Saturday, October 7, 2017 | 12:30pm – 3:30pm
Theories, questions, and lingering doubts – you had them all during the six years LOST was on the air and certainly in the years since as you’ve watched and re-watched the series.
At LOST 2017, we’re convening an expert panel to take a look at some of the questions and theories that have been part of the lexicon for years. This is going to be a lively discussion – between our panel and you, the attendees! Bring the craziest theories you’ve ever had about LOST to the table – let’s discuss it! The outrigger is totally game, but I am pretty sure we’re going to have to skip any question about whether they were dead the whole time. 😉
Our panel is made up of LOST superfans – a local who was an early LOST podcaster who also kept frequent tabs on filming, a local actress who appeared in several episodes of LOST, a blogger who went on to create a well-known charity auction, a fan who had his life changed by the show, and another LOST blogger whose love for the show turned into a career!
You never know who else may pop up on our panel – so stay tuned! But for now, get to know our panel!
Jo Garfein, Moderator and Panelist | Follow on Twitter
Cancer Gets LOST Co-Founder & Executive Director
My primary passions in life are pop culture and charitable endeavors, so it is a dream come true to be able to raise money for cancer support organizations by channeling fandoms toward the greater good through Cancer Gets LOST. CGL is a non-profit that I co-founded with Jared Wong, and now oversee as the Executive Director. Our mission and focus are to raise money for various cancer charities via live and online auctions of rare and signed film and television memorabilia.
When I’m not running CGL in every second of my spare time, I’m a fairly normal nerd with a weekly desk job and a cat named Mulder. My wife and I enjoy traveling, watching fantastic television shows and pretending we are Food Network Stars at home.
Sam Donato | Follow on Instagram
Super Fan and LOST Trivia Dude
Like many fans, LOST holds an dear place in my heart. The show came into my life at a very critical time, as I was on a path of self-destruction. The story completely captured my imagination and helped me get back in touch with my humanity. Ever since it has been a part of me.
Northeastern Pennsylvania is where I reside, about 2 hours from New York City. When not being mistaken for Jorge Garcia, I manage a private horse farm and design jewelry. A necklace of mine was featured on HBO’s True Blood.
Attending LOST 2014 was one of the greatest weeks of my life. I made friends there that I will have for life. Meeting more of my fellow LOSTies this time around is one of the many reasons I am returning to The Island.
(Note from Kelley – I added the part about Trivia Dude. True story – when we were doing the signing for Jorge during LOST 2014, we did some LOST trivia while fans were waiting in line. Jo had some seriously hard questions. And guess who knew them all … Sam D.! If you ever have a question, he’s the guy to ask!)
Erika Olson | Follow on Instagram
Long Live Locke Blogger
LOST truly changed my life. I couldn’t NOT write about it, and so every week I would spent an unhealthy amount of time pulling together episode recaps and analyses for my blog, Long Live Locke, which was republished on one of the largest LOST fan sites, DarkUFO, for Seasons 4 – 6. This experience gave me the push I needed to leave Corporate America and start a writing career in 2007. In 2008, folks at the DVD/game rental-kiosk company Redbox who were fans of Long Live Locke asked me to become Redbox’s film critic and movie blogger, which I was until mid-2015. My book Zero-Sum Game was published by Wiley in 2010, and even though it was about my time going through a crazy merger and had nothing to do with LOST, I still thanked Damon and Carlton in the acknowledgements for inspiring me to follow my true passion. I am proud to be celebrating a decade of freelance-writing this year.
My picture is from the first time I visited The Island (Oahu) in 2008. Minutes after I’d landed, the awesome Ryan Ozawa (The Transmission podcast) tipped me off that LOST was filming downtown. I was lucky enough to get there in time to watch them shoot several scenes of Season 5’s “The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham.” That’s when I got to meet Terry O’Quinn and tell him about my site named in honor of his character. (Or rather my husband told him, because I was too stunned to speak for the first few minutes.)
When I’m not attending some sort of nerdy fan convention, I live in Chicago near Wrigley Field with my husband, our son Desmond (5, and yes, he’s named after our favorite brotha!), our daughter Summer (2) and our black lab Wrigley (so original). I am counting down the days until the kids are ready for LOST!
Ryan Ozawa | Follow on Twitter
LOST Podcaster & Set Stalker Emeritus
My wife Jen and I launched “The Transmission,” an early “LOST” fan podcast, in 2005. Thanks to Apple adding podcast support to iTunes that summer, and the good fortune of living on The Island, our show found an incredible and wonderful audience that grew into part of a massive global community. Gathering updates from “LOST” filming sparked many spoiler debates and earned a brief blacklisting by the production. But sharing our take on each episode, tidbits from the set, and our own geeky glee (including pilgrimages to Comic-Con) was a joy, and the people we grew to know over the years are still good friends. After a shortlived daily pop-culture show, we retired from podcasting, but still revel in assorted fandoms, and in seeing more movies and TV shows filmed in Hawaii.
When not geeking out, I have a day job in real estate, cofounded an ag-tech startup, and serve as a sci-tech commentator and host for Hawaii News Now (Honolulu’s NBC/CBS affiliate) and Hawaii Public Radio. More importantly, Jen and I are proud parents of three incredible kids, and deeply appreciate our island home.
Lynne Wood
Actress
Lynne appeared on the TV show LOST as a plane crash Survivor in seasons 1, 2 and 3. She worked approximately 90 days and appears in about 25 episodes. Lynne has been living in Hawaii for over 20 years. In addition to her work on LOST, she has also appeared in 12 movies.
