A documentary about the aftermath of this year’s devastating Los Angeles wildfires, executive produced by Mark Hamill and Ricki Lake, was released on Vimeo on Wednesday.
Directed by David Goldblum, a Big Rock local who lost his home in the fire, “Big Rock Burning” is a half-hour film that tells the stories of residents affected by the Pacific Palisades fires and captures the process of rebuilding the devastated area.
Following reports that suspected arsonist Jonathan Rinderknecht had been arrested by authorities on suspicion of intentionally setting a spark, the filmmakers opted to bypass traditional distribution and release the film directly to audiences.
“While we have been in ongoing discussions with various distributors, their schedules did not align with our desire to release the film as quickly as possible,” Goldblum said in a statement. “We never made this film to leave it alone. People need closure, and we hope this release will help communities heal. We are using this film to call for change.”
“Big Rock Burning” premiered at Malibu City Hall. Film festival operations include screenings at Mill Valley Film Festival, Santa Fe International Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival, SCAD Savannah Film Festival, and more.
As part of the film’s ongoing impact campaign, Goldblum will be attending a special session of the Council on Global Change at United Nations Headquarters on October 22 to use the film as a call to action.
The session, which will also include the World Bank and Malala Fund, will be broadcast live on UN Web TV.
The filmmakers are passionate about advocating for land management law reform at the local and state levels.
Ten percent of the proceeds from the film’s release will be donated to Disaster Recovery Services at the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu, which provides long-term, holistic, trauma-informed care coordination and resources to survivors of the Pacific Palisades Fire.
Big Rock Burning will be produced by Secret Source Media’s Julie Parker Benello (American Factory, Athlete A) and Bird Street Productions’ James Costa (The Dating Game, Welcome to Chechnya) in association with Goldblum.
Oscar-winning director Brian Fogel will also executive produce alongside Marylou Hamill, Trevor Burgess, Judith Helfand, Oliver Blank and Meadow Fund.
Watch the “Big Rock Burn” trailer below.
