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Chicken & Egg Pictures at Cannes Marché Du Film
We are excited to announce that we will be attending the Marché du Film at Cannes for the first time to participate in Cannes Docs’ Doc Talks, joined by Chicken & Egg Award recipients filmmakers Ilinca Calugareanu (2023), Alisa Kovalenko (2024), and 2024 (Egg)celerator Lab recipient Two Mountains Weighing Down My Chest director Viv Li. Viv will also premier her short film Across the Waters in the Competition section.
2022 (Egg)celerator Lab recipient The Wife Of director Volia Chajkouskaya and 2022 Critical Issues Fund recipient Intercepted are also part of the Cannes Docs programming.
The event will take place from Thursday, May 16 through Wednesday, May 22. More details below.
Saturday, May 18
Doc Talk > Filmmakers Collectives Rising up in Eastern Europe
2:00 PM GMT+2
Volia Chajkouskaya, Irina Gelashvili, Lyuba Knorozok, Marta Krzeptowska
Moderated by Selin Murat
East and Central European countries have experienced severe upheavals in the last 10 years, from right-wing governments and active aggressive wars to external political meddling. However, documentary cinema is bursting with creativity and captivating audiences across the world. Filmmakers in the region however find themselves in double-roles, both as artists pushing boundaries of documentary filmmaking and activists on the picket lines fighting for what is theirs or in the case of Ukraine, on the frontlines of war. A conversation with these ambitious and courageous filmmakers about how their filmmakers’ collectives support their everyday struggles and successes.
Sunday, May 19
Doc Talk > Redefining Success on Our Own Terms
2:00 PM GMT+2
Ilinca Calugareanu, Alisa Kovalenko
Moderated by Jenni Wolfson
The Chicken & Egg Award provides unrestricted funding and mentorship to help women and gender-expansive filmmakers advance their creative and business goals at a critical juncture in their careers. Filmmakers Ilinca Calugareanu and Alisa Kovalenko, in conversation with Chicken & Egg Pictures CEO Jenni Wolfson, reflect on their award year and share their values, their breakthroughs, and what is at stake as they redefine success for themselves.
Monday, May 20
Special Screening: Intercepted
9:30 AM GMT+2
dir. Oksana Karpovych
prods. Giacomo Nudi, Rocío B. Fuentes
Doc Talk > Towards a Universal Values System in Documentary: Dismantling Borders for Greater Equity
2:00 PM GMT+2
Viv Li, Kiyoko McCrae, Alemberg Ang, Opal H. Bennett, Adam Piron
Moderated by Devika Girish
The Golden Age of Documentary, as the last 5 years have been labeled, may not have stabilized finances for the industry at large, but it has undeniably garnered more press and audience attention to documentaries. Our films play and win awards in the main competitions of A-List Festivals including Cannes, and are featured on the front page of major news outlets all over the world, making us more interconnected internationally than ever before. Under such scrutiny and when real life is involved, how can we work together to create a set of ethical or values-based guidelines to ensure equity, fairness, and safety? As our world currently feels turned upside down, let’s explore how our values are changing and if common ones can be agreed upon.
Five Supported Films at Hot Docs
The 31st edition of Hot Docs will take place across Toronto this year from Thursday, April 25 to Sunday, May 5. We are thrilled to announce that 2020 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Nishtha Jain’s film, Farming the Revolution, is having its world premiere along with 4 other supported films and 5 films from supported filmmakers are on the lineup this year!
Hot Docs is North America’s largest documentary festival, conference, and market, and embodies a deep commitment to gender parity, with 54% female directors in this year’s official selection, according to their press release. Two of our staff members will be in attendance so be sure to stay in touch via our social media channels for some exclusive content at the festival!
Farming the Revolution
dir. & prod. Nishtha Jain
prod. Valérie Montmartin
Farming the Revolution was supported through Nishtha Jain’s 2020 Chicken & Egg Award and is having its World Premiere in the International Competition
7 Beats Per Minute
dir. Yuqi Kang
prod. Ina Fichman, Anita Lee
7 Beats Per Minute was a 2022 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee having its Canadian Premiere in the Canadian Spectrum Competition.
