‘Ending Real Fur’ Movie Premieres on Black Friday on UnchainedTV
On Black Friday, UnchainedTV will host the global online launch of the award-winning documentary film Ending Real Fur, exposing the fur industry
Los Angeles, November 9th, 2023 — On November 24th, the day after Thanksgiving, aka Black Friday, aka Fur-Free Friday, UnchainedTV will launch the world premiere of the award-winning documentary film Ending Real Fur. So, instead of spending money on more stuff, click on UnchainedTV to watch this movie for free, starting at 4:30pm pacific/7:30pm eastern. You’ll be glad you marked your calendars for this riveting film.
Post-Premiere LIVE Q&A Stars Tim Gunn
The screening will be followed by a live panel discussion at 6pm pacific/9pm eastern with some of the celebrities who appear in the film, including fashion legend Tim Gunn, of Making the Cut, and Project Runway fame, and Alissa White-Gluz, lead vocalist of Arch Enemy, along with the film’s star and producer Taimoor Choudhry.
WHO Are You Wearing? A dog?
What makes the film so fascinating is how it tracks Choudhry’s journey to compassion. He starts out as a playboy, working in the diamond and jewelry business, proud of his reputation as a high-flying consumer of luxury goods. But, he also loves his dogs. When he learns the fur trim on his jacket came from a dog, his life is upended. That’s just one of the aha moments you will see him experience in the film.
We watch as his priorities transform from the superficial to the profound, as he changes from a conspicuous consumer to a hard core animal rights activist. He ends up fighting to pass legislation to ban fur in all of Canada, often considered ground zero of the fur trade. And, you’ll have to watch the movie to find out how he even goes undercover for PETA at a fur market.
A Buddy Movie to End Fur
Choudhry is the first to say, this film show how the fight against fur is a team effort and he is but one part. In addition to Tim Gunn and Alissa White-Gluz, the film features very famous people in the anti-fur movement, such as Lesley Fox (Executive Director, The Fur-Bearers), Camille Labchuk (Executive Director, Animal Justice), Chris DeRose (Founder, Last Chance for Animals), Anita Krajnc (Founder, The Save Movement) and, last but certainly not least, Ingrid Newkirk (President, PETA).
As part of her weekly VoiceAmerica podcast, UnchainedTV’s Jane Velez-Mitchell interviewed Taimoor Choudhry about his exciting new film. You can watch the entire conversation here:
From Pakistani Jeweler to Canadian Film Director
Choudhry’s backstory is fascinating. For years, he was one of the top jewelry designers in Pakistan, leading a life of glamour and extravagance. He was rubbing elbows with celebrities, fashionistas and the elite as he grew his family’s diamond and gold jewelry empire in his native country. Another one of his moments of transformation was witnessing animal cruelty in a cow and bull market. That moment changed him forever and he knew that he had to do something. This is what he told Velez-Mitchell about it:
“What I’ve discovered, through this seven-year journey, is that everybody has this one aha moment, this one moment in your life where you realize the truth; when something comes in, connects with you, and you never will be the same after that. At that point, it’s up to you to make that change within yourself. For me, my aha moment was when the Animal Kingdom connected with me, and when I looked into its eyes, I realized that there was this sentience inside, and I had to help. I had to help that female cow that I saw, and from then on, my life has changed forever.”
After moving to Canada to pursue a film degree, he was shocked to learn that the animal exploitation he thought he had left behind in Pakistan was very much present in his new home. In response to this, Choudhry founded Arise Productions and has dedicated the past five years to making changes through cinema and his films. He explains why he decided to focus on fur:
“I was walking one day around Vancouver, and I looked up and I saw that everybody was wearing these jackets with fur trim… I got very curious about where these hoodies were coming from… and, to my shock, I found out that I was wearing a species of dog. Not that a raccoon would be any different, or any other animal. But, to me, it was really alarming that I didn’t even know that I was wearing a raccoon dog… So, I thought to myself, ‘you know what, I’m going to speak up for these animals because nobody else is speaking up.’”
“The best strategy I found is to become one voice. We need to unite together. We can’t be just doing separate protests on our own.” —Taimoor Choudhry, star/ producer of Ending Real Fur
Why It’s Time for Ending Real Fur in Canada
The good news is that the whole fur industry is in decline, especially after millions of animals, trapped in fur farms all over the world, were killed off en masse after they got infected with COVID-19 during the pandemic. Additionally, according to EuroNews.Green, “Fur farming has been banned in 19 European countries.”
Also, from a fashion standpoint, fur is simply becoming passé with displays of fur increasingly regarded as vulgar and gross and described as a “fabric non grata” by W Magazine. A torrent of leading designers and brands have declared themselves fur-free, from Gucci to Versace and beyond.
Canada Is Behind the Times and Must Change
But, Canada remains one of the main producers of fur. Globally, each year, about 100 million animals are bred and killed on fur farms to supply the fashion industry, four million of whom are on Canadian fur farms. Foxes and minks are typically electrocuted or gassed to death at these compounds with minimal regulatory oversight. Despite Canadians’ overwhelming opposition to killing animals for their fur, since 2014, the federal government has reportedly spent over 100 million in taxpayer money subsidizing fur farms. Choudhry explains he avoided showing very much graphic footage in the film.
“We just showed the little instances of how terrible the conditions are and there’s absolutely no law to protect these animals. These animals are injured there. I remember one of the fur farm guys saying, ‘Let them die on their own, because it’s easier if they die on their own.’ So, they let them just suffer for months.”
A Bill Could Be Ending Real Fur in Canada
On February 8th, 2022, Canadian MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith introduced the Act to Prohibit Fur Farming (Bill C-247). This historic bill would make it illegal to own or operate fur farms in Canada, and the Ending Real Fur documentary reveals how this political initiative started. Choudhry explains:
“The whole strategy of the movie was that, once I showed the problem, once I showed this is where the fur is coming from, I don’t want people to just look at it and feel, ‘What do I do? There’s nothing I can do!’ We went and spoke to MP Nataniel Erskine-Smith and he said that he would be willing to table a bill for us. And I said, ‘Hey, that’s a great idea, and we will cover you doing this.’ And so, the rest of the movie is about going and tabling this bill, and campaigning for it.”
The team behind Ending Real Fur began the #MakeFurFarmsHistory campaign to draw attention to the bill, and the website alone has helped over 5,000 people send letters to their local politicians calling for an end to fur farming in Canada. Choudhry explains how important it is that people watch the film and support this campaign:
“That bill stands for banning fur farming in Canada federally, and if that actually goes to a second reading and passes, this means that Canada could completely ban fur and the whole world will follow suit.”
There are two premieres scheduled for Ending Real Fur. First, a Red Carpet Premiere Event in Toronto on November 18th (with special guest, singer Alissa White-Gluz), and then the Global Online Premiere Event on UnchainedTV, on Friday, November 24th, at 4:30 pm Pacific/7:30 pm Eastern.
“Canada is one of biggest fur suppliers… If they shut this down, it’s going to be like dominos.” —Taimoor Choudhry, star and producer of Ending Real Fur
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