09
12 14
CONTENT 02
04 06
A Reflection from Jenni Wolfson Why filmmakers matter now more than ever
Our Year At-A-Glance
17
19
22
PROGRAM UPDATES Chicken & Egg Award A “breakthrough year” for advanced career filmmakers
(Egg)celerator Lab Building and expanding the talent pipeline
Project: Hatched Finished films creating real-world impact
Research & Development Grant Taking risks to seed bold, new projects
Doc Nest Forging connections between filmmakers and funders
AlumNest Fostering a global community
Look-back at the major highlights across the organization
Celebrating Filmmakers Achievements from across our AlumNest
24
Our Team & Community of Support Celebrate the people who make the work possible
A Reflection from Jenni Wolfson
WHY THE STORYTELLER MATTERS
Dear friends, Usually, when I write the opening letter for Best of the Nest, I focus on a few highlights from our achievements of the past year. But today, I want to write more broadly about what it means to say we support “not just films, but filmmakers” during this critical time in our industry and our world. First I want to acknowledge that we are writing this during a time of devastating violence inflicted upon both Palestinians and Israelis. We at Chicken & Egg Pictures mourn the loss of lives in Israel and Palestine, and we denounce the ongoing violence against civilians. We call on everyone to hold onto our shared humanity and strive for a more peaceful, just and equitable world. Over the past year, all over the world, we have witnessed the widening of inequities and the erosion of hard-won civil liberties. In the US, where we are based, two major Supreme Court decisions in recent years have changed who has access to power and resources: the overturning of the guaranteed right to reproductive choice in Roe v. Wade, and the decision to outlaw Affirmative Action in education. Both of these enormous changes will have a lasting influence over the opportunities available to millions of people — including who is able to make documentary films and get them seen. For this reason, these erasures of civil rights and liberties hit especially close to home for our team. When evaluating applications for our six programs, we think carefully not only about the film in consideration but also about the filmmaker behind the camera, and how their story came to be. We are keenly aware of how slim the chances are for so many artists, and we are saddened by how many new voices will be left out by these decisions.
2
We know how important documentary film is in times of conflict and crisis, both to capture the nuances of the present and to serve as a historical record for the future. In this vital role, a filmmaker’s gender, race, and lived experience all matter. In fact, many of the filmmakers we work with are on the frontlines of timely issues they are exploring. One of these filmmakers is Alisa Kovalenko, whose project aptly titled FRONTLINE documents her time in the Ukrainian army during Russia’s invasion. Her film’s perspective is not just that of a soldier, but of a mother, a woman, a Ukrainian, and a filmmaker. As the need for change-making cinema persists, we have been privileged to grow our support of the documentary field. This year we launched our Research & Development Grant to fund films in their earliest stages, increased the grant sizes for our Chicken & Egg Awards for experienced directors, and supported ten social impact campaigns through Project: Hatched. We continue to strengthen our global cohorts of women and non-binary filmmakers with a special focus on supporting people of color, LGBTQIA+ filmmakers, filmmakers with disabilities, and all others whose perspectives have been historically underrepresented in our field. Elevating these filmmakers shifts the dominant cultural narratives that shape our understanding of the world. Despite everything we are mourning in our world, we are heartened by the stories of filmmakers we have supported this year and the new visions soon to come — and it is a joy to share them with you. The work ahead of us is steep, but when we consider the work of our community of filmmakers, we are deeply inspired to know that none of us is alone.
Warmly,
3
Our year At-A-Glance In 2023, our support for filmmakers reached new heights
902 72 52% NEW
25 100% 73 44 $1,840,000
4
applications reviewed
reviewers supported the process
of grantees are international
countries represented among our grantees
of programs open to global applicants
projects funded
new filmmakers joined the AlumNest
grantmaking total for 2023
And we flourished as an organization
92%
of donors in 2022 and 2023 provided General Operating Support
126
hours of mentorship provided
2
new launches: Our R&D Grant plus a new partnership with POV
3
more staff will be hired by 2024
13
staff on our team (we started in January with 10!)
Welcome New Staff
Kiyoko McCrae / Program Director Will Tamura / Program Assistant Elaisha Stokes / Senior Program Manager Tobi Phang-Lyn / Industry & Artist Development Manager
Team Reflection “I joined the Chicken & Egg Pictures in April 2019, driven by a love of documentary film and a desire to join a movement to advance gender equity in our industry and beyond.
Although much has changed since then, the core essence of the organization has stayed the same. Our community of filmmakers and supporters has expanded significantly, our team has grown from eight to thirteen, we moved into our own office, and our budget has almost doubled. This year, I’ve been excited to see Chicken & Egg Pictures’ story amplified in major publications and by our team members who have delivered inspiring keynotes and sat on important industry panels. I’ve been excited to be part of our work rethinking our eligibility criteria as we consider who is being held back due to gender bias in our field right now. And I’ve been excited to learn from my new colleagues who bring fresh perspectives but embody the dedication, curiosity, warmth, creativity, and innovative spirit that have always been at the heart of Chicken & Egg Pictures.”
