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Welcoming Program Director, Kiyoko McCrae
Chicken & Egg Pictures is thrilled to welcome Kiyoko McCrae to The Nest as Program Director! In this newly expanded role, Kiyoko will work closely with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Program staff to strategize, plan and oversee the implementation of all Chicken & Egg programs.
She brings a commitment and passion to support women and non-binary filmmakers and the belief that films have the power to shift narratives, and create social and cultural change. “Kiyoko embodies the values, spirit, and mission of Chicken & Egg Pictures, and will lead programs with the vision and inspiration needed at this critical juncture,” said Jenni Wolfson, CEO of Chicken & Egg Pictures.
Previously, Kiyoko was Director of Documentary Programming and Filmmaker Labs at New Orleans Film Society, leading the documentary film programming for the New Orleans Film Festival and working to connect Southern filmmakers to resources and relationships through the Emerging Voices Directors Lab, Southern Producers Lab, and South Pitch. Prior to that, she was Managing Director of Junebug Productions where she taught an accredited community-based theater course with founder John O’Neal through Tulane University and Xavier University, and directed and produced several touring theater productions and award-winning films.
Kiyoko will lead the implementation of new programs and goals set in our 2023-2025 Strategic Plan, including a new Producers Grant and Research & Development Grant. “I have long admired the work of Chicken & Egg Pictures for its care and commitment in supporting women and non-binary filmmakers. I could not be happier to be joining C&E at this time of immense growth with such a strong Strategic Plan in place to move the organization forward,” Kiyoko says.
Aligned with our values of equity and inclusion, Kiyoko also brings a depth of experience as an organizational development consultant for several social justice arts organizations. She received her BFA in Theatre Arts from New York University’s Tisch School where she studied under Jan Cohen Cruz, leading practitioner of activist and community-based performance.
“I’m driven by Chicken & Egg Pictures’ goal to support transgender filmmakers and to be an anti-racist organization; I look forward to developing program practices through this lens,” Kiyoko says. “I’m extremely proud to be joining an organization that has committed to equitable workplace practices.”
You can meet Kiyoko at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, where she will be in attendance along with Jenni Wolfson, CEO, and Rebecca Celli, Associate Director of Development. Kiyoko commences her post on January 17.
January 2023 Nest News: Festival Premieres, Oscars Shortlist, and a New Strategic Plan
We kick off this year at Chicken & Egg Pictures with an exciting series of events and wins from Nest-supported filmmakers– and a renewed commitment to advancing the careers of women and nonbinary documentary filmmakers.
Nine Nest-supported films are premiering at Sundance Film Festival and Slamdance, including:
Against the Tide
Available in person and online
Premiering on Friday, January 20
11:30 AM MST | Egyptian Theatre
It’s Only Life After All
Available in person
Premiering on Thursday, January 19
5:00 PM MST | The Ray Theatre
Is There Anybody Out There?
Available in person and online
Premiering on Sunday, January 22
3:00 PM MST | Prospector Square Theatre
Joonam
Available in person and online
Premiering on Saturday, January 21
11:30 AM MST | Egyptian Theatre
Milisuthando
Available in person and online
Premiering on Saturday, January 21
12:00 PM MST | Prospector Square Theatre
Plan C
Available in person
Premiering on Monday, January 23
2:30 PM MST | The Ray Theatre
The Eternal Memory
Available in person and online
Premiering on Saturday, January 21
6:10 PM MST | Prospector Square Theatre
The Tuba Thieves
Available in person and online
Premiering on Sunday, January 22
12:00 PM MST | Prospector Square Theatre
Onlookers
World Premiere at 2023 Slamdance Film Festival
Available in person and online
Slamdance in-person screenings:
Saturday, January 21
3:15 PM MST | Treasure Mountain Inn- Crescent Room
Monday, January 23
11:00 AM MST | Treasure Mountain Inn- Ballroom
Get your tickets here.
Slamdance online screenings:
From Monday, January 23 to Sunday, January 29
Get your tickets here.
Filmmakers having their world premieres at these respective festivals represent our industry-leading programs and initiatives including the Chicken & Egg Award, (Egg)celerator Lab, and the 2022 Critical Issues Fund.
Two Nest-supported films were included on the 95th Academy Awards® shortlist for documentary features and documentary short films: Hidden Letters and The Janes. The Oscars® nominations will be announced on Tuesday, January 24.
This year marks the start of our new three-year Strategic Plan, which refreshes our mission, vision, and values. Over the next three years, we will:
- Disburse $5.3M to 140 filmmakers, expand our industry-leading programs including (Egg)celerator Lab, Chicken & Egg Award, and Project: Hatched,
- Introduce a new research and development fund and producers fund
- Work towards opening our eligibility to all transgender individuals
- Offer additional AlumNest workshops and spaces for filmmakers to connect with industry leaders and funders.
Stay tuned for more news by subscribing to our newsletter.
Nest-Supported and AlumNest Films on the Oscars® Shortlist!
Congratulations to the Nest-supported and AlumNest films on the 95th Academy Awards® shortlist for documentary features and documentary short films! The Oscars® nominations will be announced on Tuesday, January 24, so stay tuned for more updates!
Nest-supported Films on the Documentary Feature Short List
Hidden Letters
dirs. Violet Feng, Zhao Qing
prods. Violet Feng, Mette Cheng Munthe-Kaas, Jean Tsien, Su Kim

Hidden Letters is a 2020 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee.

