In the Festival

Farming the Revolution

dir. & prod. Nishtha Jain, Akash Basumatari

prod. Valérie Montmartin

Farming the Revolution was supported through Nishtha Jain’s 2020 Chicken & Egg Award and is having its UK Premiere in the Rebellions section.

Get your tickets here.

The Boy and the Suit of Lights

dir. Inma de Reyes

prod. Aimara Reques

The Boy and the Suit of Lights was a participant of the 2020 (Egg)celerator Lab and is having its World Premiere in the International First Feature Competition.

Get your tickets here.

Our Land, Our Freedom

dir. & prods. Meena Nanji, Zippy Kimundu

Our Land, Our Freedom was a participant of the 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab having its UK Premiere in the Strands section.

Get your tickets here.

Union

dir. & prods. Brett Story, Stephen Maing

prod. Samantha Curley, Mars Verrone, Martin Dicicco

Union was supported through Brett Story’s 2023 Chicken & Egg Award.

Get your tickets here.

In the MeetMarket

The 19th edition of Sheffield DocFest’s flagship pitching forum, the MeetMarket, will take place on Thursday 13 and Friday 14 of June 2024. The slate includes 50 documentary projects, in development or at production stage, to be pitched in one-to-one meetings to international and UK industry representatives and experts. In this year’s lineup, there are three 2024 (Egg)celerator Lab grantees as well as a Research & Development Grantee. Learn more:

Jaripeo

dirs. Efraín Mojica, Rebecca Zweig

prods. Sarah Strunin

Jaripeo is a 2024 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee and is participating in the MeetMarket.

Vena Acuática

dir. Amada Torruella

prods. Seth Gadsden, Brenda Avila-Hanna

Vena Acuática is a 2024 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee and is participating in the MeetMarket.

War on Women

dir. Maris Salumets

prods. Elina Litvinova, Volia Chajkouskaya

War on Women is a 2024 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee and is participating in the MeetMarket.

Green is the Fire’s Tint

dirs. & prods. Arya Rothe, Cristina Hanes, Isabella Rinaldi

Green is the Fire’s Tint was supported through our 2023 Research & Development Grant and is participating in the MeetMarket.

From the AlumNest

• Bread & Roses | Festival Lineup
  dir. Sahra Mani
  prods. Jennifer Lawrence, Justine Ciarrocchi

• My Sweet Land | Festival Lineup
  dir. Sareen Hairabedian
  prods. Azza Hourani, Sareen Hairabedian, David Rane, Julie Paratian, Beth Levison, Rintu Thomas, Sushmit Ghosh

• Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa | Festival Lineup
  dir. Lucy Walker
  prods. Charlie Corwin, Michael D. Ratner, Miranda Sherman, Dalia Burde, Christopher Newman

• The Age of Water | MeetMarket
  dirs. Isabel Alcántara, Alfredo Alcántara
  prods. Lindsay Perna, Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson

• The Noble Half (working title) | MeetMarket
  dir. Khaula Malik
  prods. Brit Fryer, Afnahn Khan

• The Shape of Blue | MeetMarket
  dir. Sybilla Patrizia
  prod. Ina Fichman

• Widow Champion | MeetMarket
  dir. & prod. Zippy Kimundu
  prod. Heather Courtney

Meet the Team at the Fest!

Program Director Kiyoko McCrae and Industry & Artist Development Manager Tobi Phang-Lyn are going to be in attendance at the festival. They will be taking meetings with filmmakers, watching supported films, participating in roundtable discussions, and hosting an alumni happy hour. 

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

Breaking the News

dirs. Chelsea Hernandez, Heather Courtney, Princess A. Hairston

prod. Diane Quon

Breaking the News a 2022 Critical Issues Fund Grantee had its DC Premiere.

How to Carry Water

dir. Sasha Wortzel

prod. Jess Devaney, Anya Rous, Colleen Cassingham

How to Carry Water was supported in partnership with Multitude Films as a part of the QUEER FUTURES (2022) series and had its DC Premiere in the “Shorts Program 3: Out/Spoken” section.

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 had its DC Premiere.

MnM

dir. Twiggy Pucci Garçon

prod. Colleen Cassingham, Jess Devaney

MnM was supported in partnership with Multitude Films as a part of the QUEER FUTURES (2022) series and had its North American Premiere in the “Shorts Program 3: Out/Spoken” section.

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 had its DC Premiere.

The Script

dir. Brit Fryer, Noah Schamus

prod. Colleen Cassingham, Jess Devaney

The Script was supported in partnership with Multitude Films as a part of the QUEER FUTURES series and had its East Coast Premiere in the “Shorts Program 3: Out/Spoken” section.

