#GlorifyingObesity
New York City, New York | Film Short
Documentary
This documentary shines the light on the body positivity movement past, present, and future. #GlorifyingObesity isn’t about promoting fatness but about fat acceptance. This film pays homage to the participants of the movement and encourages others to take up space just as they did.
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Goal: $26,000 for post-production
This documentary shines the light on the body positivity movement past, present, and future. #GlorifyingObesity isn’t about promoting fatness but about fat acceptance. This film pays homage to the participants of the movement and encourages others to take up space just as they did.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
This documentary shines the light on the Body Positivity Movement that began in the late 2000s/early 2010s. The way people look determines the way they are treated in all aspects of life. Being body posi means to be inclusive to all sizes and body types. So why are we saying "Glorifying Obesity?" While the body positivity movement grew momentum, the purpose of the movement suddenly became skewed. People began preaching a "healthy" lifestyle as a means of promoting body positivity while demonizing the originators of the movement. Fat femmes/individuals were suddenly being left out of a movement they started in the first place since people assumed they were promoting unhealthy lifestyles. Whenever a fat person posts any form of content online, it's not uncommon to see a heckler saying "stop glorifying obesity!" This is where things took a shift. Rather than seeing this phrase as a negative, the fat positive community reclaimed it and turned it into a positive. #GlorifyingObesity isn't about promoting fatness but about fat acceptance. Fat people deserve to be seen, desired, and respected regardless of size. And just because you're fat, does not mean you're promoting unhealthy lifestyles.
There are many people that are key pillars of the online body positivity movement and we were lucky to film with some of the best!
Here's our cast: *stills taken from our film
Sesali Bowen is an author that advocates for fat acceptance and feminism in all her work. Her book "Bad Fat Black Girl: Notes from a Trap Feminist" explores intersectionality between black femmes and black women and how the world perceives them. 
Kellie Brown is a PR/Marketing consultant that pioneered plus sized features for many brands and even helped launch the world famous Fatkini. She also started the Fat At Fashion Week hashtag for Teen Vogue where she encouraged fat individuals to show themselves participating in fashion week since that was not the norm. Her personal blog also inspires many women to dress however they want at any size.
Essie Golden is a blogger that helps women feel confident in the skin they are in. She started the movement "Golden Confidence" and even started a plus sized pool party for women. Her pool party success inspired many others (including TV shows like Shrill) to do the same.
Keena ButtahLove is a burlesque dancer from California. She is a big part of the San Diego body inclusivity space. She's hosted and participated in many community events that encourage fat acceptance.
Where we're at now
We had a great 2 day shoot where we captured beautiful interviews and footage of our interviewees. Now we need to finish it!
- Filming - done
- Editing - to begin upon funding
- Design exploration - in progress
- Music exploration - to begin upon funding
- Legal/Clearance - to begin upon edit
What this campaign funds
• Editor's time, graphic designer time, legal/clearance fees, music and stock license fees, producer & director fees.
• If we surpass goal, funds will go towards our stretch goals.
Stretch Goals
There are so many stories to tell and so many influencers past and present that we'd love to include in our film.
Our stretch goal is an additional $30,000. With additional funds we can bring 1-2 more people to join our cast and tell their story. The cost will cover the following:
- Location fees for shoot
- Travel/Lodging fees for additional cast member(s)
- Crew payments
- Insurance
- Shooting equipment
- Props/Wardrobe needs
And for an additional $10,000 we can organize an NYC screening event for everyone to see the film in person
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Editor
Costs $10,000
To finish out this film, we need to have it edited. This 10k would go towards our editor's time to edit this film and bring it to life
Graphics
Costs $2,000
This cost will cover our designer's time to build graphics and our overall brand strategy for the film.
