Leave a comment Jul 16, 2024

Five Supported Films at Hot Docs

The 31st edition of Hot Docs will take place across Toronto this year from Thursday, April 25 to Sunday, May 5. We are thrilled to announce that 2020 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Nishtha Jain’s film, Farming the Revolution, is having its world premiere along with 4 other supported films and 5 films from supported filmmakers are on the lineup this year! 

Hot Docs is North America’s largest documentary festival, conference, and market, and embodies a deep commitment to gender parity, with 54% female directors in this year’s official selection, according to their press release. Two of our staff members will be in attendance so be sure to stay in touch via our social media channels for some exclusive content at the festival!

Farming the Revolution

dir. & prod. Nishtha Jain

prod. Valérie Montmartin

Still from Farming the Revolution
Still from Farming the Revolution

Farming the Revolution was supported through Nishtha Jain’s 2020 Chicken & Egg Award and is having its World Premiere in the International Competition

graphic of a film reel

7 Beats Per Minute

dir. Yuqi Kang

prod. Ina Fichman, Anita Lee

Long shot of a diver clenching her knees under water
Still from 7 Beats Per Minute

7 Beats Per Minute was a 2022 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee having its Canadian Premiere in the Canadian Spectrum Competition.

graphic of a film reel

A Photographic Memory

dir. & prod. Rachel Elizabeth Seed

prods. Sigrid Dyekjær, Beth Levison, Matt Perniciaro, Michael Sherman, Danielle Varga

Still from A Photographic Memory

A Photographic Memory was a 2020 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee having its International Premiere in the Persister section.

graphic of a film reel

Intercepted

dir. Oksana Karpovych 

prods. Giacomo Nudi, Rocío Barba Fuentes, Pauline Tran Van Lieu, Lucie Rego, Darya Bassel

Still from Intercepted. A lake is shown from the shoreline. Various people in bathing suits are shown wading in the far left and right of the frame. Two women and their grandson are in the middle, with their backs to the camera. In the far background, across the lake, recently bombed buildings are visible.
Still from Intercepted

Intercepted is a 2022 Critical Issues Fund grantee having its Canadian Premiere in the Festival Favorites section.

graphic of a film reel

Look Into My Eyes

dir. & prod. Lana Wilson

prod. Kyle Martin

Still from Look Into My Eyes
Still from Look Into My Eyes

Look Into My Eyes was supported through Lana Wilson’s 2019 Chicken & Egg Award and is having its Canadian Premiere in the Special Presentations section.

Spotlight on Brett Story

This is a headshot of Brett Story, a white woman with freckles and long brown hair and bangs. She is sitting at a table against a white wall, wearing a black turtleneck and jeans.

2022 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient Brett Story will be engaging in an illuminating conversation with author and organizer Astra Taylor. Learn more about Astra Taylor in Conversation with Brett Story here.

From the AlumNest

  • Xixi – World Premiere
    dir. & prod. Fan Wu
    prods. Sona Jo, Venice De Castro Atienza, Yoonsoo Her

Meet Our Team at Hot Docs

Black and white stills of Elaisha Stokes and Will Tamura

We are exhilarated that our Senior Program Manager Elaisha Stokes and Program Assistant Will Tamura will be in attendance at the festival. They will be attending Chicken & Egg Pictures-supported screenings and industry events. Make sure to say hi!

Leave a comment Jun 25, 2024

Six Supported Films and Filmmakers on POV’s 37th season

We’re thrilled to share that the newly-announced 37th season of POV will feature four Chicken & Egg Pictures-supported films and two supported filmmakers within its slate of 14 feature documentaries. As an organization dedicated to a thriving, inclusive documentary ecosystem, we’re proud these films and filmmakers will be spotlighted on America’s largest running nonfiction series. POV’s streaming platform and extensive reach offer a remarkable opportunity to amplify the voices of diverse filmmakers, allowing these films to reach diverse audiences who might not otherwise find them. More accessible films make for a stronger documentary landscape! We urge you to take a look at the full 37th season of POV here, and thank you for your continued support to bring these films to life.

