Graff Lab & Toxic Soup Updates

"Toxic Soup" was named an official selection of the 2010 Twin Cities Film Festival, the Louisville International Festival of Film, the American Conservation Film Festival and the West Virginia Filmmakers Festival.

Including the KahBang Film Festival, the New Jersey Film Festival and the Atlanta Film Festival, that brings our total number of festival selections to seven to date.

In other news, we are pushing ahead with our new documentary about LA's world famous Graff Lab. The documentary follows the setbacks and successes of the Pico Union Housing Corporation's efforts to fight the gang violence and unemployment problems of this historic neighborhood in downtown Los Angeles.

About five years ago, Ricky Guerrero had an idea to start a public art space in the parking yard of the PUHC where local kids could safely and legally practice their graffiti art. Since then, Ricky's dream have exploded with graffiti artists coming from as far away as Italy and Australia to leave their mark in the yard.

The summer's highlights include artist Rudy "Rude" Martinez's unveiling of one of the largest Michael Jackson murals in the world on August 28th as well as a Michael Jackson dance tribute performance by Thrill the World LA.

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I would also like to take the chance to publicly express my condolences over the tragic death of Dr. Frank Ryan, who was kind enough to grant me a lengthy interview about his charitable work for the Graff Lab as well as for his own foundation, the Bony Pony Ranch just three weeks before his passing.