Chicken & Egg Pictures Kicks Off Fall Mentorship with Distribution Day

On Wednesday, October 15, Chicken & Egg Pictures hosted 16 filmmakers in New York City for a full-day workshop with sessions covering International Co-Productions & New Opportunities with Al-Jazeera America, with guest expert Cynthia Kane (Senior Commissioning Producer, Al-Jazeera American); Reversioning for Foreign Sales, Maximizing Opportunities, & Delivery on Deliverables, with guest expert Nina Chaudry (Independent Producer and Former Executive of Wide Angle), and Digital Distribution 101, with guest expert (Susan Margolin, President of Docurama and Cinedigm).Here’s what Julie Englander, director of Home Again and a member of the Chicken & Egg Pictures nest, had to say about the day:

When I got the call in 2011 that I was being awarded a Chicken & Egg Pictures “I Believe in You” grant for my documentary Home Again, I was thrilled. The money and the prestige were awesome rewards, but possibly the most meaningful benefit of the grant was being welcomed into the Chicken & Egg nest.

It was truly inspiring on Wednesday to gather with fellow grantees for Distribution Day, where we convened with Cynthia Kane of Al Jazeera America, Nina Chaudry, Former Executive Producer of Wide Angle, and Susan Margolin of Cinedigm. Though my film is not yet finished, it’s never too early to think about distribution, as nearly every presenter pointed out. As we discussed possible outlets for our projects and how to imagine different versions of the stories we want to tell, the wheels in my head began to turn about the many different directions my film could go in.

In our discussion of what (and what not) to cut when reversioning, one rule that went up on the easel pad was “Time spent laughing is never wasted time.” And time spent brainstorming with other fantastic women, I’ve found, is one of the most productive things a filmmaker can do.