Festivals in attendance Sundance (US) Thessaloniki (Greece) CPH:DOX (Denmark) Visions du Réel (France) Hot Docs (Canada) Sheffield DocFest (UK) Sarajevo (BiH) BlackStar (US) CIFF (US) DMZ Docs (South Korea) Chinese Doc Forum (Taiwan) RIDM (Canada) NewFest (US) DocLisboa (Portugal) IDFA (Netherlands)
Online meetings Durban Film Mart (South Africa) Close Up (MENA region) Nordisk Panorama (Sweden)
Rebecca Celli, Associate Director of Development
5
Celebrating
filmmakers
Chicken & Egg Pictures supports films, but more importantly, we support filmmakers. Our approach is grounded in supporting diverse filmmakers so they can stay in the industry and thrive, paving new pathways for future generations, and changing expectations about “who gets to be a filmmaker.”
We are thrilled to share the following updates from filmmakers in our Nest. These exciting wins from the year are just a few of the many remarkable activities and successes we are celebrating at the close of this year:
6
Sabaah Folayan won the Community Service Award at this year’s SXSW festival.
The Janes
At the 95th Academy Awards®
The Criterion Channel
added four films by Jeanie Finlay.
And So I Stayed
(dirs. Tia Lessin, Emma Pildes) won two 2023 News & Documentary Emmy Awards: Best Documentary and Outstanding Social Issue Documentary. The directors also won Outstanding Direction: Documentary.
Yoruba Richen (dirs. Natalie Pattillo, Daniel A. Nelson) won the SIMA 2023 Systemic Change Award.
Total Trust
(dir. Jialing Zhang) received a Tim Hetherington Award Special Mention at Sheffield DocFest.
was honored at this year’s Pitch BLACK Pitching Forum and Awards for her Trailblazer Retrospective, which featured 5 selections from her prolific filmography.
Margreth Olin
2 films made with our support and 5 AlumNest films were shortlisted: Hidden Letters (dirs. Violet Du Feng, Zhao Qing); The Janes (dirs. Tia Lessin, Emma Pildes); Descendant (dir. Margaret Brown); Angola Do You Hear Us? Voices from a Plantation Prison (dir. Cinque Northern prod. Catherine Gund); and The Flagmakers (dirs. Sharon Liese, Cynthia Wade). 2 AlumNest films received a nomination: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (dir. Laura Poitras) and The Martha Mitchell Effect (dirs. Anne Alvergue, Debra McClutchy and prod. Beth Levinson).
PBS’ Independent Lens season 24
Reality Winner
(dir. Sonia Kennebeck) had a theatrical release at IFC Center — and we were honored to co-present the release.
gave a TEDxArendal talk where she spoke about her relationship with nature, hope, and her father, all of which were topics explored in her film, Songs of Earth.
included three grantees: Mama Bears (dir. Daresha Kyi), Silent Beauty (dir. Jasmin Mara López), and Hidden Letters (dirs. Violet Du Feng, Qing Zhao).
7
Onlookers
(dir. Kimi Takesue) premiered in January at Slamdance Film Festival and received a Grand Jury Breakout Feature Honorable mention.
Natalia Almada
Boycott
had a retrospective of her work at BAM Film in Brooklyn, which included the theatrical release of her film Users.
(dir. Julia Bacha) became available for online streaming worldwide on Al Jazeera English, Apple TV, Google Play, Prime Video, and Vimeo on Demand.
El eco / The Echo
Peabody Awards:
Writing with Fire (dirs. Rintu Thomas, Sushmit Ghosh) and The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks (dir. Yoruba Richen) each received a Documentary Peabody Award.
(dir. Tatiana Huezo) had its world premiere and won Best Documentary and Best Director in the Encounters competition at the Berlinale.
Kirsten Johnson,
Rea Tajiri
had a retrospective of her 1997 film Strawberry Fields at CAAM Fest 2023. Her latest film, Wisdom Gone Wild was also featured at the festival
was selected among the four Inaugural Fellows chosen for Harvard’s Documentary Initiative.
At DOC NYC, Maite Alberdi
8
a record of 8 Chicken & Egg supported films had world premieres, including prize winners: Against the Tide (dir. Sarvnik Kaur), which won a Special Jury Award and The Eternal Memory (dir. Maite Alberdi), which won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary. We also congratulate AlumNest filmmaker Michele Stephenson for her film Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project winning the Grand Jury Prize.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences
10 films supported by the Chicken & Egg Award and (Egg) celerator Lab are wrapping post-production and seeking premieres in 2024.