Against the Tide

dir. Sarvnik Kaur

prods. Koval Bhatia, Quentin Laurent

Still of Against the Tide. Two men go through the content of their fishing net, there are a fish and plastic trash.
Still from Against the Tide

Against the Tide is a 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee.

graphic of a film reel

Hummingbirds

dirs. Silvia Del Carmen Castaños, Estefanía “Beba” Contreras

co-dirs. & prods. Jillian Schlesinger, Miguel Drake-McLaughlin, Diane Ng, Ana Rodriguez-Falco

prods. Leslie Benavides, Rivkah Beth Medow

Silvia and Beba smile as they point their middle finger at the fire-work lit sky. There is a red light on Beba's middle finger, and a green light on Silvia's.
Still from Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds is a 2022 (Egg)celerator Lab finalist.

graphic of a film reel

Is There Anybody Out There?

dir. Ella Glendining

prod. Janine Marmot

Still from Is There Anybody Out There? Ella Glendining is on a a medical bend with her belly uncovered
Still from Is There Anybody Out There?

Is There Anybody Out There? is a 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee.

graphic of a film reel

Twice Colonized

dir. Lin Alluna

prods. Emile Hertling Péronard, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, Stacey Aglok, Bob Moore

The main character of Twice Colonized, Aaju Peter, in a close-up shot holding her hands in front of her face so her traditional tattoos on her hands and her chin are visible.
Still from Twice Colonized

Twice Colonized is a Project: Hatched 2023 participant.

From the AlumNest

  • Who I Am Not
    dir. Tunde Skovran
    prods. Andrei Zinca, Danielle Turkov, Paul Cadieux, Patrick Hamm, Amy Shepherd, Edith Weil, Daniel Szandtner, Janos Kovacs
Leave a comment May 28, 2024

Supported Films at Sheffield DocFest 2024

We are thrilled to see four Nest-supported films in this year’s lineup for Sheffield DocFest and four supported films in the MeetMarket selection. There were also seven films from supported filmmakers across the festival. Among others, 2020 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee The Boy and the Suit of Lights is having its World Premiere. The festival will take place between Wednesday, June 12 to Monday, June 17, 2024, and will be attended by two of our staff members, Kiyoko McCrae and Tobi Phang-Lyn. We hope to see you there!

In the Festival

Farming the Revolution

dir. & prod. Nishtha Jain, Akash Basumatari

prod. Valérie Montmartin

Women at farmers' protest
Still from Farming the Revolution

Farming the Revolution was supported through Nishtha Jain’s 2020 Chicken & Egg Award and is having its UK Premiere in the Rebellions section.

Get your tickets here.

graphic of a film reel

The Boy and the Suit of Lights

dir. Inma de Reyes

prod. Aimara Reques

A still from The Boy and the Suit of Lights. A close-up shot of a young boy wearing a grey suit and a yellow cloth draped over his left shoulder. Behind him, a crowd of people sits in stadium seating. He has short brown hair and brown eyes.
Still from The Boy and the Suit of Lights

The Boy and the Suit of Lights was a participant of the 2020 (Egg)celerator Lab and is having its World Premiere in the International First Feature Competition.

Get your tickets here.

graphic of a film reel

Our Land, Our Freedom

dir. & prods. Meena Nanji, Zippy Kimundu

Our Land, Our Freedom (formerly testament) film still
Still from Our Land, Our Freedom

Our Land, Our Freedom was a participant of the 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab having its UK Premiere in the Strands section.

Get your tickets here.

graphic of a film reel

Union

dir. & prods. Brett Story, Stephen Maing

prod. Samantha Curley, Mars Verrone, Martin Dicicco

Union was supported through Brett Story’s 2023 Chicken & Egg Award.

Get your tickets here.

