The documentary takes viewers into the misunderstood world of the furry fandom

Directed by Ash Kreis and co-directed by Eric Risher, both longtime films. World of fans It has great access, weaves a community history from interviews with key members and footage of events, from radical rallies in the late 70s to almost mainstream conventions like Anthrocon. In the process, we learn about the subculture's close links with animation and comics, two vast archives of anthropomorphic animal characters.

We have news of Mark Merlino, whose pioneering 70s anime fan club in California was a hotbed of furry fans, and Samuel Conway, whose charisma and organizational skills raised the profile of the subculture. We see weasels with antennae that spawned a kinship between proto-furries and Robert Hill's famous Bambioid, a humanoid alien deer costume that helped spur the widespread adoption of role-playing furs.

We meet the creators of these suits, an esteemed woman who made over 600 and the artists who designed them. For many, creative expression isn't just satisfying in itself - it's a way of interacting with a community and counteracting feelings of marginalization in society at large. An on-screen subtitle informs us that around 80% of furries are LGBT + (as well as the entire crew of the film). As one fanatic puts it, the community "gravitates around the use of art as a vehicle for exploring identity".

Pressed on the sexual dimension of the community, no interviewee denies it. "Sure, the furry is full of sexuality," says furry veteran Rod O'Riley, "because the furry is full of human beings, who are alive, thinking and feeling." The problem, according to him, is the company's obsession with this aspect. This may reflect an itchy general interest in sex and distortions, but the film argues that homophobia is a factor as well. As he points out, the hairy boom coincided with the AIDS crisis, when prejudice was rampant; but moral anxiety about the subculture has never really gone away.

The film revolves around this point, the talking bosses defend their passion with varying degrees of exasperation. A furry guy complains that strangers who see gay people dressed up as animals believe a kinky fetish involving children is at stake. Another recalls receiving an ultimatum from his bosses at Disney, which "[told] I had to go [the fandom] to focus on my career, otherwise I wouldn't have a career in animation." He chose his career.

Dissent also came from within. The film touches on Burns Furs, a short-lived chipped hairy group that rebelled against what they saw as more sexual deviance in the community. He also cites more recent associations with alternative law and Donald Trump. These subgroups are portrayed as aberrations, disconnected from genuine furry values. The ways in which they have attempted to give new meanings to hairy culture are not explored; none of these groups are interviewed.

Furthermore, the film is not overly interested in delving into the wider cultural context. There is little at the intersection of fandom with similar subcultures, such as anime cosplay, or the precedent for such close identification with animals. A brief introduction points out that we have been anthropomorphizing them "for centuries" and leave it to that. Here there is room for another film or a thesis.

World of fans he knows what he means and he says it well. The showing community prides itself on tolerance. The film itself is an inclusive gesture, openly directed at an audience of strangers who either think badly about rages or don't think about it at all. He does this with humor and warmth. Anthrocon may be canceled, but if this documentary is successful in its goal, next year's event will be much bigger.

"The Fandom" will premiere today on Ash Kreis' YouTube channel. It is also available on Amazon Prime, Blu-ray and digital download. To purchase the film, visit the film's website.

crew: Executive Producers: David Price and Debbie "Zombie Squirrel" Summers. Associate Producers: Stephanie Reed and Kyle Summers. Producer: Philip "Chip" Kreis. Directors: Ash Kreis and Eric Risher. Director of photography: Ash Kreis. Publisher: Eric Risher. Original sheet music: Iain "Fox Amoore" Armor and Jared "Pepper Coyote" Clark.