At Sundance Film Festival 2023
received the Robert and Anne Drew Award for Documentary Excellence from DOC NYC’s 10th annual Visionaries Tribute.
invited five of our supported filmmakers to become members: Erika Cohn, Katja Esson, Violet Du Feng, Sonia Kennebeck, and Nancy Schwartzman.
PROGRAM UPDATES
Chicken & Egg Award A “breakthrough year” for advanced-career filmmakers This year, through the Chicken & Egg Award, we recognized eight visionary advanced-career women and non-binary directors from around the world who are poised to reach new heights. The program responds to the reality that, even after receiving significant recognition, many experienced filmmakers still face major roadblocks—often tied to gender, race, and age, among other factors— that can make them feel like they are starting from square one. The Chicken & Egg Award gives exceptionally talented and accomplished filmmakers the kind of unrestricted support that they need to “break through.” Eight filmmakers received $50,000 unrestricted cash awards, designed to provide room to dream big both personally and professionally. For the first time this year, we disbursed an additional $25,000 grant toward each filmmaker’s current project. The program includes a winter creative retreat, ongoing mentorship, monthly peer-to-peer cohort calls, and a culminating retreat at IDFA Festival in Amsterdam, where Chicken & Egg Pictures facilitates high-level industry introductions. Two finalists also received grants of $15,000. Chicken & Egg Award winners have used funds to…
• • • • •
Hire a producer or an assistant Take a sabbatical from teaching or working Secure health insurance Buy cameras, laptops, and other equipment Fund new projects
“My films are investigative and therefore very labor-intensive with many research, filming, and editing days. I’ve worked for more than five years on the Reality Winner film, which had strained me financially. The Chicken & Egg Award was a game changer and came at a time when I truly needed it. It allowed me to stay in the industry and continue to dedicate myself full-time to my creative work.” - Sonia Kennebeck The Chicken & Egg Award is generously supported by our donors who provide us with General Operating Support.
9
2023 Chicken & Egg
Award recipients Angela Tucker (UNITED STATES) Angela Tucker (she/her) is an Emmy®winning filmmaker whose work has aired on PBS, Netflix, and Hulu. She also worked on Webby winning branded series with REI Co-Op studios and a Lifetime Holiday movie starring Patti LaBelle. Angela was a Sundance Institute Women Filmmakers Initiative Fellow and a recipient of Firelight Media’s inaugural William Greaves Fund, and she is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
Jeanie Finlay (UNITED KINGDOM) Jeanie Finlay’s (she/her) films have been commissioned by HBO, IFO, and BBC Storyville, and have been nominated for multiple British Independent Film Awards and an Emmy®. She has received the Sheffield DocFest Inspiration Award and Audience Award. Her work is available on the Criterion Channel. Jeanie has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which has led her to creatively explore new filmmaking approaches. She is currently at work on her eleventh feature.
Sabaah Folayan (UNITED STATES) Ilinca Calugareanu (ROMANIA / UK) Illinca Calugareanu’s (she/her) debut documentary, Chuck Norris vs. Communism, premiered at Sundance in 2015. Her films have since been shown at DOC NYC, Sheffield DocFest, on Hulu, and on Netflix. A Berlinale Talents Alumna, Ilinca’s work has been supported by Sundance Institute, SFFILM, and Chicken & Egg Pictures (she was a 2018 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee).
Sabaah Folayan’s (she/they) film Whose Streets? premiered at Sundance in 2017 and went on to be nominated for a Peabody Award, Critic’s Choice Award, Gotham Award, and NAACP Award, and is now on Netflix. Their second feature, Look At Me: XXXTentacion, premiered at SXSW and is now on Hulu. Sabaah has also written for HBO’s Betty.
Rea Tajiri (UNITED STATES) Rea Tajiri’s (she/her) video art, narrative, and documentary feature films have premiered at and won awards at Blackstar Film Festival, IDFA, and DOC NYC, among other festivals. Two of her early works were included in the Whitney Biennials of 1989 and 1991, and several of her films are currently available on the Criterion Channel.
10
2023 Chicken & Egg
Lisa Jackson (CANADA) Lisa Jackson’s (she/her) work has screened at Sundance, SXSW, Berlinale, Hot Docs Festival, Tribeca Festival, and London BFI. In 2017, she won the imagineNATIVE Best Documentary Award, as well as the DOC Institute Vanguard Award. She is of mixed Anishinaabe (Aamjiwnaang) and settler descent and is a well-known advocate for Indigenous screen sovereignty.
Award Finalists Salomé Jashi (GEORGIA) Salomé Jashi’s (she/her) documentary Taming the Garden (2021) premiered at Sundance and Berlinale Forum, and her film The Dazzling Light of Sunset (2016), was awarded Best First CHF 10’000 at Visions du Réel’s Regard Neuf competition. Salomé is a Nipkow Scholarship Program Fellow, a DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Fellow, and a member of the European Film Academy.
