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The Empowerment Project: Ordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things

The Empowerment Project: Ordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things is the incredible journey of 5 female filmmakers driving across America to encourage, empower, and inspire the next generation of strong women to go after their career ambitions.

Driving over 7,000 miles from Los Angeles to New York over the course of 30 days, the documentary spotlights 17 positive and powerful women leaders across a variety of lifestyles and industries.

Along the way, these filmmakers relay the candid insight on how these women define their success, what it takes to be a woman in their position, and valuable advice on how to improve the female role in the workplace. In celebration of the all-female focus in front of and behind the camera, the filmmakers turned the cameras on themselves, capturing their transformational journey.

Created for women by women, they challenge the audience to ask themselves, "What would you do if you weren't afraid to fail?"

  • Sarah Moshman
    Director
  • Sarah Moshman
    Writer
  • Sarah Moshman
    Producer
  • Dana Michelle Cook
    Producer
  • Lynn Webb (Executive Producer)
    Producer
  • Ashley Hammen (Co-Producer)
    Producer
  • Scilla Andreen (Co-Producer)
    Producer
  • Ann Skrobut (Co-Producer)
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Genres:
    Family, women, girls, empowerment, equality
  • Runtime:
    49 minutes 2 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 20, 2014
  • Production Budget:
    51,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Lady FIlmmakers Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    September 27, 2014
    Best Documentary, Best Ladies Illuminate
  • Gutsy Gals Inspire Me Award
    Berkshire, MA
    Best of Special Category, Women's Empowerment
  • Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival
    Fort Lauderdale, FL
    November 8, 2014
    Spirit of Indepdents Award
  • Sun Valley Film Festival
    Sun Valley, Idaho
    March 5, 2015
  • Gracies Awards
    New York, NY
    Outstanding Documentary, Outstanding Director - Documentary/Reality
  • Los Angeles Women's International Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    March 19, 2015
    Opening Night Film
Director Biography - Sarah Moshman

Sarah Moshman is an Emmy® Award Winning documentary filmmaker and TV Producer, but most importantly she loves to empower women! Growing up in Chicago, Sarah found her passion for filmmaking at an early age once she discovered how the camera truly gave her a voice. She attended the University of Miami where she studied Video-Film and then moved out to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of working in TV & film. Sarah worked in reality television as a field producer for networks like ABC, NBC, MTV, Lifetime and the Food Network. Documentary filmmaking has always been her passion, and it was in 2012 when she came up with the idea to create "The Empowerment Project" as a way to change the way women are portrayed in the media. Sarah's career has taken an exciting turn as she and her producing partner Dana Michelle Cook now have the privilege of screening the film and speaking in schools across the country about following a dream and not being afraid to fail.

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Director Statement

It was in 2012 when I gained a greater awareness of the way women are portrayed in the media. They are often oversexualized, objectified, or ignored all together. Working in television and being on the frontlines of the content that is being produced, I couldn't help but think that I needed to do something to stop being a part of the problem and start being a part of the solution. What messages are we sending our girls? How are young women growing up today supposed to feel empowered to be their best selves with so many unrepresentative images of women bombarding them each day? Once you turn that awareness on, it is hard to turn off.

I decided to take action, and "The Empowerment Project" is my way of contributing to a landscape that I wish to see more of. It is my honor to spotlight 17 women in this film who are strong, complex, flawed, and real. I want to show audiences their stories larger than life on the big screen and start a conversation around gender equality, the way women are portrayed in the media, but also the universal message of facing your fears and following a dream. The film asks "What would you do if you weren't afraid to fail?" And for me, I would direct this documentary and go on a journey of a lifetime to empower the next generation of strong female leaders.

With gratitude,
Sarah Moshman