Just a few years ago, Erin Bagwell was working as an interactive designer for corporate America. She found herself facing the daily struggles of women in the workplace everywhere. She felt underappreciated, solely because of her gender and the stereotypes that are far too common for women at work. She began her blog, Feminist Wednesday, as a way to fuel the inspiration she felt she was lacking. Through the blog, she began interviewing women of all calibers and found that there was a huge sector of our economy that wasn’t being discussed in the media: female entrepreneurs.
Erin had always dreamed of creating a feature film, and she finally found her topic. She quit her 9 to 5 job and began working on the project full time. She assembled a team of women technicians and filmmakers to help her film a trailer she could use for her Kickstarter campaign. Having risked it all, Erin hoped that the women she was inspired by would return the favor. And they did not let her down. In just 30 days, Erin raised over $100K, almost double her goal, to fund her film.
But the Kickstarter didn’t just bring in funding. Through it, she also found her partner Komal Minhas. Komal stumbled upon the campaign and was immediately determined to become a part of the project. She contacted Erin and the two have been inseparable ever since, with Komal taking on the title of co-creator and producer.
Erin has many goals she hopes to accomplish with her film: bringing deserved recognition to women starting their own companies, educating the world on women in the workplace, but most of all, she hopes to teach young girls that they have what it takes to be leaders. She sees part of her job as a feminist and a filmmaker as “giving girls the role models they deserve.” The images of women in our culture rarely project leadership, and it is detrimental to younger generations as they imagine their futures. We tell young girls they can be anything when they grow up, but we don’t always stand behind that statement when it comes to women attempting to build careers.
This inspiring documentary was imagined, created, and produced by a team of women who believe in a more feminist future. And if it sounds a little heavy, don’t worry, there will be plenty of awesome animations created by the lady bosses at Mighty Oak to add some fun and flare.
The film’s premiere event will take place on June 9th in NYC and be released worldwide in June 2016.
For more information visit dreamgirlfilm.com and check out the trailer below!
Image via Instagram
More from BUST
Texas Teen Turns Being Bullied Into Full Blown Awesomeness
Stop Selling My Body: #WomenNotObjects
The Woman History Forgot: Victoria Clafin Woodhull