Nico Opper (UNITED STATES) Nico Opper’s (they/them) work has been nominated for a Gotham Award and an IDA award, has premiered at Tribeca and Hot Docs, and aired on PBS. They were featured in DOC NYC’s “40 Under 40,” along with other media accolades. Recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship and a Eureka Fellowship, Nico also produced Try Harder! (2021), which premiered at Sundance.
Farida Pacha (INDIA) Farida Pacha’s (she/her) debut, My Name is Salt, won 35 international awards, including the German Camera Prize, and her latest documentary, Watch Over Me (2021), won the Grand Jury Documentary Award at the Movies that Matter Festival at The Hague. Her work has been supported by IDFA Bertha Fund Europe and the Jan Vrijman Fund, among others.
Sonia Kennebeck (MALAYSIA / DENMARK / US) Sonia Kennebeck’s (she/her) work has been screened at festivals, in theaters, and on Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, PBS, ARD, and IFC Films. Kennebeck received the 2021 Adrienne Shelly Excellence in Filmmaking Award and was on DOC NYC’s 40 Under 40 list. Her debut feature National Bird was awarded the Ridenhour Documentary Film Prize and nominated for an Emmy®.
11
(Egg)celerator Lab Building and expanding the talent pipeline We identify and elevate emerging voices in documentary film through the (Egg)celerator Lab, one of our signature programs and one of the most beloved and renowned in the industry. Tailored for filmmakers working on their first or second feature-length documentary film, the Lab is a space for filmmakers to develop and strengthen a project in a safe, supportive environment. Over the course of each program year, a cohort of 10 filmmaking teams gather regularly for creative retreats with hands-on workshops and feedback, professional development, ongoing mentorship and peer learning, and receive a $40,000 production grant.
Program paused in 2023 As part of our 2023-2025 strategic plan, we took a year hiatus from the (Egg)celerator Lab to give our team the time and capacity to get a host of ambitious new goals off the ground. The start of this year was a real inflection point in our organization, as our small team and our grantmaking both made huge leaps in size. Taking a pause on the Lab also enabled us to reevaluate our processes for reviewing, screening, and running the program—and we are now ready to dive back in. Our call for the 2024 cohort attracted 528 applicants from 58 countries, and we can’t wait to announce the new cohort next spring.
“Coined by one of our founders, Judith Helfand, the unofficial motto for the (Egg)celerator Lab is:
“Your problem is my problem, I just haven’t had it yet.” We have seen time and time again how Lab participants become each other’s lifeline through the program which often requires folks to be open and vulnerable, as they share early footage, explore new structures, and share challenges. This unofficial motto has become a centering stone in how we show up as program leaders and how we ask Lab participants to show up for each other. I am so excited to resume my work with next year’s (Egg)celerator Lab grantees and see what we continue to learn together.” -Sabine Fayoux Cantillo, Associate Director of Program
The (Egg)celerator Lab is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and our donors who provide us with General Operating Support.
12
Filmmakers Thriving Beyond the Lab During this pause, we are truly appreciating the opportunity it has provided us to reflect on the success of so many filmmakers who have gone through the program in the past. We pride ourselves on the holistic approach behind the (Egg)celerator Lab, which seeks to support not just films but filmmakers. These highlights from the continuing careers of past grantees are a testament to the ways that we nurture filmmakers and set them up for long-term success.
Marie Lidén, Electric Malady As part of the 2018 (Egg)celerator Lab, Marie worked on her first film, exploring the lives of “electrosensitive” people (including those in her own family) who suffer from an illness the world does not recognize. The film premiered this year, and earned Marie a BAFTA nomination for Outstanding Debut.
Jude Chehab, Q Jude’s 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab film Q explores the filmmaker’s mother’s spiritual life in Lebanon. The film has premiered to exciting acclaim this year, including the Tribeca Film Festival “Albert Maysles” Award for Best New Documentary Director as well as the Sheffield DocFest Grand Jury Award for International First Feature.
Sierra Urich, Joonam Exploring the filmmaker’s mother and grandmother’s complicated pasts and her own fractured Iranian identity, 2022 grantee Joonam premiered at Sundance Film Festival this year. The film received the Cleveland Film Festival Nesdany + Schwartz Portrait Documentary Award, while Sierra won the “May the Schwartz Be With You” Director’s Award.
“The lab was one of my favorite things that I did with this film. It came at the right time when I needed community and friendship the most, in one of the messier stages of putting together the story and figuring out how to express what I wanted to say.” -Sierra Urich
We are always so gratified to see these filmmakers succeed. Having first seen them in the application process — where their work stood out to our team—it is inspiring to see them go on to stand out in the global film conversation, too. And it warms our hearts to see their works come to life.