From the AlumNest

• Confessions of a Good Samaritan
  dir. Penny Lane
  prod. Gabriel Sedgwick
  
  
• Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
  dirs. & prods. Michèle Stephenson, Joe Brewster 
  
  
• Kim’s Video
  dirs. & prods. David Redmon, Ashley Sabin
  prods. Deborah Smith, Dale Smith, Francesco Galavotti, Rebecca Tabasky
  
  
• Your Fat Friend
  dir. & prod. Jeanie Finlay
  prod. Suzanne Alizar

Post written by Spring Intern Tess Caldwell

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

For our Children

(previously Black Mothers Love & Resist)

dir. & prod. Débora Souza Silva

prod. David Felix Sutcliffe, Adina Luo

For Our Children is a 2020 (Egg)celerator Lab grantee.

The Hamlet Syndrome

dirs. Elwira Niewiera, Piotr Rosolowski

prod. Magdalena Kaminska

The Hamlet Syndrome was supported through Elwira Niewira’s 2021 Chicken & Egg Award.

From the AlumNest

Nest-supported filmmaker Penny Lane was selected as the 2023 Retrospective artist. The retrospective includes six films directed by Lane from 2010 to today, including Nest-supported Hail Satan?, The Pain of Others; and Nuts!, Our Nixon, and The Voyagers. 

• For the Record
  dir. & prod. Heather Courtney
  prod. Paul Stekler
  
  
• Sealed in Blood
  dir. Sofian Khan
  prod. J. Motts
  
  
• Lily Gladstone: Far Out There
  dir. & prod. Brooke Pepion Swaney
  prod. Jeri Rafter

Lily Gladstone: Far Out There will being having its World Premiere

Post written by Spring intern Tess Caldwell

We are proud to present the twelve grantees selected for the 2022 Critical Issues Fund. The Critical Issues Fund supports filmmakers, with more than $250,000 in funding, whose work is focused on important and topical issues that are currently having a decided and material impact on communities domestically and internationally. The 2022 grant awardees have projects exploring some of the most pressing issues of the moment: the war in Ukraine, gun violence, reproductive justice, and climate emergencies. 

“Through the Critical Issues Fund, we have identified films that have the potential to drive social change by sharing these stories with the world now—not years down the line. Chicken & Egg Pictures cares deeply about these issues and believes that a more equitable and just world can be shaped by the power of documentary films. Our hope is that through highlighting these stories told by talented women filmmakers, others will be motivated to action to support the films and the issues they highlight,” said CEO of Chicken & Egg Pictures, Jenni Wolfson. “We live in a world that’s not doing enough to prevent war, gun violence, climate change, or advance reproductive justice. We firmly believe these films can help in the fight for these issues.” 

We are thrilled to give these filmmakers a warm welcome to the Nest. The 2022 Critical Issues Fund grantees are: 

After Roe (Working title)
Directors: Amber Fares, Geeta Gandbhir (US/CANADA)
After Roe explores the ongoing nationwide battle playing out after the Supreme Court left the fate of tens of millions of women in the hands of politicians across the country.

Breaking the News
Directors: Heather Courtney, Chelsea Hernandez, Princess Hairston (US)
Producer: Diane Quon
Breaking the News follows a group of women and non-binary journalists, bucking the white male status quo, to launch The 19th*—a digital news startup that asks who has been omitted from mainstream coverage and how they can be included.

Displaced 
Director: Olha Zhurba (UKRAINE)
Producer: Darya Bassel 
Displaced captures a collective portrait of Ukrainians fleeing the grindstones of war, and those who stayed and are forced to adapt to life under constant shelling.

Frontline 
Director: Alisa Kovalenko (UKRAINE)
Producer: Katarzyna Kuczyńska 
Co-producers: Monica Hellström, Valeryi Kalmykov
Frontline is a diary from the frontline of the Russian invasion of Ukraine by a director and mother turned soldier.

Hollywood Does Abortion (Working title)
Directors & Producers: Barbara Attie, Mike Attie, Janet Goldwater (US)
Producer: Eliza Licht 
Hollywood Does Abortion explores descriptions of abortion in film and television, revealing how Hollywood both reflects and distorts this safe but controversial medical procedure.

Intercepted 
Director: Oksana Karpovych (UKRAINE/CANADA)
Producer: Les Films Cosmos
Intercepted is a journey through Ukraine that reveals the banality of evil behind the Russian invasion.

