Watch You Rise

Boulder, Colorado | Film Feature

Documentary

Isabella Grace Cohn

1 Campaigns | Colorado, United States

12 days :19 hrs :08 mins

Until Deadline

23 supporters | followers

Enter the amount you would like to pledge

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$7,392

Goal: $25,760 for production

A coming-of-age documentary follows a filmmaker's journey to expose the roots of sexual harm. In interviews with survivors, perpetrators, & experts- the cultural, educational, & legal gray areas that fuel the cycle of harm are revealed. The film empowers young people to engage in meaningful change.

About The Project

  • The Story
  • Wishlist
  • Updates
  • The Team
  • Community

Mission Statement

Watch You Rise tackles sexual harm by empowering youth and addressing systemic issues. The film encourages honest dialogue and drives tangible change in individuals, couples, and communities through education, transparency, and accountability, inspiring young people to lead transformative efforts.

The Story


WATCH YOU RISE



Watch You Rise is an unflinching exploration of the impact of sexual trauma, delving into the failures of our society, families, education, and justice systems to address these urgent issues.


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Directed by Isabella Grace Cohn, a 21-year-old native Coloradan, this documentary follows Isabella as she embarks on a journey to uncover the roots of sexual assault. Through candid interviews with young adult and teen survivors, perpetrators, and experts, the film paints a powerful portrait of the choices both survivors and perpetrators can make to break the cycles of harm.



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What sets Watch You Rise apart is its bold focus on those most often left out of these conversations—youth, especially Black, Indigenous, youth of color, and the LGBTQIA+ community. The film fills a critical representation vacuum by amplifying the voices of young people whose experiences are rarely acknowledged in mainstream media and popular rhetoric about sexual assault. Isabella’s personal story is woven into this narrative, as she confronts her own trauma and the generational silence surrounding her family’s history of abuse, adding layers of vulnerability, conflict, and hope.





Watch You Rise calls for societal transformation, questioning how a culture fixated on sex fails to provide proper education, justice, and care for youth especially those in marginalized communities. The film challenges judicial and educational systems, pushing for alternative approaches to justice and advocating for social changes that will support survivors and offer resources to perpetrators for taking accountability and end the cycle of harm. By amplifying youth voices and aiming for real change in how we address these critical issues, this documentary fosters conversations about sexual harm, accountability, and healing.


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As the director and a survivor, I’m committed to telling this story from a place of personal experience and trauma-informed care, earning the trust of those sharing their truths. My background in socially engaged filmmaking allows me to explore difficult subjects in ways that foster healing and meaningful dialogue.

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This documentary is not just about raising awareness—it’s about fostering action. By centering youth voices, Watch You Rise creates space for new dialogues around sexual harm, accountability, and healing. It invites viewers—whether activists, advocates, educators, parents or simply individuals who care about the future of our society—to rethink how privilege, oppression, and accessibility shape the way we respond to sexual violence. This is more than just a film; it’s an urgent call to rethink and reshape the systems that perpetuate harm, and to encourage real, tangible change.




We are so glad you are here.


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Because you believe in change and by joining us, you're helping to break the silence around sexual harm and bring crucial conversations to the forefront. Through online discussions, fundraisers, and film screenings, we’re building a community with YOU at its core. Your involvement is essential in driving this movement forward.


W E L C O M E - to the team!


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By supporting Watch You Rise, you’re joining a movement to challenge outdated systems and promote healing for those affected by sexual harm.



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This campaign is about creating space for real conversations and tangible solutions. You can help ensure these critical discussions reach the communities that need them most.


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Backed by young artists, activists, and social justice organizations, Watch You Rise is poised to make an immediate impact, with recognition from platforms like TEDx Boulder and partnerships with advocacy groups. In a crowded media landscape, this documentary stands out because it actively seeks to drive real change, not just raise awareness.


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The documentary is nearing the final stages of production. After months of filming with survivors, experts, and youth across the country, we’re raising funds for final filming trips, essential equipment, and compensation for our crew. This campaign is crucial for closing the production gap and launching us

into post-production.

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Once completed, we’ll submit the film to top-tier

festivals like Sundance and Tribeca and build partnerships with organizations such as RAINN,

MeToo, and Planned Parenthood. We plan to use the film as a tool for activism, hosting screenings in

schools, community centers, and conferences to foster conversations about consent, prevention, and healing.