13
Project: Hatched Finished films creating real-world impact Our vision of a just and equitable world requires more than just making documentary films. Powerful films need to reach the right audiences, and spark engagement, to create change on the issues at stake. This is the mission of Project: Hatched. We seek filmmakers with a recent or upcoming world premiere who have a strategic vision for real-world impact. Through a $30,000 grant, we support filmmakers to strategize, build, and launch impact campaigns. Filmmakers in the program have advocated for legislative reforms, held community gatherings, and driven important conversations with targeted influencers. We embrace diverse interpretations of what constitutes impact, as well as the ways strategy can evolve through the life of a campaign.
When we provide recipients with a grant it is at the beginning of their campaign and we understand that impact takes time. We are thrilled to highlight some of the impact results that last year’s recipients accomplished this year. Sally Rubin, director of Mama Has a Mustache, created an impact guide to catalyze youth discussions on gender identity when the film is screened in schools. Deann Borshay Liem, director of Crossings, has organized screening events that (to date) have motivated 500+ people to write letters to their representatives advocating for peace on the Korean peninsula.
Project: Hatched is generously supported by The New York Community Trust and our donors who provide us with General Operating Support.
14
Grantees Bad Press, (US) dirs & prods: Rebecca Landsberry-Baker, Joe Peeler Impact plans: Inspire and support Indigenous tribes in implementing and maintaining press protections for tribal media outlets through a citizen-led, multi-pronged approach.
Big Fight in Little Chinatown, (CANADA) dir. Karen Cho prods. Bob Moore, Katie McKay Impact plans: Create a turn-key community screening kit and develop a “Chinatown storytelling incubator” for emerging artists and filmmakers to tell stories about gentrification in their communities.
Liquor Store Dreams, (US) Freedom Hill, (US) dir. & prod. Resita Cox Impact plans: Decolonize the film industry by creating educational resources that will support young Black people in Eastern North Carolina to become documentary filmmakers.
dir. & prod. So Yun Um prod. Eddie Ki Impact plans: Combat anti-Blackness within the Asian American community, inspire Asian Americans to become activists in their own families and communities, and bridge the gap between older and younger generations of Asian Americans.
From the Shadows #missingirls, (INDIA) dir. & prod. Miriam Chandy Menacherry prods. Sheena Matheiken, Aalia Furniturewala, Anand Ramayya, Gary Byung-Seok Kam impact prod. Triparna Banerjee Impact plans: Get an anti-trafficking bill (currently stuck in Indian parliament) moving again through screenings with stakeholders, along with discussions to identify and mitigate the role of local community “middlemen.”
15
PAY OR DIE,
Twice Colonized, (DENMARK) dir. Lin Alluna prods. Emile Hertling Péronard, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, Stacey Aglok MacDonald, Bob Moore Impact plans: Create educational materials, host screenings and conversations with Indigenous audiences, and support the film’s main participant in her campaign to establish a permanent forum at the EU for Indigenous people to address the ongoing impact of colonization.
16
(AUSTRALIA/CANADA/ US) dirs. & prods. Rachael Dyer, Scott Alexander Ruderman prod. Yael Melamede Impact plans: Encourage audiences to become advocates by sharing personal stories with legislators, and shift the narrative around drug pricing to center moral clarity — that access to life-saving medication is a human right.
Suddenly TV, (US) dir. & prod. Roopa Gogineni Impact plans: Organize a two-day festival celebration in Washington, DC, Berlin, and/or Paris to connect Sudanese civil society with international actors and promote the “No to War” campaign.
The Mind Game, (AFGHANISTAN/CANADA/NETHERLANDS) Now That We Are Together, (MEXICO) dir. & prod. Patricia Balderas Castro co-prod. Claudia Ruiz Capdevielle impact prods. Merle Iliná, Michelle Plascencia Impact plans: Share strategies for responding to street harassment and host educational screenings with children as young as 12 and adults to promote conversation about gender violence.
dirs./impact prods: Eefje Blankevoort, Els van Driel, Sajid Khan Nasiri prod. Laura Verduijn impact prods. Tina Farifteh, Nienke Huitenga, Lara Aerts, Khadidja Benouataf Impact plans: Show the film in the European Parliament to raise awareness about the rights of refugee children and host a social media campaign to reach even broader audiences.
Research & Development Grant Taking risks to seed bold, new projects Launched this year, our newest grant program offers funding to projects in their earliest stages. With grants of $10,000 (for research) or $20,000 (for development), we encourage experienced filmmakers to follow a lead, ideate, experiment, and think big. The materials they produce will catalyze production fundraising without having to drain their savings and credit. Designed to come at a crucial, early phase of the filmmaking process, this grant helps filmmakers get their new projects off the ground. We are proud of the global reach of this program — we received applications from 36 countries and selected 27 grantees for our inaugural cohort.
“The applications that we reviewed confirmed a longstanding issue in the field. Filmmakers lack freedom and support to invest in the creative process during the research and development stages. These stages of filmmaking have often become synonymous with fundraising. We hope this grant will allow filmmakers to invest creative time in pursuing stories.” -Kiyoko McCrae, Director of Program The Research & Development Grant is generously supported by Netflix and our donors who provide us with General Operating Support.
