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Four Nest-supported films at True/False Film Fest 2023
Chicken & Egg Pictures is egg-cited to see four Nest-supported and two AlumNest films in the lineup of the 20th edition of True/False Film Fest, which takes place from Thursday, March 2 to Sunday, March 5 in Columbia, Missouri.
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.
Get your tickets here.

How to Have an American Baby
dir. and prod. Leslie Tai
prod. Jillian Schultz

How to Have an American Baby was supported through the 2017 Diversity Fellows Initiative (past program).
Get your tickets here.

Joonam
dir. Sierra Urich
prod. Keith Wilson

Joonam is a 2022 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee.
Get your tickets here.

Milisuthando
dir. Milisuthando Bongela
prod. Marion Isaacs

Milisuthando is a 2019 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee.
Get your tickets here.
From the AlumNest
- Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
dirs. & prods. Michèle Stephenson, Joe Brewster
U.S. Documentary Competition
- The Feeling of Being Close to You
dir. & prod. Ash Goh Hua
Part of the Short Films program
Check out the full lineup with this link.
The Nest at Big Sky Documentary Film Fest
The 20th annual Big Sky Documentary Film Festival took place from February 17 through February 26 in Montana. We were proud to see four Nest-supported films and seven AlumNest films in the line-up, as well as a retrospective dedicated to 2017 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Penny Lane.
Black Mothers Love & Resist
dir. & prod. Débora Souza Silva
prod. David Felix Sutcliffe, Adina Luo

Black Mothers Love & Resist is a 2020 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee.

The Hamlet Syndrome
dirs. Elwira Niewiera, Piotr Rosolowski
prod. Magdalena Kaminska

The Hamlet Syndrome was supported through Elwira Niewira’s 2021 Chicken & Egg Award.

From the AlumNest

Nest-supported filmmaker Penny Lane was selected as the 2023 Retrospective artist. The retrospective includes six films directed by Lane from 2010 to today, including Nest-supported Hail Satan?, The Pain of Others; and Nuts!, Our Nixon, and The Voyagers.
- For the Record
dir. & prod. Heather Courtney
prod. Paul Stekler - Sealed in Blood
dir. Sofian Khan
prod. J. Motts - Lily Gladstone: Far Out There
dir. & prod. Brooke Pepion Swaney
prod. Jeri Rafter
Lily Gladstone: Far Out There will being having its World Premiere
Post written by Spring intern Tess Caldwell
Four Nest-supported Films at Berlinale 2023
Chicken & Egg Pictures is proud to see three Nest-supported films in Berlinale 2023 lineup. El eco/The Echo and Hummingbirds will have their world premiere, and the recent Sundance winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary The Eternal Memory will have its European premiere. The festival takes place from Wednesday, February 16 to Sunday, February 26.
El eco / The Echo
dir. & prod. Tatiana Huezo
prod. Dalia Reyes

El eco / The Echo will have its world premiere in the Encounters section and was supported through Tatiana Huezo’s 2021 Chicken & Egg Award.
Get your tickets here.

The Eternal Memory
dir. & prod. Maite Alberdi
prods. Juan de Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín, Rocío Jadue

The Eternal Memory will have its European Premiere in the Panorama Section and was supported through Maite Alberdi’s 2020 Chicken & Egg Award.
Get your tickets here.

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 will have its world premiere in the Generation 14plus section and is a 2022 (Egg)celerator Lab finalist.
Get your tickets here.
From the AlumNest
- My ne zgasnemo / We Will Not Fade Away
dir. Alisa Kovalenko
prods. Valery Kalmykov, Oleksiy Kobelev
World premiere in the 14plus competition of Berlinale Generation
Alisa is also participating in the Berlinale Talents Event A Closer Look: Current Docs from Ukraine - 2017 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Kirsten Johnson is participating in the Berlinale Talents Event Simply Absurd: Subversive Screenwriting
Welcome to the Nest, Will Tamura!
Meet the newest member of our team: Program Assistant Will Tamura
As Program Assistant, Will supports the Program team’s growing efforts.
Prior to Chicken & Egg Pictures, Will resided in the San Francisco Bay Area, working as a Civil Rights Legal Assistant and Assistant Manager of an independent bookstore. They have also held Marketing and Distribution intern positions at Cinetic Media and A24 in New York City. Will holds a BA in Film and a BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley, and an MA in Film and Media Studies from Columbia University. Outside of Chicken & Egg, Will can be found at any repertory cinema or perusing the shelves of a used bookstore.
“I’m delighted to join an organization that imbues social responsibility and equity in its films. The sheer talent and commitment to our mission within our team, as well as our supported filmmakers, is truly inspiring!”
We are excited to welcome an egg-stra special new team member in our Nest. To learn more about them, visit our team page.
Two Nest-supported Films Win Awards at Sundance World Cinema Documentary Competition!
Chicken & Egg Pictures is egg-static to see 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Against the Tide, 2020 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Maite Alberdi, and Nest-supported filmmaker Michèle Stephenson receive Jury awards. We were also proud to see AlumNest filmmaker Jess Devaney be the recipient of the 2023 Amazon Studios Nonfiction Producers Award.
Congratulations to all awardees and their teams!
Winner of the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Verite Filmmaking
Against the Tide
dir. & prod. Sarvnik Kaur
prod. Koval Bhatia

Against the Tide is a 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee.

Winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary
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.
From the AlumNest
- Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
dirs. & prods. Michele Stephenson, Joe Brewster
U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary - Jess Devaney received the 2023 Amazon Studios Nonfiction Producers Award
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