We all face personal struggles that are drastically altered and influenced by the world we live in. For this round of crowdfunding picks, we’re looking at shorts centered on the struggle to survive, define ourselves, and push past the stereotypes that prevent us from empathizing with others.

First up is “Girl Talk,” Erica Rose’s film about a young woman navigating queer culture. Her decision to enter into an intimate relationship with a lesbian couple complicates and cripples her already fragile connections with others.

“Marisol,” a bilingual film from director Zoé Salicrup Junco, follows a young mother trying to make ends meet in a world where her status as an immigrant puts her at risk every day. As her worst nightmare becomes a reality, we are pushed to question and understand how we look at people who are fighting for a second chance.

Writer-director Allison Guessou’s “What Marilyn Didn’t Know” also makes us question how we look at others when we have no personal experience to compare them against. A mysterious package throws a woman’s life into disarray and sets her on a path to discover how far she’s willing to go for her family.

Finally, writer-director Erin Doyle Cooper’s “Believe Her” tells a familiar story for victims of sexual assault. In this 10-minute narrative short, we meet Monica, a rape victim who decides not to file a police report. The doubt of others changes how she views the experience and herself.

Here’s our latest round of women-created and women-centric crowdfunding picks.

“Girl Talk” (Short) — Written and Directed by Erica Rose

“Girl Talk” is about the “in-between,” according to the project’s crowdfunding page. “It’s not the coming out story, it’s not the secret affair, no one dies at the end.” Writer-director Erica Rose paints an environment that reflects the ever-changing emotions we all experience as we try to gain control of our lives without employing any of the tropes commonly associated with stories about queer characters. The film centers on twenty-something Mia. Her circumstances are trying, but they shape who she is, and she’s not portrayed as a victim of her circumstance.

You can help fund “Girl Talk” through its Seed & Spark campaign.

“Marisol” (Short)—Directed by Zoé Salicrup Junco

Considering the current political climate in the United States and the upheavel over DACA (Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), “Marisol” hits close to home. This mother’s struggle to gain control of her life and that of her family, in a world that is set against her from the start, is thought-provoking and heartbreaking. It’s also something that isn’t going away without discussion, change, and a look in the mirror.

This short is meant to draw people in and give them a peek into the lives of thousands of our neighbors, friends, and maybe even family. This diverse team of creators wants to open up a narrative and hopefully light a spark under every person who’s been afraid to talk about the immigration debate.

Find out how to help “Marisol” by visiting its Seed & Spark campaign.

“What Marilyn Didn’t Know” (Short) — Written and Directed by Alison Guessou

What’s really interesting about “What Marilyn Didn’t Know” is the way it plays with the viewer’s preconceptions. We’d like to think that, if we were put into the position Marilyn is in, we’d speak up and not become an accomplice to a “lone wolf” crime. The truth of the matter is that we don’t know what’d we do — we easily dismiss the partners of these criminals as being complicit or blind to the truth, instead of sympathizing with their predicament.

This film feels especially hard to swallow because gun violence and mass shootings are brushed off by those in power — unless the perpetrator is a person of color. “What Marilyn Didn’t Know” reminds us that the “lone wolf’s” family are victims as well, before the incident and long after.

Help “What Marilyn Didn’t Know” tell its story by contributing to its Seed & Spark campaign.

“Believe Her” (Short)— Written and Directed by Erin Doyle Cooper

“Believe Her” explores why we as humans are inclined to not believe victims of rape and how others’ disbelief makes us question the validity of what we have experienced. We sit with Monica and watch as her assault is twisted up into something different. Ultimately, her retreat into herself and decision not to press charges are frustrating, but also, unfortunately, realistic.

This short film is raw, shocking, and something that we need to see more of to understand how our opinions are created and how we should treat survivors. They deserve to be believed instead of having the finger pointed back at them before they even open their mouths.

You can support the production of “Believe Her” by donating via its Seed & Spark campaign.

To be considered for Women and Hollywood’s biweekly crowdfunding feature, please write to womenandhollywoodinterns@gmail.com. All formats (features, shorts, web series, etc.) are welcome. Projects must be by and/or about women.