• The film will be available to watch Friday, January 22, 1pm until Friday, January 24, 1pm via Eventive
• RSVP beginning January 18, 1pm by clicking the button above and/or in the invite email
• RSVP's must be received by 10:00am on January 22
• The watch link will be sent at or shortly before 1pm PT on January 22 from noreply@eventive.org 
• Conversation with subjects Steve "Woody" Culleton, Michelle John and Producer Xan Parker.
• This screening WILL NOT count toward your member screening allotments

Further details on how to watch on Eventive may be found here.

Xan Parker is an independent producer of award-winning documentaries, nonfiction series and shorts. Recent productions include Ross Kauffman’s film “Tigerland” (2019 Sundance Film Festival, Discovery); the 2017 CNN Films’ “The End: Inside the Last Days of the Obama White House,” directed by Toby Oppenheimer; and the ESPN Films/FiveThirtyEight 2016 special “The Contested Convention,” about the 1976 Republican National Convention. Parker produced Marshall Curry’s coming-of-age documentary “Racing Dreams” (Best Documentary, 2009 Tribeca Film Festival, PBS “P.O.V”); Ivy Meeropol’s 2007 series ”The Hill,” about congressional legislative aides (Sundance Channel); and Celia Maysles’s “Wild Blue Yonder” (2007 IDFA, SXSW). Her credits also include Rachel Boynton’s “Big Men,” about offshore oil drilling in Africa (2013 Tribeca, BBC, PBS “P.O.V”); and Kristi Jacobson’s “A Place at the Table” (Participant/Magnolia, 2012 Sundance). Parker directed and produced “Risk/Reward” (2003 Full Frame Film Festival, Tribeca, Oxygen). She earned her first producing credits under filmmakers Susan Froemke and Albert Maysles on the 1996 film “Umbrellas,” about artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, and on the Academy Award-nominated feature documentary “LaLee’s Kin: The Legacy of Cotton” (2001 Sundance Cinematography Award, duPont-Columbia Award, HBO).

Steve Culleton, better known as Woody, and his wife Maureen lost their home in the fire; fortunately, they were insured and able to rent an apartment. Within days, they made the decision to rebuild and return. Woody threw himself into building his new house as fast as possible, stepping in with tools and helping the builders as much as he could. Woody is outspoken and argumentative — but mostly just passionate about Paradise. 

Everyone in town knows Woody: He is present at Town Hall for every stage of the Paradise’s problem-solving, cleanup, planning and rebuilding processes. As a former mayor, Woody knows how local politics work and is frustrated by new town ordinances that slow down rebuilding progress.

Woody originally came to Paradise in the 1980s and was the self-proclaimed town drunk. After getting sober in the early 90s, Woody met and married Maureen, and together they put down permanent roots in Paradise by buying a house, which was a first for Woody. In 2012, he walked the walk and was elected to the town council before serving as mayor. Now he is semiretired, working part time at the Paradise Performing Arts Center.

Michelle and Phil John are longtime town fixtures. Michelle is fierce and wears her heart on her sleeve — this was true in her previous work as the principal of Paradise Elementary and remains so in her current recent role as superintendent of the Paradise Unified School District. Phil is funny and caustic and, like Michelle, a town leader; he iss chairman of the Paradise Ridge Fire Safe Council.

After the fire, the Johns’ property was damaged but still standing. On the night of the fire, Michelle and Phil moved in with cousin Roni and Roni’s husband, Shin, effectively putting an end to a 20-year family feud. Not only did the families reunite, they all became best friends. The Johns were able to move back to their Paradise home in April.

Michelle worked tirelessly to reorganize the schools and the community, bringing the town together when she succeeded in getting the football field ready for the 2019 Paradise High graduation. Though Phil worried about Michelle constantly, he couldn’t be prouder of her leadership and accomplishments. Just three days after the momentous graduation, Phil had a sudden heart attack and died. He was honored in a massive memorial service. Michelle and many others believe the stress of the year was a major contributor to Phil’s ill health.

As Phil would have wanted, Michelle saw through to the start of the school year. The district expected only one-third of the students to appear on the first day of school and were genuinely shocked to welcome almost one-half — a testament to the Johns’ selfless work to rebuild the town.