For Your Oscar Consideration - UNZIPPED: An Autopsy of American Inequality

 UNZIPPED: An Autopsy of American Inequality is in consideration for the Academy Awards and the deep consideration starts TODAY! Please pass this along to any and all Academy members that you know, as I really can't think of many more important topics than making sure our fellow humans are housed. It's THE most basic human right, yet we allow so many of our citizens to sleep out on the streets in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. It's just not right. And we all need to be talking about it until we can really be called a decent civilization, by providing the very least anyone can ask for - shelter. It was an honor and a privilege to help produce this film, and our team, led by director Colin Gray, is all in on doing whatever we can to help make it a world where the most basic needs are being met ... by raising the roof!

 

Many, if not most, Academy members live in Los Angeles and can see the massive and outrageous problem of people living on the streets every day. One can complain about it, or one can do something about it. We chose the latter by making this film. The intent we set out with was to at least start the conversation to find solutions, rather than look the other way, as so many do when faced with this situation. 

A good starting point with any tough subject is always EMPATHY. The NIMBY people who don't care what happens as long as they don't have to see houseless HUMANS in their neighborhood don't seem to realize how quickly it could be them. You lose a job, a family member gets an illness, your rent gets raised, and BOOM.  I've seen it happen to more than one person I know, and no one is as stable as they think they are. We have to start CARING more, because we truly are all in this together. 

 

 

We held a screening at Beyond Baroque on Monday night for Oscar voters to consider UNZIPPED: An Autopsy of American Inequality as a worthy competitor for the Academy Awards, and to raise awareness for our #RaiseTheRoof Impact Hub.  This is a resource that goes beyond the film to help people find help and resources in their area, as well as for those who want TO help and OFFER resources. It was clear that this topic truly affects us all, and it's high time we all did something about it. That is why we're pushing hard for an Oscar nomination. It's not about any personal glory for any of us. but a means to get the word out on a much larger scale, not only about the film, but the ISSUE - and the ways we can all work together to ENSURE that Housing is enshrined as a basic human right. Because it is. 

UNZIPPED is also a finalist for the Anthem Awards in the Awareness and Media category, and we'd be so honored if you would help this project by voting for us there too (anyone can, no need to be in the Academy!). It's nice that we're in the Awareness category, because that's exactly what we're trying to raise - along with roofs. Please vote here - https://celebrate.anthemawards.com/PublicVoting/#/2024/humanitarian-action-services/awareness-media-categories/. Thank you!

I know there are a lot of qualified documentaries, and a lot of very deeply important topics covered, but I really wonder which affect Los Angeles more than our homeless pandemic? Or the world, for that matter. I think about the Olympics coming up in L.A. in 2028, and wonder how they'll erase the inescapable sadness that is the homeless situation all over town? How they'll justify housing an entire Olympic Village for the athletes when they can't find affordable housing for our full time citizens? It's pretty heavy.  I'm currently in Minneapolis taking care of family, where it is starting to get cold. There are major homeless encampments in the city, and people with signs for help at freeway exits and busy intersections all around the Twin Cities and their suburbs. It's the holiday season, and I just don't know how any of us can feel good about any of us sleeping out in the cold. It's truly time to RAISE THE ROOF (that is a hot link for you to follow and get involved!!) for everyone, and I hope so much that you can all help us make it a reality where everyone has safe shelter and enough to eat. This is America, and we need to do far better by our People. We CAN. And we MUST.

UNZIPPED is available to watch now on Amazon Prime and Vimeo, and eligible for you to consider it for the Academy Awards right NOW! Thank you so much for helping us to #RaiseTheRoof!!! We truly appreciate it, and so will all the people we can help together. 

Season's Greetings to All! I miss you, Venice!

Venice Remembers Nipsey Hussle

The world lost a good one in Nipsey Hussle, and Los Angeles is in mourning as he is laid to rest today after a big Memorial at Staples Center, followed by a 25 mile procession through the city.

