Chicken & Egg Pictures at Getting Real 2024
Chicken & Egg Pictures is proud to be part of the sixth edition of Getting Real, a biennial for documentary practitioners and focused on the business and art of nonfiction storytelling. The event takes place from Monday, April 15 through Friday, April 19 in Los Angeles.
Fourteen supported filmmakers, as well as our Program Director Kiyoko McCrae and Board Members Félix Endara, Marjan Safinia, and Alex Simon, will participate in a four day event designed to provide a space for the field to hold constructive conversations, build lasting relationships, and tackle the ethical, creative, sustainability, production, and distribution challenges facing our growing community. Please take a look at the details below.
Playing with Reality: Staging Documentary
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 10:30 AM PDT
Panelists: Alison O’Daniel, Cecilia Aldorando, Theo Montoya
Moderator: Ela Bittencourt
Surviving the Aftermath: Protecting Creative Expression
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 10:45 AM PDT
Panelists: Assia Boundaoui, Farihah Zaman, Anam Abbas
Moderator: Aizzah Fatima
Open Breakout Session: From Concept to Catalyst (with A-Doc and BGDM)
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 2:00 PM PDT
Panelists: Grace Lee, Farihah Zaman, Leo Chiang, Iyabo Boyd
Moderators: Sonya Childress, Sahar Driver
Risky Business: Accessing Difficult Places
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 3:45 PM PDT
Moderators: Jennifer Petrucelli, Stephanie Jenkins, and Rachel Antell
Respondents: Dawn Porter, Jon-Sesrie Goff, and more to be announced
The Hot Seat
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 3:45 PM PDT
Panelist: Program Director Kiyoko McCrae, Mads K. Mikkelsen, Bryn Mooser, and Luis Ortiz
Moderator: Abby Sun
Delegation: Is There Independence Out There? (BFI Doc Society)
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 10:00 AM PDT
BFI Doc Society, in partnership with FWD-Doc, is hosting a virtual Delegation of six UK filmmakers, producers, and editors who identify as disabled, D/deaf, and/or neurodivergent. In this virtual discussion on the spirit of independence, filmmakers Ella Glendining, Lindsey Dryden, and other filmmakers will elaborate on what voice, audience, and success mean to them as disabled filmmakers, and how reframing “access” beyond accessibility can create and sustain space for radical new voices in the documentary industry.
Disaster Preparation: Building Your Support System
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 10:15 AM PDT
Panelists: Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, Emily Mkrtichian, and Gema Allen Juarez
Moderator: Zara Meerza
Open Breakout Session: Trans Filmmaker Meetup
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 11:45 AM PDT
Moderator: Board Member Félix Endara
Panelists: Chelsea Moore, Moi Santos, seyi adebanjo, Cary Cronenwett
Workshop: Brands 101
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 11:45 AM PDT
Moderator: Board Member Alex Simon
Facilitator: Brian Newman
Here’s What Really Happened: Your Fat Friend
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 2:00 PM PDT
Panelists: Jeanie Finlay, Suzanne Alizart
Moderator: Keisha Knight
Worth Our Weight In Gold: Identifying Value in Your Production
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 2:15 PM PDT
Panelists: Tabs Breese, Chris Perez, Lexy Altman, and Asmae El Moudir
Moderator: Zeynep Güzel (Berlinale Talents Doc Station)
We Don’t Need to Reinvent the Wheel: Connecting to Audiences
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 4:00 PM PDT
Panelists: Elizabeth Woodward, Pulkit Datta, Lucas Rosant, Paula Ossandón
Moderator: Winnie Wang
Keynote: Kirsten Johnson
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 5:30 PM PDT
Kirsten Johnson is a 2017 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient
Collective Performance: Our Declaration of Independence
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 7:00 PM PDT
Panelists: Board Member Marjan Safinia, Maxine Franklin, Michelle Plascencia
Game Show: What’s the Deal?
