Chicken & Egg Pictures is delighted to welcome Mia Dooley to our team as Development Assistant. Mia will provide key logistical and creative support to the Development department, aiding to nurture relationships with our community of supporters. She will also have a hand in supporting all other fundraising activities, events, and processes. Previously, Mia served as an Office Production Assistant at Motto Pictures, collaborating with Oscar-nominated and award-winning producers on documentary films in all stages of production. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where her passion for impact-driven, diverse storytelling drove her to develop a major of her own creation titled Bridging Documentary and Fiction in Film and TV. 

She shares, “I’m thrilled to join the Chicken & Egg Pictures team at such a critical time in the organization’s history. As we expand our programs and support, I am excited to be a part of their groundbreaking efforts to usher in a new era of filmmaking. C&E holds an essential place in the documentary industry.”

Please join us in welcoming Mia Dooley to the Chicken & Egg Pictures team. We are so happy to have her on board and look forward to growing our Development Team.

Chicken & Egg Pictures is thrilled to welcome Hannah Thomas as our first-ever Communications Director. She will lead the organization’s storytelling efforts, strategizing the narratives that amplify our work, uplift our community, and contribute to making the film ecosystem a more equitable one. 

“Today marks a pivotal moment as we warmly welcome Hannah Thomas to our team as our inaugural Communications Director,” said Jenni Wolfson, CEO of Chicken & Egg Pictures. “With her strong film roots and unique communications expertise, Hannah will shepherd an exciting new chapter in our journey.  We have always been ardent champions of storytellers, and now we’re poised to step into our power as a storyteller in our own right.  We look forward to seeing how Hannah guides us to new heights through the power of narrative.”

Previously, Hannah served in strategy leadership roles at social impact branding consultancies BBMG and Big Duck, helping businesses, nonprofits, and philanthropies navigate complex, high-stakes challenges in order to make the world a better place. She’s worked with organizations across spheres of social justice, arts and culture, education, philanthropy, environmentalism, and beyond. Hannah got her start learning the ropes of PR and marketing in the heart of NYC’s film community at BAM and Lincoln Center. She studied Film and Comparative Ethnic Studies at Columbia University.

“My professional experiences have taken me everywhere from well-worn, squeaky seats in beloved movie theaters to plush executive chairs in boardrooms and beyond. Across it all, I remain awed by the transformative power of a story well told. I’m fiercely committed to using my career, skillset, and leadership in service of the narratives that will steer us into a whole, just, and healed future. I believe my strategy and communications know-how, as well as my passion for the mission, make this opportunity a one of a kind fit for both Chicken & Egg Pictures and myself. I couldn’t be more excited to contribute to this emergent, urgent chapter in C&E’s extraordinary history.”  

Chicken & Egg Pictures welcomes two new Spring Interns: Natalia Weaver and Tasnuva Shehrin. Each of them brings a passion for nonfiction filmmaking, which permeates through their work. We are very excited to have them on our team!

Natalia Weaver

Communications Intern

As Communications Intern, Natalia supports the Communications team on various projects and tasks, including assisting the dissemination of promotional materials for our community of filmmakers and executing social media campaigns. Natalia is currently a student at The New School pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Culture and Media and is beyond excited to be joining the Chicken & Egg Pictures team. Prior to studying at The New School, Natalia earned her Associates Degree in Communications. When she was 19, Natalia moved to New York from Orange County, California to pursue her passion in Film and Media. Since then, Natalia has worked on several creative projects ranging from short films, TV sets, to co-writing and starring in a stage play which premiered at the Black Box Theatre. Natalia seeks to challenge current perceptions of Mexico in Western media while also highlighting and bringing awareness to cultural issues through film.

“I am ecstatic to be joining an organization whose vision and mission (to provide a global community of women and gender expansive documentary filmmakers with creative and financial support while striving for a gender-inclusive media industry) align with my own personal goals.”

Tasnuva Shehrin

Program Intern

As Program Intern, Tasnuva provides logistical support for programming and grant applications. With a Bachelor’s degree in Media Studies and a minor in Anthropology from Brooklyn College, she brings a comprehensive understanding of media and cultural dynamics to the role. Following her graduation, Tasnuva embarked on a solo month-long journey to Italy, where she filmed a documentary about migrant workers. With past roles as a Festival Coordinator and Public Health Educator, as well as an internship at American Documentary, Tasnuva is well-versed in various aspects of the industry. Outside of her role, Tasnuva pursues her interests as an independent filmmaker and an amateur gluten free baker.

“I’m thrilled to be part of a company that champions inclusivity for women and gender-expansive filmmakers, providing the support and resources needed to bring their visions to life. It’s wonderful to be involved in bridging the gap and fostering a more diverse and equitable creative landscape.”

Post by Communications Assistant Tess Caldwell. 

Nine Nest-supported films are premiering at Sundance Film Festival and Slamdance, including: 

Against the Tide  

Available in person and online 
Premiering on Friday, January 20
11:30 AM MST | Egyptian Theatre    

It’s Only Life After All

Available in person
Premiering on Thursday, January 19
5:00 PM MST | The Ray Theatre

Is There Anybody Out There?

