fires, where air quality is a major concern. They have been distributing cash vouchers, N95 masks, hygiene kits, WiFi sources, charging banks and cellphone batteries, and supporting the undocumented and immigrant communities navigate resources and help with aid applications. Donate here.
In addition, CORE, the CAA Foundation and the Los Angeles Unified School District Education Foundation have launched SoCal Fire Fund to provide immediate and long-term support for community-centered recovery initiatives that aid the most vulnerable impacted by the fires. It is being administered by the EIF. Donate here.
NATIONAL RESOURCES
211 United Way
2-1-1 operates nationwide and connects callers to human service information. This service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even during disasters. Information and resources may be provided for a variety of needs including shelter, cell phone power stations, rent/utility assistance, and disaster response programs. Dial 211 from your cellphone to speak with a trained information and referral specialist. Calls are routed to service centers based on your geographic location. Visit 211 LA here.
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross is one member of the local, state, and federal disaster response community. During a disaster, the Red Cross provides shelter, food, emotional support, health services, clean-up supplies and comfort items. Visit American Red Cross Los Angeles here.
To find open shelters via the American Red Cross click here.
Their Safe and Well website provides a central location for people in disaster areas to register their status, and for their loved ones to access that information. Visit the Safe and Well website here.
Airbnb
Airbnb provides temporary housing options after a natural disaster occurs. Learn more by visiting their website.
CRISIS & DISASTER RESOURCES
Ready.Gov
Ready.gov is a national public service campaign designed to educate and empower Americans to prepare, respond and mitigate emergencies including natural and man-made disasters. For preparedness resources and information on staying safe during and after a wildfire. Visit website here.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Visit the FEMA website for information here.
Find open shelters near you by texting SHELTER and your zip code to 4FEMA
(43362). Example: Shelter 01234. (Standard text message rates apply.)
To register for FEMA Disaster Assistance: Online: www.disasterassistance.gov; Phone: 800-621-3362, TTY 800-462-7585
FEMA tips on how to find short-term and long-term housing after a disaster. Visit here.
