WORLD PREMIERE OF THE BIG FLIP AT
AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL &
HOT SPRINGS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL

Film exploring the rise of breadwinner moms and at-home dads debuts October 14 at Austin Film Festival, followed immediately by Arkansas premiere at Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival. Female filmmaker duo, Izzy Chan and Paige Green, are excited to launch the film after 5 years of filming and post-production.

SAN FRANCISCO, September 15, 2016—What happens when mom has the big job and dad stays home with the kids? You have The Big Flip. The timely documentary follows four American families as they navigate the trials and triumphs of at-home fatherhood, mothers as main breadwinners, and changing life circumstances. The feature-length documentary will make its world premiere at the prestigious Austin Film Festival on Friday, October 14, 7PM at the Galaxy Highland Theatre.

Director Izzy Chan, Co-Producer Paige Green, and at-home dad Ross Brooks will be present for a moderated audience Q&A following the screening. The film is featured in Austin Film Festival’s “The Heart of Film” category, dedicated to showcasing diverse and notable storytelling. Immediately after, the film will make its Arkansas premiere on October 15 at the 22nd Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival—the oldest non-fiction film festival in North America.

The Big Flip’s director Chan and one of its featured families were first profiled on the Katie Couric show shortly after filming started. Chan and Couric wanted to bring awareness to the fact that mothers are breadwinners in 40% of American families. The media has covered the rise of breadwinner moms and at-home dads extensively since, with President Obama himself writing about the social pressures that big flip families face in the August 2016 issue of Glamour magazine:

“We need to keep changing the attitude that congratulates men for changing a diaper, stigmatizes full-time dads, and penalizes working mothers. We need to keep changing the attitude that raises our girls to be demure and our boys to be assertive, that criticizes our daughters for speaking out and our sons for shedding a tear.”

Filmed over 18 months, The Big Flip follows the lives of four “flipped” families. With baby number 4 on the way, Portlanders Bonnie and Chip work through a delicate transition when they decide that Chip should step back from his flailing business to step up at home and support Bonnie as the main breadwinner. Chuck and Amy live in Washington, DC, where Chuck experiences a lay-off and is forced to be creative in caring for their first child. Julee and Ross are moving from Nashville to Los Angeles, where bigger jobs beckon. In Seattle, Robyn and Fred are stuck in a rut, with Robyn feeling trapped as the sole income provider.

In support of their desire to see The Big Flip, more than 500 supporters raised over $110,000 on Kickstarter and Indiegogo to crowdfund the documentary’s production and post-production. Supporters came from all backgrounds. Anne-Marie Slaughter, President & CEO of the New America Foundation, told supporters on Twitter: “I just backed The Big Flip. Without change in attitudes and culture, we’re never going to get there.” Slaughter was the first woman in the U.S. State Department to hold the Director of Policy Planning post, and famously wrote the article “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All” in The Atlantic shortly after she left the post.

Another supporter, Leslie Blodgett, former Executive Chairman of Bare Escentuals, was so enthused that she signed on to be Associate Producer: “The Big Flip has been our family’s way of life for over 20 years. I’m so thrilled that these stories are finally being told. I think this film will inspire couples who are beginning this path and help others understand how complicated it can be.”

In anticipation of the upcoming premiere, the National At-Home Dad Network has invited the filmmakers to host an exclusive, private “sneak peek” screening for members attending the National At-Home Dad Conference on October 8 in Raleigh, North Carolina. It will be at Marbles Kids Museum at 4PM.

The filmmakers have screened portions of The Big Flip as a work-in-progress at institutions including Google, Disney and University College London. The heartfelt responses from viewers confirm that the film strikes a chord with many families. “Every story resonated with me,” said one audience member at a Disney panel. “I started crying because my husband and I live this story.” The Big Flip is a documentary hitting all the social buttons of modern times—challenging rigid gender expectations, support for working moms, redefining masculinity and fatherhood—and provides a timely snapshot of the modern American family.

The Big Flip will show at the following times and locations during the Austin Film Festival:

• Fri, Oct 14, 7PM CT at Galaxy Highland Theatre at 6700 Middle Fiskville Rd., Austin
• Mon, Oct 17, 7:30PM CT at Rollins Studio Theatre at Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Dr., Austin

The Big Flip will make its Arkansas premiere at the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival on Saturday, October 15. At the time of press, the scheduled screening time is 4:30PM CT at the Arlington Hotel and Spa, Cinema 1—please check HSDFF’s site for updates/changes.

Check out our trailer, and see for yourself why this is a documentary you don’t want to miss.