In the MeetMarket

The 19th edition of Sheffield DocFest’s flagship pitching forum, the MeetMarket, will take place on Thursday 13 and Friday 14 of June 2024. The slate includes 50 documentary projects, in development or at production stage, to be pitched in one-to-one meetings to international and UK industry representatives and experts. In this year’s lineup, there are three 2024 (Egg)celerator Lab grantees as well as a Research & Development Grantee. Learn more:

Jaripeo

dirs. Efraín Mojica, Rebecca Zweig

prods. Sarah Strunin

A cowboy looks at his phone in a cornfield at dusk.
Still from Jaripeo

Jaripeo is a 2024 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee and is participating in the MeetMarket.

graphic of a film reel

Vena Acuática

dir. Amada Torruella

prods. Seth Gadsden, Brenda Avila-Hanna

A woman stands in the middle of a greenhouse filled with growing crops. The woman is giving her back to the camera, she is wearing pants, a t-shirt, a blue backpack and she has her hands in her pockets.
Still from Vena Acuática

Vena Acuática is a 2024 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee and is participating in the MeetMarket.

graphic of a film reel

War on Women

dir. Maris Salumets

prods. Elina Litvinova, Volia Chajkouskaya

Close up to a pair of eyes.
Still from War on Women

War on Women is a 2024 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee and is participating in the MeetMarket.

graphic of a film reel

Green is the Fire’s Tint

dirs. & prods. Arya Rothe, Cristina Hanes, Isabella Rinaldi

Still from Green Is The Fire's Tint
Still from Green is the Fire’s Tint

Green is the Fire’s Tint was supported through our 2023 Research & Development Grant and is participating in the MeetMarket.

From the AlumNest

Meet the Team at the Fest!

Program Director Kiyoko McCrae and Industry & Artist Development Manager Tobi Phang-Lyn are going to be in attendance at the festival. They will be taking meetings with filmmakers, watching supported films, participating in roundtable discussions, and hosting an alumni happy hour. 

Leave a comment May 08, 2024

Five Supported Films at DC/DOX!

Chicken & Egg Pictures is proud to announce that five supported films and six films from our alumni are included in the second edition of DC/DOX Film Festival. This year’s lineup consists of 60% filmmakers who identify as women or nonbinary. The festival will take place in Washington, DC, from Thursday, June 13, through Sunday, June 16.

A Photographic Memory

dir. & prod. Rachel Elizabeth Seed

prods. Sigrid Dyekjær, Beth Levison, Matt Perniciaro, Michael Sherman, Danielle Varga

Still from A Photographic Memory

A Photographic Memory was a 2020 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee.

Get your tickets here.

graphic of a film reel

Intercepted

dir. Oksana Karpovych

prods. Giacomo Nudi, Rocío Barba Fuentes, Pauline Tran Van Lieu, Lucie Rego, Darya Bassel

Still from Intercepted. A lake is shown from the shoreline. Various people in bathing suits are shown wading in the far left and right of the frame. Two women and their grandson are in the middle, with their backs to the camera. In the far background, across the lake, recently bombed buildings are visible.
Still from Intercepted

Intercepted is a 2022 Critical Issues Fund grantee.

Get your tickets here.

graphic of a film reel

Look Into My Eyes

dir. & prod. Lana Wilson

prod. Kyle Martin

Still from Look Into My Eyes
Still from Look Into My Eyes

Look Into My Eyes was supported through Lana Wilson’s 2019 Chicken & Egg Award.

Get your tickets here.

graphic of a film reel

The Callers

dir. & prod. Lindsey Dryden

prods. Colleen Cassingham, Samantha Steele

Still from The Callers
Still from The Callers

The Callers was supported through the QUEER FUTURES series in collaboration with Multitude Films. 

Get your tickets here.

graphic of a film reel

Union

dir. & prods. Brett Story, Stephen Maing

prod. Samantha Curley, Mars Verrone, Martin Dicicco

Still from Union. A group of people wearing red walk in front of the camera. It is night time. Some of them wear facemasks.
Still from Union

Union was supported through Brett Story’s 2023 Chicken & Egg Award.