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When we reach our fundraising goal, we’ll be able to complete production and move into post-production.

This initial goal covers about 25% of the total budget needed, and additional funds will allow us to elevate

the film with professional sound design, original music, and animation.



If you’re passionate about contributing to specific elements & big-ticket pieces of the production -like music or animation, we welcome your support and will personally recognize your contribution in the credits.



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There are two ways to support us:


Make a contribution here through Seed & Spark!

&

Make a Tax-deductible donation through our Fiscal Sponsor, From The Heart Foundation.


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Please share our campaign with at least 3+ people in your circle—and invite them to do the same! Whether it’s a mentor, family member, partner, colleague, coach, or friend, your voice has the power to amplify this project.


Your involvement helps fuel this movement, bringing Watch You Rise to life and sparking the change we need.


THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING US AS WE RISE !


Wishlist

Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.

2 Deity Microphones PR-2 32-Bit Float Pocket Audio Recorder with Lavalier Mic

Costs $460

Sound is everything.

2 LaCie Rugged 5TB USB-C External Hard Drive

Costs $400

Hard drive store all footage and are needed to send footage to different crew members: https://www.amazon.com/LaCie-Rugged-USB-C-External-Po

Cash Pledge

Costs $0

Travel and Airfare

Costs $4,900

Travel and airfare for our shoots with youth and adult participants across the U.S. is critical to the documentary’s impact.

PAY THE CREW AND HELP US HIRE ADDITIONAL CREW

Costs $20,000

We need to pay the DP/Cinematographers, Producers, Co-Writers, Director, and Editors.

About This Team

Isabella Grace Cohn - Director and Producer 



Isabella Grace Cohn, a 21-year-old activist and first-time filmmaker, is dedicated to creating socially engaged films that delve into complex issues like gender, trauma, and cultural norms. She received her undergraduate from Goddard’s BFA in Socially Engaged Arts with a focus on Film and Media, and she plans to attend graduate school for filmmaking. In her studies, she also took a Sundance Documentary Filmmaking Collab course. Isabella is the director and videographer of Watch You Rise, a project born from her earlier initiative, the Me Too Teen Project, which provided a platform for teens to share stories of sexual abuse survival. Her activism has garnered significant attention, including media coverage, an honored recipient of the YWCA Energizing The Future Award,” and was one of 50 to be invited to attend the Telluride Student Film Symposium in 2024. As of September 2024, she will be one of Boulder’s youngest TEDx speakers. Isabella has also had numerous other speaking engagements, such as at the 2022 YWCA Reproductive Rights Protest, the Boulder County D.A.’s office for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and 3 courthouse events. Isabella's commitment to fostering dialogue through film is evident in her efforts to engage young adults both in front of and behind the camera. Through her work, she strives to disrupt normative states of identity and create spaces for meaningful conversation and change.



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Maria Marrone - Co-Writer and Editor 


MARIA MARRONE is a documentary filmmaker and photographer. She received her undergraduate degree from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and her master's from the London School of Oriental & African Studies. Her cinematography, editing, and co-direction in her first film, The Ritual to Beauty, won the Grand Jury prize at Slamdance and received nominations at BlackStar Film Festival, HotDocs, and BFI London Film Festival. She has been part of the editing team for award-winning films and has dedicated much of her work to films that promote social change, most notably for the Muslim, Latinx, and Afro-Latinx diaspora. She has used her talents to create moving pieces for charities working out of Palestine and Iraqi Kurdistan. Her photo work has been featured in a series of publications including VICE, DazedDigital, and Latina Magazine.



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Elizabeth Woodward - Consulting Producer



Elizabeth is a producer of documentary and narrative films, and founder of WILLA.

