New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Featuring Joan Jett, Debbie Harry, Billy Idol, Nick Rhodes, Denis McNamara, Jim Kerr, Vince Clarke, Curt Smith, Fred Schneider,
Thomas Dolby, Midge Ure, Gary "Baba Booey" Dell' Abate, Seymour Stein, Paul McGuinness, Dave Wakeling, Annabella Lwin, Miles Copeland, Joel Peresman, Larry Dunn, Donna Donna, Max Leinwand, "Malibu Sue" McCann, Michael Pagnotta and Steve Thompson
In August, 1982, a small group of radio visionaries at WLIR Long Island knew they couldn't compete with the mega radio stations in New York City. With one brave decision, they changed the sound of radio forever. Program
Director Denis McNamara, the crew at the station and the biggest artists of the era tell the story of how they battled the FCC, the record labels, mega-radio and all the conventional rules to create a musical movement that brought the New Wave to
America - including bands like U2, Talking Heads,
Depeche Mode and Blondie.
Official Trailer: https://youtu.be/qq2PYkNsnxE
Pre-order: https://mvdshop.com/products/new-wave-dare-to-be-different-dvd
ABOUT THE FILMMAKER:
Ellen Goldfarb is the Creator,
Director and Producer of New Wave: Dare To Be Different.
Ellen grew up listening to radio station WLIR, which greatly impacted her life. She has produced and directed many projects including 2 concerts, but this is her first feature film. She studied in New York and took screenwriting classes through UCLA's extension program.
Ellen is a major music buff and grew up listening to radio station WLIR. She experienced the format change in 1982 to "New Music" and was an avid listener and fan of the station. After the format change, like many in the greater New York area,
Ellen remembers New
Music WLIR becoming a central part of her life.
Ellen created Dare To Be Different to document the history and energy of the amazing WLIR at its heyday in the 1980's when it introduced New York and
America to New
Music and launched groups like U2, The
Police and many others to greatness.
Ellen started Jomyra Productions to house New Wave: Dare To Be Different and other entertainment projects.
Ellen is a born producer and director who is excellent at organizing, networking, creating and getting the job done. She is currently residing in Los Angeles with her husband and 2 children.
Ellen comes from a family of entertainment industry folk.
ABOUT THE PRODUCER:
Roger Senders is producer of New Wave: Dare To Be Different.
In addition to production, logistical and financial oversight for the documentary, Senders has been in private legal practice since 2003 in Culver City, California, where he represents entertainment clients and provides production legal services.
He previously worked for the CBS Television Network, overseeing daytime and children's programming. Before that, Senders spent five years working as a Directors Guild of
America apprentice and as a second assistant director.
Senders grew up on Mercer Island, a suburb of Seattle. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Oregon. While there, he worked as an extra in the classic, "National Lampoon's Animal House," playing a Delta House pledge. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the Seattle University School of Law.
PRESS QUOTES:
"A tremendously entertaining look inside the mind of a remarkable artist." An enjoyable look at a tremendously influential broadcasting underdog."- John De Fore, The Hollywood Reporter
"Chronicles rise, fall of the coolest 80's radio station!"-
Glenn Gamboa, Newsday
"Shines a light on influential Long Island radio station during the '80s"- Ron Hart, Billboard
"The station's broadcasting license had been under threat since a 1972 dispute and the FCC finally revoked it in 1987, ironically, the same year they won the Alternative Station Of The Year Award from radio trade publication the Gavin Report."-
Benjamin Smith, Decider
"Mainstream American music wasn't breaking new bounds, it wasn't saying anything dangerous... WLIR fueled something loud, smelly, and nasty."
- Billy Idol
