Real Fur is an investigative documentary that uncovers the true cost of fur in the fashion industry. The documentary follows the personal journey of director, Taimoor Choudhry, from an uninformed individual wearing a fur-trimmed jacket to becoming a mindful consumer through his conversation with animal rights organizations, a former fur farm worker, lawyers, politicians, and celebrities.
The film recently screened at Hamptons Doc Fest. You can view the ENDING REAL FUR for free on Unchainedtv.
HBO Documentary Films’ TIME BOMB Y2K directed by Brian Becker and Marley McDonald, and executive produced by award-winning filmmaker Penny Lane (HBO’s “Listening to Kenny G”), debuts SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.
As the clock counts down to the dawn of the 21st century, the world faces the largest potential technological disaster to ever threaten humanity. The problem is comically simple yet incredibly complex – a bug that could cause computers to misinterpret the year 2000 as 1900, sowing chaos throughout the world as electronic systems failed. Crafted entirely through archival footage, TIME BOMB Y2K is a prescient and often humorous tale about the power and vulnerabilities of technology. By re-appraising both the cooperative efforts and mass hysteria surrounding this millennial milestone, TIME BOMB Y2K explores how modern life has been dramatically transformed by the digital revolution.
Through access to rare archival material, including home video and never-before-seen outtakes, the film features first-hand accounts from computer experts, survivalists, scholars, militia groups, conservative Christians, and pop icons grappling with a world that could descend into chaos. Having lauded the transformative power of computers and the internet, President Clinton invests billions of dollars and appoints a “Y2K Czar” in 1998 to tackle the problem. Yet, despite the government’s best efforts, hysteria still leads thousands to buy guns, stock up on supplies, cancel travel plans, and even move off the grid entirely. The looming deadline prompts a deep evaluation of our relationship to computer technologies.
With Y2K now in the rearview mirror and with new technological threats emerging daily, TIME BOMB Y2K raises concerns about the digital infrastructure we’ve created and takes a prophetic and comical look at our dependence on complex systems vulnerable to future glitches. Y2K forced us to consider what would happen if computers worldwide suddenly stopped working. Even worse, what if this failure led to nuclear catastrophe? Against this backdrop, the world rose to the challenge and exhibited unprecedented cooperation to ultimately avert disaster.
Marley McDonald is a filmmaker, animator, and painter living in Queens, New York. In 2021, she was chosen as a Points North Fellow and worked as an additional editor on Penny Lane’s film Listening to Kenny G. Her associate editor work includes Spaceship Earth, and the Golden Lion-winning and Oscar-nominated documentary, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed. She most recently directed and edited her debut feature, Time Bomb Y2K (co-directed with Brian Becker) for HBO.
Brian Becker is a New York-based filmmaker who most recently directed and produced his debut feature Time Bomb Y2K (co-directed with Marley McDonald). The film premiered at True/False Film Festival in March 2023 and will air on HBO in December 2023. He served as an archival producer on Free Chol Soo Lee, MLK/FBI, and Spaceship Earth, and as a co-producer on Bobby Kennedy for President. Brian is a 2022 Doc NYC 40 Under 40 recipient, Impact Partners Producing Fellow, Points North Fellow, and a FOCAL Jane Mercer Researcher of the Year award nominee. Before turning to production, he worked as a mosquito ecologist.
TIME BOMB Y2K is an official selection of the Port Jefferson Documentary Series. This conversation was recorded at a Q&A at the festival .
THE SOUNDS OF FILM is the nation’s longest running film, music, and ideas themed radio show. For the past 30 years, the program has delivered a popular mix of interviews and music to listeners all over Long Island, parts of Connecticut and streaming live worldwide on the internet. Past people interviewed for the show include Alec Baldwin, Billy Joel, Connie Stevens, Carter Burwell, Alex Winter, Dionne Warwick, Jason Biggs, Nile Rodgers, Eric B, Vanilla Fudge and Chuck D.
Worldwide listeners can tune in to the SOUNDS OF FIlM internet livestream on Thursday at 6pm EST at wusb.fm.
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