Time Bomb Y2K
ABOUT
At the end of the 20th century, armageddon loomed large in the form of a ubiquitous computer coding error that could cause the world’s computerized systems to grind to a halt. In this hilarious, human, and fully archival film exploring one turning point in the digital revolution, directors and Points North Fellowship alumni Marley McDonald and Brian Becker remember the anxieties, initiatives, and DIY workarounds that occupied the general public as they prepared for Y2K.
BRIAN BECKER - DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER 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.
MARLEY MCDONALD - DIRECTOR AND EDITOR 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.
CREDITS
Marley McDonald
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS FOR HBO: TINA NGUYEN, NANCY ABRAHAM, LISA HELLER
ANIMATION: GRIN MACHINE (COLE KUSH & TOM GOULET)
SOUND: TOM PAUL
MUSIC: NATHAN MICAY