The Janes
dirs. Tia Lessin, Emma Pildes
prods. Emma Pildes, Daniel Arcana, Jessica Levin

The Janes is a Project: Hatched 2022 finalist.
AlumNest Films on the Documentary Feature Shortlist
- All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
dir. Laura Poitras
prods. Howard Gertler, John Lyons, Laura Poitras, Nan Goldin, Yoni Golijov - Descendant
dir. & prod. Margaret Brown
prods. Essie Chambers, Kyle Martin
AlumNest Films on the Documentary Short Films Shortlist
- Angola Do You Hear Us? Voices from a Plantation Prison
dir. Cinque Northern
prod. Catherine Gund - The Flagmakers
dirs. & prods. Sharon Liese, Cynthia Wade
- The Martha Mitchell Effect
dirs. Anne Alvergue, Debra McClutchy
prods. Beth Levison, Judith Mizrachy
Eight Nest-supported World Premieres at 2023 Sundance Film Festival
We are egg-static that eight Nest-supported films will have their World premieres at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
The 2023 Sundance slate is made up of 28% first-time filmmakers. Chicken & Egg Pictures is committed to supporting filmmakers through the lifecycle of their films; we’re proud that five of the documentary films premiering at Sundance are grantees of our flagship program (Egg)celerator Lab, designed for first or second-time filmmakers.
See you in Utah!
Against the Tide
dir. & prod. Sarvnik Kaur
prods. Koval Bhatia

2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Against the Tide is having its world premiere in the World Cinema Documentary Competition.
Available in person and online
Premiering on Friday, January 20
Get your tickets
It’s Only Life After All
dir. & prod. Alexandria Bombach
prods. Kathlyn Horan, Jess Devaney, Anya Rous

It’s Only Life After All was supported through Alexandria Bombach’s 2019 Chicken & Egg Award and is having its world premiere in the Premiere section.
Available in person
Premiering on Thursday, January 19
Get your tickets
Is There Anybody Out There?
dir. Ella Glendining
prod. Janine Marmot

2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Is There Anybody Out There? is having its world premiere in the World Cinema Documentary Competition.
Available in person and online
Premiering on Sunday, January 22
Get your tickets
Joonam
dir. Sierra Urich
prod. Keith Wilson

2022 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Joonam is having its world premiere in the U.S. Documentary Competition.
Available in person and online
Premiering on Saturday, January 21
Get your tickets here
Milisuthando
dir. Milisuthando Bongela
prod. Marion Isaacs

2019 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Milisuthando is having its world premiere in the World Cinema Documentary Competition.
Available in person and online
Premiering on Saturday, January 21
Get your tickets
Plan C
dir. & prod. Tracy Droz Tragos

Plan C is supported through the Critical Issues Fund* and it is having its world premiere in the Premiere section.
Available in person
Premiering on Monday, January 23
Get your tickets
The Eternal Memory
dir. & prod. Maite Alberdi
prods. Juan de Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín, Rocío Jadue

The Eternal Memory was supported through Maite Alberdi’s 2020 Chicken & Egg Award and is having its world premiere in the World Cinema Documentary Competition.
Available in person and online
Premiering on Saturday, January 21
Get your tickets
The Tuba Thieves
dir. Alison O’Daniel