Thursday, April 18, 2024 11:15 AM PDT
Panelists: Daresha Kyi, Keith Wilson, Gary Kam, and Vinay Shukla
Moderator: Chase Whiteside (América)
Meet Our Team
Along with our Program Director Kiyoko McCrae, CEO Jenni Wolfson, COO Sarah Anderson, and Senior Program Manager Elaisha Stokes will be attending Getting Real. They will be attending panels and supporting our filmmakers. If you see them, please don’t hesitate to say hello!
Supported Filmmakers at CPH:DOX 2024!
The 21st edition of CPH:DOX took place from Wednesday, March 13 to Sunday, March 24 in Copenhagen, Denmark. We are proud to see that 4 supported films and 13 supported filmmakers were part of the lineup and that many of our supported filmmakers also participated in the CPH:CONFERENCE and CPH: FORUM. Some of our team was also there to participate in person to support our filmmakers. See below for more details.
- 2023 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient Lisa Jackson’s Wilfred Buck | World Premiere | Dox:Award & BIPOC sections | dir. & prod. Lisa Jackson | prod. Alicia Smith, Lauren Grant
- 2022 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient Brett Story’s Union | International Premiere | F:act Award & Nine to Five sections | dirs. Brett Story, Stephen Maing | prods. Samantha Curley, Mars Verrone
- 2019 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient Lana Wilson’s Look Into My Eyes | International Premiere | Special Premieres & Stranger Than Fiction sections | dir. Lana Wilson | prod. Kyle Martin
- 2022 Critical Issues Fund Grantee Intercepted | Urgent Matters & Battlefields sections | dir. Oksana Karpovych | prods. Rocío B. Fuentes, Giacomo Nudi
From the AlumNest
- And So It Begins
dir. & prod. Ramona Diaz - Bottlemen
dir. & prod. Nemanja Vojinovic
prod. Marija Stojnic - La Base | International Premiere
dir. Vadim Dumesh
prod. Quentin Laurent
- Night of Nights | World Premiere
dir. Truman
prod. Violet Feng - Marching in the Dark | World Premiere
dir. Kinshuk Surjan
prods. Evelien De Graef, Hanne Phlypo, Digna Sinke, Arya Rothe - Phantoms of the Sierra Madre | World Premiere
dir. & prod. Håvard Bustnes
prod. Christian Aune Falch, Bird Runningwater - Power | International Premiere
dir. & prod. Yance Ford
prods. Netsanet Negussie, Sweta Vohra, Jess Devaney - Silent Trees | World Premiere
dir. & prod. Agnieszka Zwiefka
prods. Heino Deckert, Sigrid Dyekjaer, Zofia Kujawska - Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story | European Premiere
dirs. Peter Ettedgui & Ian Bonhôte
prods. Lizzie Gillett, Ian Bonhôte, Robert Ford - The Black Garden | World Premiere
dir. Alexis Pazoumian
prod. Clara Vuillermoz - The Bones | World Premiere
dir. Jeremy Xido
prod. Ina Fichman - The Stimming Pool | World Premiere
dirs. The Neurocultures Collective, Benjamin Brown, Georgia Bradburn, Sam Chown-Ahern, Robin Elliott-Knowles, Lucy Walker, Steven Eastwood
prod. Chloe White, Steven Eastwood - Your Fat Friend
dir. & prod. Jeanie Finlay
prod. Suzanne Alizart
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. Seven films from our community of filmmakers were presented.
2023 Research & Development Grant recipient Cinderella Unbound, UK/RO
dir. & prod Ilinca Calugareanu | prod. Anamaria Antoci
Freedom (WT), DK
dir. Camilla Nielsson | prod. Signe Byrge Sørensen
In Praise of Invasive Species, CA
dir. Mila Aung-Thwin | prod. Bob Moore
Powwow People, US
dir. Sky Hopinka (2018 Art of Nonfiction fellow) | prod. John Cardellino
The Dirty Dream, IN
dirs. & prods. Rintu Thomas, Sushmit Ghosh
The Listeners, UK/US/FR
dir. & prod. Lindsey Dryden | prod. Samantha Steele
Victor, US
dir. Stephani Victor | prods. Diane Becker, Melanie Miller, Matt Radecki
CPH: CONFERENCE
A 4-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. The theme this year was Re:Building Narratives – Accessibility And Equity In Documentary. Our filmmakers were well represented across the different activities from Tuesday, March 19 to Friday, March 22.