She was selected for Forbes 30 Under 30, DOC NYC 40 Under 40, Berlinale Talents, and is an Impact Partners Producers Fellow and a Sundance Catalyst Fellow. Her recent films include ANOTHER BODY (SXSW Special Jury Award, Sundance Catalyst), YOU RESEMBLE ME (Venice Film Festival, executive produced by Spike Lee, Spike Jonze, Alma Har’el, Riz Ahmed) and ON THE DIVIDE (Tribeca Film Festival, POV on PBS). Other notable projects include Netflix’s THE GREAT HACK (Academy Award shortlist, Emmy nominee, BAFTA nominee, Sundance Film Festival), HBO’s hit series THE VOW: A NXIVM STORY (New York Times Best TV Shows of 2020), a VR experience PERSUASION MACHINES (Sundance New Frontier, SXSW). Elizabeth’s films have been supported by Sundance Institute, Impact Partners, Chicken and Egg, Film Independent, Field of Vision, The Gotham, New York Foundation for the Arts, the International Documentary Association, among others. She is a member of the Producers Guild of America, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the Council on Foreign Relations Young Professionals Group, the Documentary Producers Alliance, and the Frontline Club.



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Virginie Danglades - Story Consultant/Consulting Editor



Virginie Danglades is a seasoned film & television editor who works on strong story and character-driven films, verité-style documentary features and shorts, as well as TV series for broadcast and streamers. The Barber of Little Rock, a recent short film she co-edited, was nominated for an Oscar in 2024.  She edited No Farewells (“Sans Adieu”) a French documentary feature which opened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017 and Wine Crush, an immersive film exploring a summer harvest and the winemaking process, which opened at DOCNYC. Virginie also edited episodes for PBS Reconstruction: America after the Civil War, Netflix Harry and Meghan and The Principles of Pleasure, and was a regular editor on CNN's long-running investigative series “This is Life with Lisa Ling.” Across many projects and genres, Virginie is committed to editing stories and films that will help further understand our complicated world.



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Beret Strong, Ph.D., M.F.A. - Consulting Producer 



Beret E. Strong has been making documentary films since 1995 and owns Landlocked Films. She is also a researcher, writer, and educator. Her films have shown on PBS stations across the U.S. and Canada and won CINE Golden Eagles, the NAFDMA Insight Award for Excellence, an IDA/ABC News Videosource Award nomination, and various best director and best feature documentary film festival awards.  Festival screenings include Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, Yamagata International Film Festival, Cine las Americas Film Festival, the Boulder International Film Festival, Denver International Film Festival, and the Pan African Film Festival. Her most recent films are This is [Not] Who We Are about racism and Now Matter What, about addiction, incarceration, and recovery. Beret cares about amplifying people’s voices, social justice and equity, the global community, and the health of our planet.



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Kathy Leichter - Consulting Producer/Engment Strategist



Kathy Leichter is an award-winning documentary producer, director, engagement strategist, and impact producer with over thirty years of working in film and television. Her most recent film, HERE ONE DAY, about mental illness and suicide in Leichter’s family, premiered at IDFA, won Best Documentary and the Jury Prize at the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival, and is now the centerpiece of a national screening initiative that Leichter designed and currently directs. Previously, Leichter directed and produced A DAY’S WORK, A DAY’S PAY, in association with ITVS, which follows three welfare recipients fighting for economic justice in New York City, and designed and directed the film’s 5-year audience engagement campaign.  She has produced numerous independent documentaries including LIKE ANY OTHER KID by Victoria Mills and SPIT IT OUT by Jeff Shames. Leichter has extensive experience designing and implementing successful audience engagement campaigns and has produced over 1500 impact events (in-person and virtual) across the country on issues including racial and economic justice, the climate crisis, mental health, women, policing, civil discourse, juvenile justice, and Jewish identity. 



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Susannah Carleton - Assistant Producer



Susannah Carleton is a dynamic force—a psychotherapist, entrepreneur, artist, and first-time screenwriter with a knack for making things happen. As an assistant producer, Susannah brings a unique blend of creativity, emotional intelligence, and business acumen to every project. Her background as a psychotherapist infuses her storytelling with deep human insight, while her entrepreneurial spirit drives her to turn visions into reality. Beyond the screen, Susannah is a passionate fundraiser, harnessing her skills to support causes that matter. She’s an innovator, a storyteller, and a visionary leader—breaking new ground with every step.



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Iris Bahn Logan - Film Intern



Iris Bahn Logan is a multimedia artist from Boulder, Colorado. She is interested in storytelling with an emphasis in social change through various mediums including video, sound, graphic design, and fine art. Her focus is in developing skills in visual communication and understanding the relationship among culture, media forms, and emerging technologies. She is currently studying at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts as a BA in the Media Arts and Practice program.


Current Team

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