Program begins at 8:00p

We’re delighted to present an evening of cinema and conversation with Marley McDonald and Brian Becker’s incredible all-archival documentary Time Bomb Y2K 

“A condensed reminder of the exponential growth of the internet.” — Filmmaker Magazine.

As the year 2000 approached, rumblings started to spread outside of the world of computer engineers and into the mainstream consciousness about a ubiquitous glitch in computer code that meant when the year turned from “1999” to “2000,” all computers would reset to “1900” and the world’s systems would malfunction, grinding to a halt. In a fully archival tour de force, co-directors Brian Becker and Marley McDonald document the countdown to Y2K against the backdrop of the mass hysteria that infiltrated everything from politics to pop culture. Doomsday prepper communities started to proliferate and businesses popped up with products, books, and any way to make a quick buck off the looming disaster. Time Bomb Y2K is a wild ride through the final days of the ’90s and a compelling portrait of a turning point in the digital revolution.

Note: We’re ecstatic that this year’s Documentary Fundamentals course is led by Marley McDonald and Brian Becker! Time Bomb Y2K will serve as a case-study for DOC FUNDAMENTALS, our annual six session professional development series, across all the sessions including FINANCING, ARCHIVAL, EDITING, MUSIC/GFX and RELEASING your documentary. Each session features a range of exciting, advanced and award-winning professionals from the field and many from this film who represent all aspects of producing a documentary feature. It is perfect as a primer or a way to refocus and rethink your project in today’s changing landscape! You can attend all sessions with a SERIES PASS or just tackle the hurdles where you need help with a single session.

Program

Time Bomb Y2K

80 mins, 2023, United States

As the year 2000 approached, rumblings started to spread outside of the world of computer engineers and into the mainstream consciousness about a ubiquitous glitch in computer code that meant when the year turned from “1999” to “2000,” all computers would reset to “1900” and the world’s systems would malfunction, grinding to a halt. In a fully archival tour de force, co-directors Brian Becker and Marley McDonald document the countdown to Y2K against the backdrop of the mass hysteria that infiltrated everything from politics to pop culture. Doomsday prepper communities started to proliferate and businesses popped up with products, books, and any way to make a quick buck off the looming disaster. Time Bomb Y2K is a wild ride through the final days of the ’90s and a compelling portrait of a turning point in the digital revolution.

Program Duration: 80 mins

Bios

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.