Get your tickets here.

In the Forum

The Reality Check Forum at DC/DOX is intended to be a dedicated space for fostering dialogue and collaboration within the documentary film community. This includes numerous panels, workshops, performances and masterclasses offering valuable resources and best practices for keen filmmakers. We are proud to have so many filmmakers from our community and our CEO Jenni Wolfson  participating in this year’s forum!

 

From the AlumNest

Leave a comment Apr 16, 2024

Six Supported Films at Hot Docs

The 31st edition of Hot Docs will take place across Toronto this year from Thursday, April 25 to Sunday, May 5. We are thrilled to announce that 2020 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Nishtha Jain’s film, Farming the Revolution, is having its world premiere along with 5 other supported films and 5 films from supported filmmakers are on the lineup this year! 

Hot Docs is North America’s largest documentary festival, conference, and market, and embodies a deep commitment to gender parity, with 54% female directors in this year’s official selection, according to their press release. Two of our staff members will be in attendance so be sure to stay in touch via our social media channels for some exclusive content at the festival!

Farming the Revolution

dir. & prod. Nishtha Jain

prod. Valérie Montmartin

Still from Farming the Revolution
Still from Farming the Revolution

Farming the Revolution was supported through Nishtha Jain’s 2020 Chicken & Egg Award and is having its World Premiere in the International Competition

graphic of a film reel

7 Beats Per Minute

dir. Yuqi Kang

prod. Ina Fichman, Anita Lee

Long shot of a diver clenching her knees under water
Still from 7 Beats Per Minute

7 Beats Per Minute was a 2022 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee having its Canadian Premiere in the Canadian Spectrum Competition.

graphic of a film reel

A Photographic Memory

dir. & prod. Rachel Elizabeth Seed

prods. Sigrid Dyekjær, Beth Levison, Matt Perniciaro, Michael Sherman, Danielle Varga

Still from A Photographic Memory

A Photographic Memory was a 2020 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee having its International Premiere in the Persister section.

graphic of a film reel

Intercepted

dir. Oksana Karpovych 

prods. Giacomo Nudi, Rocío Barba Fuentes, Pauline Tran Van Lieu, Lucie Rego, Darya Bassel

Still from Intercepted. A lake is shown from the shoreline. Various people in bathing suits are shown wading in the far left and right of the frame. Two women and their grandson are in the middle, with their backs to the camera. In the far background, across the lake, recently bombed buildings are visible.
Still from Intercepted

Intercepted is a 2022 Critical Issues Fund grantee having its Canadian Premiere in the Festival Favorites section.

graphic of a film reel

Look Into My Eyes

dir. & prod. Lana Wilson

prod. Kyle Martin

Still from Look Into My Eyes
Still from Look Into My Eyes

Look Into My Eyes was supported through Lana Wilson’s 2019 Chicken & Egg Award and is having its Canadian Premiere in the Special Presentations section.

graphic of a film reel

Wilfred Buck

dir. & prod. Lisa Jackson

prod. Alicia Smith, Lauren Grant

Still from Wilfred Buck. A person sits on a chair.
Still from Wilfred Buck

Wilfred Buck was supported through Lisa Jackson’s 2023 Chicken & Egg Award and is having its North American Premiere in the Canadian Spectrum Competition.

Spotlight on Brett Story

This is a headshot of Brett Story, a white woman with freckles and long brown hair and bangs. She is sitting at a table against a white wall, wearing a black turtleneck and jeans.

2022 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient Brett Story will be engaging in an illuminating conversation with author and organizer Astra Taylor. Learn more about Astra Taylor in Conversation with Brett Story here.

