"My name really is Michael Jackson, but I don't sing, I don't dance, and I don't drink Pepsi."
This opening salvo should be familiar to early-adopter beer geeks – it was the lead-in to each of six episodes featuring the British journalist and author
Michael Jackson, a pioneer of the craft brewing renaissance who passed away in 2007.
The Beer Hunter TV show was first aired in the UK 1989 and then syndicated to the Discovery Channel in the US, leading to international acclaim, but despite its popularity, no additional episodes in the series were ever created.
Beer Hunter: The Movie is an attempt to fill that void, and after several years of work, director
J.R. Richards is turning to
Kickstarter to help get the film finished. Richards has over 60 hours of unseen footage of Jackson, shot between 2003–2006 as the filmmaker traveled the world with the beer guru. The movie will incorporate that plus interviews with craft beer leaders and insiders about Jackson’s influence and importance to the industry, telling the fascinating story of his life.
Organizers already have
nearly a third of their target $30,000 pledged already reached their goal (it happened overnight last night!), but the Kickstarter is still open to new donations through Sunday, January 29. All backers will receive credit in the final film, whether you pledge $5 or $5,000, and other incentives include DVDs, t-shirts, movie posters and more.
Head over to become part of this documentary.
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