Tribeca Sets Fifth Annual Women’s Filmmaker Program

Mackenzie Nichols

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The fifth annual Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Project will kick off in November to support five pairs of female filmmakers with a three-day immersive program headed by industry professionals.

The 10 women will work with master class advisors like Sarah Jessica Parker and producer Alison Benson (“Divorce”) along with mentors such as producer Anne Carey (“Can You Ever Forgive Me”), director/producer Lesli Linka Glatter (“Homeland, “Mad Men”) and Catherine Keener. Writing mentors will include Semi Chellas (“Mad Men”, “American Woman”) and Olivia Milch (“Ocean’s 8”). Judges will include producer Dede Gardner (“Moonlight”) and Diane Kruger.

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Each pair of contestants will work on their short narrative films with industry professionals. As part of the program, duos will also receive personal mentorship and master classes on music composition, costume design, producing, casting and directing, working with filmmaking professionals to shape their projects. At the finale of Through Her Lens, films will be presented to the group of five jurors, and one team will win full financing to produce their short. The other projects will receive grant funds supporting their projects.

Previous winner “Feathers” premiered at the 2016 Toronto Film Festival and was acquired by Fox Searchlight. Others have debuted at Sundance Film Festival.

“We’re thrilled to enter the fifth year of this important partnership with Tribeca and Chanel,” Amy Hobby, executive director of Tribeca Film Institute, said in a statement. “This program’s impact is undeniable — many projects supported by Through Her Lens premiere at prominent film festivals around the world, and the creators go on to write, direct and produce award-winning films and series.”

Among the participants in this year’s Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Project are writer/director Hannah Peterson and producer Taylor Shung of “Champ;” writer/director Kantú Lentz and producer Roja Gashtili of “Coche Bomba;” writer/director Bane Fakih and producer Birgit Gernböck of “Keep it Together;” writer Charlotte T. Martin and director Cynthia Silver of “Melissa;” and writer/director Laura Moss and producer Mali Elfman of “Over and Over.”

The program, in collaboration with Pulse Films and Tribeca Film Institute, commences with a luncheon on Nov. 4 and runs through Nov. 6, closing with a cocktail party to announce the winner.

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