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.
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”
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.
Announcing Nekisa Cooper as our Board President!
Chicken & Egg Pictures announced today via Realscreen that Nekisa Cooper will succeed Julie Parker Benello as President of its Board of Directors. Nekisa, who joined the Board of Directors in 2021 and has served as Vice President since January 2023, will assume the new role as of January 1, 2024.
Julie co-founded Chicken & Egg Pictures with Wendy Ettinger and Judith Helfand in 2005. She served as the first Board President, a role she has held since the Board of Directors was established in 2016, and will continue as a member of the Board.
Nekisa is a creative producer and content executive who has dedicated her career to elevating under-recognized voices. Her producing credits include two Chicken & Egg Pictures supported films, the feature film Pariah, which is part of the Criterion Collection and the American National Film Registry, and the Sundance Channel documentary Eventual Salvation. She was most recently Vice President of Content at MasterClass, the number one e-learning brand. Under her leadership, the industry-disrupting library was built from a concept to over 175 MasterClasses featuring diverse figures as Hillary Clinton, Mira Nair, Spike Lee, Roxane Gay, Massimo Bottura, Stephen Curry, and Shonda Rhimes.
In addition to co-founding Chicken & Egg Pictures, Julie is the founder of Secret Sauce Media. She produced Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert’s Academy Award® winning feature documentary American Factory and Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk’s Emmy® Award winning Athlete A. Most recently, she produced longtime collaborator Judith Helfand’s Love & Stuff as well as Sarah Jones’ feature debut Sell Buy Date.
Jenni Wolfson, CEO of Chicken & Egg Pictures said:
“We are thrilled to welcome Nekisa Cooper as the new President of the Chicken & Egg Pictures’ Board of Directors. And we are immensely grateful to Julie Parker Benello–a force in the documentary field and a champion of women and non-binary filmmakers–for her exemplary leadership serving as Board President. Julie’s generosity and commitment to the organization is evidenced by her continuing role as Board Director.”
She continued:
“Nekisa has a long relationship with the organization. First as a grantee, then, the first-ever recipient of the Chicken & Egg Pictures Creative Producing Award in 2012, and as a board member over the past two years. Her expertise in storytelling, producing, documentary film, management, and strategic thinking will be tremendously valuable to the organization. I am honored to be expanding our collaboration with Nekisa in this next chapter of the organization.”
Nekisa Cooper said:
“I’m honored to deepen my service to the Chicken & Egg Pictures mission, staff, board, and our filmmakers. Meeting Julie, Judith, and Wendy during my early career was critical because it was incredibly challenging for an outsider, particularly a lesbian woman of color, to create impactful work and build a sustainable career. Being a board member over the past two years has brought my journey full circle and given me the valuable opportunity to witness their transformational outcomes and radically thoughtful ways of working. I’m thrilled to build upon Julie’s leadership and to support Chicken & Egg in fostering a more gender-inclusive industry.”
Julie Parker Benello said:
“I’m delighted to pass the baton as Board President of Chicken & Egg Pictures to Nekisa, whom I have long admired as a creative producer with her business background and acumen, strategic mind, and depth of character. I am excited to see where the organization goes next under Nekisa’s board leadership, particularly as we broaden our work to serve greater numbers of filmmakers. Nekisa is the right person for the job at this juncture in Chicken & Egg’s history. I look forward to continuing to serve alongside her and my fellow board members of the organization I co-founded and love dearly.”
A Dozen Films Screening at CPH:DOX!
The 20th anniversary of CPH:DOX will take place from Wednesday, March 15 to Sunday, March 26 in Copenhagen, Denmark. We are proud to announce that 12 Nest-supported films are part of the lineup and that our AlumNest is also participating in the CPH:CONFERENCE and CPH:FORUM. If you are attending the festival, please say hi to our team who will participate in person to support our filmmakers. See below for more details.
