New Disney ‘Dream Big, Princess’ digital shorts series encourages female empowerment

Since its launch in 2016, Disney’s “Dream Big, Princess” initiative has sought to inspire girls around the world to chase their dreams.

Now, a new series of “Dream Big, Princess” digital shorts, created by 21 young female filmmakers from 13 countries, will inspire girls everywhere to create, dream and celebrate who they are by telling the stories of inspiring female role models.

Plans for this new series were revealed at the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. Each aspiring filmmaker will be paired with an interview subject, spanning a diverse range of professions. These young women will capture the stories of these individuals as they see them, along with their advice on how to succeed.

Each video will be shot on iPhone X, and edited using Final Cut Pro X on a MacBook Pro. These filmmakers will also take part in a workshop including hands-on training from Apple technical pros, mentoring sessions with female-led production company Summerjax, and creative inspiration from Disney storytelling veterans.

After the workshop, the women will head out on their own creative journeys back in their home countries, with the help of ongoing mentorship from Disney, Apple, and Summerjax, before their videos debut across social media in October.

Oscar-winner Jennifer Lee, who now heads Disney Animation Studios as CCO, is one of the women who will be featured in the series.

“Using the journeys of characters like Anna, Elsa, and Moana to inspire kids to dream big is at the very heart of what all of us at Disney do,” said Lee. “The ‘Dream Big, Princess’ series is the perfect extension of that vision, providing a powerful platform for the next generation of aspiring filmmakers to create content about the women who have inspired them.”

In addition to supporting these aspiring filmmakers and sharing these inspiring stories, the “Dream Big, Princess” campaign hopes to make a difference for girls who face challenges in making their dreams come true. Through Disney’s collaboration with Girl Up, for every like or share of a video or photo with #DreamBigPrincess on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, Disney Worldwide Services will donate $1 to Girl Up, up to $1 million.

This initiative will begin on Oct. 10 and run through Nov. 20, 2018. Hear what Lee had to say about the “Dream Big, Princess” digital short series below: