September 4th, 2024

Press – THL 2024 Announcement Assets

THROUGH HER LENS: THE TRIBECA CHANEL WOMEN’S FILMMAKER PROGRAM THREE-DAY WORKSHOP RETURNS FOR NINTH YEAR

 

MENTORSHIP AND GRANTS EMPOWER 10 WOMEN AND NON-BINARY FILMMAKERS

 

Jury: Joanna Calo, Beanie Feldstein, Lucy Liu, Da’Vine Joy Randolph & Olivia Wilde

 

Mentors: Pamela Adlon, Mara Brock Akil, Janicza Bravo & Molly Gordon

 

Conversation leader: Ruth E. Carter

 

Advisory Committee: Jane Fonda, Patty Jenkins, Laura Karpman, Greta Lee, A.V. Rockwell & Kerry Washington

 

 

NEW YORK, NY (September 4, 2022) – Tribeca and CHANEL today announced the ninth THROUGH HER LENS: The Tribeca CHANEL Women’s Filmmaker Program, taking place September 17 to 19 in New York City. The artist development program convenes filmmaker finalists, jurors and esteemed industry leaders from across the globe for a series of events, workshops, conversations and peer-to-peer sessions.

 

Founded in 2015 by Tribeca and CHANEL, THROUGH HER LENS provides industry support, artistic development and funding to emerging U.S.-based self-identifying women and non-binary filmmakers. The program includes a three-day immersive workshop with one-on-one mentorship and intimate conversations focused on script-to-screen development, music composition, costume design, producing and directing. Participants work with mentors to shape and refine their projects and pitches, and at the conclusion of the program, each pair pitches their project to a jury of industry experts. One team receives full financing to produce their short film with support from Tribeca Studios. The four other projects are awarded grant funds to support their development.

 

“I’m incredibly proud of our THROUGH HER LENS alumnae, a tremendously talented group of women filmmakers who are making waves within the industry, including A.V. Rockwell, Numa Perrier, Nikyatu Jusu, Kat Coiro, Sonejuhi Sinha, Gabriella Moses, Hannah Peterson, Ani Simon-Kennedy, Laura Moss, Caroline Lindy, Shuchi Talati, the list goes on,” said Jane Rosenthal, co-founder and CEO of Tribeca Enterprises. “Together with CHANEL, we are reshaping the landscape of Hollywood, and this year’s class of emerging talent is no exception. I can’t wait to see the ways in which they will leave their mark–we need their young, diverse voices and creativity now more than ever.”

 

Established in 2023, the THROUGH HER LENS Advisory Committee – consisting of Jane Fonda, Patty Jenkins, Laura Karpman, Greta Lee, A.V. Rockwell and Kerry Washington – works to advance the program, bring in new collaborators and provide consultation to participating filmmakers.

 

2024 Industry Leaders:

 

JURORS:
Writer, producer and director Joanna Calo (THE BEAR); actor and producer Beanie Feldstein (DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS; AMERICAN CRIME STORY: IMPEACHMENT; BOOK SMART); Emmy®-nominated and Screen Actors Guild Award®–winning actress, advocate, director and producer Lucy Liu (KILL BILL; CHARLIE’S ANGELS); Academy Award®–winning actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph (THE HOLDOVERS); director, actress, producer and activist Olivia Wilde (DON’T WORRY DARLING).

 

MENTORS:
Director, actor and writer Pamela Adlon (BETTER THINGS; BABES); creator and showrunner Mara Brock Akil (GIRLFRIENDS; THE GAME; BEING MARY JANE); filmmaker Jannicza Bravo (ZOLA; LEMON); actress, writer and director Molly Gordon (THE BEAR; THEATER CAMP).

 

CONVERSATION LEADERS:
Two-time Academy Award®–winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter (BLACK PANTHER; BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER); filmmaker Patty Jenkins (WONDER WOMAN; MONSTER); Academy Award®-nominated and five-time Emmy®-winning composer Laura Karpman (MS. MARVEL; LOVECRAFT COUNTRY).