Venice had its own memorial on the Graffiti Walls, as someone tagged "RIP NIP" there in solidarity with the rest of L.A. Yet another senseless death because of guns and hatred, made worse by the fact that Hussle was a guy trying to make things better for his community, and the world.

He will not be forgotten. RIP NIP!

Love On A Train

I was coming back to the Westside from downtown L.A.with my brother and by the time we neared our stop, the train was nearly empty. I turned to ask him something, and noticed this couple fast asleep across the aisle from me. It was so moving ...  I asked Paul to take a photo.

They are Los Angeles. I don't know their story - and didn't want to wake them to ask - but it was such an L.A. story without words that I wanted to remember it, even if I felt a little invasive taking their picture. Were they coming home from a long day of working several jobs? Were they riding the train because they didn't have anywhere else to go? Were they O.K.? It seemed as though they were, as long as they had each other for support. It looked like the definition of love and comfort to me ... and I wish them nothing but well. And more love.

*Photo by Paul Gronner.

VoyageLA Magazine Interviews The Interviewer

The very kind folks at VoyageLA Magazine posted a nice interview with me this week, and I'm re-posting it here so that you kind readers might have a better idea of what I'm trying to be about here. I was honored to be included in their "Thought Provokers" section, and hope I can manage to provoke some thoughts with each story I write. And, as ever, thank you so much for reading and caring about the stories from our Community, and our world at large. It all starts with caring. Love, CJG

Today we’d like to introduce you to CJ Gronner.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?

I’ve wanted to be a storyteller from my earliest days. Growing up in Minnesota, I always wrote stories and made up adventures for the neighborhood kids to play out, and as I grew up I realized that telling stories is what I wanted to do for my life and career too. I also grew up loving film and the entertainment business, so got involved with film production as soon as I could. I worked for the Minnesota Film Office and P.A.D on several films there before moving to the Big Island of Hawai’i to work in their film office. That led to a move to Los Angeles, the home of filmmaking worldwide. While trying to get multiple feature scripts I wrote on the screen, I also began working in journalism, for multiple publications, with an emphasis on music journalism. Living in and loving Venice, California led to the creation of Blogtown By CJ Gronner, a site that includes all the Venice and music stories I do. As more and more people read Blogtown, more and more writing opportunities arose, and I’m now writing and producing for television and film … while still trying to get those movies made! I love that writing is such an effective way of giving voice to the many people and issues that make up our world, in the hopes that we can have a better understanding of each other … resulting in world peace. Easy!

Please tell us about your art.

I write. I write to inspire, to provoke thought, to encourage, and to let people know that we’re all in this together. I write stories for newspapers, magazines, venues, my own Blogtown, television, ad copy, song lyrics, band bios, and feature length screenplays. The most common feedback I get about my work is that “you made me feel like I was there!” I’ve had people tell me that my stories made them laugh. Made them cry. Made them mad sometimes. Made them think. Made them get involved. Gave them goosebumps. If I’ve moved anyone in any way, I feel I’ve done a decent job.

Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?

I’ve never been motivated by the money part of things, and have struggled mightily over the years as a result. Having acknowledged the reality that activism and commerce don’t always jive, I do my best to stay true to myself and my ideals, while doing my best to also be compensated in a fair and decent way. This is the hardest part about having a writing career, in my opinion … getting paid. You HAVE to do it because you love it, and hope that others will see the fiscal value of your work while you’re at it. I’m great at promoting everyone else – not so great at promoting myself. This is a family trait that we’re all working on. Will write for pay!

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?

You can regularly read my stories at Blogtownbycjgronner.com, or by Google searching for all of the Freelance work I’ve done, for musicians like Tom Morello, Jane’s Addiction, Shooter Jennings, and such storied venues as The Hollywood Bowl, The Grammy Museum, and KCRW (with accompanying photography by my brother, Paul Gronner). I’m currently co-producing a documentary called 90291: VENICE UNZIPPED about income inequality in America with a zoom lens on Venice, where we feel the issue is at its most glaring example. People can donate to our documentary fund here: https://www.documentary.org/project/unzipped

I’m also co-producing a television show for Viceland called “American Junkie”, which will begin airing on September 12, 2018. I’ve also co-created a television show featuring B Real from Cypress Hill that is currently in development. Tune in!

