Giving Tuesday! Be A Part Of 90291: VENICE UNZIPPED

Today is "Giving Tuesday", when you get hit up for your end of the year charitable donations. As all of the holiday frenzy begins and the year 2018 is coming to a close, it's a good thing to stop and reflect and think about ways we can all give. It's almost become a trite saying now, that it's better to give than to receive, but that feeling of helping someone else in some - ANY - way, really is what it's all about. I've never been that comfortable asking for help, but then I think about the homeless problem and all the ways that they all NEED help, and I can suck it up myself to try to help them/us. Because as we all know in Venice, it really does affect us all.

90291: VENICE UNZIPPED has been shooting all over Venice the past month, which means we've used up most of our fundraising so far, and need more to continue telling our Venice stories by shooting more, editing, and marketing it to get it out there. And it's gonna be GOOD. I've laughed. I've cried. I've been outraged. I've been inspired. I've been encouraged. I've been moved ... and all of that is just from watching as we film. It's going to be something else once it's up  on the screen.  Everyone will be able to see and feel themselves and their communities worldwide, as this income inequality problem is everywhere - and doesn't appear to be going away anytime soon.

Affordable housing and the homeless crisis are hot button issues these days in Venice, and there's a lot of complaining about it, without many solutions being offered up by the complainers. I wrote about the VNC meeting with the Rose project being discussed last week, taking no real side on it, because I'm not sure housing just a few families makes much of a dent in the problem, but I do know that something simply MUST be done.

One charming gentleman (I'm dripping in sarcasm here) called me a "Silicon Beach girl" on the Venice Community Facebook page for my efforts, which tells me that people often really have no idea what they're talking about, and should maybe just zip it until they do have some understanding on any given topic. I'm still fuming about that one a little bit, as I can't stand that lame (mainly real estate developer) term, and everyone who knows me knows it. But you still have to speak your truth to power, and do that the best that you can.

So, I'm here, asking if readers might like to contribute toward our making the film that I truly believe will share with the world what is happening with the art and artists of Venice ... and how we can make sure that this place remains something special.

You'll meet our artist families ... one homeless, one in transition, and one doing great, as well as hearing from members of our community that make the place still one of the most interesting and eclectic places on the globe (indeed, in walking around on the Boardwalk and Abbot Kinney you mainly hear foreign tongues, so everyone from everywhere seems to know and love our Venice). You'll be a fly on the wall at contentious Town Hall meetings, where you can really see where priorities tend to line up according to one's fiscal standing, rather then their humanity. You'll learn about Venice history, and how we got here. You'll see the absolute squalor that some of our community lives in, and also see the events that make the very same town radiate with joy and fun. You'll see it all, the awful AND the wonderful.

We need funds to continue telling these crucial stories. We need funds to live on also, as none of the principal members of the production team have taken any salary on this project this entire year, doing other odd freelance things to keep ourselves going the best we can while doing this absolute passion project. We all feel that income inequality is THE issue of our time, and we want to try to do something about it. Once people are talking about an issue, traction builds, and that tends to become action. That is our goal for this film.

If you are able, please go to our IDA (International Documentary Association) page and make an end of year tax deductible donation to this, we feel, very worthy cause. This is the story of this time and place in Venice, and ALL of the people who make up this last beach community of color, this place where art meets crime/eviction, and this place that lives in our hearts, now and always.

We can't wait for you to take part in, and to ultimately see our vision for 90291: VENICE UNZIPPED come to fruition with your help. Thank you for your consideration!


DONATE HERE!

Venice Families Needed!

Back to school! Back to business! And that means we're shifting into high gear with 90291: VENICE UNZIPPED. Everyone is coming back from Summer holidays and lazy days, and we're making a BIG casting push to find the right families to tell their stories about living in Venice within different income brackets - and the time is now, as we're about to commence filming this month.

You've probably seen the flyers up all over town ... We still need a lower income/possibly homeless family, a middle class (whatever that means anymore, and that is part of what we're exploring), and a wealthy 1% type family, all sharing the same community. We'd like them all to have kids, and now that school is back in session, to see how they different backgrounds affect the young ones as well.

Ideally, the families would love Venice like we do, understand how special this place is, and want to live here for that reason. Venice is a creative vortex, so really, may the best background stories win!

Income inequality is really THE topic of our times, in my opinion, and obviously contributes to the vast homeless crisis that Los Angeles as a whole is currently embroiled in. We want to hear from real Venice people, and hopefully come up with solutions together.

Please helps us find the very best families to represent our Venice ... and then look for the stories to be told on the big screen when 90291: VENICE UNZIPPED hits theaters near you!

Please contact 90291casting@gmail.com with any suggestions and/or for more information.

THANK YOU!!!


Flyer info:

Do you (or anyone you know) live in Venice? Do you have an interesting story to tell? Do you know a family who might be interested in participating in a provocative feature documentary 90291: VENICE UNZIPPED about our growing income divide in Venice and America? Please contact 90291casting@gmail.com for more info, and please fill out the casting questionnaire here: https://90291casting.wufoo.com/forms/zsi4g3v0xivbj1/

Award-winning filmmakers are searching for three families to profile in their film - one homeless, one middle class, and one wealthy who all live in the Venice CA 90291 zip code.

• looking for families with unique/ unusual stories

• diverse backgrounds a plus

• families must live in Venice CA

• families should have one child under the age of 18

• filming begins late Sept onwards

• filming will take place intermittently over the next year

• project will require approx 4-5 days total of filming (1 day every couple months)

The documentary's point-of-view is investigative, fact-based, and compassionate. We are long-time Venice residents and will be extremely conscientious of people’s space and time! We want to humanize and personalize the struggles, challenges, and joys of three diverse families who share the same 90291 Venice zip code.

Link to a “sizzle” video about the project is here: https://wdrv.it/5b54d127c

Thank you for your support & please spread the word!

FB & Insta: @unzippedmovie

90291: VENICE UNZIPPED - Now Casting For Venice Families!

I hope you were able to attend our awesome fundraiser at The Lantern House for our upcoming documentary 90291: Venice Unzipped, because you'd have a good idea of what we're trying to accomplish with the Venice stories that we'll be telling. If you were not there (sorry!), you can still get involved, and one of the best ways would be to help us cast our families.

We're looking for three families to embed with over the next year for a few shoot days in increments over the duration. We need a family from the three income levels the U.S. categorizes as low income/homeless, middle class (whatever that means anymore, and one of our topics of discussion), and a wealthy/1% style family. Ideally, each family would have at least one child under 18, so that we can explore what the different economic backgrounds deal with as an entire family, with school, activities, jobs ... all of it.

Income Inequality is THE topic of our times, as far as I'm concerned, along with the homeless and opioid crises (both of which will be addressed, because they have to be - they're a part of it all), and we want to open up a discussion, in an attempt to find solutions everyone can live with. I keep saying it, but we're all in this together, and that simply must be remembered. All citizens affect the Community, and Venice has always been mostly about the Community.

Venice is under the lens of our microscope, but it's really the story of the entire country. The entire globe, really, as income inequality is certainly everywhere. We're all just such a part of Venice, and it's the last frontier in the United States ... you can't go any farther West than 90291. This is a film for everyone, everywhere ... but especially our Venice.

Please reach out to  90291casting@gmail.com if you have any excellent casting ideas, and always feel free to donate to the cause HERE! Thank you, Venice Community! You're the best.