From the AlumNest

  • Xixi – World Premiere
    dir. & prod. Fan Wu
    prods. Sona Jo, Venice De Castro Atienza, Yoonsoo Her

Meet Our Team at Hot Docs

Black and white stills of Elaisha Stokes and Will Tamura

We are exhilarated that our Senior Program Manager Elaisha Stokes and Program Assistant Will Tamura will be in attendance at the festival. They will be attending Chicken & Egg Pictures-supported screenings and industry events. Make sure to say hi!

Leave a comment Apr 12, 2024

Jeanie Finlay’s Retrospective and Q at Big Sky Documentary Festival

We were extremely proud to see 2023 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Jeanie Finlay’s retrospective at this year’s Big Sky Documentary Festival. She was alongside (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Q, 10 supported filmmakers, and Board member Félix Endara displaying their films. Of those films, five had world premieres, and two won awards. Outstanding work all! The festival occurred from February 16 to 25, 2024, in Missoula, Montana. 

Q

dir. & prod. Jude Chehab

Still from Q
Still from Q

Q is a 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee. 

graphic of a film reel

Retrospective: Jeanie Finlay

Black and white portrait of Jeanie Finlay.

We were proud to watch one of our 2023 Chicken & Egg Award recipients Jeanie Finlay, a prominent documentary filmmaker hailing from Northern England, getting recognized with a retrospective at this year’s Big Sky Film Festival. Jeanie’s films tell intimate stories that resonate with audiences globally, and this retrospective featured 12 selections from her repertoire, including her most recent feature Your Fat Friend. Explore the full program here.

From the AlumNest

Leave a comment Apr 11, 2024

Four Supported Films at Full Frame Documentary Festival

We were proud to see Light of the Setting Sun have its world premiere at Full Frame Documentary Festival. There were also three supported films and three alumni filmmakers in this years’ lineup. This edition marked the festival’s return to in-person activities and took place in Durham, North Carolina from April 3 to 6.

We would like to highlight the world premiere of Julia’s Stepping Stones, directed by our beloved Julia Reichert and her partner and longtime co-director Steven Bognar during the final months of Julia’s life. 

Light of the Setting Sun

dir. & prod. Vicky Du

prod. Danielle Varga

A young Taiwanese couple stands on a stage in front of a red curtain with their parents on either side of them. It's their wedding day.
Still from Light of the Setting Sun

Light of the Setting Sun was a 2022 (Egg)celerator Lab Finalist and had its World Premiere.

graphic of a film reel

A Photographic Memory

dir. & prod. Rachel Elizabeth Seed

prods. Sigrid Dyekjær, Beth Levison, Matt Perniciaro, Michael Sherman, Danielle Varga

Still from A Photographic Memory

A Photographic Memory was a 2020 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee. 

graphic of a film reel

Look Into My Eyes

dir. & prod. Lana Wilson

prod. Kyle Martin

Still from Look Into My Eyes
Still from Look Into My Eyes

Look Into My Eyes was supported through Lana Wilson’s 2019 Chicken & Egg Award.

graphic of a film reel

Union

dir. & prods. Brett Story, Stephen Maing

prod. Samantha Curley, Mars Verrone, Martin Dicicco

Still from Union. A group of people wearing red walk in front of the camera. It is night time. Some of them wear facemasks.

Still from Union

Union was supported through Brett Story’s 2023 Chicken & Egg Award.

From the AlumNest

Leave a comment Apr 09, 2024

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.

Still with 14 black and white headshots supported filmmakers participating at Getting Real.
Supported filmmakers participating at Getting Real. For details please see below.
From left to right: Program Director Kiyoko McCrae, Board Members Alex Simon, Marjan Safinia, and Félix Endara.

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! 

Leave a comment Mar 27, 2024

Three Chicken & Egg Pictures Supported Films at FIFDH!

Chicken & Egg Pictures was proud to see three supported films and two alumni films at the International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights Geneva (FIFDH) held from March 11 and March 15. The annual festival runs parallel to the main session of the UN Human Rights Council, utilizing cinema’s power to highlight struggles and denounce violations wherever they occur.

