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
Q is a 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee.
Retrospective: 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
- Troll Storm – World Premiere
dir. & prod. Eunice Lau
prods. Brooke Pepion Swaney, Zachary Kerschberg
- American Grail: A Quest for the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker – World Premiere
dir. Andy Sarjahani
prod. Jolene Pinder
- Bring Them Home / Aiskótáhkapiyaaya – World Premiere & Winner of the Big Sky Award
dirs. Ivan MacDonald, Ivy MacDonald, Daniel Glick
prods. Daniel Glick, Ivan MacDonald, Sarah Clarke
- Confessions of a Good Samaritan
dir. Penny Lane
prod. Gabriel Sedgwick
- Dark Money
dir. & prod. Kimberly Reed
prod. Katy Chevigny
- Eat Flowers
dir. River Finlay
prods. Alison Klayman, Cig Harvey, River Finlay, Sashka Rothchild
- Montana Indigenous Voting Rights – World Premiere
dir. Ivan MacDonald
prods. ACLU of Montana, Western Native Vote, Jessica Jane Hart
- Seat 31: Zooey Zephyr – World Premiere & Winner of the Mini-doc Award
dir. & prod. Kimberly Reed
- Unseen
dir. & prod. Set Hernande
prods. Félix Endara, Diane Quon, Day Al-Mohamed
Seven supported films at Athena Film Fest!
We were thrilled to see seven Chicken & Egg Pictures-supported films and five supported filmmakers on the lineup at this years’ 14th annual Athena Film Festival. The festival took place between February 29 and March 3, at Barnard College. Congratulations all!
Breaking the News
dirs. Chelsea Hernandez, Heather Courtney, Princess A. Hairston
prod. Diane Quon
Breaking the News is a 2022 Critical Issues Fund Grantee.
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
Hummingbirds is a 2022 (Egg)celerator Lab finalist.
Is There Anybody Out There?
dir. Ella Glendining
prod. Janine Marmot
2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Is There Anybody Out There? participated in multiple sections, including a panel entitled Keeping the Industry Door Open: Beyond the “Trend” of Disability.
MnM
dir. Twiggy Pucci Garçon
prods. Colleen Cassingham, Jess Devaney
MnM was supported in partnership with Multitude Films as a part of the QUEER FUTURES (2022) series, and streamed in the “Shorts: A Legacy of Change” section.
Q
dir. & prod. Jude Chehab
Q is a 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee.
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.
Twice Colonized
dir. Lin Alluna
prods. Emile Hertling Péronard, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, Stacey Aglok, Bob Moore
Twice Colonized is a Project: Hatched 2023 grantee.
From the AlumNest
- Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
dirs. & prods. Michèle Stephenson, Joe Brewster - Periodical
dir. Lina Lyte Plioplyte
prods. Pegah Farahmand, Amanda Spain - The Philadelphia Eleven
dir. & prod. Margo Guernsey
prod. Nikki Bramley - Uncharted
dir. & prod. Beth Aala
prods. Everywoman Studios, Abby Greensfelder - Your Fat Friend
dir. & prod. Jeanie Finlay
prod. Suzanne Alizart
Post written by Communications Assistant Tess Caldwell
Supported Filmmakers Win Awards at Cinema Eye Honors
We are extremely proud to have three supported films, and three supported filmmakers, take home wins at the 17th edition of the Cinema Eye Honors Awards. The awards ceremony took place on Friday, January 12 at the New York Academy of Medicine in East Harlem. Congratulations!
The Eternal Memory
dir. & prod. Maite Alberdi
prod. Juan de Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín, Rocío Jadue
The Eternal Memory was supported through Maite Alberdi’s 2020 Chicken & Egg Award and won awards for Outstanding Achievement in Direction and in the 2024 Unforgettables Honorees section.
Twice Colonized
dir. Lin Alluna
prods. Emile Hertling Péronard, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, Stacey Aglok, Bob Moore
Twice Colonized is a Project: Hatched 2023 grantee and was named a 2024 Unforgettables Honoree.
Q
dir. & prod. Jude Chehab
Q is a 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab Grantee that won the Spotlight Award.
