About us

WE LIVE IN PUBLIC, a documentary that took ten years to make and was edited down from 5,000 hours of footage, showcases the impact of the internet on society. It focuses on the life of Josh Harris, an influential but lesser-known internet pioneer who is an artist, futurist, and visionary. The film, directed by Ondi Timoner (who also won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize in 2004 for her film DIG!), provides a cautionary tale of how our lives will inevitably be controlled by the virtual world. Timoner delves into thought-provoking questions that are often overlooked by social network users, such as whether the internet is good or bad and, specifically how Facebook can be detrimental. She explores the potential harm that Facebook and other negative aspects of the internet can have on individuals and their families.

Once the movie ended, the audience began to contemplate their own behaviors and the detrimental impact of excessive internet use. A regular user of social media expressed their realization, saying, “I now understand the downsides of the internet; it becomes dangerous when it is excessively used. Observing my friends and their extensive online activity made me realize that the lack of boundaries makes the internet detrimental. This film successfully demonstrates the negative consequences of internet use.”

Often dubbed the “Warhol of the Web,” Harris founded Pseudo.com, the first Internet TV network, during the 1990s dot-com surge. He also organized and funded the groundbreaking project called “Quiet,” which took place in an underground bunker in NYC. This project had over 100 people cohabiting on camera for 30 days at the start of the millennium. Through Quiet, Harris proved that we are willing to sacrifice our privacy in exchange for the connection and recognition we deeply crave. However, as more technological advancements like MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter emerge, our privacy becomes increasingly difficult to maintain. Harris expressed his desire for his film to ignite a debate about social media as a whole, prompting questions such as whether or not Facebook is detrimental to us and what negative consequences can arise from unmonitored Facebook use. He also hopes to explore the good and bad aspects of Facebook and examine why it becomes problematic when not monitored. While not specifically targeting Facebook, Harris acknowledges its prominence as one of the world’s leading social networks. Harris aimed to show the price of living publicly through his experiments, such as a six-month stint under a 24-hour electronic watch with his girlfriend, which eventually caused his mental collapse.

FILMMAKERS

Ondi Timoner, director / producer

Ondi Timoner, a filmmaker, has achieved the rare feat of winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival twice. Her documentary, DIG!, which won in 2004, explores the clash between art and commerce through the lives of two bands. Likewise, her documentary We Live In Public, which won in 2009, delves into the story of an internet visionary who demonstrates how willingly we are willing to sacrifice our privacy and mental well-being in the internet age. The Museum of Modern Art in New York has included both films in its permanent collection. Timoner has also directed other films such as Join Us, which focuses on the cult phenomenon in America, and The Nature of the Beast, which critically examines the US prison system. Her short film Recycle premiered at Sundance in 2006 and has since been screened at Cannes and schools worldwide. Timoner is excited to present her fifth feature-length documentary, Cool It, at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2010, offering a solution to the heated debate surrounding climate change. The film will debut in theaters later this year.

Ondi loves using her camera to connect herself and the audience to unfamiliar worlds, regardless of the medium. In 2000, Timoner both created and directed the original VH-1 series Sound Affects, exploring the impact of music on pivotal moments in people’s lives. She has also directed commercials and web series for renowned brands such as McDonald’s, State Farm, Ford, The Army, and more. Currently, she is working on two short films for Honda’s groundbreaking series called “Dream the Impossible,” which will debut at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011.

After successfully creating impactful documentaries with captivating storylines, both through personal experience and observing others, Ondi is now embarking on a new venture as a director of a “pre-scripted actor film.” Titled The Perfect Moment, it will mark her first foray into this genre and will revolve around the life of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Interloper Films, in collaboration with Eliza Dushku’s Boston Diva, is responsible for producing the film. Ondi participated in the Sundance Director’s and Screenwriter’s Lab as a fellow in June to further develop The Perfect Moment and hopes to begin shooting in 2011. Apart from this project, she is also working on Cycler, which she will direct, with Angry Films and Susan Montford producing under Don Murphy’s guidance.

Timoner, who hails from Miami, Florida, successfully completed his studies at Yale University with distinction. He earned a bachelor’s degree in American Studies with a concentration in Film and Literature, as well as a double major in Theater Studies.

Keirda Bahruth, producer

Keirda Bahruth, a freelance producer/director located in Los Angeles, started her professional journey by collaborating on music videos for popular bands like Jane’s Addiction and Jesus Jones. Later on, she transitioned into the advertising industry, working on commercials for notable brands including Toyota and Apple.

