2023 Chicken & Egg Award Recipients

 

Chicken & Egg Pictures is proud to introduce the eighth cohort of our Chicken & Egg Award. This program, which has grown from a cohort of six to eight, awards women and non-binary documentary filmmakers who are at advanced-career stages with a $75,000 grant as well as a tailored year-long mentorship program that is targeted to the goals of each individual grant recipient. 

“The reality is that, even in 2023, it’s still incredibly difficult for women and non-binary people to make careers as independent storytellers. The numbers tell the tale: two-thirds of documentaries are helmed by men,” said CEO of Chicken & Egg Pictures, Jenni Wolfson. “This chasm in representation means that men have an outsized role in telling the stories of who we are, and what’s important. Chicken & Egg Pictures is thrilled to play a role in righting this wrong, and to recognize the talent and contributions of these incredible filmmakers,” Wolfson continued.  

The 2023 Chicken & Egg Award recipients are Angela Tucker, Ilinca Calugareanu, Jeanie Finlay, Lisa Jackson, Nico Opper, Rea Tajiri, Sabaah Folayan, and Sonia Kennebeck. This cohort will receive $75,000 (a $25,000 increase in funding from previous years)–a $50,000 unrestricted career grant and a $25,000 project grant.

For the second time, two finalists–Farida Pacha and Salomé Jashi–will receive a $15,000 Chicken & Egg Award Finalist Development Grant for their projects to recognize their great achievements in documentary filmmaking. 

In recognition of a challenging landscape faced by women and non-binary filmmakers, Chicken & Egg Pictures has expanded the definition of advanced-career directors to encompass a broader set of backgrounds and experiences, and in this way, account for the impact of institutional barriers and structures on the development of one’s career. This year’s grantees are filmmakers with established careers in the documentary industry including both commissioned and independent work. By expanding support in this way, the organization hopes to widen the field for women and non-binary artists who may not have had access to the resources needed to tell their stories.

“This year, we are excited that we are able to provide more women and non-binary filmmakers with even more support, resources, and mentorship as they continue to tell important stories on wide-ranging issues. With an increase in our grant funding, these artists will have the opportunity to utilize the bulk of their awards on whatever best suits their needs as they move their careers and projects forward,” said Wolfson. 

Please click on the Recipients’ names for more information on each filmmaker and give these visionary directors a warm welcome to the Nest!

2023

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Chicken & Egg Award Finalist Development Grant Recipients

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2023 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient

Sabaah Folayan

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