SOCIETY: STORIES OF OUR LIFETIMES
Tuesday, March 19
With Lizzie Gillett and Sigrid Dyekjær, producers of supported film Merkel, as keynote speakers for the Viva Independent Feature Docs section. Clara Vuillermoz, producer of 2020 (Egg)celerator Lab Grantee Polaris was a speaker in the A Conflict of Interest or an Interest in Conflict? section. Lindsey Dryden, supported through the QUEER FUTURES program, also participated in the LGBTQIA panel. Curated by 2023 Development grant recipient Derren Lawford.
FILM:MAKERS IN DIALOGUE
Wednesday, March 20
With 2022 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient Brett Story, Stephen Maing, producer of supported film Union, and Yance Ford, director of supported film Strong Island.
SCIENCE: WAYS OF KNOWING AND SEEING
Thursday, March 21
With 2023 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Lisa Jackson as a keynote speaker in the Stars: Indigenous Ways of Knowing section, and Mila Aung-Thwin, producer of 2020 (Egg)celerator Lab participant Midwives, as a speaker in the Action: Legacies of science, cinematic justice section.
2022 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient Margreth Olin is also considered an expert at the conference.
Meet our Team at CPH:DOX
Our Senior Program Manager Elaisha Stokes and Program Director Kiyoko McCrae attended and took 1:1 meetings with filmmakers.
We are proud to congratulate a longtime collaborator and advisor in our labs, Carla Gutierrez, for the international premiere of her new documentary, Frida.
Post written by Communications Assistant Tess Caldwell
15 Chicken & Egg Supported films at IDFA!
We are extremely proud to see 15 Chicken & Egg Supported films and 17 films from our community of alumni featured in the lineup and Forum sections of this year’s International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). The festival will take place between Wednesday, November 8 to Sunday, November 19 in Amsterdam. If you are attending the festival, feel free to say hi to our team who will participate in person to support our filmmakers. See below for more details.
- 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab Participant Against The Tide | Dutch Premiere | Best of Fests | dir. & prod. Sarvnik Kaur | prod. Koval Bhatia
- 2022 (Egg)celerator Lab Finalist Alis | Online Program | dirs. & prods. Clare Weiskopf, Nicolas van Hemelryck
- Project: Hatched 2023 Participant Bad Press | Dutch Premiere | Best of Fests | dir. & prod. Rebecca Landsberry-Baker, Joe Peeler | prods. Conrad Beilharz, Garrett Baker, Tyler Graim
- Nest-supported film Blue ID | School Program | dirs. & prods. Burcu Melekoglu, Vuslat Karan
- 2020 (Egg)celerator Lab Grantee Machtat | Dutch Premiere | Best of Fests | dir. Sonia Ben Slama | prods. Tania el Khoury, Elise Hug, Cécile Lestrade
- 2020 (Egg)celerator Lab Grantee Milisuthando | Dutch Premiere | Best of Fests | dir. & prod. Milisuthando Bongela | prod. Marion Isaacs
- Our Land, Our Freedom | World Premiere | dirs. & prods. Meena Nanji, Zippy Kumundu |
prod. Eliane Ferreira
- 2022 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient Margreth Olin’s Songs of Earth | Dutch Premiere | Signed | dir. & prod. Margreth Olin | prod. Lena Faye-Lund Sandvik
- 2021 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient Tatiana Huezo’s The Echo | Dutch Premiere | Signed | dir. & prod. Tatiana Huezo Sánchez | prods. Dalia Rocío Reyes Campos, Viviana Zuñiga
- 2020 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient Maite Alberdi’s The Eternal Memory | Dutch Premiere | Signed | dir. & prod. Maite Alberdi | prods. Juan de Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín, Rocío Jadue
- 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee The Tuba Thieves | Dutch Premiere | Best of Fests | dir. & prod. Alison O’Daniel | prods. Su Kim, Maya E. Rudolph
IDFA Forum
At the IDFA Forum, innovators, including filmmakers, creators, producers, and industry professionals, unite to present their pioneering creative feature documentaries and new media projects. Over its 30-year history, this event has evolved into a global hub for discussing co-production, co-financing, and distribution strategies. The IDFA Forum offers backing to film and XR production teams at various production stages across four presentation categories. We take pride in having Chicken & Egg Pictures Supported films featured in three out of these four categories.