Keirda joined Coppos Films in New York, where she collaborated with Jim Signorelli, a renowned director from Saturday Night Live known for his immensely popular parody sketches in commercials. Signorelli became Keirda’s mentor and instructed her to capture behind-the-scenes footage of SNL’s daily life for the show’s 25th anniversary special. This chance gave her a deep insight into the program’s inner operations. Despite being an unlikely place to discover a passion for documentary filmmaking, SNL became the catalyst for Keirda’s love for filming extraordinary individuals in their daily routines.

Keirda came back to Los Angeles after spending three complete seasons at SNL and became a part of the emerging reality television industry, which was just starting to gain immense popularity across the nation. She has since taken on roles as a director and producer for various shows on networks like the Discovery Channel, E!, Fox, The WB, and BET.

By 2004, Keirda had gained a considerable amount of experience and felt that it was the right time for her to pursue her dream of becoming a documentary filmmaker. Keirda had always been intrigued by punk music icon Bob Forrest and had frequently seen him perform in Los Angeles during the vibrant punk rock and metal scene of the 80s. This scene featured popular bands like Guns and Roses, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Forrest’s own band, Thelonious Monster. Keirda managed to convince Forrest to allow her to create a film about his life and she started documenting the story of this musician who had received critical acclaim and admiration from music legends such as Tom Waits and Joe Strummer. Despite this, Forrest had struggled to achieve widespread success due to his own self-destructive behavior, mainly fueled by drug addiction.

Keirda and director Ondi Timoner collaborated on the documentary feature WE LIVE IN PUBLIC after meeting during the filming of BOB AND THE MONSTER. They dedicated their time and effort to the intensive production of the film, which resulted in numerous accomplishments such as winning a Grand Jury Award at Sundance 2009, being acquired by MoMA, receiving extensive press coverage, and securing a theatrical release.

Keirda is dedicating all her time to BOB AND THE MONSTER and also working on her debut narrative screenplay called BIG TIME NOWHERE. Thanks to her extensive experience, Keirdra no longer needs to question the role of a film producer, what their tasks entail, how documentary film production operates, and how to become an independent filmmaker. Her education in film production and her degree have placed her among the sought-after film producers for post-production work.

Joshua Altman, editor

The detrimental impacts of the internet on our lives are evident in We Live In Public.

As a young boy, Joshua had a curiosity about film editing. He pondered what it entailed, how videos were edited, and what tasks a film editor performed. Additionally, he aspired to become a video editor himself and sought out opportunities to participate in movie editing programs that utilized advanced editing software. During his teenage years, he began experimenting with video editing at home. His passion for the field intensified when he came across a job listing for an “editor.” Without hesitation, he took the opportunity and embarked on the role. While working, he had the chance to watch a video editing tutorial, which taught him the intricacies of editing in film. Furthermore, he engaged in video editing training, gaining insights into the process of editing videos online, and explored a multitude of video editing websites to expand his knowledge.

Joshua Altman had a variety of options when it came to selecting a film editing school, but ultimately he decided to pursue a movie editing program at Penn State University in order to become a film editor in the industry. By obtaining a degree in Film & Video, he gained the necessary skills and knowledge to become a certified video editor, using the latest film editing software and video editing system available. Utilizing this software, he successfully edited various videos. After completing his studies, Joshua dedicated himself to learning as much as possible about video editing techniques and editing video clips. He later moved to Los Angeles, where he found numerous job openings for editors. Interestingly, he perfectly matched the film editor job description for every career opportunity that came his way.

Josh has extensive experience editing non-fiction content for reality television shows on various networks, including NBC, FOX, Bravo, Discovery Channel, and VH1. This contributed to his reputation as a renowned film editor, often referred to as the official “movies editor” due to his work on scripted pilots, music videos, and short films. Additionally, Josh imparted his knowledge by teaching others how to utilize movie editing software, both in-person and through online platforms. He also mentored interns, assisting them in learning the latest video editing software and addressing any questions they had regarding the concept of editing.

He informed the interns that they don’t require the highest quality video editing program, as they can easily find a free video editor online. There are numerous options of free video editing software available. Specifically, they can acquire a free movie editor download from various online platforms, but they need to know where to search to access the free video editing software.

Critics have described Joshua’s distinctive approach as a captivating blend of music and narration, creating an exciting and captivating experience for the viewers.

Joshua, alongside his wife who is both talented and beautiful, recently took on the roles of writing and directing in addition to his editing work. Together, they crafted a delightful short comedy called “Fresh Squeezed.” If interested, you can enjoy the complete film by visiting www.freshsqueezedfilm.com.

At the moment, he is in the final stages of completing his initial full-length screenplay.

