This is the movie trailer for GENERATION STARTUP, a verite documentary that follows six recent college graduates for 17 months launching startups in Detroit. It celebrates overcoming fear of failing to take risks, working hard to build something meaningful and entrepreneurship as a driver of economic rejuvenation. The film/trailer are meant to inspire people of all generations to reach for their north star and take action to create purpose and meaning in their lives. Through three subjects, a female coder, a black female engineer from MIT who grew up in poverty, and a Muslim immigrant from Bangladesh, GENERATION STARTUP also offers positive diverse role models and a call to action for greater gender, racial and economic diversity in the startup and tech worlds.

We filmed from July 2014 though November 2015 and completed the 93 minute film in April 2016. We hired the film’s editor to edit the trailer (highly unusual) and worked with her closely since we were all so seeped in the 220 hours of footage and film’s spirit. The trailer debuted on iTunes August 26 where it became the second most popular trailer that day. After a 24 hour exclusive on iTunes, it was picked up by many major movie trailer and digital media sites, played in movie theaters and achieved wide reach on social media. It lives on the home page of the film’s website. Netflix, iTunes, Google Play and other digital distributors will post it online to market the film when they release it. The over 200 organizations which have licensed the film for event screenings use it to market their screenings as does our educational distributor.

We have reached millions with the trailer’s inspiring call to action, released originally on iTunes where it was the second most popular trailer of the day and then picked up by many leading trailer sites and media outlets. The trailer gets people super excited to see the film, and provides its own visceral and inspiring experience as a fast-cut distillation of the full film. We receive requests daily from around the world to book the film because people have watched the trailer. With the film’s April Netflix release and additional digital platforms this summer, we anticipate the trailer to reach millions more. The film and trailer of GENERATION STARTUP have inspired people of all backgrounds to take positive action in their own lives. It also offers three positive minority role models in the startup world