October 28th, 2016

NEW YORK, NY– October 27, 2016 –Tribeca Enterprises and CHANEL concluded the second annual THROUGH HER LENS: The Tribeca Chanel Women's Filmmaker Program, announcing at a cocktail reception this evening in Tribeca the project and recipient who will receive full production funding for her original short film. Feathersby A.V. Rockwell was selected by the jury to receive the production grant, along with production support from Pulse Films and Tribeca Studios. Additionally, the four other writer/directors in the program each received a development grant to support continued work on their respective films to bring them closer to production. In total $100,000 in filmmaker grants were awarded between the five projects.

Following an intensive, three-day workshop, five filmmaker pairs pitched their projects to a jury comprised of: producer Anne Carey (20th Century Women, The Diary of a Teenage Girl), actor Dakota Fanning (American Pastoral, Night Moves), writer/director Tamara Jenkins (The Savages, Slums of Beverly Hills), writer/director/producer So Yong Kim (Lovesong, Treeless Mountain), and actor/director Jennifer Westfeldt (Kissing Jessica Stein, Friends With Kids).

“It has been a remarkable three days working with these exciting new filmmakers,” said Paula Weinstein, EVP of Tribeca Enterprises. “We congratulate A.V. and thank all the filmmakers and industry advisors who gave their time to support the projects and creators selected for our program and put a spotlight on these essential female voices.”

The jury said: “It was a great privilege to read and watch the work of these five filmmaking teams. We selected the filmmaker who we felt had a singular voice and are excited to support her development as an artist.”

A.V. Rockwell commented, "Getting into THROUGH HER LENS was already an honor. I'm very grateful that the jury has given me the opportunity to see Feathers come to life."
Feathers, written by Rockwell, is about Eli, a volatile inner-city youth, who creates havoc in his attempts to re-escape from the mysterious and crumbling juvenile detention center known as “The Mill.” When the repercussions become more dire than he can handle, Eli gains purpose and introspection on his troubled life.

The announcement wraps up a powerful program, presented by Tribeca and CHANEL, in collaboration with Pulse Films, and facilitated by Tribeca Film Institute® (TFI), which offered the participants project support, one-on-one mentorship, peer-to-peer sessions, and master classes on directing, editing, casting, composing and music selection, costume design, and producing. The five women writers/directors selected for the program, who each participated with a female producer from their project, by their selection were:

• Joey Ally with Displacement Therapy and producer Constanza Castro
• Catherine Eaton with On the Outs and producer Jessica Vale
• A.V. Rockwell with Feathers and producer Leah Natasha Thomas
• Ani Simon-Kennedy with Camp Moonlight and producer Carly Hugo
• Sonejuhi Sinha with The Quarry and producer Charlotte Rabate

The leadership committee for the program, in addition to the jury, included the following mentors: director/writer Shari Springer Berman (10,000 Saints, American Splendor), actor/writer/producer Rashida Jones (“Angie Tribeca”, Black Mirror), writer/director/producer Jenni Konner (“Girls”), director Tanya Wexler (Hysteria), producer Rachel Winter (Dallas Buyers Club); master class advisors: editor Sarah Flack (Lost In Translation, The Limey), co-producer Amy Herman (Noah, “The Wizard of Lies"), composer Laura Karpman (Paris Can Wait, Underground), casting director Avy Kaufman (The Bourne Ultimatum, Life Of Pi), costume designer Arianne Phillips (Nocturnal Animals, Walk The Line), and director Shari Springer Berman; and Writing Mentors: writer/director Sophie Barthes (Madame Bovary), director/writer Catherine Hardwicke (Miss You Already, Thirteen), writers Janeika and JaSheika James (“Empire”), executive producer Susan Cara Lewis (Pariah; Inevitable Defeat Of Mister & Pete), writer/director Dee Rees (Pariah, Bessie), and producer Cathy Schulman (Crash, The Illusionist).

Since its inception, Tribeca has actively cultivated independent voices in storytelling and has been at the forefront of supporting women filmmakers, especially through such awards as the Nora Ephron Prize. Created in 2013 in honor of the amazing Nora Ephron, the prize aims to inspire a new generation of female writers and directors. It is given to one exceptional female filmmaker during the Tribeca Film Festival® each year. Women who have received the award include: Meera Menon (Farah Goes Bang, Equity), Talya Lavie (Zero Motivation), Laura Bispuri (Sworn Virgin) and Rachel Tunnard (Adult Life Skills).

THROUGH HER LENS: The Tribeca Chanel Women's Filmmaker Program—the most recent iteration of Tribeca’s commitment to female artistic voices—continues to provide resources to help empower emerging women storytellers in the industry. The nonprofit affiliate of Tribeca, TFI, supports female filmmakers year-round through its cornerstone grant and mentorship program, Tribeca All Access®. Currently in its 14th year, the program supports scripted, documentary, and interactive storytellers from diverse communities, including those that are statistically underrepresented in the industry.

@tribeca
#throughherlens

About A.V. Rockwell
A.V. Rockwell is a Jamaican-American film, television and video director from Queens, New York. Her most recent work, The Gospel, a short film commissioned by singer/songwriter Alicia Keys, premiered at a special event during the Tribeca Film Festival in 2016.

About TRIBECA ENTERPRISES
Tribeca Enterprises is a multi-platform storytelling company based in New York City. Established in 2003 by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, Tribeca provides artists with unique platforms to expand the audience for their work and broadens consumer access to experience storytelling, independent film and media. The company operates a network of branded entertainment businesses including the Tribeca Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival International, and Tribeca Studios. In 2014, The Madison Square Garden Company acquired a 50% stake in Tribeca Enterprises, bringing together two of New York's most important cultural and entertainment icons to enhance the reach and impact of both brands. www.tribecafilm.com.

About CHANEL
CHANEL, the international luxury goods company, was founded in France by Gabrielle Chanel at the beginning of the last century. The company, which is privately held, offers a broad range of luxury products, including Ready-to-Wear, fragrance, cosmetics, leathergoods, accessories, fine jewelry and watches, through a U.S. network of 24 boutiques and approximately 91 locations at select retailers. CHANEL is also renowned for its Haute Couture collections presented in Paris. CHANEL maintains 189 fashion boutiques worldwide, including the legendary House of CHANEL on rue Cambon in Paris. Under the creative guidance of designer Karl Lagerfeld, the House of CHANEL remains dedicated to luxury, fashion, style and image.

CHANEL opened its very first watch boutique avenue Montaigne in 1987 for the launch of the Première watch. The boutique was then transferred to place Vendôme in 1990, displaying also from 1993 the new CHANEL Fine Jewelry creations. Since 1997, the flagship Watch and Fine Jewelry boutique sits at 18, place Vendôme. There are 12 boutiques featuring fine jewelry collections in the U.S. and 52 Watch and Fine Jewelry boutiques worldwide.

About TRIBECA FILM INSTITUTE
Tribeca Film Institute champions storytellers to be catalysts for change in their communities and around the world. Through grants and professional development programs, TFI supports a diverse, exceptional group of filmmakers and media artists, providing them resources needed to fully realize their stories and connect with audiences. The Institute’s educational programming leverages an extensive film community network to help underserved New York City students learn filmmaking and gain the media skills necessary to be productive citizens and creative individuals in the 21st century. Featuring hands-on training and exposure to socially relevant films, the Institute administers programs to more than 25,000 students annually. TFI was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in the wake of September 11, 2001 and is a 501(c)(3) year-round nonprofit arts organization. For more information and a list of all TFI programs, visit http://www.tribecafilminstitute.org/

Media contacts:
Tammie Rosen, Tribeca Enterprises, 212 941 2003, trosen@tribecaenterprises.com
Annie Buck – CHANEL – 404 771 8501 annie.buck@chanelusa.com