Plan C
Director & Producer: Tracy Droz Tragos (US)
Plan C follows the journey of a grassroots network, with a controversial visionary at the helm, as they fight to expand access to abortion pills across the United States, and keep hope alive during a global pandemic and the fall of Roe v. Wade.

Razing Liberty Square 
Director: Katja Esson (GERMANY/US)
Razing Liberty Square features Miami as ground zero for sea level rise. When residents of the Liberty Square public-housing community learn about a $300-million revitalization project in 2015, they soon discover that this sudden interest comes from the fact that their neighborhood is located on the highest and driest ground in the city. Now they must prepare to fight a new form of racial injustice: climate gentrification.

Red Zone
Director: Iryna Tsilyk (UKRAINE)
Producer: Darya Bassel 
Red Zone shares Tsilyk’s very intimate and female perspective on the question—what does it mean to be a woman in the war times?

Sol in the Garden 
Directors: Emily Cohen Ibañez, Débora Souza Silva (US/COLOMBIA/BRAZIL)
Sol in the Garden features Sol—who is released from prison after 16 years of incarceration—and follows her journey as she discovers that coming into her own freedom can be as challenging as living behind bars. Through a community gardening collective of formerly incarcerated horticulturalists in East Oakland, Sol strives to recover her humanity and sense of self.

Untitled Baby Doe Film 
Director: Jessica Earnshaw (CANADA)
Producer: Holly Meehl Chapman
Untitled Baby Doe Film intimately explores the phenomena of pregnancy denial through the stories of two women, a generation apart, given life sentences for the deaths of their newborns.

Untitled Uvalde Documentary 
Director & Producer: Anayansi Prado (PANAMA/US)

Note: The parentheses next to the directors’ names indicate the directors’ country or countries of origin.

You can look at the full list of the documentaries featured here.

A Thousand Girls Like Me*, directed by Sahra Mani (2016 Diversity Fellow Initiative)

In Afghanistan where systematic abuses of girls rarely come to light, and seeking justice can be deadly, one young woman says “Enough.” Khatera was brutally raped by her father since the age of nine and today she raises two precious and precocious children whom he sired. Against her family’s and many Afghanis’ wishes, Khatera forces her father to stand trial. This is her incredible story of love, hope, bravery, forgiveness, and truth.

Screening(s):

June 19, 9 pm at the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center

June 20, 7 pm at the IFC Center

Get your tickets here.

*A Thousand Girls Like Me will have its US premiere at the 2018 HRWFF.

Naila and the Uprising*, directed by Julia Bacha

Weaving together interviews, news footage, and expressive animation, award-winning documentarian Julia Bacha inventively chronicles the remarkable journey of Naila Ayesh, who in the late 1980s joined a clandestine movement of Palestinian women who played a pivotal role in the nonviolent uprising known as the First Intifada.

Screening(s):

June 16, 7 pm at IFC Center

Get your tickets here.

*Chicken & Egg Pictures did not support Naila and the Uprising but supported director Julia Bacha’s film, Budrus.

On Her Shoulders*, directed by Alexandria Bombach (2018 SXSW LUNA / Chicken & Egg Pictures Award recipient)

This empowering documentary presents 23-year-old Nadia Murad, a Yazidi genocide survivor determined to tell the world her story. Determined advocate and reluctant celebrity, she becomes the voice of her people and their best hope to spur the world to action.

Screening(s):

June 14, 7 pm at the Film Society of Lincoln center’s Walter reade theatre

Get your tickets here.

*Chicken & Egg Pictures did not support On Her Shoulders but supported director Julia Alexandria Bombach through the SXSW LUNA / Chicken & Egg Pictures Award.

The Unafraid*, directed by Heather Courtney and Anayansi Prado (2017 Chicken & Egg Pictures mentee)

High School seniors Alejandro, Silvia, and Aldo, like most of their friends, are eager to go to college and pursue their education. However, their home state of Georgia not only bans them from attending the top five public universities, but also deems them ineligible for in-state tuition at public colleges due to their immigration status as DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients. In response, these three ambitious and dream-filled students divert their passions towards the fight for education in the undocumented community. As President Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric against immigrants gains momentum, and amid constant threat of losing their DACA status and being deported, The Unafraid follows these inspirational members of the generation of “undocumented, unapologetic and unafraid” young people who are determined to overcome and dismantle oppressive policies and mindsets.

Screening(s):

June 21, 7 pm at IFC Center

You can buy tickets to the Human Rights Watch Film Festival here.

*Chicken & Egg Pictures did not support The Unafraid but supported director Anayansi Prado’s film, Children in No Man’s Land.