- 2023 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient Jeanie Finlay’s All Rivers Spill Their Secrets (to the Sea) | Pitch Project | In Production | dir. & prod. Jeanie Finlay | prod. Charlie Phillips
- 2022 Critical Issue Fund Grantee Displaced (working title) | Rough Cut Project | In Production | dir. Olha Zhurba | prods. Darya Bassel, Anne Köhncke, Kerstin Übelacker
- 2022 Critical Issue Fund Grantee Red Zone | Producers Connection Project | Development | dir. Darya Bassel | prod. Iryna Tsilyk
- 2022 (Egg)celerator Lab Finalist There Was, There Was Not | Rough Cut Project | In Post-Production | dir. & prod. Emily Mkrtichian | prod. Brock Williams
From the AlumNest
In the program:
- (this conversation is) Off the Record | World Premiere
dirs. Nirit Peled, Anne Maike Mertens
prod. Nienke Huitenga, Titus Nouwens
- Another Body | Dutch Premiere
dirs. & prods. Sophie Compton, Reuben Hamlyn
prod. Elizabeth Woodward
- The Burden | World Premiere
dir. Elvis Ngaibino Sabin
prod. Quentin Laurent, Makongo Films
- Facing Darkness | Dutch Premiere
dir. Jean-Gabriel Périot
prod. Cécile Lestrade
- Four Holes | World Premiere
dir. & prod. Daniela Muñoz Barroso
prod. Boris Prieto
- Girl Away from Home | World Premiere
dirs. Alisa Kovalenko, Simon Lereng Wilmont
prod. Maria Westergren, Knut Skoglund, Karl Emil Rikardsen
- We Will Not Fade Away | Dutch Premiere
dir. Alisa Kovalenko
prods. Valery Kalmykov, Yana Kalmykova, Oleksiy Kobelev
- Last Train Home
dir. Lixin Fan
prod. Mila Aung-Thwin, Daniel Cross
- Nieuw
dir. Eefje Blankevoort
prod. Iris Lammertsma
- Our Land, Our Freedom | World Premiere
dirs. & prods. Meena Nanji, Zippy Kumundu
prod. Eliane Ferreira
- małni – towards the ocean, towards the shore
dir & prod Sky Hopinka (2018 Art of Nonfiction fellow)
- Zinder
dir. Aicha Mackyprod. Clara Vuillermoz, Ousmane Samassekou, Erik Winker
In the forum:
- Coexistence My Ass | Rough Cut Project
dir. & prod. Amber Fares
prod. Rachel Leah Jones
- The Long Cuban Night | Pitch Project
dir. Sergio Fernández Borrás
prods. Clare Weiskopf, Nicolas van Hemelryck, Sergio Fernández Borrás
- Untitled Mary Kathryn Nagle Project | Producers Connection Project
dir. Sky Hopinka (2018 Art of Nonfiction fellow)
prods. Karin Chien, Maya E. Rudolph
- Shadows of the Forest | Pitch Project
dirs. Akash Basumatari, Shrutiman Deori
prod. Nishtha Jain
- To Use a Mountain | Rough Cut Project
dir. Casey Carter
prod. Colleen Cassingham, Brett Story
- Queens Ballroom | Producers Connection Project
dir. Siyi Chen, Hansen Lin
prod. Siyi Chen, Violet Feng
Meet our Team at IDFA
Our Program Director Kiyoko McCrae and Senior Program Manager Elaisha Stokes will be in attendance at the festival. They will be speaking at the IDFA academy (a training program for 110 selected emerging filmmakers coming to IDFA), taking 1:1 meetings and giving presentations on our programs and funding opportunities at the Industry Hub. They will also be hosting an IDFA industry lunch as an opportunity for us to celebrate our 2023 Chicken & Egg Award recipients.
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):
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
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.