Nine Supported Filmmakers Awarded IDA Production Grants
The IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund recently announced their 2023 Production Grantees and we are proud to have nine Chicken & Egg Pictures-supported filmmakers on the list, as well as three Chicken & Egg Pictures-supported films. The IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund offers production funds and tailored resources to support feature-length documentaries that delve into contemporary stories, prioritize journalistic practices, and emphasize inclusion and diversity in filmmaking. Congratulations!
- Colleen Cassingham, producer of QUEER FUTURES films The Script, MnM, How to Carry Water
- Petra Costa, 2023 Research & Development Grant Recipient and 2022 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient, for her Chicken & Egg-supported film
- Jess Devaney director of Chicken & Egg-supported film Love the Sinner and producer of The Script, MnM, How to Carry Water, and It’s Only Life After All
- Ramona Diaz, 2018 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient
- Maryam Ebrahimi, 2021 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient, for her Chicken & Egg-supported film The Phantom Pain of Rojava
- Lorena Luciano and Filippo Piscopo, directors of Chicken & Egg-supported film It Will Be Chaos
- Ivan MacDonald and Ivy MacDonald, for their film, When They Were Here, 2022 (Egg)celerator Lab Finalist
Post written by Communications Intern Tess Caldwell
28 Nominations for the Cinema Eye Honors Awards!
Cinema Eye recently announced the nominees for the 17th edition of the Cinema Eye Honors Awards. We are proud to see 28 nominations within the Chicken & Egg Pictures community! The awards ceremony will take place on Friday, January 12 at the New York Academy of Medicine in East Harlem. Congratulations and good luck to all of the nominees.
- Project: Hatched 2023 participant Bad Press | dirs. Rebecca Landsberry-Baker, Joe Peeler | prods. Conrad Beilharz, Garrett F. Baker, Tyler Graim | Nominated in the Spotlight section
- 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Against the Tide | dir. & prod. Sarvnik Kaur | prods. Koval Bhatia, Quentin Laurent | Nominated in the Spotlight section
- 2022 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient Margreth Olin’s Songs of Earth | dir. & prod. Margreth Olin | Nominated for Outstanding Original Score, Outstanding Cinematography, and Outstanding Production
- 2021 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient Tatiana Huezo’s The Echo | dir. & prod. Tatiana Huezo | prod. Dalia Reyes | Nominated in the Heterodox section
- 2020 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient Maite Alberdi’s The Eternal Memory | dir. & prod. Maite Alberdi | prods. Juan de Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín, Rocío Jadue | Nominated for Outstanding Editing, Outstanding Direction, Outstanding Nonfiction Feature, The Unforgettables Honorees, and Audience Choice Prize – Sharp
- 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee The Tuba Thieves | dir. & prod. Alison O’Daniel | Nominated for Outstanding Debut and Outstanding Sound Design
- Project: Hatched 2023 participant Twice Colonized | dir. Lin Alluna | prods. Emile Hertling Péronard, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, Stacey Aglok, Bob Moore | Nominated for The Unforgettables Honorees
- 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Q | dir. & prod. Jude Chehab | Nominated in the Spotlight section
From the AlumNest
- Black Girls Play: The Story Of Hand Games | Nominated for Outstanding Nonfiction Short and Shorts List Semifinalists
dirs. & prods. Michéle Stephenson, Joe Brewster
- Confessions of a Good Samaritan | Nominated for The Unforgettables Honorees and Audience Choice Prize
dir. Penny Lane
prod. Gabriel Sedgwick
- Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project | Nominated for Outstanding Visual Design, Outstanding Original Score, Outstanding Nonfiction Feature, and The Unforgettables Honorees
dirs. & prods. Michéle Stephenson, Joe Brewster
- King Coal | Nominated for Outstanding Cinematography
dir. & prod. Elaine McMillion Sheldon
prods. Shane Boris, Diane Becker, Peggy Drexler
- Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power | Nominated in the Broadcast Film Nominees section
dir. Geeta Gandbhir
prod. Jess Devaney
- Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields | Nominated in the Broadcast Film Nominees and Broadcast Editing Nominees sections
dir. Lana Wilson
prods. Jack Turner, Christine O’Malley
Post written by Communications Intern Tess Caldwell
Doc Nest 2023
On June 6, 2023, Chicken & Egg Pictures hosted Doc Nest, an invitation-only, one-day event at the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice in New York. Doc Nest aimed to connect industry leaders, investors and donors with filmmakers, and to highlight a dozen Chicken & Egg Pictures-supported films from around the world in various stages from development to post-production. It brought together twelve filmmaking teams from nine countries along with 87 industry leaders, donors and investors.