Members of our community also participated in the forum and pro sessions. 2019 (Egg)celerator Lab Grantee Ella Glendining participated in the panel For an inclusive and antivalidist sexuality, and our Senior Program Manager Elaisha Stokes in the keynote Measuring and Reporting Impact.

Our Land, Our Freedom

dirs. & prods. Meena Nanji, Zippy Kimundu

prod. Eliane Ferreira

Our Land, Our Freedom (formerly testament) film still
Stills from Our Land, Our Freedom

Our Land, Our Freedom is a 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee.

graphic of a film reel

The Mind Game

dirs. Eefje Blankevoort , Els van Driel, Sajid “SK” Khan Nasiri

prod. Laura Verduijn

We see a young man (Sajid Khan) on his bed, in the sunlight, eating a meal by himself.
Still from The Mind Game

The Mind Game is a Project: Hatched 2023 grantee.

graphic of a film reel

Total Trust

dir. Jialing Zhang

prod. Knut Jäger

Still from the Eternal Memory
Still from The Eternal Memory

Total Trust was supported through Jialing Zhang’s 2021 Chicken & Egg Award.

From the AlumNest

  • Another Body 
    dirs. & prods. Sophie Compton, Reuben Hamlyn
    prod. Elizabeth Woodward

  • We Will Not Fade Away
    dir. Alisa Kovalenko
    prods. Valery Kalmykov, Oleksiy Kobelev
Leave a comment Feb 14, 2019

Meet our Newest Nest Board Members: Leslie Belzberg and Marjan Safinia

Chicken & Egg Pictures proudly announces two new members to our Board of Directors: Leslie Belzberg and Marjan Safinia. Members of our Board of Directors serve an official role for Chicken & Egg Pictures, offering constructive feedback, guidance, and independent oversight of our work.

Leslie Belzberg

Leslie Belzberg (pictured left) currently oversees all television and theatrical productions for Gaumont USA as Senior Vice President, Production. Prior to Gaumont, Leslie was a consultant for Blumhouse Television and head of production at Miramax and Endemol-Shine North America.

Before moving into high-level executive roles at major studios, Belzberg was an independent producer, most well-known for her storied collaboration with director John Landis. Together, they co-created St. Clare Entertainment, a TV production company. She also produced many of his films including Coming to America, Three Amigos, Blues Brothers 2000, Beverly Hills Cop III, Susan’s Plan, The Stupids, Oscar, Spies Like Us, and Into the Night. Belzberg has also produced Academy Award winning films such as Crazy Heart, which earned Jeff Bridges a Best Actor win, and the documentary Genocide, also produced by the Simon Wiesenthal Center, now the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles.

Leslie earned an MBA from Fordham University in New York and a BA in English Literature and Contemporary Drama from York University in Toronto.

Marjan Safinia

Marjan Safinia (pictured right) is an Iranian documentary filmmaker whose films examine identity, community, and social justice. Her current project And She Could Be Next (in production) is about women of color running for political office to claim political power for a rising new American majority. Marjan’s feature documentary Seeds tells the story of ten brave teenagers from the world’s most troubled conflict zones living side-by-side for one life-changing summer. Her first film But You Speak Such Good English is a half hour documentary which explores the first-generation immigrant experience from an insider perspective.

Collectively, Marjan’s films have played at over 100 international film festivals and broadcast in North America, Europe, and across the Arab world. She has produced and directed work for Co-Founder of Google Sergey Brin, the Barack Obama administration, and Next Generation in partnership with the Clinton Foundation. Her work has been supported by the IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund and Sundance Institute. She is also a Sundance Catalyst Fellow.

Until 2018, Marjan was the longest-serving President of the Board of Directors of the International Documentary Association (IDA), also the only woman of color to hold the position since the IDA was founded in 1982. She also co-hosts The D-Word, the preeminent online community for documentary professionals. Marjan is a regular juror, programmer, speaker and connector of all things documentary.

Welcome Leslie and Marjan! To learn more about the rest of our Board, see here.