Howling Wolf Productions Hosts 'Restoring Tomorrow' VIP Premiere

Aaron Wolf's Wilshire Boulevard Temple Documentary Debuts at The Skirball Cultural Center

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Jan 25, 2016, 06:00 ET

Timothy Bottoms, Rabbi Leder, Eli Broad, Aaron Wolf, and Michael Gross on the "Restoring Tomorrow" Red Carpet.

Leonard Maltin, Aaron Wolf, and Rabbi Leder during "Restoring Tomorrow" Q&A

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Howling Wolf Productions hosted the U.S. premiere of its long-awaited documentary, "Restoring Tomorrow," at an exclusive screening and reception January 23, 2016 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, California.

"Restoring Tomorrow" follows the personal journey of Los Angeles-based Howling Wolf Productions co-founder/director Aaron Wolf, as he documents the rise and fall and rise again of L.A.'s oldest Jewish congregation, where his late grandfather, Rabbi Alfred Wolf, served for more than 50 years.

"This has been an extraordinary journey that opened my eyes to what I was missing and I hope opens other eyes as well," Wolf said. "Like many younger adults, I wandered from my religion, and more important, from the place I grew up. On a very personal level, the restoration of Wilshire Boulevard Temple has reconnected me with my faith in community, and my faith in religion; both as a religious practice and as a place of family and tradition. On a much larger scale, the Temple's restoration has dramatically demonstrated what every community can achieve around the globe, if we dig down deep and remember who we are and what we stand for. Everyone has a past that can be restored for their tomorrow."

"Restoring Tomorrow," produced by Wolf's HWP co-founder Tim Nuttall, also documents the determination of Wilshire Boulevard Temple's Senior Rabbi Steve Leder, to achieve the impossible - raise $150 million to restore the majesty of the historic synagogue, which was built in 1929 by the legendary Hollywood studio moguls, thus also helping to restore the future of the Jewish community and the core of the city of Los Angeles.

Rabbi Leder stated, "Most cultures have a story about someone searching for something, going on a journey to find it, and then returning home to discover that what they were searching for was actually in their home, hiding in plain sight. That classic folk tale plays out in real life through Aaron's beautiful and moving documentary about the renovation and revitalization of Wilshire Boulevard Temple. Documenting the rebirth of one of America's most magnificent religious structures and institutions also revitalized Aaron's spirit. The fact that Aaron's journey is a journey all of us take at some point in our lives was never more evident than last night as most of the audience wiped tears from their eyes."

Wolf continues, "I hope by telling this story it leads to more people preserving what our ancestors fought so hard for, so that we too may be looked at as good ancestors for future generations. We want this film to serve as a microcosm for people around the globe."

The film's premiere at the Skirball Cultural Center featured a Q&A with Rabbi Leder and Wolf led by renowned film critic Leonard Maltin. Maltin had this to say about the film, "Restoring Tomorrow is a genuinely inspiring film with a great story to tell. It documents the restoration of a historic building, but more than that it invites us to share in the recommitment of a synagogue to its community. I found it very moving."

An exclusive reception for VIPs, local dignitaries, and invited media also highlighted the evening. The event was host to actors Timothy Bottoms and Michael Gross, entrepreneur and philanthropist Eli Broad and wife Edythe, and Paradigm agent Robert Bookman, to name a few. "Restoring Tomorrow" will be available for the first time to the public at a special screening to be held at the TCL Chinese Theater in L.A. next month with a national roll-out to follow. For more information on the film and filmmakers, please visit www.restoringtomorrowfilm.com.

About Aaron Wolf
Aaron Wolf is a director, actor and writer who's always loved storytelling. From the time he was eight years old, he read The Hollywood Reporter and Variety cover to cover daily. It only made sense that he would become a filmmaker. An honors graduate from the Tisch School of Film and Television at NYU, he has written, directed and starred in pilots for Warner Brothers and written a theatrical short for the Walt Disney Company. He has directed, written, and co-starred in many award-winning films, including Guest House, The Walk, The LD, Fourth Time's the Charm, and Imagine Reality (music superstar Wiz Khalifa's first professional gig).

He co-hosted and co-directed a sports shows on the Dodgers and Clippers for Cox TV as well as many commercials for software giant Adobe, nation-wide youth soccer program Super Soccer Stars, as well as non-profit films for organizations such as the Museum of Tolerance.

Furthermore, Aaron has directed multiple indie pilots including a partnered pilot with animation studio Six Point Harness, a comedic film for USC, assisted David Talbert on the screenplay for the hit Fox Searchlight feature - Baggage Claim, and directed commercial films for Fashion Island, AdvoServ, W Magazine, Microsoft, and Bing, as well as directed and produced award shows and live events for television and YouTube.

Aaron made the Grand Jury Award-winning film Guest House, starring Michael Gross and the award-winning film, The Walk, starring Wolf alongside Oscar and Emmy nominee Peter Riegert. He recently completed Restoring Tomorrow, a four-year personal journey documenting the $150 million restoration of the historic Wilshire Boulevard Temple. Currently, Wolf is in the final stages of post-production directing and starring in the new thriller TAR centered around a prehistoric creature who lives below the La Brea Tar Pits. Oscar nominees Timothy Bottoms, Max Perlich and Graham Greene also star.

About Howling Wolf Productions
Howling Wolf Productions (HWP) is a full-service production company that tells stories. HWP principals Aaron Wolf and Tim Nuttall, working with a talented team of Los Angeles- and New York-based film professionals, pride themselves on their ability to produce quality stories for all genres and all budgets that have played in theaters across the country from the historic Chinese Theater to Times Square. These stories take all forms, from award-winning films to inspirational documentaries to TV commercials to music videos. HWP always finds the story that lies at the core … whether it's a partnership with Warner Brothers, interviews with celebrities like Harrison Ford and Kobe Bryant, a sports show on the Dodgers and Lakers for Cox TV, or web and store content for Lucky Brand and Adobe. HWP also works with such companies as DreamWorks and Disney, recently finished a compelling documentary on the Los Angeles Jewish community (Restoring Tomorrow) and produces narrative films, like the upcoming feature, TAR, starring Timothy Bottoms, Graham Greene, and Max Perlich.