The films highlighted in this convening touched upon issues related to criminal justice, gun violence in the US, threats to democracy, the war in Ukraine, gender parity, ecological justice, racial equity, and more. The highlighted films included a range of styles and artistic approaches from archival to vérité and investigative to personal, covering a range of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences.
This intimate gathering forged relationships and provided potential supporters an inside look into projects seeking investments. The goals of the event were two-fold: 1) To provide filmmakers with more access to industry support and to raise funds for projects; and 2) To ignite honest conversations about the challenges and barriers in navigating relationships between funders and filmmakers in creating impactful documentary films.
This all-day event formerly known as Next Gen Egg has evolved over time and was designed to deconstruct the inherent hierarchy underlining typical pitch events. This year, filmmakers were given a platform to discuss their films through moderated discussions around three themes–artistic approach, access and impact–inviting potential supporters into their process and to foster new partnerships. We paired two film projects in each discussion, inviting open conversation between filmmakers about the challenges and opportunities they face in the filmmaking process.
Chicken & Egg Pictures provided a total of $60,000 to the twelve projects that were presented at Doc Nest. As of October 2023, the funding committed by other donors and investors who attended Doc Nest amounts to nearly $1 million across the dozen projects highlighted at the event.
We want to thank the Clif Family Foundation for generously sponsoring Doc Nest and the Ford Foundation Just Films for being our host.
DOC NYC Honors 6 Supported Filmmakers And Program Director Kiyoko McCrae
Chicken & Egg Pictures is proud to see six supported filmmakers and Program Director Kiyoko McCrae honored in DOC NYC’s initiatives that recognize the people and projects that are making an impact on the field of documentary: 40 Under 40 and Documentary New Leaders.
DOCUMENTARY NEW LEADERS
DOC NYC’s 2023 Documentary New Leaders program honors figures in the American documentary industry whose work to date and potential for leadership brings greater inclusion and equity to the field. We are deeply proud to see our Program Director Kiyoko McCrae receive this honor. Kiyoko works closely with the CEO and Program staff to strategize, plan, and oversee the implementation of all Chicken & Egg programs.
Kiyoko is among 14 honorees selected for their broad range of experiences, including roles in distribution, education, community engagement, funding, social impact, organizing, and journalism. On the list is also our former staff member and friend Jaad Asante.
Over the next year, the Documentary New Leaders will meet periodically to embark on discussions that address the issues most pivotal to their roles in the field.
40 UNDER 40
We are delighted to see six Chicken & Egg supported filmmakers selected in the 40 Under 40 list: Sierra Urich, Jillian Schlesinger, Joe Peeler, Jonna McKone, Rachael Dyer, and Jude Chehab. This initiative celebrates emerging talent in the documentary world, including directors, producers, cinematographers, and editors. Honorees will be celebrated at the 2023 DOC NYC festival on the festival’s website and social media channels, and feted in an exclusive cocktail reception.
Huge congratulations to the class of 2023!