17
$10,000 Research Grant recipients Marah Strauch (dir. & prod.), Eric Bruggemann (prod.) Corine Shawi (dir. & prod.), Nancy Sabbagh (prod.) Daniela Muñoz Barroso (dir.), Leila Montero (prod.) Anjali Nayar (dir.), Kenya-Jade Pinto (dir.) Sandra Luz López Barroso (dir.), Karla Bukantz (prod.) Violeta Ayala (dir. & prod.), Redelia Shaw (prod.), Dan Fallshaw (prod.) Ilinca Calugareanu (dir. & prod.) Erika Cohn (dir. & prod.) Yoruba Richen (dir. & prod.), Lacey Schwartz Delgado (dir. & prod.), Mehret Mandefro (prod.), Kristi Jacobson (prod.)
AUSTRIA/UNITED STATES LEBANON CUBA CANADA/INDIA/KENYA MEXICO AUSTRALIA/BOLIVIA ROMANIA/UNITED KINGDOM UNITED STATES UNITED STATES/ETHIOPIA
$20,000 Development Grant recipients DOMINICAN REPUBLIC UNITED STATES UNITED STATES/MOROCCO SERBIA (Formerly Yugoslavia)/ UNITED STATES GREECE/ICELAND/ UNITED KINGDOM UNITED STATES/BANGLADESH UNITED STATES UKRAINE/GERMANY/UNITED KINGDOM PAKISTAN/CANADA/ UNITED STATES ITALY/INDIA/ROMANIA REPUBLIC OF KOREA UNITED STATES UNITED STATES BRAZIL POLAND/GERMANY SERBIA/FRANCE INDIA/FRANCE CHILE/FRANCE
18
Tatiana Fernández Geara (dir. & prod.), Wendy P. Espinal (prod.) (I am my Grandma’s Granddaughter) Sabaah Folayan (dir. & prod.) (Worth the Risk (working title)) Rita Baghdadi (dir. & prod.), Sahar Yousefi (prod.) (Stallions) Iva Radivojević (dir. & prod.), Madeleine Molyneaux (prod.), Marija Stojnić (prod.), Andrijana Sofranić Šućur (prod.) (When The Phone Rang) Angeliki Aristomenopoulou (dir.), Rea Apostolides (prod.), Yuri Averof (prod.) (Holy Human Angel) Farihah Zaman (dir. & prod.), Jeff Reichert (prod.) (Soulmates) Luchina Fisher (dir. & prod.), Yvonne Welbon (prod.), Thomas Allen Harris (prod.) (The Untitled Gary Fisher Project) Svitlana Lishchynska (dir.), Anna Kapustina (prod.), Alex Tondowski (prod.), Derren Lawford (prod.) (A Bit Of A Stranger) Habiba Nosheen (dir. & prod.), Amar Lohana (prod.) (The Gymnasts of Machar Colony) Isabella Rinaldi (dir. & prod.), Arya Rothe (dir. & prod.), Cristina Hanes (dir. & prod.) (Untitled) Bora Lee-Kil (dir.), Sona JO (prod.) (Our Bodies) Cynthia Lowen (dir. & prod.), Jon Cohrs (co-dir.), Jim LeBrecht (prod.) (Kids Like Me) Grace Lee (dir. & prod.), Alicia Sams (prod.) (The Franklin Experiment) Petra Costa (dir. & prod.) (Untitled 2) Elwira Niewiera (dir.) (Untitled 3) Mila Turajlić (dir. & prod.), Carine Chichkowsky (prod.) (Second World, Second Sex) Sarvnik Kaur (dir. & prod.), Quentin Laurent (co-prod.) (Disruption) Carmen Castillo (dir.), Camille Laemlé (prod.), Macarena Aguiló (prod.) (Memories of an Oblivion)
Doc Nest Forging connections between filmmakers and funders On June 6, 2023, we hosted an invitation-only, one-day event at the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice in New York. Doc Nest was designed to connect industry leaders, investors, and donors with filmmakers—not only to open funding opportunities but to create space for honest, open conversations and connections. Along with 87 industry leaders, donors, and investors, we convened twelve filmmaking teams, representing nine countries. Their projects are at various stages—from development to post-production—and touch upon a wide variety of issues in criminal justice, gun control, threats to democracy, the war in Ukraine, gender parity, ecological justice, racial equity, and more. They also use a range of artistic and stylistic approaches, including archival, vérité, investigative, and personal essay films. The filmmakers represent the wide diversity of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences that Chicken & Egg Pictures is committed to uplift. With Doc Nest, our goal was to ignite honest conversations about challenges and barriers in navigating relationships between funders and filmmakers. Like previous versions of this all-day gathering (formerly known as “Next Gen Egg”), Doc Nest was designed to deconstruct the hierarchy inherent to typical pitch events. Filmmakers participated in moderated panel discussions with other filmmakers, creating an environment of collaboration rather than competition and inviting potential supporters into the creative process. Chicken & Egg Pictures provided $60,000 in total to the twelve presenting film projects.