 

THROUGH HER LENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE:
Academy Award®–winning actor and activist Jane Fonda; filmmaker Patty Jenkins (WONDER WOMAN; MONSTER); Academy Award®-nominated and five-time Emmy®-winning composer Laura Karpman (MS. MARVEl; LOVECRAFT COUNTRY); actress Greta Lee (PAST LIVES; THE MORNING SHOW); director, writer and producer A.V. Rockwell (A THOUSAND AND ONE); Emmy®-winning actress, producer and activist Kerry Washington (SCANDAL; LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE; UNPRISONED).

 

2024 Selected Projects and Filmmakers:

 

BRACE YOURSELF

Fifteen-year-old Nina Boukris wants to end her life—but not until she gets her braces off.

• Chloe Sarbib (Writer/Director) is an American and French-Algerian filmmaker who writes about characters who struggle with identity and get in their own way. Her short films have played Aspen Shortsfest, Palm Springs International ShortFest, Seattle International Film Festival and more. Notable work includes Girl Friend (Best Student Short, Provincetown Film Festival; Best New York Short, NewFest) and Jensen, which won a 2022 DGA Student Film Jury Award. Most recently, Sarbib directed an episode of The CW’s In the Dark, now on Netflix. An alumna of Yale (BA) and Columbia (MFA), where her feature screenplay Les Événements won the Zaki Gordon Memorial Prize for excellence in screenwriting, she’s received support from the Cine Qua Non Lab, the Saltonstall Foundation and Indian Paintbrush, among others. Based in Brooklyn, Sarbib also teaches at Montclair State University.
• Rtusha Kulkarni (Producer) is an Indian American screenwriter, director and producer based in New York City. Her previous work includes experience at Archer Gray, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Netflix and Bleecker Street Media. She is the co-founder of TL;DR Film, an independent production company dedicated to shining a light on untold stories and unheard voices. She holds a BA in Film Studies and Political Science from the University of Minnesota and an MFA in Film from Columbia University.

 

BLACK SHORE

Forced to look after her ailing mother back home in Santorini, Evangelina must confront the reality that her mother's lifelong obsession with mythological monsters and an ancient family curse might not be pure fantasy, but a terrifying warning that some fates are inherited.

• Sophia Youssef (Writer/Director) is a Greek-Lebanese filmmaker with 10 years of experience writing, producing and directing for the BBC, HBO and ONE Entertainment. Her latest film, Leaving Lebanon, was produced via the Disney/AFI Underrepresented Storytellers Initiative. Her previous short, To the Dust, premiered at AFI Fest and was AFI’s official selection for the Yugo BAFTA Student Award. She has recently been shortlisted for various grants, including those from Women in Film, Rising Voices and Disney Launchpad. Youssef was raised in both the Middle East and Europe, and her experience of being torn between cultures has shaped her work. She loves creating atmospheric character studies infused with magical realism and horror. Her narratives frequently feature themes of social inequity, the search for belonging and exploring the dark unsettling layers of womanhood. She recently graduated from the American Film Institute with an MFA in Directing.
• Céline Bava-Helms (Producer) is an independent film producer based in Los Angeles. She has produced music videos and short films, including Leaving Lebanon, directed by Sophia Youssef, recipient of a Disney/AFI Underrepresented Storytellers Initiative grant. Bava-Helms’s work has premiered at festivals such as Outfest, San Diego International Shortsfest, AFI Fest and Flickers’ Rhode Island IFF. In 2023, she oversaw physical productions for the Directing Workshop for Women at the American Film Institute. Her prior experience includes working across production departments in Paris, New York and Los Angeles on shorts and feature films, including Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, where she worked directly with the directors and producers from ShadowMachine, and Miranda July’s Kajillionaire. Prior work in sales and acquisitions also brought her to major film markets such as Cannes, Sundance and Tribeca. She holds a BA in Film Studies from Université Paris Diderot and an MFA from the American Film Institute.

