O’DAY SHORT: AN ACT OF JUSTICE ANNOUNCES FIVE-YEAR PUBLIC MEDIA PARTNERSHIP WITH PBS VIA KCET

Award-winning producers E’Ian West and George Sharperson, alongside producer Clarissa Trejo, bring the powerful story of the O’Day Short family to public media audiences through a five-year partnership designed to preserve and amplify one of California’s most significant civil rights stories.

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 14, 2026 — Montage Media Production Company is proud to announce a five-year public media partnership for the documentary short film O’Day Short: An Act of Justice, bringing the historically significant story of the O’Day Short family to audiences through PBS via KCET.

The five-year partnership represents a major milestone for the documentary and its mission to preserve an essential chapter of California history while introducing the O’Day Short family’s story to a broader audience. The extended partnership provides an opportunity for the film and its message to remain accessible through public media for years to come, creating a lasting platform for education, historical preservation and community engagement.

O’DAY SHORT: AN ACT OF JUSTICE

“They Were Told To Leave. They Stayed.”

In 1945, the O’Day Short family challenged segregation and paid the ultimate price. More than eight decades later, their story remains one of the most powerful civil rights stories in California history.

O’Day Short purchased a home in Fontana, California, and moved his wife and children into a neighborhood where African American families were unwelcome. Despite intimidation, threats and pressure to leave, the Short family refused to surrender their home.

Soon afterward, their home was engulfed in flames.

The tragedy claimed the lives of O’Day Short, his wife, Helen, and their two young children, Barry and Carol Ann. Their deaths became part of a painful chapter in the history of race, housing discrimination and civil rights in Southern California.

O’Day Short: An Act of Justice revisits the Short family’s story through historical research, community voices and documentary storytelling, examining not only what happened to the family but also why their courage and sacrifice remain relevant more than eight decades later.

The film is produced by E’Ian West, George Sharperson and Clarissa Trejo, who approached the documentary with a commitment to historical preservation, responsible storytelling and ensuring that the Short family’s legacy reaches future generations.

PRODUCER AND DIRECTOR E’IAN WEST

E’Ian West is an award-winning director, producer, writer and entrepreneur whose career spans television, film and digital media.

West is a recipient of a Certificate of Excellence in Entrepreneurship from the United States Congress and a Certificate from the City of Los Angeles recognizing his outstanding contributions to video production and storytelling. He is a National Active Member of the Television Academy within the Producer and Documentary Filmmaker peer groups and a distinguished member of the Forbes Business Council.

His television credits include serving as a producer on the Emmy-winning scripted series The Bay, which has earned 23 Emmy Awards. West also produced the Oscar-eligible short film Panorama, which received an official For Your Consideration placement from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

PRODUCER GEORGE SHARPERSON

George Sharperson is an award-winning producer and veteran actor with more than 20 years of experience across network television, streaming productions and national commercials.

His acting credits include appearances on ABC’s Emmy-winning Abbott Elementary, CBS’ United States of Al, Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer and OWN’s Cherish the Day.

Sharperson is also a member of the prestigious Television Academy and has expanded his career behind the camera as a producer committed to developing meaningful projects that combine entertainment, culture and social impact.

His collaboration with West reflects a shared commitment to creating films that preserve important stories while giving audiences an opportunity to engage with history through a contemporary lens.

PRODUCER CLARISSA TREJO

Clarissa Trejo is a seasoned marketing, public relations and communications professional with more than 25 years of experience. She has held leadership positions across major international corporations and one of California’s largest school districts.

She currently serves as Executive Director of Marketing and Communications for Fontana Unified School District, where she oversees strategic communications, media relations, community engagement and districtwide marketing initiatives.

Trejo played an important role in researching the history of the O’Day Short family and identifying the broader context surrounding their experience in Fontana, helping the production team better understand and showcase the family’s complete story.

Working alongside the award-winning team at Montage Media Production Company, Trejo contributed additional research and perspective to the production, supporting the filmmakers’ efforts to bring the Short family’s story to light for audiences well beyond the Fontana community.

Trejo holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Redlands and a bachelor’s degree in science and business from the University of Notre Dame.

PRODUCER STATEMENT FROM E’IAN WEST

“When George Sharperson and I began this project, our goal was never simply to make another documentary. We wanted to make certain that the O’Day Short family would never be forgotten.

What happened to this family in 1945 is painful, but their courage deserves to be remembered just as strongly as the tragedy. O’Day Short was told that his family did not belong in that neighborhood. He was threatened and pressured to leave, but he stood his ground. That decision became part of California civil rights history.

As filmmakers, we understood the responsibility that came with telling this story. We wanted the documentary to be historically grounded, emotionally powerful and respectful of the people whose lives were forever affected by what happened.

Entering into a five-year partnership with PBS is especially meaningful because public media has an extraordinary ability to preserve history and bring important stories into homes and communities that may otherwise never encounter them. Knowing that this film has the opportunity to remain within the public media landscape for the next five years gives this story the longevity it deserves.

For George and me, this partnership is bigger than a distribution milestone. It represents an opportunity for the O’Day Short family’s courage to live beyond the film itself. More than 80 years later, people will hear their names, learn what happened and understand why their story still matters.

That is the purpose of this documentary. That is the legacy we hope to protect.”

STATEMENT FROM PRODUCER CLARISSA TREJO

“The story of the O’Day Short family is one that deserves to be remembered, not only because of the tragedy they endured but also because of the courage they demonstrated,” said Trejo.

“As someone who has spent my career in communications, I understand the responsibility that comes with telling stories that have the power to educate, connect communities and preserve history. It has been an honor to work alongside the talented team at Montage Media to help bring the full story of the Short family to light.”

ABOUT MONTAGE MEDIA PRODUCTION COMPANY

Montage Media Production Company is a Los Angeles-based film and television production company specializing in documentary filmmaking, scripted entertainment and original storytelling. Led by award-winning director and producer E’Ian West, the company develops and produces compelling projects that explore meaningful human experiences, social issues and culturally significant stories.

Through its commitment to creative excellence and responsible storytelling, Montage Media Production Company continues to produce content designed to inform, entertain and inspire audiences.