In some places around the world, we are lucky enough to consider ourselves far off from the days when women had to argue for their right to contribute in male-dominated workplaces. However, this does not mean that women and nonbinary people still don’t struggle for the freedoms that men have attained both in the office and out. For this round of crowdfunding picks, we focus on projects that consider these challenges in the workplace and meaningfully depict the women who deal with them.
In the short documentary “Grid Girls,” different women in the automative industry find a sense of independence and empowerment by working with cars. Director Yu Gu tackles the subject of women fighting the NFL for fair pay in the doc “A Woman’s Work: The NFL’s Cheerleader Problem.” And in series “Goals N’ Shit,” a woman attempts to figure out her life after she is unexpectedly fired.
Here are Women and Hollywood’s women-created and women-centric crowdfunding selections.
“Grid Girls” (Short Documentary) – Directed by Georgia Krause
“Grid Girls”
The short documentary “Grid Girls,” directed by Georgia Krause, focuses on women with a love of cars. A group of high schoolers in an all-girls mechanic class, a car model, and a race car driver have radically different experiences, but all share a desire to get ahead in the male-dominated world of cars.
“Grid Girls” is the senior thesis of NYU student Krause, who writes that she has always been passionate about telling stories about female strength. “Grid Girls” is not new territory for her: this is her fourth documentary short. Her previous film, “Small Talk,” premiered at DOC NYC. This experience allows Krause to excellently weave together three disparate narratives as the “Grid Girls” prepare for a car show, a final exam, and the last race of the season.
You can learn more and help “Grid Girls” tell its story by donating to its Indiegogo campaign.
Feminism is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when one discusses football. But when Lacy, one of the former cheerleaders of the Oakland Raiders, sued her former employer for missing wages, the class action lawsuit changed the game for women in the sport.
Director Yu Gu notes that she has an interesting perspective of football. As someone who lived in China up until her move to the United States, her introduction to football was always one of patriotism and the American Dream. Everything, she felt, was earned in the sport. Her decision to make the documentary stemmed from her belief that the underpaid cheerleaders in the NFL went against the very values that were so embedded in football.
As one of the women in the documentary stated: “Imagine you train your whole life to pursue your dreams … but you get told you aren’t even worth getting paid a minimum wage, to be doing it for the honor and privilege and others would do it for free.” “A Woman’s Work” reminds us all that this conversation has been long overdue.
Contribute to the film’s Kickstarter campaign here.
“Goals N’ Shit” (Series) – Created by Alexandria Collins
Our final pick tackles something different: how women cope when they lose their jobs. “Goals N’ Shit” creator and lead actress Alexandria Collins wants to explore this uncharted territory through a comedy about Bispa, a woman who has just hit rock bottom after getting fired. She also gets broken up with — and this combination forces her to confront herself and her uncertain future.
The absurd comedic drama features two female leads of color and an intelligence that deftly tackles difficult topics such as student debt and being a first-generation American. As Collins says, “I want to feel like this is a story for everyone.” And with its warmly empathetic tone, this looks to be a series that will be a delightful watch for anyone unsure about their path.
Help support the project through 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.) welcome. Projects must be by and/or about women.