From the AlumNest
- Black Girls Play: The Story of Hand Games | Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Short Filmmaking
dirs. & prods. Michèle Stephenson, Joe Brewster
- Confessions of a Good Samaritan | 2024 Unforgettables Honorees
dir. Penny Lane
prod. Gabriel Sedgwick
- Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project | Outstanding Achievement in Visual Design, 2024 Unforgettable Honorees
dirs. & prods. Michèle Stephenson, Joe Brewster
- Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields | Outstanding Achievement in Broadcast Editing
dir. Lana Wilson
prods. Jack Turner, Christine O’Malley
Post written by Communications Assistant Tess Caldwell
18 Nominations for the IDA Documentary Awards!
The IDA Documentary Awards recently announced the nominees for the 39th IDA Documentary Awards. We are proud to have 18 nominations and 3 shortlisted films within the Chicken & Egg Pictures community! The awards will be presented virtually on December 12. Congratulations and good luck to all of the nominees.
- 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Against the Tide | dir. & prod. Sarvnik Kaur | prods. Koval Bhatia, Quentin Laurent | Nominated for Best Feature Documentary and Best Director
- QUEER FUTURES project How to Carry Water | dir. Sasha Wortzel | prods. Colleen Cassingham, Jess Devaney, Anya Rous | Nominated for Best Short Documentary
- 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Milisuthando | dir. Milisuthando Bongela | prod. Marion Isaacs | Nominated for Best Feature Documentary, Best Director, and Best Writing
- 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Q | dir. & prod. Jude Chehab | Nominated for Best Feature Documentary and Best Editing
- 2022 Chicken & Egg Award Recipient Margreth Olin’s Songs of Earth | dir. & prod. Margreth Olin | Nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Original Music Score
- Project: Hatched 2023 participant Suddenly TV | dir. & prod. Roopa Gogineni | prods. Reem Haddad, Trevor Snapp, Fiona Lawson-Baker | Nominated for Best Short Documentary
- 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 Best Editing
- QUEER FUTURES | dirs. Brit Fryer, Lindsey Dryden, Noah Schamus, Sasha Wortzel, Twiggy Pucci Garçon | prods. Jess Devaney, Anya Rous, J Wortham, Colleen Cassingham | Nominated for Best Short-Form Series
From the AlumNest
- Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court | Nominated for Best Multi-Part Documentary
dir. & prod. Dawn Porter
prods. Vinnie Malhotra, Aaron Saidman, Eli Holzman
- Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project | Nominated for Best Feature Documentary and Best Original Music Score
dirs. & prods. Michèle Stephenson, Joe Brewster
- King Coal | Nominated for Best Cinematography
dir. & prod. Elaine McMillion Sheldon
prods. Shane Boris, Diane Becker, Peggy Drexler
- The U.S. and the Holocaust | Nominated for Best TV Feature or Mini-Series
dir. Lynn Novick, Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein
Shortlist Shoutouts
- QUEER FUTURES project The Script | dirs. Brit Fryer, Noah Schamus | prods. Jessica Devaney, Colleen Cassingham | Shortlisted for Best Short Documentary
- Project: Hatched 2023 participant Twice Colonized | dir. Lin Alluna | prods. Emile Hertling Péronard, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, Stacey Aglok, Bob Moore | Shortlisted for Best Feature Documentary
- AlumNest project How We Get Free | dirs. Geeta Gandbhir, Samantha Knowles | prods. Kathleen Lingo, Sweta Vohra, Jess Devaney | Shortlisted for Best Short Documentary
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
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
Eight Nest-Supported Films at Sheffield DocFest 2023!
We are thrilled to announce that eight Nest-supported films and four AlumNest filmmakers are included in this year’s lineup for Sheffield DocFest. The festival will take place between Wednesday, June 14 to Monday, June 19, 2023, and will be attended by two of our staff members. We hope to see you there!
Against the Tide
dir. Sarvnik Kaur
prod. Koval Bhatia, Quentin Laurent
Against the Tide is a 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee having its UK Premiere in the Journeys section.
Get your tickets here.
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
Hummingbirds is a 2022 (Egg)celerator Lab finalist having its UK Premiere in the People & Community section.
Get your tickets here.
Is there Anybody Out There?
dir. Ella Glendining
prod. Janine Marmot
2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Is There Anybody Out There? is having its UK Premiere in the Journeys section. Director Ella Glendining will also be attending and participating in a conversation about the film.
Get your tickets here.