2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee The Tuba Thieves is having its world premiere in the Next section.
Available in person and online
Premiering on Sunday, January 22
Get your tickets
From the AlumNest
- Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
dirs. & prods. Michele Stephenson, Joe Brewster
U.S. Documentary Competition - Kim’s Video
dirs. & prods. David Redmon, Ashley Sabin
prods. Deborah Smith, Dale Smith, Francesco Galavotti, Rebecca Tabasky
Next section (Opening night) - King Coal
dir. & prod. Elaine McMillion Sheldon
prods. Shane Boris, Diane Becker, Peggy Drexler
Next section - Murder in Big Horn
dirs. Razelle Benally, Matthew Galkin
prods. Razelle Benally, Matthew Galkin, Ivan Macdonald, Ivy Macdonald - Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields
dir. Lana Wilson
prods. Christine O’Malley, Jack Turner
Premiere section - Victim/Suspect
dir. & prod. Nancy Schwartzman
prods. Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Alice Henty, Rachel de Leon, Amanda Pike
Update:
Meet our Team at Sundance Film Festival
Our new Program Director Kiyoko McCrae will be in attendance along with Jenni Wolfson, CEO, and Rebecca Celli, Associate Director of Development.
*More details about the Critical Issues Fund coming early next year
Four Nest-supported Films Nominated for the 2023 Cinema Eye Honors
Chicken & Egg Pictures is proud to see four Nest-supported filmmakers and four AlumNest filmmakers nominated for the 2023 Cinema Eye Honors. The 16th Annual Awards Ceremony will take place on Thursday, January 12, 2023 and celebrates outstanding artistry and craft in nonfiction filmmaking.
Check out the nominated Nest-supported films including:
BEBA
dir. & prod. Rebeca Huntt
prod. Sofia Geld

Project: Hatched 2022 grantee BEBA is nominated for Outstanding Debut Feature and is included in The Unforgettables list. Director Rebeca Huntt is nominated for Outstanding Direction.
Hidden Letters
dirs. Violet Feng, Zhao Qing
prods. Violet Feng, Mette Cheng Munthe-Kaas, Jean Tsien, Su Kim

2020 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Hidden Letters is nominated for the Spotlight Award.
Mija
dir. & prod. Isabel Castro
prod. Tabs Breese, Yesenia Tlahuel

2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Mija is nominated for the Audience Choice Award and is included in The Unforgettables list.
Users
dir. Natalia Almada
prod. Josh Penn

Users was supported through Natalia Almada’s 2018 Chicken & Egg Award and is nominated for Outstanding Original Music Score and Cinematography.
From AlumNest
- All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
dir. Laura Poitras
prods. Howard Gertler, John Lyons, Laura Poitras, Nan Goldin, Yoni Golijov
Nominated for Outstanding Direction, Outstanding Editing, Outstanding Nonfiction Fiction Film, Outstanding Original Music Score, and is included in The Unforgettables list - Black and Missing
dir. Geeta Gandbhir and Samantha Knowles
prods. Geeta Gandbhir, Jo Honig, Patrick Conway, Soledad O’Brien
Nominated for Outstanding Nonfiction Series - Descendant
dir. & prod. Margaret Brown
prods. Essie Chambers, Kyle Martin
Nominated for Outstanding Direction and Outstanding Original Music Score - Mind Over Murder
dir. Nanfu Wang
prod. Alexander Baertl
Nominated for Outstanding Nonfiction Series - The Martha Mitchell Effect
dir. Anne Alvergue, Debra McClutchy
prod. Beth Levison, Judith Mizrachy
Nominated for Outstanding Non-fiction short
- The Joys and Sorrows of Young Yuguo
dir. Ilinca Călugăreanu
prod. Mara Adina
Included in the Shorts List (Cinema Eye’s Annual List of the Year’s Top Short Documentaries)
In Memoriam of Julia Reichert
We are filled with immense grief from the passing of our beloved Nest-supported filmmaker Julia Reichert. She passed away in Yellow Springs, Ohio after a long battle with urothelial cancer, surrounded by the love of her partner Steven Bognar, daughter Lela Klein, and their family.

Julia Reichert was an Oscar® and Emmy®-winning independent documentary filmmaker, activist, professor, mentor, and champion of emerging filmmakers and the working class based in Ohio. Her evolutionary work focused on class, gender, health, and race in the lives of Americans.
In 2016, Julia was the recipient of our inaugural Chicken & Egg Award and embodied what a recipient of the honor should be: collaborative, generous, and committed to the communities she was part of. Prior to that, Julia was also an early recipient of a Chicken & Egg Pictures’ Celebration Grant that honored trailblazing, risk-taking, veteran women filmmakers. She was awarded the Career Achievement Award at the 2018 International Documentary Awards for her incredible contributions to documentary filmmaking. In 2019, a retrospective of her work, Julia Reichert: 50 Years in Film, organized by the Wexner Center for the Arts, premiered at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and traveled to a dozen cities across the United States.