2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Sierra Urich (Joonam):
Project: Hatched 2022 finalist Jillian Schlesinger (Hummingbirds):
Project: Hatched 2023 participant Joe Peeler (Bad Press):
Project: Hatched 2023 participant Rachael Dyer (PAY OR DIE):
Jonna McKone, producer of 2022 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Our Daughters:
2020 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Jude Chehab (Q):
13 Emmy Nominations from the Nest!
Chicken & Egg Pictures sends a massive congratulations to the two supported and 11 AlumNest films that received nominations for the 44th Annual News and Documentary Emmy® Awards. The honors will be presented live in two ceremonies, with Documentary Categories taking place on Thursday, September 28, 2023.
The Janes
dir. Tia Lessin, Emma Pildes
prod. Emma Pildes, Daniel Arcana, Jessica Levin
The Janes is a Project: Hatched 2022 finalist nominated for Outstanding Social Issue Documentary, Best Documentary, Outstanding Research: Documentary, Outstanding Direction: Documentary.
Apart
dir. & prod. Jennifer Redfearn
prod. Tim Metzger
Apart is a 2018 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee nominated for Outstanding Politics and Government Documentary.
From the AlumNest
- American Reckoning
dir. & prod. Yoruba Richen, Brad Lichtenstein
Nominated for: Outstanding Historical Documentary
- Art & Krimes by Krimes
dir. & prod. Alysa Nahmias
prod. Amanda Spain, Benjamin Murray
Nominated for: Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary
- Body Parts
dir. Kristy Guevara-Flanagan
prod. Helen Hood Scheer
Nominated for: Outstanding Music Composition
- Delikado
dir. & prod. Karl Malakunas
prod. Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala, Michael Collins, Marty Syjuco, Laura Nix
Nominated for: Outstanding Investigative Documentary
- How to Change your Mind
dir. Lucy Walker, Alison Ellwood
Nominated for: Outstanding Graphic Design and Art Direction: Documentary
- Lincoln’s Dilemma
dir. Jacqueline Olive, Barak Goodman
Nominated for: Outstanding Graphic Design and Art Direction: Documentary
- Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power
dir. Geeta Gandbhir
prod. Jess Devaney
Nominated for: Outstanding Research Documentary, Outstanding Editing: Documentary
- The Flagmakers
dir. & prod. Cynthia Wade, Sharon Liese
prod. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Carolyn Bernstein, Mark Gordon, Ryan Harrington, Jenna Segal
Nominated for: Outstanding Short Documentary
- The U.S. and the Holocaust
dir. Lynn Novick, Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein
Nominated for: Outstanding Research Documentary
- TikTok, Boom
dir. & prod. Shalini Kantayya
prod. Danni Mynard, Ross Dinerstein
Nominated for: Outstanding Business and Economic Documentary
- Wuhan Wuhan
dir. Yung Chang
prod. Diane Quon, Donna Gigliotti, Peter Luo
Nominated for: Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary
- 37 Words
dir. & prod. Dawn Porter, Nicole Newnham
Nominated for: Outstanding Research Documentary
Post written by Communications Intern Tess Caldwell
Half a Dozen Nest-Supported Films at Camden International Film Festival!
We are thrilled to announce that six Chicken & Egg Pictures-supported films and two AlumNest filmmakers are included in this year’s lineup for Camden International Film Festival. The festival opens today and runs through Sunday, September 17, 2023. Part of our Program team will be in attendance, we hope to see you there!
Joonam
dir. Sierra Urich
prod. Keith Wilson
Joonam is a 2022 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee.
Get your tickets here.
Machtat
dir. Sonia Ben Slama
prods. Tania El Khoury, Cécile Lestrade, Elise Hug
Machtat is a 2020 (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.
Non-Aligned: Scenes From the Labudović Reels
dir. & prod. Mila Turajlić
prod. Carine Chichkowsky
Non-Aligned: Scenes From the Labudović Reels was supported through Mila Turajlić’s 2020 Chicken & Egg Award.
Get your tickets here.
Q
dir. & prod. Jude Chehab
Q is a 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab Grantee.
Get your tickets here.
Suddenly TV
dir. & prod. Roopa Gogineni
prods. Reem Haddad, Trevor Snapp, Fiona Lawson-Baker
Suddenly TV is a participant of Project: Hatched 2023.