Milisuthando
dir. Milisuthando Bongela
prod. Marion Isaacs
Milisuthando is a 2019 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee having its UK Premiere in the Memories section.
Get your tickets here.
Razing Liberty Square
dir. Katja Esson
prod. Ann Bennett, Corinna Sager, Ronald Baez
Razing Liberty Square is a 2022 Critical Issues Fund grantee having its European Premiere in the Debates section.
Get your tickets here.
Praying for Armageddon
dir. Tonje Hessen Schei
co-dir. Michael Rowley
prods. Torstein Parelius, Ingrid G. Aune Falch, Christian Aune Falch
Praying for Armageddon was supported through Tonje Hessen Shei’s 2020 Chicken & Egg Award and is having its UK Premiere in the Debates section.
Get your tickets here.
Total Trust
dir. Jialing Zhang
prod. Knut Jäger
Total Trust is supported through Jialing Zhang’s 2021 Chicken & Egg Award and is having its UK Premiere in the Rebellions section. It was nominated for the Tim Hetherington Award at the festival.
Get your tickets here.
Q
dir. & prod. Jude Chehab
Q is a 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab Grantee having its International Premiere in the International First Feature Competition.
Get your tickets here
From the AlumNest
dir. Penny Lane
prod. Gabriel Sedgwick
dir. & prod. Jeanie Finlay
prod. Suzanne Alizart
BAFTA-Winning and Nest-supported filmmaker Kim Longinotto is a 2023 festival edition Jury Member.
MeetMarket Projects
The 18th edition of Sheffield DocFest’s flagship pitching forum, the MeetMarket, will take place on Thursday 15, and Friday 16 of June 2023. The slate includes 48 documentary projects, in development or at production stage, to be pitched in one-to-one meetings to international and UK industry representatives and experts.
Please take a look at the Nest-supported and AlumNest projects below.
- Untitled Teesside Project
dir. & prod. Jeanie Finlay
prod. Charlie Phillips
Supported through Jeanie Finlay’s 2023 Chicken & Egg Award - #WhileBlack
dir. Sidney Fussell, Samantha Knowles, Geeta Gandbhir
prod. Ann Shin, Geeta Gandbhir, David Otelowo
Meet Our Team at Sheffield DocFest
Representing Chicken & Egg Pictures, our Communications Manager Mariana Sanson and Program Assistant Will Tamura will be in attendance at this year’s Sheffield DocFest. They will both be participating in the MeetMarket and watching as many docs as they can!
Two World Premieres at Tribeca Film Festival
We are proud to see three Nest-supported films and four AlumNest films on the lineup for Tribeca Film Festival this year! The festival will take place from Wednesday, June 7 to Sunday, June 18, 2023 in our home base, New York City.
We are thrilled that for the first time, more than half of feature films in competition (68%) are directed by women, while 41% of all feature films are directed by women.
We are also egg-static that two of the three Nest-supported films on the lineup, Breaking the News and Q are having their world premieres! We hope to see you there.
It’s Only Life After All
dir. & prod. Alexandria Bombach
prods. Kathlyn Horan, Jess Devaney, Anya Rous
It’s Only Life After All was supported through Alexandria Bombach’s 2019 Chicken & Egg Award and is having its New York premiere in the Spotlight+ section.
Get your tickets here.
Breaking the News
dirs. Chelsea Hernandez, Heather Courtney, Princess A. Hairston
prod. Diane Quon
Breaking the News is a 2022 Critical Issues Fund Grantee having its World Premiere in the Documentary Competition.
Get your tickets here.
Q
dir. & prod. Jude Chehab
Q is a 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab Grantee having its World Premiere in the Documentary Competition.
Get your tickets here.
From the AlumNest
- Kim’s Video – New York Premiere
dirs. & prods. David Redmon, Ashley Sabin
prods. Deborah Smith, Dale Smith, Francesco Galavotti, Rebecca Tabasky - Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food – World Premiere
dir. & prod. Stephanie Soechtig
prods. Ross Girard, Ross Dinerstein, Kristin Lazure, Rebecca Evans - Uncharted – World Premiere
dir. & prod. Beth Aala
prods. Everywoman Studios, Abby Greensfelder - Your Fat Friend – World Premiere
dir. & prod. Jeanie Finlay
prod. Suzanne Alizart
Written by Spring Intern Tess Caldwell