Legal/Clearance
Costs $2,500
Social media plays a huge part in this movement, we will need to get rights/clearances. Funds will help us work with legal teams
Producer & Director fees
Costs $2,000
Support for Kash and Rochelle. They prioritized the crew to make sure everyone received fair payment. Now it's time to support them
Music
Costs $5,000
We want to work with composers or independent musicians to build our soundtrack. By having the funds for music, we can pay our composer(s).
Stock purchase
Costs $2,000
We will need to tap into photo/video stock libraries to aid in our story in the film. This cost will cover licensing of stock.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Kash Blagrove (Creator/Producer) is a Jamaican-American Emmy nominated Producer born and raised in the Bronx, New York. She's produced content for various brands such as Peloton, WNBA, eBay, European Wax Center, AARP, and more. During her career, she's noticed she rarely ever got to work with people that looked similar to her. Growing up as a Black fat woman, she always felt like she was both seen and unseen at the very same time. Seen in a way where people often pre-judge her/her lifestyle due to weight but unseen since people don’t pay attention to “undesirable” bodies. It wasn't until she was introduced to Tumblr where she discovered the Body Positive community. This shifted the way she thought about herself and others. Kash aims to remind everyone that they're beautiful at any size. That's why it was so important for her to make this film and bring the change she want to see in film industry and the world in general.
Rochelle Brock (Director) is a photographer, director, and multidisciplinary artist from Brooklyn, NY. She's done work for Dark & Lovely, Meta, Universal Standard, and more. Her journey into the art world started as one born from lack since she did not see representation in the fashion world. This fueled her to create bodies of work that embraced and uplifted women of color in a beautiful way, which allows them to see themselves in a positive light. Over the years, her work has evolved in various directions in many different sectors of fashion, Beauty & lifestyle images. She prides herself on being able to work with and relate to the “non- traditional”. Her genuine approach to making content allows her to truly form connections with her subjects and make them feel like the special and deserving humans that they are. #GlorifyObesity is her directorial debut in the documentary space. This documentary is important to her since it pays homage to the originators that influenced her work from day one.
Britney Bautista (DP/Co-Director) is a Filipina-American director and cinematographer based in NYC who creates art rooted in purpose. Between anecdotes of Asian heritage, intergenerational differences, and earnest depictions of womanhood, Britney tells stories that challenge tradition and reframe our worldview. After graduating from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Film/Video in 2023, she ventured into directing and DPing other forms of video, including fashion films, commercials, and music videos. Her work has been screened at theaters throughout the US, including Brooklyn Academy of Music, Village East by Angelika, and Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. She is a winner of Red Bull’s Establishing Shot Competition in 2024 and Dolby Digital's Finish The Script Competition in 2022, and a recipient of the 2021 Against The Grain Artistic Scholarship and the 2019 Gordon Parks Foundation Scholarship.
Princess A. Hairston (Editor) is an editor and director based in New York City. Her feature directorial debut, BREAKING THE NEWS, aired nationwide on PBS, amplifying the voices behind women-led journalism. She is a part of the editing team for the Emmy award-winning documentary “Songs From the Hole” on Netflix, she also helped shape the rhythm of LADIES FIRST: A Story of Women in Hip Hop on Netflix, both as editor and producer. In the edit room, Princess has also edited the Amazon’s “LulaRich”, “Lani B. Supreme: Legacy” on PBS, HBO’s “Perilous Passage”, the Truer Than Fiction Independent Spirit Award-winning “Pier Kids”, “FRESH DRESSED” and the Emmy-nominated “Capture with Mark Seliger.” Her work has been honored by the Emmys, The Webbys, and celebrated across major festivals.
It was imperative to have an all-women and queer crew made up primarily of people of color for this film since the movement was started by black and queer individuals.