Since the event, industry funders and individual investors have committed well over $1 million to bring these films to life.
“We were incredibly grateful for the exposure that Chicken & Egg Pictures has given us on the US side. It means a lot to have support from across the world when the funding landscape is so comparably challenging in non-Western territories. Thank you for supporting international projects like ours and making us feel like a part of your community and that our stories matter beyond our borders.” -Participating Filmmaker
Doc Nest is generously supported by the Clif Family Foundation and the Ford Foundation.
19
2023 Doc Nest Featured Films
Apocalypse in the Tropics dir. Petra Costa prod. Alessandra Orofino
Our Land, Our Freedom, dirs. & prods. Meena Nanji, Zippy Kimundu prod. Eliane Ferreira
20
Cutting Through Rocks dirs. & prods. Sara Khaki, Mohammad Reza Eyni
Our Daughters dir. & prod. Chithra Jeyaram
FRONTLINE dir. Alisa Kovalenko prods. Katarzyna Kuczynska, Monica Hellström
Second World, Second Sex dir. Mila Turajlić prod. Carine Chichkowsky
Songs from the Hole dir. Contessa Gayles prods. Richie Reseda, David Felix Sutcliffe
We Are Volcanoes dirs. Sharon Yeung, Natalie A. Chao prods. Sharon Yeung, Jillian Schlesinger
The Gender Project dir. & prod. Kimberly Reed prods. Louise Rosen, Robin Honan
Untitled dirs. Nishtha Jain, Akash Basumatari prods. Nishtha Jain, Valerie Montmartin
The Inquisitor dir. Angela Tucker prods. Trevite Willis, Moira Griffin co-prod. Duane Prefume
Untitled Uvalde Documentary dir. & prod. Anayansi Prado consulting prod. Mary Recine
21
AlumNest
Fostering a global community Chicken & Egg Pictures has supported 500+ talented, diverse women and non-binary nonfiction directors from all around the world (and more every year!). Our AlumNest program holds space for current and former grantees to communicate and connect with each other. Through both online and in-person opportunities for professional development, socializing and networking, and consultations, we extend the feeling of community that filmmakers develop through our programs far beyond the single program year.
International Consultant Tereza Simikova
According to many filmmakers, this community is one of the most important and meaningful aspects of their time with us.
Staff members Will Tamura, Kat Zhao, and Tobi Phang-Lyn
22
Director Anayansi Prado and producer Mary Recine
AlumNest members benefit from: • • • • •
Access to a robust network for sharing advice, opportunities, and articles related to nonfiction art and industry Masterclasses and workshops led by industry experts Invitations to meaningful in-person AlumNest filmmaker gatherings, including at top documentary film festivals around the world Open “Office Hours” with Chicken & Egg Pictures team members Eligibility for new funding and networking opportunities
We are always moved by the collaborations that happen between filmmakers in the Nest. For example, the recent film Donyale Luna: Supermodel, about the first Black model on the cover of Vogue, was directed by our past grantee Nailah Jefferson. The DP on the film was Nausheen Dadabhoy, whose film An Act of Worship was part of the 2019 (Egg)celerator cohort.
We hosted AlumNest happy hours for filmmakers to relax with each other, forge connections, and take a break from the hustle at major festivals, including a happy hour at Sheffield: Doc Fest and in Copenhagen for CPH:DOX.
Director Alison O’Daniel at a screening of her film The Tuba Thieves at MoMA
Program Director Kiyoko McCrae with Chicken & Egg supported filmmakers Jialing Zhang, Robie Flores and former Program Director Lucila Moctezuma
AlumNest programming is generously supported by our donors who provide us with General Operating Support.
23
Our Team & Community of Support BOARD OF DIRECTORS Julie Parker Benello Board President Nekisa Cooper Board Vice President Leslie Belzberg Meredith Chin Félix Endara Wendy Ettinger David Lee Susan Margolin Marjan Safinia Alex Simon Nancy Stephens Patty Quillin
CONSULTANTS Matisse Bustos Zoe Chan Rose Chan Judith Helfand Lisa Kenney Kate Reed Petty Nicholas Peterson Tereza Simikova Matt Sokolowski
Editorial Design Rosana Segura Garavito
24
STAFF Sarah Anderson Chief Operating Officer Tess Caldwell Communications Intern Sabine Fayoux Cantillo Associate Director of Program Rebecca Celli Associate Director of Development Iva Dimitrova Program Manager Sarah Lee Operations Manager Kiyoko McCrae Program Director Allison Villegas Roman Development Manager Mariana Sanson Communications Manager Ames Stevens Production & Operations Assistant Elaisha Stokes Senior Program Manager Will Tamura Program Assistant Tobi Phang-Lyn Industry & Artist Development Manager Jenni Wolfson Chief Executive Officer Kat Zhao Development Assistant
Supporters We cannot express how thankful and inspired we are by the strength, commitment, and vision of our supporter community. To all who have contributed to our work in countless ways, please accept our humble gratitude.