Contact Info:

• Website: BlogtownbyCJGronner.com
• Email: blogtownbycjg@yahoo.com
• Instagram: @CJGronner
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Blogtown-By-CJ-Gronner-118888908130213/
• Twitter: @Blogtownbycjg
• Other: https://www.documentary.org/project/unzipped

Image Credit:
Black and white- Paul Gronner
Blue hair – Bubba Carr
CJ and Paul Blogtown – Venice Papparazzi
At Lollapalooza – Stephanie Hobgood

Matt Ellis Thanks Los Angeles (Venice)

Why don't you stop what you're doing and take a spin around Los Angeles? In his new video for "Thank You, Los Angeles," off the excellent The Greatest Escape album, Matt Ellis cruises Venice (and other parts of L.A. thrown in for good measure), playing in the backseat of an invisibly driven car (steered by director, Phil Harder).

An Aussie ex-pat, Ellis has spent the last decade living, loving, and now thanking his current home of Los Angeles (Venice). Beautifully.

To catch this and the rest of the Ellis catalog live, please join us this Saturday (March 7th) at The Hotel Cafe!

(But probably take Uber vs. trying this yourself.)

LA Arts Online Picnics at The Bowl!

There are so many wonderfully talented people in the Arts community of Los Angeles, and one of the best people at bringing them all together is Venice's own Paige Petrone. She is the Founder and Publisher of LA Arts Online.com, a website dedicated to whole range of Arts within Los Angeles, from food to theater and everything in between.

A highlight of the year for many is the Summer picnic at the Hollywood Bowl that Paige used to put on every year when she was at our dearly departed Venice Magazine, and now continues to host with LA Arts Online.

The big fun picnic was last night at the bucolic green park next to the Bowl. There were booths from a bunch of our favorite restaurants, like Pink's and Chaya and Ca Del Sol, drinks from Angel City Brewery and Barefoot Wines, and a whole area dedicated just to desserts. Stoked.

There are some people that I only see at this picnic each year, so it's something I try to never miss. Old friends caught up and new ones were made, as we all enjoyed the sunset turning to stars while we ate, drank and laughed.

The best part is always the concert ticket included with the picnic, and last night's presentation was Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony, played with beauty and grandeur by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra/LA Philharmonic. It was simply Heavenly to sit and listen to the majesty of the music beneath the majesty of the summer night sky. Pure contentment.

LA Arts Online puts on fun events all year long, while keeping you up on what's great to do around town every month. Check it out and you'll know what's good all the time. Thank you to Paige and her hard working and gracious team that deliver so much fun and bring so many fantastic people together every single time. Love and respect!

Purple Haze!

For anyone who thinks there aren't seasons in California ... behold the Jacaranda!


The sultry purple tree blooms at this time each year, joyously announcing SPRING!! The blooms last for a few weeks, reminding me of the beautiful lilacs that grew in my childhood backyard in Minnesota. They brighten up any street they're on (you just don't want to park under them. The blooms are a sticky mess to get off), and the season is NOW.

I don't think it's a coincidence that the trees burst open every year at the same time that the Los Angeles Lakers are ruling their way through the NBA Playoffs ... nature's homage to the Purple and Gold! (You know the Lakers are from Minnesota too, right? Right.)

The royally hued trees create a purple rain throughout the entire city, and always seem to pop up out of the blue, as a raucous burst of colorful surprise. They make my day. They also let you know that the Coppertone-scented Summertime is not far behind ...

There are some good streets around where both sides are lined with Jacarandas, so that when you drive (or bike or walk) along under them, they create a purple canopy that just feels special. And everyone likes to feel special.

Enjoy them while they last!