Full crew below:
Creator/Producer: Kash Blagrove
Director: Rochelle Brock
DP/Co Director: Britney Bautista
AD: Rohita Gedala
Editor/DIT: Princess A. Hairston
Key Grip: Jennifer Loo
Gaffer: Kelly Ortiz
1st AC: Rose Knopper
2nd AC: Ariana Marie Luque
Sound Op: Fiona McBain
PD: Adriana Faraudo
Swings: Khushi Patel and Emily Rodriguez
MUA: Yuraisi Guzman
Stylist: Isaiah Dorty
PA's: Sophia Giordano, Nia Savory, Ciera Stenbar
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
This documentary shines the light on the Body Positivity Movement that began in the late 2000s/early 2010s. The way people look determines the way they are treated in all aspects of life. Being body posi means to be inclusive to all sizes and body types. So why are we saying "Glorifying Obesity?" While the body positivity movement grew momentum, the purpose of the movement suddenly became skewed. People began preaching a "healthy" lifestyle as a means of promoting body positivity while demonizing the originators of the movement. Fat femmes/individuals were suddenly being left out of a movement they started in the first place since people assumed they were promoting unhealthy lifestyles. Whenever a fat person posts any form of content online, it's not uncommon to see a heckler saying "stop glorifying obesity!" This is where things took a shift. Rather than seeing this phrase as a negative, the fat positive community reclaimed it and turned it into a positive. #GlorifyingObesity isn't about promoting fatness but about fat acceptance. Fat people deserve to be seen, desired, and respected regardless of size. And just because you're fat, does not mean you're promoting unhealthy lifestyles.
There are many people that are key pillars of the online body positivity movement and we were lucky to film with some of the best!
Here's our cast: *stills taken from our film
Sesali Bowen is an author that advocates for fat acceptance and feminism in all her work. Her book "Bad Fat Black Girl: Notes from a Trap Feminist" explores intersectionality between black femmes and black women and how the world perceives them.
Kellie Brown is a PR/Marketing consultant that pioneered plus sized features for many brands and even helped launch the world famous Fatkini. She also started the Fat At Fashion Week hashtag for Teen Vogue where she encouraged fat individuals to show themselves participating in fashion week since that was not the norm. Her personal blog also inspires many women to dress however they want at any size.Essie Golden is a blogger that helps women feel confident in the skin they are in. She started the movement "Golden Confidence" and even started a plus sized pool party for women. Her pool party success inspired many others (including TV shows like Shrill) to do the same.Keena ButtahLove is a burlesque dancer from California. She is a big part of the San Diego body inclusivity space. She's hosted and participated in many community events that encourage fat acceptance.Where we're at now
We had a great 2 day shoot where we captured beautiful interviews and footage of our interviewees. Now we need to finish it!
- Filming - done
- Editing - to begin upon funding
- Design exploration - in progress
- Music exploration - to begin upon funding
- Legal/Clearance - to begin upon edit
What this campaign funds
• Editor's time, graphic designer time, legal/clearance fees, music and stock license fees, producer & director fees.
• If we surpass goal, funds will go towards our stretch goals.
Stretch Goals
There are so many stories to tell and so many influencers past and present that we'd love to include in our film.
Our stretch goal is an additional $30,000. With additional funds we can bring 1-2 more people to join our cast and tell their story. The cost will cover the following:
- Location fees for shoot
- Travel/Lodging fees for additional cast member(s)
- Crew payments
- Insurance
- Shooting equipment
- Props/Wardrobe needs
And for an additional $10,000 we can organize an NYC screening event for everyone to see the film in person
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Editor
Costs $10,000
To finish out this film, we need to have it edited. This 10k would go towards our editor's time to edit this film and bring it to life
Graphics
Costs $2,000
This cost will cover our designer's time to build graphics and our overall brand strategy for the film.
Legal/Clearance
Costs $2,500
Social media plays a huge part in this movement, we will need to get rights/clearances. Funds will help us work with legal teams
Producer & Director fees
Costs $2,000
Support for Kash and Rochelle. They prioritized the crew to make sure everyone received fair payment. Now it's time to support them
Music
Costs $5,000
We want to work with composers or independent musicians to build our soundtrack. By having the funds for music, we can pay our composer(s).