Get your tickets here.
Chicken & Egg Pictures | POV Shorts Co-Production Fund
POV Shorts and Chicken & Egg Pictures announced today via DEADLINE the five recipients of the inaugural Chicken & Egg Pictures | POV Shorts Co-Production Fund, which granted $120,000 for development and production funding to three short documentary projects helmed by women and non-binary filmmakers. The initiative marks the two organizations’ first joint content development project, and all films are co-productions of POV Shorts and Chicken & Egg Pictures. In partnership with Points North, the institute will welcome the grantees as an official fellowship cohort at the 2023 Camden International Film Festival (CIFF2023).
Chicken & Egg Pictures and POV Shorts each contributed $60,000 to finance the fund which awarded three non-recoupable $40,000 grants to new nonfiction short-form works in progress or already in production. In addition to financial support, each project will receive creative, strategic, and editorial advice from the Chicken & Egg Pictures and POV Shorts teams. The completed shorts will be considered for launch on PBS via national linear broadcast and PBS Digital, which reaches an audience of 44.7 million people monthly.
Chicken & Egg Pictures | POV Shorts Co-Production Fund Grantees
En Travesti
dirs. Brit Fryer, Lydia Cornett
En Travesti explores the entangled relationship between voice, gender, and opera through those who contend with these connections daily––a trans opera singer switching voice types, a musicologist delving into the legacy of Castrati singers, a cisgender vocalist challenging conventional voice categorizations, and an otolaryngologist specializing in vocal procedures for performers. From the history of trouser roles to breakthroughs in vocal feminization surgery, the film weaves together a tapestry of present-day stories while recognizing a long history of gender nonconformity in an art form bound by the binary.
Hold Me Close
dirs. Aurora Brachman, LaTajh Weaver
As winter gives way to spring, and spring to summer, two Queer Black women in love experience rituals of care, joy, and unavoidable pain, and a season of life together.
The Roost (working title)
dir. Imani Dennison
The Roost (working title) is an experimental documentary exploring the rich history of a roller skate community in Louisville, KY. Through an intimate video lens, we delve into key community members’ personal recollections of the sport and its role in navigating life amidst the challenges of a gun-violence-affected city.
En Travesti explores the entangled relationship between voice, gender, and opera through those who contend with these connections daily––a trans opera singer switching voice types, a musicologist delving into the legacy of Castrati singers, a cisgender vocalist challenging conventional voice categorizations, and an otolaryngologist specializing in vocal procedures for performers. From the history of trouser roles to breakthroughs in vocal feminization surgery, the film weaves together a tapestry of present-day stories while recognizing a long history of gender nonconformity in an art form bound by the binary.
From the AlumNest
- Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa
dir. Lucy Walker
prods. Charlie Corwin, Michael D. Ratner, Miranda Sherman, Dalia Burde, Christopher Newman
- The Lady Bird Diaries
dir. & prod. Dawn Porter
prod. Kim Reynolds
Meet Our Program Team at Camden International Film Festival
Representing Chicken & Egg Pictures, our Program Director Kiyoko McCrae, Senior Program Manager Elaisha Stokes and Industry & Artist Development Manager Tobi Phang-Lyn will be in attendance at this year’s Camden International Film Festival. They will be bringing the Chicken & Egg Pictures | POV Shorts Co-Production Fund grantees to the festival, supporting our alumni and hosting a gathering, meeting with new filmmakers during 1-on-1 meetings, and watching as many docs as they can!
Post written by Communications Intern Tess Caldwell
The Nest at Sarajevo Film Festival
We are proud to see Chicken & Egg Award recipient Mila Turajlic’s film Non-Aligned: Scenes From the Labudović Reels and an AlumNest film on the lineup for Sarajevo Film Festival this year!