 

COPY, SAVE

When two Asian American teen sisters discover each other’s secret internet cash schemes, they’re forced to confront the murky ethics of their digital lives.

• Alyssa Loh (Writer/Director) is a filmmaker and writer. She was a 2021 Sundance Lab Fellow and was selected for TIFF’s 2023 Breakthroughs program and the 2023 Wscripted Cannes Screenplay List. Her short film, Let, premiered at SXSW in 2024. It won NYU Grad Film’s Martin E. Segal Production Award; Roger King Finishing Award; Riese Production Award; Faculty Commendation in Filmmaking; and Screenwriting, Acting and Sound Design Craft Awards. Her essays on technology have appeared in The New York Times, Artforum and the Los Angeles Review of Books. In 2021, she co-created the experimental film series “Twelve Theses on Attention” for the Glasgow International biennial festival. The book version (text and film stills) was published by Princeton University Press in 2022. She holds an MBA/MFA from NYU and a BA from Princeton, where she won the Ward Mathis Prize for best short story and was selected by Toni Morrison for her Atelier program.
• Charlie Traisman (Producer) is a producer and co-founder of Madhouse Films. They recently completed post-production on short thrillers Long Pork, starring Lena Headey, and Blood Boys, featuring Booboo Stewart and Jamie Clayton, both set to debut on the 2025 festival circuit. As a writer and performer, Traisman toured their original play 3HAMS, directed by Billie Aken-Tyers, to the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Other credits include the short film See This (directed by Tricia Lee), Love Is a Map (Amazon Prime) and the play Power of Sail, with Bryan Cranston (Geffen Playhouse). Traisman holds an MFA from American Conservatory Theater and a BA from Vassar College.

 

HAINT

When the gentrifiers moving into her Gullah Geechee community suddenly begin dying of supernatural causes, handywoman Annabelle must decide whether to use her ancestral knowledge to save them or to embrace schadenfreude.

• Jahmil Eady (Writer/Director) is a writer and director from Charleston, South Carolina, and New York City who blends genre with social impact storytelling. She earned her BA in Media Studies from Pomona College and an MFA in Directing from UCLA. Eady began her career in unscripted film and television and was an associate producer on documentary projects for the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), Viceland and Discovery Networks. Collectively, her short films have screened at over 50 film festivals worldwide, including several Academy Award®– and BAFTA-qualifying film festivals. Her work has been supported by the Princess Grace Foundation, Film Independent, Plate Spinner Productions, Peace is Loud and the NewFilmmakers Los Angeles NewNarratives program. She is currently a director in the AFI DWW+ program.
• Selena Leoni (Producer) is a transnational producer with over a decade of interdisciplinary experience in film, television and multimedia. Shaped by her upbringing in Italy and China, Leoni offers a unique perspective, fostering a profound understanding of globalized storytelling. With a stellar track record, she has led diverse projects across genres that reached platforms including STARZ, Amazon Prime and Apple TV+, and her works have earned recognition at prestigious festivals. Her film short Bienvenidos a Los Angeles was shortlisted for the 2024 Academy Awards®, while Eid Mubarak received an Honorable Mention on the 2024 Gold List. Her feature film, Young King, the debut feature of Emmy®-winning director Bryant Griffin, premiered at the American Black Film Festival in June. As a member of BAFTA Connect, Berlinale Talents, Gold House Futures and Film Independent’s Project Involve, Leoni actively advocates for social inclusion and amplifies historically marginalized voices within the industry.

 

SELAH

When Selah, a determined teen, takes on a solo road trip from Texas to California to deliver a designer puppy for cash, both her responsibilities and emotions get tested to the limit, ultimately affirming her real reason for the trip.

