New Film Documents Altadena Little League After Fire
Key Takeaway: A new documentary follows the Central Altadena Little League through a baseball season played in the aftermath of the January 2025 Eaton Canyon fire, the Chicago Tribune reports, after a Sunday screening at the Chicago International Film Festival.
A documentary capturing the resilient spirit of a community following disaster has reached the festival circuit, with a Sunday screening at the Chicago International Film Festival, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Documenting resilience in Altadena
The 82-minute documentary titled ‘Going for Home’ follows the Central Altadena Little League baseball season in the aftermath of the January 2025 Eaton Canyon fire. According to UCLA’s School of Education and Information Studies, the disaster destroyed more than 4,000 homes in the area.
CBS LA reported that 90% of league families were affected by the disaster. Despite widespread displacement across the L.A. Basin, parents, coaches and organisers rebuilt the league so that baseball could serve as a refuge and a place for community joy, as noted by the Los Angeles Times.
I feel like the great surprise of the film is that there’s joy, and the lesson, at least, for me, is that there’s a way to fight for joy
Producer Sue Cremin, via UCLA’s School of Education and Information Studies
Filmmakers and screenings
Directed by Eric Simonson and produced by Sue Cremin, the American English-language film was shot over nine months. The production highlights a racially and economically diverse community finding normalcy on the baseball field, according to the film’s own site.
Following community screenings in California, including an initial viewing at Pasadena City College, the documentary was selected for festival screenings in 2026, featuring a Sunday screening at the Chicago International Film Festival according to the Chicago Tribune.
✓ Verified
‘Going for Home’ is an 82-minute documentary directed by Eric Simonson and produced by Sue Cremin (film site; UCLA). It follows the Central Altadena Little League season after the January 2025 Eaton Canyon fire. UCLA’s School of Education and Information Studies reported the fire destroyed more than 4,000 homes; CBS LA reported 90% of the league’s families were affected; the Los Angeles Times reported parents, coaches and organisers rebuilt the league despite families being displaced across the L.A. Basin.
⚠ Still needs confirmation
The Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times pieces sit behind paywalls; only their accessible openings were used (headline, deck, photo caption, opening paragraphs), and those claims are marked as still needing confirmation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who made the film?
Independent filmmakers Eric Simonson (director) and Sue Cremin (producer).
How long was it filmed?
It was shot over nine months.
What fire does it follow?
The January 2025 Eaton Canyon fire in Altadena.
How were the players’ families affected?
90% of the league’s families were affected, over 4,000 homes were destroyed, and families were nearly all displaced.
- Chicago Tribune: New documentary is about California kids finding hope on a baseball field after the fires
- UCLA School of Education & Information Studies: Documentary shines light on resilience of Altadena community
- Los Angeles Times: ‘Going for Home’ follows Altadena’s Little League in its first season after the Eaton fire
- Going for Home (official film site)
- CBS LA: ‘Going For Home’ documents Central Altadena Little League’s journey post-Eaton Fire
Editor’s note: The Chicago Tribune column that occasioned this story is paywalled beyond its opening; its accessible headline, deck and photo caption were used with those limits disclosed above.