- 2022 (Egg)celerator Lab Finalist Eat Bitter | World Premiere | Dox:Award section | dirs. Ningyi Sun, Pascale Appora-Gnekindy | prod. Mathieu Faure
- 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Is There Anybody Out There? | Highlights section | dir. Ella Glendining | prod. Janine Marmot
- 2020 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient Mila Turajlić’s Non-Aligned: Scenes from the Labudović Reels | Artists & Auteurs section | dir. & prod. Mila Turajlić | prod. Carine Chichkowsky
- 2020 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient Tonje Hessen Schei’s Praying for Armageddon | F:act Award section | dir. Tonje Hessen Schei | co-dir. Michael Rowley
- 2022 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient Margreth Olin’s Songs of Earth | World Premiere | Dox:Award section | dir. & prod. Margreth Olin
- 2020 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient Maite Alberdi’s The Eternal Memory | Highlights section | dir. & prod. Maite Alberdi | prods. Juan de Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín, Rocío Jadue
- 2021 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient Elwira Niewira’s The Hamlet Syndrome | Highlights section | dirs. Elwira Niewiera, Piotr Rosolowski | prod. Magdalena Kaminska
- 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee The Tuba Thieves | Next:Wave section | dir. & prod. Alison O’Daniel
- 2021 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient Jialing Zhang’s Total Trust | World Premiere | Dox: Award and Rewriting the Future sections | dir. & prod. Jialing Zhang | prods. Knut Jager, Michael Grotenhoff, Saskia Kress
QUEER FUTURES
In partnership with Multitude Films, three short documentaries of the QUEER FUTURES series, directed by Brit Fryer & Noah Schamus, Twiggy Pucci Garçon, and Sasha Wortzel that radically imagine future visions of queer life, will have their world premiere. These films expand the boundaries of nonfiction to explore gender affirming care, fat beauty and liberation, and nonbinary ballroom culture. Transcending the rigidity and oppressions of the current moment, these directors locate, build, and inhabit worlds that offer us new ways of being–in the present and the future.
- How to Carry Water
dir. Sasha Wortzel
prods. Jess Devaney, Anya Rous, Colleen Cassingham
- The Script
dirs. Brit Fryer, Noah Schamus
prods. Jessica Devaney, Colleen Cassingham
- MnM
dir. Twiggy Pucci Garçon
prods. Colleen Cassingham, Jessica Devaney
From the AlumNest
- Body Parts
dir. Kristy Guevara-Flanagan
prod. Helen Hood Scheer
- Kim’s Video
dirs. & prods. Ashley Sabin, David Redmon
prods. Deborah & Dale Smith, Rebecca Tabasky, Francesco Galavotti
- Victim/Suspect
dir. & prod. Nancy Schwartzman
prods. Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Alice Henty, Amanda Pike, Rachel de Leon
CPH: FORUM
At CPH:FORUM, top producers and highly acknowledged directors from all over the world take the stage to pitch 30 carefully selected projects of documentary features and series in the intersection of nonfiction, fiction, visual art, journalism, and science. Eight Nest-supported filmmakers will present their new projects: Brett Story, Iryna Tsilyk, Jessica Kingdon, Meena Nanji and Zippy Kimundu, Mila Turajlić, Oksana Karpovych, and Vaishali Sinha.
CPH: CONFERENCE
A 5-day industry event offering a range of inspiring talks with visionary thinkers, investigating current themes in documentary filmmaking, and creating an interactive and hands-on platform for exchange with other professionals of our documentary community. Our Nest is well represented across the different activities from Monday, March 20 to Friday, March 24.
A DIALOGUE ON CRAFT WITH MAITE ALBERDI AND ANNA HINTS
Monday, March 20
With 2020 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Maite Alberdi
THE TRUST POLICY
Tuesday, March 21
With Chicken & Egg Pictures CEO Jenni Wolfson, Shanida Scotland (Doc Society), Jess Kwan (Concordia Fellowship), and Sean Flynn (Points North Institute).
A DIALOGUE ON CRAFT WITH ALISON O’DANIEL, AXEL DANIELSON & MAXIMILIEN VAN AERTRYCK
Tuesday, March 21
With 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab recipient Alison O’Daniel
A DIALOGUE ON CRAFT WITH JIALING ZHANG, PUK DAMSGÅRD AND SØREN KLOVBORG
Wednesday, March 22
With 2021 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Jialing Zhang
A DISCUSSION WITH JESSICA KINGDON
Thursday, March 23
With 2019 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Jessica Kingdon
CITIZEN FILMMAKERS
Friday, March 24
With 2021 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Elwira Niewira, 2018 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Nanfu Wang, 2022 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Volia Chajkouskaya, and 2023 Critical Issues Fund recipient Alisa Kovalenko
SONGS OF EARTH – LISTENING TO CARE
Friday, March 24
With 2022 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Margreth Olin, Diego Galafassi, Cara Mertes, Bo Øksnebjerg, and Danielle Turkov Wilson
RISE OF INSTITUTIONS
Friday, March 24
With our Senior Creative Consultant Yvonne Welbon, 2022 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Volia Chajkouskaya, and Anne Marie Borsboom.