Available in person and online 
Premiering on Sunday, January 22
3:00 PM MST | Prospector Square Theatre

Joonam

Available in person and online 
Premiering on Saturday, January 21 
11:30 AM MST | Egyptian Theatre

Milisuthando

Available in person and online 
Premiering on Saturday, January 21 
12:00 PM MST | Prospector Square Theatre

Plan C

Available in person
Premiering on Monday, January 23
2:30 PM MST | The Ray Theatre

The Eternal Memory

Available in person and online 
Premiering on Saturday, January 21 
6:10 PM MST | Prospector Square Theatre

The Tuba Thieves

Available in person and online 
Premiering on Sunday, January 22 
12:00 PM MST | Prospector Square Theatre

Onlookers

World Premiere at 2023 Slamdance Film Festival

Available in person and online
Slamdance in-person screenings:
Saturday, January 21
3:15 PM MST | Treasure Mountain Inn- Crescent Room 

Monday, January 23
11:00 AM MST | Treasure Mountain Inn- Ballroom

Get your tickets here. 

Slamdance online screenings:

From Monday, January 23 to Sunday, January 29

Get your tickets here. 

Filmmakers having their world premieres at these respective festivals represent our industry-leading programs and initiatives including the Chicken & Egg Award, (Egg)celerator Lab, and the 2022 Critical Issues Fund. 

Two Nest-supported films were included on the 95th Academy Awards® shortlist for documentary features and documentary short films: Hidden Letters and The Janes. The Oscars® nominations will be announced on Tuesday, January 24.  

This year marks the start of our new three-year Strategic Plan, which refreshes our mission, vision, and values. Over the next three years, we will: 

• Disburse $5.3M to 140 filmmakers, expand our industry-leading programs including (Egg)celerator Lab, Chicken & Egg Award, and Project: Hatched, 
• Introduce a new research and development fund and producers fund 
• Work towards opening our eligibility to all transgender individuals
• Offer additional AlumNest workshops and spaces for filmmakers to connect with industry leaders and funders.  

Stay tuned for more news by subscribing to our newsletter.

Chicken & Egg Pictures is egg-cited and proud to share some big news: our dearest Executive Director Jenni Wolfson, 2018 (Egg)celerator Lab recipients Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh (Writing With Fire), 2019 (Egg)celerator Lab recipient Jessica Kingdon (Ascension), 2021 Chicken & Egg Award recipients Cristina Ibarra and Jialing Zhang, and 2022 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Brett Story have been invited to become members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 

We also want to congratulate Bob Moore (producer of Project: Hatched 2021 grantee Dope Is Death) and Nathan Truesdell (producer of 2019 (Egg)celerator Lab recipient Ascension) for their invitations!  

The Class of 2022 is 44% women, 37% percent underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 50% hail from outside of the United States.

Congratulations to the Class of 2022!

Congratulations!

Winner of the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Excellence In Vérité Filmmaking

Midwives

dir. & prod. Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing

prods. Bob Moore, Ulla Lehmann, Mila Aung-Thwin

Check out 2017 Chicken and Egg Award recipient Dawn Porter presenting the Award with this link.

A special congratulations to AlumNest filmmaker Margaret Brown (The Great Invisible) on receiving the U.S. Documentary Competition Special Jury Award: Creative Vision for Descendant!

Check out the full winners’ list with this link.

We are egg-cited and very proud to share some big news: our dearest Communications Coordinator Morgan Hulquist has joined our friends at Multitude Films as Production Coordinator. 

Morgan has been a vital part of our communications team since joining us in 2017 as an intern. Her words and perspective have shaped the Chicken & Egg Pictures narrative, amplified the voices of filmmakers, and advocated for a more equitable documentary field. She launched Letters from the AlumNest and wrote our 2021 Best of the Nest as well as countless other projects and posts. 

Morgan: You are a beloved colleague and friend and we can’t wait to see what you will do next! We miss you already.

Last week, Director Tabitha Jackson and Director of Programming Kim Yutani, announced this edition’s details. Yutani and Jackson shared important statistics about women filmmakers in their program selection: 

“Of the submissions to Sundance this year, only 28 percent were from women. Yet among all the features selected, 52 percent were directed by women. When asked whether the programmers decided to boost women auteurs over men, they steered around the question, saying they are always looking to promote female filmmakers. Jackson added: “The slightly depressing fact is that the figure of 28 percent submissions from women has remained pretty static across the years. It is a figure that we would wish to see higher because of what it indicates about the state of the industry. It’s surprising that so few are submitting.”

Sundance Film Festival Unveils 2022 Lineup That Reflects ‘Age of Reckoning’, Nicole Sperling

Learn more about Mija, Midwives, and AlumNest films below:

Mija

dir. Isabel Castro

prod. Tabs Breese, Isabel Castro, Yesenia Tlahuel

Selected as part of the Next category
Premiering on Friday, January 21 
Get your tickets

With Doris’ voice as our guide, Mija uses VHS archive, verité footage, and camcorder vlogging to tell the story of two young women’s coming-of-age journeys as they look for success and belonging. The film is an immensely emotional and intimate portrait honoring the resilience of immigrants and their children. 

