DLNews Homeless in California Movie:

Oakland and Beverly Hills, Calif. - The homeless documentary, "Living in Need," will hold its red-carpet premiere on Wednesday, May 24, at 7:30 p.m. inside the Lumiere Cinema at the Music Hall in Beverly Hills. CEO of Howzing.org, Mahnaz Khazen Shadman (MK), and Tom Freyer, Director of Howzing.org, will accompany “Living in Need” film Director Alexander Kwanje.  The documentary portrays the myriad of steps that Khazen took to address the growing problem of homelessness.

LINK TO THE DOCUMENTARY FILM “LIVING IN NEED” https://vimeo.com/823103559  (Password: 1212)

Howzing provides shelter, food, drug and alcohol recovery services, and many other social services at the old Lake Merritt Lodge in Oakland, which MK Shadman renovated into a homeless shelter and resource center. It has quickly become a business model for the homeless crisis in America. 

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has been invited as the VIP Honored Guest for her groundbreaking work to help people experiencing homelessness, Beverly Hills Mayor Julian Gold, Councilwoman Sharona Nazarian, and West Hollywood Mayor Sepi Shyne. In addition, other dignitaries and philanthropists in the real estate, housing, and business world have been invited. 

“The right to live is for all, and the government is responsible for addressing the need of its people." 

As tax-paying property owners, we have the right to the full enjoyment of our property as much as everyone has the right to adequate housing and security,” she added. 

"As a filmmaker, my mission for this documentary project is to shed light on the harsh realities of homelessness,” said documentary director Alexander Kwanje. “Betty and Billy's story of resilience and hope is a powerful reminder of the remarkable strength of the human spirit.

Photo of Zach Freyer at work as a film director

Why Freyer got involved in this project is heart-wrenching. “My son Zach had it all: genius talent, dashing handsome looks (blue eyes, blond hair, 6’5” frame), first-class creative education (top of his film school at Art Center, Pasadena), and scads of beautiful friends. I used to joke with my buddies, ‘“When I die, I hope Zach’s life flashes before my eyes.”’

“By age 16, Zach won international awards for his films. By turning 30, he was a global creative director who had turned to drugs to keep up with his jet-set company. By the time he was 40, he had lost it all, was homeless and living in the park, had been stabbed for his phone, and wound-up living at Mahnaz’s recently converted Lake Merritt Lodge.

“One evening, he had a relapse and scored some street drugs. It turns out it was fentanyl that stopped his big, beautiful heart beating forever.

“I was so devastated. When I drove up to collect his things, it was only seeing what Mahnaz was doing for people experiencing homelessness that kept me from wanting to join Zach in the afterlife ASAP.

“Instead, I vowed to use my branding skills to help Mahnaz grow this thing she’d created. To leverage the high value of the real estate that causes so much homelessness, to help those most vulnerable escape its vicious cycle, Howzing was born, and it works because it’s not a handout. It’s just a hand up.”

SOURCE: Jackie Devereaux 

LINK TO THE DOCUMENTARY FILM “LIVING IN NEED”

https://vimeo.com/823103559

PW: 1212