A Photographic Memory
dir. & prod. Rachel Elizabeth Seed
prods. Sigrid Dyekjær, Beth Levison, Matt Perniciaro, Michael Sherman, Danielle Varga
A Photographic Memory was a 2020 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee having its International Premiere in the Persister section.
Intercepted
dir. Oksana Karpovych
prods. Giacomo Nudi, Rocío Barba Fuentes, Pauline Tran Van Lieu, Lucie Rego, Darya Bassel
Intercepted is a 2022 Critical Issues Fund grantee having its Canadian Premiere in the Festival Favorites section.
Look Into My Eyes
dir. & prod. Lana Wilson
prod. Kyle Martin
Look Into My Eyes was supported through Lana Wilson’s 2019 Chicken & Egg Award and is having its Canadian Premiere in the Special Presentations section.
Spotlight on Brett Story
2022 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient Brett Story will be engaging in an illuminating conversation with author and organizer Astra Taylor. Learn more about Astra Taylor in Conversation with Brett Story here.
From the AlumNest
- Adrianne & the Castle – Canadian Premiere
dir. Shannon Walsh
prod. Ina Fichman
- Power
dir. & prod. Yance Ford
prods. Sweta Vohra, Jess Devaney, Netsanet Negussie
- We Did Not Consent
dir. Dorothy Allen-Pickard
prods. Rosa Harris Edmonds, Lindsay Poulton
- Yintah – Canadian Premiere
dirs. & prods. Jennifer Wickham, Brenda Michell, Michael Toledano
prods. Bob Moore, Katie McKay, Mila Aung-Thwin
Meet Our Team at Hot Docs
We are exhilarated that our Senior Program Manager Elaisha Stokes and Program Assistant Will Tamura will be in attendance at the festival. They will be attending Chicken & Egg Pictures-supported screenings and industry events. Make sure to say hi!
We Celebrate Seven Supported Filmmakers Joining the Academy
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited seven C&E-supported filmmakers to their esteemed Documentary branch. We’re delighted to uplift this wonderful acknowledgment of their talent and significant impact on the filmmaking community.
Jeanie Finlay, Rachel Lears, Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Mila Aung-Thwin, Keith Wilson, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, and Hemal Trivedi will become voting members able to participate in the Oscar nomination process and nominate new filmmakers to join the branch.
At Chicken & Egg Pictures, our mission is to shape a more equitable and just world with the catalytic power of documentary films by providing funding, mentorship and industry access to a global community of women and gender-expansive filmmakers.
As a result, let’s take a closer look at the diversity of the Oscars’ newest members. Of the entire 2024 class across all 17 branches, 44% identify as women, 41% belong to underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 56% represent 56 countries and territories outside the United States. According to IndieWire, 20% of the voting members will now be international. The Documentary branch is one of the most diverse of the 17 Academy branches, representing 52 countries. We applaud AMPAS’s ongoing evolution to better reflect and represent the world we live in.
We can’t wait to see how our supported filmmakers, and indeed the whole class of 2024, will wield this extraordinary privilege and honor. Knowing their commitment to stories and perspectives that make our world a better place, we can bet it will be powerful.
Chicken & Egg Pictures founders Judith Helfand, Julie Parker Benello, Wendy Ettinger, and CEO Jenni Wolfson are also AMPAS members.
Six Supported Films and Filmmakers on POV’s 37th season
We’re thrilled to share that the newly-announced 37th season of POV will feature four Chicken & Egg Pictures-supported films and two supported filmmakers within its slate of 14 feature documentaries. As an organization dedicated to a thriving, inclusive documentary ecosystem, we’re proud these films and filmmakers will be spotlighted on America’s largest running nonfiction series. POV’s streaming platform and extensive reach offer a remarkable opportunity to amplify the voices of diverse filmmakers, allowing these films to reach diverse audiences who might not otherwise find them. More accessible films make for a stronger documentary landscape! We urge you to take a look at the full 37th season of POV here, and thank you for your continued support to bring these films to life.
Against the Tide
dir. Sarvnik Kaur
prods. Koval Bhatia, Quentin Laurent
Against the Tide is a 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee.