• Lara Everly (Writer/Director) is an award-winning DGA director who celebrates storytelling that brings humor to the unexpected, embraces the female gaze and fights for change. Some favorite examples are an episode of NBC’s American Auto (nominated for a DGA Award); a pilot starring Geena Davis, entitled I Can by Friday; and a Jewish dark comedy short called Heritage Day, starring Rachel Bloom. Everly has written and directed for platforms including Disney, Netflix Family, Refinery29, Scary Mommy, Oprah, Funny or Die and Million Stories. Her directing has been commissioned for commercials, branded content and advocacy videos for Thinx, Fisher-Price, ACLU, Swing Left, Supermajority, Work & Mother and Netflix, among many others. She won a Webby Award for her spot “Always & Forever.” When she is not wrangling a cast and crew, Everly is wrangling her children and rescue pets, and hopes to one day have more cats than is socially acceptable.
• Elease Lui Stemp (Producer) has more than two decades of experience in media and entertainment, having produced award-winning projects across diverse storytelling platforms. From large-scale live events and limited series to documentary features and narrative shorts, she has overseen all aspects of production from conception, development and budgeting through post-production, finishing and delivery. Her credits include The Last Movie Stars (2022, HBO Max), The Men Who Sold the World Cup (2021, Discovery+), Asian Americans (2020, PBS, Peabody Award winner), Fantastic Fungi (2019, Netflix) and “Always & Forever” (2022, Webby winner for Public Service & Activism). She is also a vocal advocate for climate awareness and social justice, and works at the UCLA Center for Climate Science, overseeing operations and fund management. She grew up in Philadelphia as a child of Chinese immigrants and currently lives in Los Angeles.

 

The world of film, from its boldest directors and most talented actors, has been intrinsically linked to the history of CHANEL since its inception. House founder and visionary Gabrielle Chanel worked with the leading filmmakers of her time, drawing inspiration from and supporting her fellow creative peers. Her legacy of fostering female creatives lives on through CHANEL’s dedication to supporting women in film, which is expressed through programs such as THROUGH HER LENS and the brand’s other long-standing film partnerships.

 

Tribeca Enterprises supports independent voices in storytelling and since its founding has propelled women and non-binary people's voices in film forward. THROUGH HER LENS: The Tribeca CHANEL Women's Filmmaker Program — an ongoing iteration of Tribeca’s commitment to providing a platform for new artistic voices — continues to provide resources to help empower emerging women and non-binary storytellers in the industry.

 

@Tribeca

 

#ThroughHerLens

 

#CHANELinCinema

 

###

About the Tribeca Festival:
The Tribeca Festival brings artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, games, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. Tribeca champions emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.

The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center.

In 2019, James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems, a private investment company with locations in New York and Mumbai, bought a majority stake in Tribeca Enterprises, bringing together Rosenthal, De Niro, and Murdoch to grow the enterprise.

 

About CHANEL:
CHANEL is a private company and a world leader in creating, developing, manufacturing, and distributing luxury products. Founded by Gabrielle Chanel at the beginning of the last century, CHANEL offers a broad range of high-end creations, including Ready-to-Wear, Leather Goods, Fashion Accessories, Eyewear, Fragrances, Makeup, Skincare, Jewelry, and Watches. CHANEL is also renowned for its Haute Couture collections, presented twice yearly in Paris, and for having acquired a large number of specialized suppliers, collectively known as the Métiers d’Art. CHANEL is dedicated to ultimate luxury and to the highest level of craftsmanship. It is a brand whose core values remain historically grounded in exceptional creation. As such, CHANEL promotes culture, art, creativity, and savoir-faire throughout the world and invests significantly in people, R&D, sustainable development, and innovation. At the end of 2023, CHANEL employed more than 32,000 people worldwide.

 

Press Contacts
Corey Wilson, Tribeca | cwilson@tribecafilm.com
Annie Augustine Davis, Tribeca | adavis@tribecafilm.com
Yunjung Seo, Tribeca | yseo@tribecafilm.com
Annie Buck, CHANEL | annie.buck@chanelusa.com