Stock purchase
Costs $2,000
We will need to tap into photo/video stock libraries to aid in our story in the film. This cost will cover licensing of stock.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Kash Blagrove (Creator/Producer) is a Jamaican-American Emmy nominated Producer born and raised in the Bronx, New York. She's produced content for various brands such as Peloton, WNBA, eBay, European Wax Center, AARP, and more. During her career, she's noticed she rarely ever got to work with people that looked similar to her. Growing up as a Black fat woman, she always felt like she was both seen and unseen at the very same time. Seen in a way where people often pre-judge her/her lifestyle due to weight but unseen since people don’t pay attention to “undesirable” bodies. It wasn't until she was introduced to Tumblr where she discovered the Body Positive community. This shifted the way she thought about herself and others. Kash aims to remind everyone that they're beautiful at any size. That's why it was so important for her to make this film and bring the change she want to see in film industry and the world in general.
Rochelle Brock (Director) is a photographer, director, and multidisciplinary artist from Brooklyn, NY. She's done work for Dark & Lovely, Meta, Universal Standard, and more. Her journey into the art world started as one born from lack since she did not see representation in the fashion world. This fueled her to create bodies of work that embraced and uplifted women of color in a beautiful way, which allows them to see themselves in a positive light. Over the years, her work has evolved in various directions in many different sectors of fashion, Beauty & lifestyle images. She prides herself on being able to work with and relate to the “non- traditional”. Her genuine approach to making content allows her to truly form connections with her subjects and make them feel like the special and deserving humans that they are. #GlorifyObesity is her directorial debut in the documentary space. This documentary is important to her since it pays homage to the originators that influenced her work from day one.
Britney Bautista (DP/Co-Director) is a Filipina-American director and cinematographer based in NYC who creates art rooted in purpose. Between anecdotes of Asian heritage, intergenerational differences, and earnest depictions of womanhood, Britney tells stories that challenge tradition and reframe our worldview. After graduating from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Film/Video in 2023, she ventured into directing and DPing other forms of video, including fashion films, commercials, and music videos. Her work has been screened at theaters throughout the US, including Brooklyn Academy of Music, Village East by Angelika, and Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. She is a winner of Red Bull’s Establishing Shot Competition in 2024 and Dolby Digital's Finish The Script Competition in 2022, and a recipient of the 2021 Against The Grain Artistic Scholarship and the 2019 Gordon Parks Foundation Scholarship.
Princess A. Hairston (Editor) is an editor and director based in New York City. Her feature directorial debut, BREAKING THE NEWS, aired nationwide on PBS, amplifying the voices behind women-led journalism. She is a part of the editing team for the Emmy award-winning documentary “Songs From the Hole” on Netflix, she also helped shape the rhythm of LADIES FIRST: A Story of Women in Hip Hop on Netflix, both as editor and producer. In the edit room, Princess has also edited the Amazon’s “LulaRich”, “Lani B. Supreme: Legacy” on PBS, HBO’s “Perilous Passage”, the Truer Than Fiction Independent Spirit Award-winning “Pier Kids”, “FRESH DRESSED” and the Emmy-nominated “Capture with Mark Seliger.” Her work has been honored by the Emmys, The Webbys, and celebrated across major festivals.
It was imperative to have an all-women and queer crew made up primarily of people of color for this film since the movement was started by black and queer individuals.
Full crew below:
Creator/Producer: Kash Blagrove
Director: Rochelle Brock
DP/Co Director: Britney Bautista
AD: Rohita Gedala
Editor/DIT: Princess A. Hairston
Key Grip: Jennifer Loo
Gaffer: Kelly Ortiz
1st AC: Rose Knopper
2nd AC: Ariana Marie Luque
Sound Op: Fiona McBain
PD: Adriana Faraudo
Swings: Khushi Patel and Emily Rodriguez
MUA: Yuraisi Guzman
Stylist: Isaiah Dorty
PA's: Sophia Giordano, Nia Savory, Ciera Stenbar