Hummingbirds
dirs. Silvia Del Carmen Castaños, Estefanía “Beba” Contreras
co-dirs. & prods. Jillian Schlesinger, Miguel Drake-McLaughlin, Diane Ng, Ana Rodriguez-Falco
prods. Leslie Benavides, Rivkah Beth Medow
Hummingbirds is a 2022 (Egg)celerator Lab finalist.
Is There Anybody Out There?
dir. Ella Glendining
prod. Janine Marmot
Is There Anybody Out There? is a 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee.
Twice Colonized
dir. Lin Alluna
prods. Emile Hertling Péronard, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, Stacey Aglok, Bob Moore
Twice Colonized is a Project: Hatched 2023 participant.
From the AlumNest
- Who I Am Not
dir. Tunde Skovran
prods. Andrei Zinca, Danielle Turkov, Paul Cadieux, Patrick Hamm, Amy Shepherd, Edith Weil, Daniel Szandtner, Janos Kovacs
- King Coal
dir. & prod. Elaine McMillion Sheldon
prods. Shane Boris, Diane Becker, Peggy Drexler
Welcome to the Nest, Mia Dooley!
Chicken & Egg Pictures is delighted to welcome Mia Dooley to our team as Development Assistant. Mia will provide key logistical and creative support to the Development department, aiding to nurture relationships with our community of supporters. She will also have a hand in supporting all other fundraising activities, events, and processes. Previously, Mia served as an Office Production Assistant at Motto Pictures, collaborating with Oscar-nominated and award-winning producers on documentary films in all stages of production. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where her passion for impact-driven, diverse storytelling drove her to develop a major of her own creation titled Bridging Documentary and Fiction in Film and TV.
She shares, “I’m thrilled to join the Chicken & Egg Pictures team at such a critical time in the organization’s history. As we expand our programs and support, I am excited to be a part of their groundbreaking efforts to usher in a new era of filmmaking. C&E holds an essential place in the documentary industry.”
Please join us in welcoming Mia Dooley to the Chicken & Egg Pictures team. We are so happy to have her on board and look forward to growing our Development Team.
Welcoming Communications Director, Hannah Thomas
Chicken & Egg Pictures is thrilled to welcome Hannah Thomas as our first-ever Communications Director. She will lead the organization’s storytelling efforts, strategizing the narratives that amplify our work, uplift our community, and contribute to making the film ecosystem a more equitable one.
“Today marks a pivotal moment as we warmly welcome Hannah Thomas to our team as our inaugural Communications Director,” said Jenni Wolfson, CEO of Chicken & Egg Pictures. “With her strong film roots and unique communications expertise, Hannah will shepherd an exciting new chapter in our journey. We have always been ardent champions of storytellers, and now we’re poised to step into our power as a storyteller in our own right. We look forward to seeing how Hannah guides us to new heights through the power of narrative.”
Previously, Hannah served in strategy leadership roles at social impact branding consultancies BBMG and Big Duck, helping businesses, nonprofits, and philanthropies navigate complex, high-stakes challenges in order to make the world a better place. She’s worked with organizations across spheres of social justice, arts and culture, education, philanthropy, environmentalism, and beyond. Hannah got her start learning the ropes of PR and marketing in the heart of NYC’s film community at BAM and Lincoln Center. She studied Film and Comparative Ethnic Studies at Columbia University.
“My professional experiences have taken me everywhere from well-worn, squeaky seats in beloved movie theaters to plush executive chairs in boardrooms and beyond. Across it all, I remain awed by the transformative power of a story well told. I’m fiercely committed to using my career, skillset, and leadership in service of the narratives that will steer us into a whole, just, and healed future. I believe my strategy and communications know-how, as well as my passion for the mission, make this opportunity a one of a kind fit for both Chicken & Egg Pictures and myself. I couldn’t be more excited to contribute to this emergent, urgent chapter in C&E’s extraordinary history.”
Welcome to the Nest, Cristina Colón Feliciano!
