'Weathered: Inside the LA Firestorm' Screening And Conversation
- The Crawford, 474 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena
The destruction from the 2025 L.A. fires was not inevitable, so why were they so devastating? In a new documentary from PBS, Weathered’s host, Maiya May, speaks to fire chiefs, survivors, community responders, and climate scientists to understand the events that led to perhaps the costliest fire in U.S. history. As our world warms and fire weather becomes more common, she also learns exactly what can be done in the future.
See the film before it premieres at this special screening. After the screening, stick around for a discussion with Maiya May, Weathered filmmaker Trip Jennings, L.A. County Fire Brigade founder Keegan Gibbs, and Lynnelle Bryant, Altadena resident and MasBuild Inc. president.
“Weathered: Inside the LA Firestorm” will premiere online and on PBS SoCal on March 19, 2025 at 10 p.m. PST.
Get here early for some great food from our friends at Fair Oaks Burger, an Altadena institution. Burgers and teriyaki bowls will be served starting at 6:00 p.m. And yes, vegetarian options will be available!
This event is presented in partnership with PBS and PBS SoCal.
ABOUT MAIYA MAY
In short, I’m a storyteller determined to build a legacy rooted in my love of nature.
Think, David Attenborough. Like Attenborough, I’m on a mission to create thought-provoking content that strengthens knowledge, appreciation, and connection to our natural world. My passion for nature developed in my adolescent years. My childhood home was located on the outskirts of Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve in Lithonia, GA. Neighborhood friends and I would make a habit of exploring these lands, especially during the summer months. We’d explore abandoned structures on Vaughters Farm and ride our bikes down trails that traverse the area. One of our favorite trails led to a newly built school that I would eventually attend— Arabia Mountain High School Academy of Engineering, Medicine, and Environmental Studies. During my time at AMHS, I learned more about our natural world and how to protect it. Those formative years would set the foundation for a career that I would eventually forge in weather, climate, and environmental science. I spent my undergraduate years at the University of Missouri-Columbia studying geography and atmospheric science. During this time, my goal was to pursue a career in broadcast meteorology. I gained a ton of experience— completing internships at KOMU, WAGA, WSB-TV, and The Weather Channel. After the latter, however, I ultimately decided that a career as an on-camera meteorologist just wasn’t for me. Instead, I chose a more unconventional path. I kept exploring natural areas during my time in college and beyond. During visits to state and national parks, I was always struck by the lack of diversity. I seldom saw other people of color while exploring, and I wanted to change that. I decided to do so by creating nature-related content that would inspire others to deepen their understanding and appreciation of our natural world. Over the years, my desire to inspire more people to connect with nature would translate to four small-scale documentary projects and, most recently, a web series with PBS Terra. I was also able to re-visit broadcast meteorology for a period of time and even tried my hand at content creation via social media. All of which has allowed me to hone in on the skills needed to achieve my ultimate goal.
ABOUT TRIP JENNINGS
Principal & Founder of Balance Media, Trip has filled many passports with stamps from projects around the world. He got his start creating kayaking videos, then began working with National Geographic. In 2007, he was named National Geographic Adventurer of the Year Honoree. He's won dozens of awards including Banff Film Festival's Best Film on Mountain Environment. Now Trip focuses that same passion on making sure every project is creative and impactful.
ABOUT KEEGAN GIBBS
Keegan Gibbs is a multidisciplinary artist, filmmaker, entrepreneur, and community organizer. After the 2018 Woolsey fire, he turned his attention to understanding the shortfalls of community resilience, helping form the Community Brigade Program with Los Angeles (LA) County Fire and the LA Emergency Preparedness Foundation. Gibbs is the field operations leader for the Community Brigade and is co-directing a documentary series that explores the historical context of humans' relationship with wildfire and how it went from a mutually beneficial relationship with the surrounding environment to a mutually destructive one. When not focusing on community issues, he is raising his three daughters and shaping surfboards.
ABOUT LYNNELLE BRYANT
Lynnelle Bryant is a Certified Interior Designer (CID), president and co-owner of Masbuild, Inc., a full-service design firm specializing in architecture, interior design and construction services – actively moving into RE Development. Masbuild’s motto is to positively impact the communities we serve. Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, Ms. Bryant realized she wanted to become an interior designer in the third-grade. She attended Drake University earning a BA in Interior Design, graduating with honors. She further honed her skills overseas at the University of Seville and at the School of Applied Arts, both in Seville, Spain. An experienced interior designer, project manager and construction manager, Ms. Bryant projects are concentrated in urban communities with a focus on commercial, education and housing. She is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) and understands universal and inclusive design.
Her first venture into real estate development was in 1994 when she purchased and rehabbed a duplex through HUD’s 203K program. In 2002, her firm acquired a vacant lot in Pasadena which was developed into a 12,000 sq. ft. commercial office building. In addition to housing her corporate offices, she leased office space to 4 other businesses.
Her latest project is a rehabilitation of a 5-unit commercial multi-family project in NW Pasadena. Future plans include tearing down the existing structure, and to design and build new townhomes or condos in the location. The goal is to provide affordable housing options for middle income and first-time home buyers. Serving as Director at Large for the Pasadena Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), Ms. Bryant chaired the organizations’ Design Trend Design Expo for the last two years, increasing participation in, and exposure to, this event. She is a member of Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing (SCANPH), the Multi-Cultural Real Estate Alliance for Urban Change, and served as president of the Pasadena Neighborhood Housing Services (PNHS). An active member of her community, is also a member of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and the Pasadena NAACP. Ms. Bryant is an alumnus of Turner Construction Management Course, SBA’s Emerging Leaders, Goldman Sach’s 10K Small Business, and the Inner-City Capital Connections (ICCC) programs.
Ms. Bryant enjoys reading, gardening and watching tv/movies. She has been married for 27 years to her husband and business partner, Charles T. Bryant AIA, NOMA, NCARB. They have four children, and one granddaughter
ACCOMMODATIONS
LAist is committed to providing access and accommodation for individuals with disabilities at our events. To request accommodations, please email events@laist.com or call us at (626)583-5222 at least 7 days in advance of the event.