Meet our Team at CPH:DOX
Our CEO Jenni Wolfson is participating in the CPH: CONFERENCE, and our Associate Director of Program Sabine Fayoux Cantillo will be taking 1:1 meetings with filmmakers.
We are sending huge congratulations to our International Program Consultant Tereza Simikova, CPH:DOX Head of Industry & Training, and to her team, for putting together this fantastic edition.
Chicken & Egg Pictures Executive Director Jenni Wolfson Joins BAFTA
We are proud to announce that our Executive Director Jenni Wolfson has become a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).
Jenni has joined a leading global arts charity that amplifies and celebrates excellence across the screen industries and drives positive change through the power of film, games, and television. Her membership will play an integral role in upholding BAFTA’s commitment to supporting the growth of creative talent by fostering an inclusive and accessible industry for all, as BAFTA’s activities continue to expand across North America.
Congratulations, Jenni!
Nest-supported Films in The Gotham Week Project Market
Chicken & Egg Pictures is proud to see two Nest-supported and eight AlumNest films in The Gotham Week Project Market. This year’s lineup includes 60 documentary features that will be presented in-person at Brooklyn Navy Yard, and virtually. The Gotham Week will take place from Saturday, September 17 through Friday, September 23.
The Gotham Week Project Market hosts one-on-one industry meetings dedicated to elevating the work of independent artists and facilitating relationships with distributors, financiers, production companies, festival programmers, sales/talent agents, and other potential collaborators.
Take a look at the Nest-supported projects below:
Life + Life
dir & prod. Contessa Gayles
prods. Richie Reseda, David Felix Sutcliffe
An incarcerated musician struggles for healing and peace as he comes of age in this documentary-musical odyssey composed behind bars.
Life + Life is a 2022 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee.
Storming
dir. Katrina Sorrentino
prod. Tiffany Fisher-Love
A family hangs in limbo, caring for their comatose son. Hope and denial blur as seasons circle in this meditation on love and letting go.
Storming was a participant of the 2019 Nest Knight Fellowship.
From the AlumNest
- #NunsToo
dir. Lorena Luciano, prod. Filippo Piscopo - Give it a Shot
dir. & prod. Vaishali Sinha, prod. Hemang Chheda - In Plain Sight
prod. Farihah Zaman, dir. PJ Raval - Life After
prods. Jessica Devaney, Colleen Cassingham, dir. Reid Davenport - Meanwhile
dir. & prod. Catherine Gund, prod. Erika Dilday - Prisoner X
dirs. Hilla Medalia, Amos Roberts, prod.Hilla Medalia & Gal Greenspan - Thoughts & Prayers
dir. & prod. Jessica Dimmock, Zackary Canepari - To Use a Mountain
Executive produced by 2022 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Brett Story, Maida Lynn, dir. Casey Carter, prod. Colleen Cassingham
The Gotham Week Conference
- The Politics of Filmmaking in the US
Wednesday, September 21 at 2:30 pm ET
With Project: Hatched 2022 finalist The Janes’ directors Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes.
Cost: $25
Meet Our Team
Our Executive Director Jenni Wolfson and Program Coordinator Iva Dimitrova will be taking meetings at The Gotham Week.
Check out the full list of projects participating with this link.
Celebrating Executive Director Jenni Wolfson and Nest-supported Filmmakers Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Memberships
Chicken & Egg Pictures is egg-cited and proud to share some big news: our dearest Executive Director Jenni Wolfson, 2018 (Egg)celerator Lab recipients Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh (Writing With Fire), 2019 (Egg)celerator Lab recipient Jessica Kingdon (Ascension), 2021 Chicken & Egg Award recipients Cristina Ibarra and Jialing Zhang, and 2022 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Brett Story have been invited to become members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
We also want to congratulate Bob Moore (producer of Project: Hatched 2021 grantee Dope Is Death) and Nathan Truesdell (producer of 2019 (Egg)celerator Lab recipient Ascension) for their invitations!
The Class of 2022 is 44% women, 37% percent underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 50% hail from outside of the United States.
Congratulations to the Class of 2022!