Meet the newest member of our team: Executive Assistant Cristina Colón Feliciano
As Executive Assistant, Cristina manages the day-to-day activities of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). She also plays a critical role in providing support to the rest of the team toward achieving goals of the strategic plan. Prior to joining Chicken & Egg Pictures, Cristina began her career in book publishing working at Penguin Random House and with #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. She also has experience in the humanitarian non-profit sector. Originally from Puerto Rico, Cristina earned her Bachelor’s Degree in English and Creative Writing from Syracuse University. In her spare time, Cristina can be found working on her first novel and collecting miniature figurines.
“I’m beyond thrilled to join Chicken & Egg Pictures! The chance to be part of an organization that champions creativity, supports storytellers, and cultivates groundbreaking films fills me with excitement. I’m grateful for the chance to become part of such a dynamic community, where I can seamlessly blend my lifelong love for films and filmmaking”
Supported Films at Sheffield DocFest 2024
We are thrilled to see four Nest-supported films in this year’s lineup for Sheffield DocFest and four supported films in the MeetMarket selection. There were also seven films from supported filmmakers across the festival. Among others, 2020 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee The Boy and the Suit of Lights is having its World Premiere. The festival will take place between Wednesday, June 12 to Monday, June 17, 2024, and will be attended by two of our staff members, Kiyoko McCrae and Tobi Phang-Lyn. We hope to see you there!
In the Festival
Farming the Revolution
dir. & prod. Nishtha Jain, Akash Basumatari
prod. Valérie Montmartin
Farming the Revolution was supported through Nishtha Jain’s 2020 Chicken & Egg Award and is having its UK Premiere in the Rebellions section.
Get your tickets here.
The Boy and the Suit of Lights
dir. Inma de Reyes
prod. Aimara Reques
The Boy and the Suit of Lights was a participant of the 2020 (Egg)celerator Lab and is having its World Premiere in the International First Feature Competition.
Get your tickets here.
Our Land, Our Freedom
dir. & prods. Meena Nanji, Zippy Kimundu
Our Land, Our Freedom was a participant of the 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab having its UK Premiere in the Strands section.
Get your tickets here.
Union
dir. & prods. Brett Story, Stephen Maing
prod. Samantha Curley, Mars Verrone, Martin Dicicco
Union was supported through Brett Story’s 2023 Chicken & Egg Award.
Get your tickets here.
In the MeetMarket
The 19th edition of Sheffield DocFest’s flagship pitching forum, the MeetMarket, will take place on Thursday 13 and Friday 14 of June 2024. The slate includes 50 documentary projects, in development or at production stage, to be pitched in one-to-one meetings to international and UK industry representatives and experts. In this year’s lineup, there are three 2024 (Egg)celerator Lab grantees as well as a Research & Development Grantee. Learn more:
Jaripeo
dirs. Efraín Mojica, Rebecca Zweig
prods. Sarah Strunin
Jaripeo is a 2024 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee and is participating in the MeetMarket.
Vena Acuática
dir. Amada Torruella
prods. Seth Gadsden, Brenda Avila-Hanna
Vena Acuática is a 2024 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee and is participating in the MeetMarket.
War on Women
dir. Maris Salumets
prods. Elina Litvinova, Volia Chajkouskaya
War on Women is a 2024 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee and is participating in the MeetMarket.
Green is the Fire’s Tint
dirs. & prods. Arya Rothe, Cristina Hanes, Isabella Rinaldi
Green is the Fire’s Tint was supported through our 2023 Research & Development Grant and is participating in the MeetMarket.
From the AlumNest
- Bread & Roses | Festival Lineup
dir. Sahra Mani
prods. Jennifer Lawrence, Justine Ciarrocchi
- My Sweet Land | Festival Lineup
dir. Sareen Hairabedian
prods. Azza Hourani, Sareen Hairabedian, David Rane, Julie Paratian, Beth Levison, Rintu Thomas, Sushmit Ghosh
- Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa | Festival Lineup
dir. Lucy Walker
prods. Charlie Corwin, Michael D. Ratner, Miranda Sherman, Dalia Burde, Christopher Newman
- The Age of Water | MeetMarket
dirs. Isabel Alcántara, Alfredo Alcántara
prods. Lindsay Perna, Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson
- The Noble Half (working title) | MeetMarket
dir. Khaula Malik
prods. Brit Fryer, Afnahn Khan
- The Shape of Blue | MeetMarket
dir. Sybilla Patrizia
prod. Ina Fichman
- Widow Champion | MeetMarket
dir. & prod. Zippy Kimundu
prod. Heather Courtney
Meet the Team at the Fest!