Our very own Program Manager Iva Dimitrova has also been selected as a part of the three-member jury for the Documentary Competition. The festival will take place from Friday, August 11 to Friday, August 18, 2023, and will be attended by two of our staff members. We hope to see you there!
Non-Aligned: Scenes from the Labudović Reels
dir. & prod. Mila Turajlić
prod. Carine Chichkowsky
Non-Aligned: Scenes From the Labudović Reels was supported through Mila Turajlić’s 2020 Chicken & Egg Award.
Get your tickets here.
From the AlumNest
Meet our Team at Sarajevo Film Festival
Representing Chicken & Egg Pictures, Development Manager Allison Villegas Roman and Program Manager Iva Dimitrova will be in attendance at the festival. Together, they will participate in industry events and network with filmmakers. They will also be briefly attending the Rough Cut Boutique, as well as other industry events offered through the festival’s CineLink Industry Days.
Iva will be a part of the 3-member jury for the Documentary Competition. For her role, she will be watching 20 regional films (21 countries from the Caucasus to the Balkan) that are a mix of short, medium-length, and feature-length, and award the following prizes:
- The Heart of Sarajevo for the best film
- Human Rights award for the best documentary that deals with an H.R. topic
- Special jury Award
- Best short film- Heart of Sarajevo
Post written by Communications Intern Tess Caldwell
Three Nest-supported Films at Blackstar Film Festival
We are proud to see three Nest-supported films and two AlumNest films on the lineup for Blackstar Film Festival this year! The festival will take place from Wednesday, August 2 to Sunday, August 6, 2023, in Philadelphia, and will be attended by three of our staff members. We hope to see you there!
The Script
dir. Brit Fryer, Noah Schamus
prod. Colleen Cassingham, Jess Devaney
The Script was supported in partnership with Multitude Films as part of the QUEER FUTURES (2022) series and is having its Philadelphia Premiere.
Get your tickets here.
Sol in the Garden
dirs. & prods. Emily Cohen Ibañez and Débora Souza Silva
Sol in the Garden is a 2022 Critical Issues Fund grantee having its East Coast Premiere.
Get your tickets here.
MnM
dir. Twiggy Pucci Garçon
prod. Colleen Cassingham, Jess Devaney
MnM was supported in partnership with Multitude Films as part of the QUEER FUTURES (2022) series and is having its Philadelphia Premiere.
Get your tickets here.
From the AlumNest
- Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
dirs. & prods. Michèle Stephenson, Joe Brewster
- Beneath the Surface
dir. Cai Thomas
prod. Lauren Grace Cargo
Meet our Team at Blackstar Film Festival
Representing Chicken & Egg Pictures, our Program Director Kiyoko McCrae, Industry & Artist Development Manager Tobi Phang-Lyn, and Development Assistant Kat Zhao will be in attendance at this year’s Blackstar Film Festival. They’ll be supporting our alumni films, expanding our connections with filmmakers and industry, participating in discussions about field-wide challenges, and more! The team is particularly interested in the conversations generated by the panels that speak to the politics of curation, the aesthetics of BIPOC filmmakers, disability justice, and the experiences of queer filmmakers.
Post written by Communications Intern Tess Caldwell
Academy Invitations to AlumNest Filmmakers
Chicken & Egg Pictures is extremely proud to share some big news: Five AlumNest filmmakers have been invited to become members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The new members include Project: Hatched 2020 grantee Erika Cohn (Belly of the Beast), 2022 Critical Issues Fund grantee Katja Esson (Razing Liberty Square), 2020 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Violet Du Feng (Hidden Letters), 2023 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Sonia Kennebeck, and Nest-supported filmmaker Nancy Schwartzman (Roll Red Roll, One Shot One Kill).
We also want to congratulate Lindsey Dryden (producer of Nest-supported Unrest) and Melanie Miller (producer of Project: Hatched 2021 grantee On The Divide) for their invitations!
Of the 2023 Class, 40% identify as women, 34% belong to underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 52% are from 50 countries and territories outside the United States.
Congratulations to the Class of 2023!