Midwives

dir. & prod. Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing

prods. Bob Moore, Ulla Lehmann, Mila Aung-Thwin

Selected as part of the World Cinema Documentary Competition 
Premiering on Monday, January 24 
Get your tickets

Hla and Nyo Nyo are two midwives that work side by side in a makeshift medical clinic in western Myanmar, where the Rohingya (a Muslim minority community) are persecuted and denied basic rights. Filmed over three tumultuous years, their remarkable relationship reveals both tensions and the hope inherent in their common cause.

From the AlumNest

AlumNest filmmakers are soaring into Sundance’s program in the U.S. Documentary Competition to the World Cinema Documentary Competition:

• Descendant, directed by Margaret Brown, prods. Essie Chambers, Kyle Martin
• The Janes, directed by Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes, prods. Emma Pildes, Daniel Arcana, Jessica Levin
• TikTok, Boom., directed by Shalini Kantayya, prods. Ross M. Dinerstein. Shalini Kantayya, Danni Mynard
• To The End, directed by Rachel Lears, prod. Sabrina Schmidt Gordon
• The Martha Mitchell Effect, produced by Beth Levison, Judith Mizrachy, dirs. Anne Alvergue, Debra McClutchy 

A special shoutout to 2018 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Natalia Almada, whose 2002 short documentary film All Water Has a Perfect Memory,  will screen online as part of the “From the Collection” program, a line-up of 40 short films selected to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Sundance Institute. Ticket sales start Friday, December, 17.

Here at Chicken & Egg Pictures, we are sending egg-stra special congratulations to the Nest-supported films that received a nomination: Writing With Fire, Ascension, Simple As Water, Manzanar, Diverted: When Water Becomes Dust, and from the AlumNest: In the Same Breath and Witness. Massive congratulations to the Nest-supported filmmakers that received a 2021 Awards Honorees: Rintu Thomas & Sushmit Ghosh (Writing With Fire) and Cecilia Aldarondo (Landfall). 

The awards ceremony will take place on Saturday, February 5, 2022 at Paramount Studios, Los Angeles; tickets will be accessible to the public in January 2022. Take a look at the nominees and honorees:

Writing With Fire

dirs. & prods. Rintu Thomas, Sushmit Ghosh

Nominated for Best Feature

Ascension

dir. & prod. Jessica Kingdon 

prods. Kira Simon-Kennedy and Nathan Truesdell

Nominated for Best Cinematography
Cinematographers: Jessica Kingdon and Nathan Truesdell

Simple As Water

dir. & prod. Megan Mylan

prod.  Robin Hessman

Nominated for Best Editing
Editors: Purcell Carson and Megan Mylan

Manzanar, Diverted: When Water Becomes Dust

dir. & prod. Ann Kaneko

prod. Jin Yoo-Kim

Nominated for Best Music Score
Composers: Lori Goldston, Steve Fisk and Alexander Miranda

2021 Awards Honorees

2018 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee Writing With Fire directors & producers Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh will receive the Courage Under Fire Award. 

Project: Hatched 2020 grantee Landfall director Cecilia Aldarondo will receive the Emerging Documentary Filmmaker Award.

From the AlumNest

In the Same Breath, directed & produced by 2018 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Nanfu Wang, produced by 2021 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Jialing Zhang, Carolyn Hepburn, Sara Rodriguez, Julie Goldman, and Christopher Clements, was nominated for Best Feature. Witness, produced by Nest-supported filmmaker Amber Fares, Lisa Camillo, Saad Zuberi, Emile Guertin and Reem Haddad, was nominated for Best Short Series. 

Post by Communications Intern Mariana Sanson

Special congratulations to the CIFF team who have been diligently working to bring us an immersive in-person festival experience “to share cinema as it was intended, on the big screen and surrounded by community.”

Ascension

dir. Jessica Kingdon  
prods. Jessica Kingdon, Kira Simon-Kennedy & Nathan Truesdell
Available for in-person screening on Friday, September 17 at 3:00 pm ET | Tickets here 

From the AlumNest

Listening to Kenny G, directed by 2017 Chicken & Egg Award recipient Penny Lane, and produced by Gabriel Sedgwick, will be available for in-person (including Drive-in) and virtual screenings | Tickets here

Meet Our Team at CIFF

Representing Chicken & Egg Pictures, our External Engagement Manager will be taking in-person filmmaker meetings with projects from CIFF programming including Points North Fellowship, North Star Fellowship, 4th World Media Lab, and American Stories Doc Fund (sponsored by CNN Films). 

Our Co-Founder Wendy Ettinger will also be at CIFF, taking virtual meetings. Take a look at Camden International Film Festival full programming here. 

Post by 2021 Summer Communications Intern Mariana Sanson