Program Director Kiyoko McCrae and Industry & Artist Development Manager Tobi Phang-Lyn are going to be in attendance at the festival. They will be taking meetings with filmmakers, watching supported films, participating in roundtable discussions, and hosting an alumni happy hour.
Chicken & Egg Pictures’ Use of the Non-Fiction Core Application
Since 2016, Chicken & Egg Pictures has opted into the Non-Fiction Core Application process. The Non-Fiction Core Application is a collaborative field-wide effort led by the Sundance Institute in partnership with IDA ”to standardize a set of questions that are used in nonfiction funding, fiscal sponsor or artist support opportunities”… “to alleviate the burden of proposal re-writing on applicants, foster greater access to sources of creative and financial support and build toward a more equitable and transparent nonfiction field.” (via IDA)
Chicken & Egg Pictures has consistently updated our application questions to be in alignment with the Core Application with the latest version created in 2022. The majority of our questions about the project information, key creative personnel, financial information/budget, and work samples are directly in line with the Core Application. Supplemental questions are few and have been added where we have noticed a repeated need to capture information that we need to inform our selection process. We acknowledge the effort it takes for filmmakers to complete any application and our team reviews our application processes each year to ensure the information we are requesting is necessary to our evaluations and decision making.
We were involved in the discussions around the most recent update of the Core Application specifically about how to standardize response lengths to allow both for word count limits as well as character count limits (for those organizations like ours whose application platform only works using character counts). As an outcome of these discussions, the Core Application v. 2022 has a word-to-character count equivalency listed on page 1 of the Application Proposal Checklist. Our applications follow this guideline of 100 words = 650 characters. We have this information available via our application platform, but understand that there is space to clarify it further on our program webpages as well as our application checklist documents. We have included this on our webpage and application checklist for the (Egg)celerator Lab, which is open for applications through May 22, 2024, to reflect this as well.
We are sharing this information now because an inquiry was raised about our application process via social media and it’s our practice to be responsive to filmmaker inquiries, but also because it is likely a question that has come up for many more filmmakers beyond this particular instance.
Post written by the Program Team
Chicken & Egg Pictures at the Hot Docs Forum
Congratulations to Farming the Revolution for taking home the Best International Documentary Feature award at the 31st edition of Hot Docs in Toronto. The film was supported through Nishtha Jain’s 2020 Chicken & Egg Award. The festival also featured six supported films and five films from supported filmmakers in the lineup, multiple of which were premieres, and a spotlight on 2022 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Brett Story.
Our Senior Program Manager Elaisha Stokes and Program Assistant Will Tamura were in attendance at the festival and the Hot Docs Forum. This year’s Forum had “20 projects—represented by 22 filmmakers, 11 of whom are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) and 16 of whom are women—representing 18 countries” (Business Doc Europe) presenting to key funders, decisionmakers, filmmakers, producers, and observers. There were a total of 58 projects being pitched across the industry events. Among the projects were 2024 (Egg)celerator Lab grantees Anatomy of a Life, Jaripeo, War on Women, Holder of the Sky, and Matininó. There were also films from the following supported filmmakers: Leah Galant, Kelly Duane de la Vega, Mila Turajlić, Chelsi Bullard, Geeta Gandbhir, Mars Veronne, Yvonne Welbon, Carine Chichkowsky, Ina Fichman, Valérie Montmartin, Lorena Luciano, Filippo Piscopo, Diane Becker, Melanie Miller, Kenya Jade Pinto, Brit Fryer, and Sona Jo.
We are extremely proud of 2024 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Anatomy of a Life on being awarded the Cuban Hat Award. This award, given to the best pitch as decided by Forum attendees, offers funding for powerful and unique projects. The award also includes numerous other gifts, including a feedback call with our very own Elaisha Stokes.
Learn more about the selected projects here.