Julia became a filmmaker compelled to build a movement of intersectional feminism, where all women from all races and classes would feel welcomed. Her first film, Growing Up Female, was the first feature documentary of the modern Women’s Movement and was selected in 2011 for the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. Long before digital screenings, she traveled with a 16 mm projector across the US, using the film as an organizing tool. Julia was also closely involved in the local activism of the places she visited with her films. In 1971, frustrated with the lack of distribution options for films by and about women, she co-founded New Day Films, the democratically run documentary film distribution cooperative. Fifty-one years later, New Day Films is going strong and now has over 140 active members.
“It really could be from anywhere, that people put on a uniform, punch a clock, trying to make their families have a better life,” she said. “Working people have it harder and harder these days, and we believe that things will get better when workers of the world unite.”
–Julia Reichert during her Academy Award® acceptance speech for Best Documentary Feature

Her films Union Maids and Seeing Red were nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Documentary Feature, as was The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant. Her film A Lion in the House (an ITVS co-production), about kids fighting cancer, premiered at Sundance Film Festival, and won a Primetime Emmy® for Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking. Julia’s film American Factory 美国工厂, a film she worked on during her Chicken & Egg Award year, won the US Documentary Directing Award at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, the Best Documentary Spirit Award, the Best Documentary Gotham Award, the Outstanding Nonfiction Feature and Outstanding Direction awards at the Cinema Eye Honors, and the Academy Award® for Best Documentary Feature. It was the first film released by Higher Ground Productions, the production company created by Michelle & Barack Obama.

Julia’s film 9to5: The Story of a Movement, which she also worked on during her Chicken & Egg Award year, was an official selection of SXSW, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, AFI DOCS Film Festival, and DOC NYC. The film tells the story of secretaries rising up and organizing to fight for their rights and was nominated for a Peabody Award.
She is the author of Doing It Yourself, the first book on self-distribution in independent film, and was an Advisory Board member of IFP. Julia co-wrote and directed the feature film Emma and Elvis. Over the decades, she mentored hundreds of emerging filmmakers. Julia taught for 28 years at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.

She lived a life dedicated to highlighting the experiences of the working class and celebrating and pushing forward the careers of new, talented filmmakers. As we grieve her loss, we are comforted by knowing that her legacy lives on through her body of documentary films and the powerful impact she had on the documentary community. We will continue to honor her by supporting emerging filmmakers that, like her, are building a world shaped by the power of documentary films.
Rest in power, Julia.
Welcome to the Nest, Kat Zhao!
Meet the newest member of our team: Development Assistant Kat Zhao
As Development Assistant, Kat supports the Development team in their ongoing fundraising efforts. Prior to joining Chicken & Egg Pictures, Kat worked and volunteered with several nonprofits and museums, many with a focus on the creative arts. During her time at New York University, she explored film courses and grew largely interested in diversity in the media. After getting her BA in Psychology, Kat worked with a world-renowned visual artist, then worked in programming at iCouldBe, an e-mentoring nonprofit where she helped design a unique network tool for high schoolers. Through these collective experiences, her passion to learn more about diversity and inclusivity, and to elevate underrepresented voices in the arts continues to grow.
“I am thrilled to be part of an incredibly innovative organization and a team that works toward enabling and elevating diverse and important voices in film.”
We are excited to welcome an egg-stra special new team member in our Nest. To learn more about her, visit our team page.
Chicken & Egg Pictures Executive Director Jenni Wolfson Joins BAFTA
We are proud to announce that our Executive Director Jenni Wolfson has become a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).
Jenni has joined a leading global arts charity that amplifies and celebrates excellence across the screen industries and drives positive change through the power of film, games, and television. Her membership will play an integral role in upholding BAFTA’s commitment to supporting the growth of creative talent by fostering an inclusive and accessible industry for all, as BAFTA’s activities continue to expand across North America.
Congratulations, Jenni!
The Nest is back at DOC NYC PRO FALL 2022
DOC NYC PRO FALL 2022 will take place from Thursday, November 10 through Thursday, November 17 at Cinepolis Chelsea. The activities are designed to empower filmmakers at different stages of their careers. At Chicken & Egg Pictures, we are proud to see current grantee Rebeca Huntt and AlumNest filmmakers sharing their expertise throughout the week.
Production Day
Friday, November 11
TRUST
Featuring Nest-supported filmmaker Margaret Brown
NEW YORK TIMES VS. SULLIVAN: DEFAMATION AND THE FUTURE OF DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING
Featuring Nest-supported filmmaker Jessica Devaney
Editing Day
Sunday, November 13
CASE STUDY: BEBA
Featuring Project: Hatched 2022 grantee Rebeca Huntt
Still from BEBA
Journalism and Documentary Day
Monday, November 14
CASE STUDY: THE SING SING CHRONICLES
Featuring 2017 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Dawn Porter
Music for Documentaries Day
Tuesday, November 15
THE DIRECTOR/COMPOSER RELATIONSHIP
Featuring 2017 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Dawn Porter
CASE STUDY: MIJA
Featuring 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Isabel Castro
Still from Mija
Documentary Series Day
Tuesday, November 16
MAKING THE LEAP FROM FEATURE DIRECTING TO DOC SERIES
Featuring 2017 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Geeta Gandbhir
CASE STUDY: MIND OVER MURDER
Featuring 2018 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Nanfu Wang
Check out the full line-up with this link.