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Breaking the Barrier chronicles OnWord, a women, TGNC & LGBT+ skate crew that teaches skatepark building and provides free skate lessons and resources for marginalized communities.
It is a vulnerable and heartbreaking portrait of a variety of different skaters’ toxic and traumatic experiences at male-dominated skateparks. They share their unique perspectives on what inclusivity means to them.
Watch our proof of concept video here. Password: btb12
In May of 2021, they struggle finding a space to build the DIY public mobile skatepark. OnWord finds an alternate route and creates their own safe & accessible space. They begin to bring the public mobile skatepark to different areas of Chicago especially those that lack skateparks and bring their skating community to them.
This is filmmaker Bridget Johnson’s debut feature. You are supporting an independent queer production company.
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Building community is our #1 priority. After the festival circuit, we will be traveling to Chicago Public Schools & LGBT+ clubs/organizations to showcase the film and provide a thought-provoking discussion about identity & inclusion.
We want to inspire others to be their authentic selves and be proud of who they are!
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Interviewees from left to right: Sid Denila, Bella Garcia, Annabelle Otterbacher, and Fran Matias.
- Breaking the Barrier is a documentary that focuses on exposing the discrimination non-traditional skaters face. These are real people. Real stories.
- Our film stands out because not only is it about skateboarding, but also building and designing skate parks that are accessible to all.
- This is one of the first documentaries that doesn't just highlight skateboarding but also rollerskating & free skating.
- The director of this doc, Bridget Johnson is a co-founder of OnWord. This is a participatory documentary in which the filmmaker engages with the skaters and shares her own story.
- Unlike a lot of films that star LGBT+ folks, this film has a happy ending. We will be following these skaters as they grow, learn new things about themselves, and follow their dreams.
Inclusivity is not just a theme of the documentary but also our mission as a film crew. The core creative team is made up of non-traditional filmmakers and most of them are skaters themselves.
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The funds contributed to this campaign will make it possible for us to make this film a reality! THANK YOU!
An outline of where your money will go:
- Filming (40%) - Paying our camera, g&e, crew to film 4 days of interviews plus OnSite 2022.
- Post-Production (50%) - Editing, color grading, audio mixing, and music composition/licensing from local queer artists.
- Distribution (7%) - We're submitting to at least 8 film festivals from across the world. Entry fees range from $80-100 or even more depending on the festival and when you submit.
- Food for Cast & Crew (3%) - A fed crew is a happy crew! We will be supporting local women & queer owned restaurants & cafes.
Any funding beyond our goal will go towards marketing, distribution, and additional money for crew members.
When you donate, you are coming along on our journey! There are ways for you to get involved and connect with other creatives, skaters, and LGBT+ folks. Join us by following our IG.
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Skateparks can be ostracizing and unsafe for non-traditional skaters.
- This film needs to be told to create a more inclusive future for skaters and to encourage people to take risks that will help them find community and grow.
- The audience needs to hear our story so they know they have a space and others who will support them.
Breaking the Barrier incorporates an intersectional lens by featuring people on screen who are not usually represented positively or authentically.
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Skateboarding is becoming very popular among youth especially due to the pandemic.
- This was the first year skateboarding was in the Olympics.
- Since it's increase in popularity for a younger demographic, the film will be successful for ages 12-25.
However, a lot of people do not know how toxic skate culture can be and the discrimination a lot of women and queer skaters experience.
This is our chance to share our experiences in order to change the narrative and spark change in the skate industry.
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July - August 2022: Film interviews with founders & collective members. Film OnSite event 2022.
August 2022: Start post-production & editing.
September - October 2022: Edit a final cut, add sound, color, and an original score.
October 2022 and Beyond: Film Festival Submissions, Marketing and Distribution
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Our crew is made up of female & LGBT+ filmmakers from Chicago.
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DIRECTOR: Bridget Johnson (she/her/hers) is a Chicago-based Director and Writer who specializes in creating thought-provoking films that inspire audiences to follow their dreams and ask life's biggest questions.
Her production company, Dare to Dream Productions, focuses on creating compelling content with inclusive casts and crews that elevate marginalized voices. Her LGBT+ film, The Girl at the Library, has over 1M views on YouTube and played a variety of film festivals globally.
Her films have been shown at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago and the historic AMC Theater in Times Square. In her free time, you can catch her skating down Chicago streets, reading tarot at a cafe, or finding her next inspiration for a script.
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PRODUCER: Lucia Agajanian (she/her/hers) is a Chicago-based freelance film producer, editor, and production designer with a passion for music videos, documentary, and hybrid-genre filmmaking. Through film, Lucia hopes to promote social justice, globalism, and fostering empathy to work toward a more equitable world.
Currently, Lucia is an associate producer and impact producer on projects with Chicago-based documentary production companies like Kindling Group and Kartemquin. Lucia is also working on several music videos for Chicago and LA artists, all in various stages of production.
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DP: With over 10 years of film experience, Chicago native, Amy Limpinyakul has always been a misfit. She combines her love for cinematography with her love for skateboarding.
After graduating with MS Cinema Production she was invited back to DePaul to film an MFA thesis, which was her first feature film, Graybeard.
Some of her works include Limerence, which won a Silver Remi Award at WorldFest Houston (2020), and her second feature film, Cecily and Lydia at the Waypoint.
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Dare to Dream Productions is a Chicago-based inclusive production company that creates socially aware films that explore the unknown and answers life’s biggest questions. Our approach to storytelling is to tell positive and authentic queer stories where being queer is not the plot. Our mission is to spark deep discussions that inspire others to take action and follow their dreams. And don’t ever forget to stay true to you.
Follow us on IG: @dtdproductions or watch some of our films on our website here.
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Your support will make my childhood dream of creating a feature film a reality! I hope you join us on our journey. Anything counts, a share on IG means a lot. Thank you so much, it means the world! ?