Jeff Frey, co-producer

Jeff Frey is a highly accomplished filmmaker in the field of independent film production. He is widely recognized as one of the leading movie producers and has a diverse portfolio, ranging from music videos to feature films. However, he is especially renowned for his exceptional work in producing documentaries. One of his notable achievements includes a documentary that has received multiple accolades, such as the prestigious Grand Jury Prize for best documentary at the 2004 and 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Additionally, his contributions in branded content have also been recognized, as he has been honored with the Sustainability Award at the 2006 Media That Matters event and Silver and Gold Promax/BDA awards.

Jeff is currently working on The Independent Life of Roger Corman, a feature documentary, in partnership with Stick n’ Stone Productions and Endeavor Independent.

Austin Wilkin, associate producer

The negative effects of the internet are explored in the documentary “We Live In Public.” Austin Wilkin, a well-known movie producer, resides in Los Angeles and has gained recognition for his work in the industry. He began his career as an intern in Boston, Massachusetts, and has since spent over a decade in Los Angeles, taking on various jobs in the film industry to expand his knowledge and skills. In 2008, he joined the team at Interloper Films as a story editor and worked on the short film “The Greatest Gift: The Story of the One Love Schools.” Eventually, he became an Associate Producer for the documentary “We Live In Public.” Austin’s collaboration with Interloper Films also includes two additional short films for CNN’s “Heroes” series, and he is passionate about working on projects that bring enlightenment and inspiration.

Meagan Keane, associate producer

After earning her Bachelor’s degree in World Arts & Cultures from UCLA, which is renowned as one of the top film production schools in the United States, she began her full-time employment with Interloper Films, an independent documentary production company, in 2005. She also sought a Master’s degree in film production at the USC School of Cinematic Arts during this period.

While working at Interloper Films, Meagan had various responsibilities ranging from being a production coordinator to a story editor, field producer to an associate producer. She finished her Master of Fine Arts degree at USC in 2006 and remained with Interloper Films as an associate producer for the film “Join Us”. In 2007, Meagan began working with Interloper on a freelance basis while also exploring opportunities in nonfiction commercial production and documentary feature film production. She collaborated with acclaimed directors like Jessica Yu, Steve James, and Timothy Warren.

Meagan worked as a producer Associate for Interloper’s “We Live in Public” from 2006 to 2008. She recently relocated from Los Angeles to her hometown in the San Francisco Bay Area. This decision was motivated by two important opportunities: a contract with Lucasfilm Ltd. to work on a documentary television series that is currently awaiting funding for production in 2009, and a teaching position in Visual Communications at Santa Clara University. She is excited about the chance to interact with young filmmakers through teaching at the university and the freedom it gives her to work on her own projects. In 2009, Meagan is producing a new documentary feature that follows the journey of four women competing in the Ms. Wheelchair America pageant. This competition, unlike typical beauty pageants, values advocacy, achievement, communication, and presentation, seeking the best and most eloquent representative for those with disabilities.

Joshua Harris

Joshua M. Harris, a professional artist, previously worked as the Senior Videotex Analyst at International Data Corporation from 1985 to 1986. After this, he established the online research company Jupiter Communications in 1986, which later went public in 1998 and was eventually merged and sold.

In 1994, Mr. Harris established Pseudo Programs, Inc., which was renowned as the leading global producer of interactive streaming video content at that time.

From 2001 to 2006, Mr. Harris was the owner and manager of Livingston Orchards, LLC., a business that cultivated apples on a large scale in Columbia County, New York.

Mr. Harris served as the CEO of the Operator Exchange Corporation during the period of 2006 to 2007.

Mr. Harris has obtained an undergraduate degree in Communication from the University of California, San Diego.

At present, Mr. Harris holds the position of CEO at the African Entertainment Network, which is located in Sidamo, Ethiopia.

Jason Calacanis

Jason McCabe Calacanis, the creator and chief executive officer of Mahalo.com, an internet search engine operated by people, had been working as an “Entrepreneur in Action” at Sequoia Capital from December 2006 until the launch of Mahalo.com in May 2007.

Jason and Michael Arrington from TechCrunch joined forces in 2007 to organize the TechCrunch40 conference. This event aimed to present 40 of the most promising startups worldwide to an esteemed Silicon Valley audience.

Jason was one of the co-founders and served as the CEO of Weblogs, Inc., which was a collection of well-known weblogs. This organization was later acquired by AOL in November 2005. Upon joining AOL, Jason was given the position of senior vice president. He was also assigned the role of general manager for AOL’s Netscape.

Before starting Weblogs Inc., Jason previously established Rising Tide Studios, a company that successfully sold its main publication to Dow Jones.

Jason, who is highly regarded in the startup industry, often gives speeches at major tech conferences like CeBIT, LeWeb, and DLD. News platforms like Charlie Rose, CNN, 60 Minutes, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal often mention and cite him.

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