This month’s crowdfunding picks delve into the wondrous world of the childlike imagination, tackle intense topics like living with breast cancer, and consider women’s experiences in a male dominated workplace.
“Cave Small Cave Big” is a short film about a Butterfly Girl, written by two five year old girls. When the Butterfly Girl goes on a journey, the focus shifts to the lost object she is trying to find. “Refuge” is a shift in genre, but still desires to inspire — this film considers the refugee crisis, through a story about the friendship between a Jewish American woman and an Ethiopian refugee.
The documentary “Confrontation” considers the everyday experiences of women diagnosed with breast cancer, and the lessons any person can learn from their resilience and experiences. Another project on our list that focuses on women’s experiences is “What It Takes.” Women who work in environments where other women are scarce get an opportunity to speak out in this documentary series, which (with your help) would follow women in their workplace and give insights into their perspective.
Here are our crowdfunding picks:
This short film is the beginning of a series of films written by kids. “Cave Small Big” follows a Butterfly Girl, as she embarks on a journey of inspiration and loss. Dreamy and abstract, the lovely images in this film have the creative quality to make you feel like you’re in the minds of its writers, five-year-old Adelaide Schwartz and Madeline Lee-Harker. Production has been covered, so crowdfunding for this project will go towards an original score, sound design, color correction, and digital compositing. You can give to this film here until June 19.
“Confrontation” (Documentary) — Written and Directed by Nejla Demirci
A feature length documentary, “Confrontation” will focus on the psychological effects of breast cancer for women: fear, anxiety, and stigma. Through sixty hours of already filmed interview footage, Director Nejla Demirci aims to tell a story of strength, that will inspire and empower women. In that sixty hours, women diagnosed with the disease discuss their lives, hopes, dreams, and struggles. The subjects of the film redefine life and its meaning with their stories. You can contribute to this film on its Indiegogo page here until the last week of June.
“Refuge”— Written and Directed by Sara Hofstein
“Refuge” is the story of Rachel, a young Jewish-American woman who moves to Vienna, Austria. She becomes friends with Yitzhak, an Ethiopian Jew and former refugee. When confronted with their shared cultural history, Rachel must reconcile her past with Austria’s Holocaust history and the current refugee crisis gripping Europe. The film is inspired by Austria’s history, and the parallels between the treatment of the Jews in the 1930s and 40s with today’s treatment of Middle Eastern Muslims. With a website that sheds light on the refugee crisis, “Refuge” aims to inspire people to help the plight of the refugees. This project needs your contribution for production, which you can give here on its Indiegogo page until the end of June.
“What It Takes” (Documentary)— Executive Produced by Ann Cross
This documentary series takes on the roles of women on male dominated career paths— and the competition that arises as they compete for prominence. The episodes of “What It Takes” will showcase remarkable women breaking down gender barriers in their field. The first episode will follow two college football officials — one of whom says, “When you’re a woman official people assume you don’t know the game or you don’t know what you are doing.” The episode will follow the two women as they compete on the line of scrimmage. Additional episodes will feature women in extreme sports such as horse racing, race car driving, and skydiving. You can contribute to this docu-series on the Indiegogo page here until June 7.