Diane and Norman Bernstein Foundation Nancy Blachman & David desJardins The Blonder Family Katherine Borsecnik & Gene Weil
Larry Enten & Judy Schlosser Wendy Ettinger / The Ettinger Foundation Rafaela Evans & Vanessa Evans / Red Butterfly Foundation Tracy & Mark Ferron
John Bothwell
Ina Fichman
Jennilie Brewster
Mary Ford
Matisse Bustos
Ford Foundation
In memory of Susan Morrison, our longtime supporter and dear friend of the Nest.
Alison Carlson
Otis Fulton
Ellen & Andrew Celli
Alexis Galfas
David Chan
Cathy Greenwold
Our Supporters & Partners
Mable Chan / One in a Billion Productions, Inc.
Linda Gruber / The Gruber Family Foundation
Chicory Wealth
Susan Harrington
Meredith Chin
Jennifer Heller Wold
Clif Family Foundation
Kim Hendrickson
Nekisa Cooper
Michael Hirschhorn & Jimena Martinez
Amy Anderson ANONYMOUS (5) Sarah Arison Meenal Balar BakerHostetler LLP The Barbara Jones Memorial Fund
James Costa Kit Crawford & Gary Erickson
Imagine Entertainment
Caroline Barlerin
Jessie Creel
Jonathan Logan Family Foundation
Laura Beck
Louise Davis
Junemarie Justus
Leslie Belzberg
Abigail Disney & Pierre N. Hauser / Like A River Fund
Jeffrey & Dan Kanter
Julie Parker Benello
Barbara Dobkin / Dobkin Family Foundation Natasha & Dave Dolby The Donald A. Pels Charitable Trust Educational Foundation of America Emerson Collective Laurie Emrich Felix Endara
Keane Family Foundation Elizabeth King / Steiner-King Foundation Martha W. King Christina Kramlich & Peter Bowie Suzanne LaFetra Collier / The LaFetra Foundation Anne Lai Barrie Landry / Landry Family Charitable Foundation
25
Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund David Panda Lee Suzanne Lerner Lauren Lexton & Kevin MacCarthy
Gretchen Sisson
Liz & Robert Norton
Starry Night Fund at the Chicago Community Foundation
Meagan & Dan Nye Nicole Page
Nancy Stephens, Rick Rosenthal & Jamie Rosenthal / The Rosenthal Family Foundation
Lorena Luciano
Monika & Deven Parekh / P-Squared Charitable Foundation
Luminate
Angus Parker
LUNA Bar
Ken Pelletier & Amanda Lao
LUNAFEST
Jennifer Pelling
The Thompson Family Foundation
Bruce & Linda Lymburn
Pentagram
Jill Tidman
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Sonja Perkins
Janet & Gottfried Tittiger
Perspective Fund
Dyan Triffo
Susan Margolin & Neal Smith
The Pershing Square Foundation
Hemal Trivedi
Kay Matschullat & Allan Arffa
POV
Nion T. McEvoy & Leslie Berriman
Diane Hodges Popps
Two Trees Cultural Space Subsidy
Dyllan McGee & Mark Weigel
Abby Pucker / The Pritzker Pucker Family Foundation
Wendy vanden Heuvel / JKW Foundation
Rivkah Beth Medow
Rob Quaintance
Jane & Bernard von Bothmer
Susan A. Meisel
Patty Quillin
Julie Waxman
Michelle Mercer & Bruce Golden
Cathy Raphael
Wave Farm Media Arts Assistance Fund, a regrant of NYSCA Electronic Media/Film
Christie Marchese
Anh Ta Susan Termohlen
Jonathan Turell
Audrey & Danny Meyer
Cornelia Ravenal / The Ravenal Foundation
Nancy Meyer & Marc Weiss
Jennifer Redfearn
Lida & Dave Morgenstein
Reavis Page Jump LLP
Julie Morris
Peter & Pamela Rosekrans
Marissa C. Wesely & Fred Hamerman
Constance Mortell
Marjan Safinia
Jennifer E. Wilson
Roswitha Mueller-Agarwal & AJ Agarwal
Meredith Salenger
Monica Wolfson
Irene Searles
World of HA Productions
Susan M. Sherrerd
Wyncote Foundation
Alex Simon
Pam Yates
Julie Simpson
Jacki Zehner / The Jacquelyn & Gregory Zehner Foundation
Peggy Newell Netflix The New York Community Trust
26
Elaine Nonneman
New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA)
Lekha Singh
Wavelength Productions Jael Weinberg