FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TRIBECA AND CHANEL ANNOUNCE RECIPIENT OF 2020 PRODUCTION FUNDS FROM 6TH ANNUAL THROUGH HER LENS: THE TRIBECA CHANEL WOMEN'S FILMMAKER PROGRAM Jurors Angela Bassett, Lucy Boynton, Channing Dungey, Kirsten Dunst, Jessica Elbaum and Angelica Ross Award Rest Stop Full Production Funds Along with Support From Tribeca Studios
NEW YORK, NY- October 15, 2020 - Tribeca Enterprises and CHANEL concluded the sixth annual THROUGH HER LENS: The Tribeca CHANEL Womens Filmmaker Program, announcing the recipient who will receive full production funding for their original short film at a virtual cocktail reception.
Writer/director Crystal Kayiza and producer Jalena Keane-Lee were selected by the jury to receive the production grant, along with production support from Tribeca Studios for their short film, Rest Stop. In addition, each of the other four women filmmaker teams received a grant to support the development of their respective films. A total of $100,000 in filmmaker grants was awarded amongst the five projects.
Following an intensive virtual, three-day workshop, the filmmakers from the five selected teams pitched their projects to a jury comprised of producer Angela Bassett (Black Panther, What's Love Got To Do With It), actor Angelica Ross ( American Horror Story: 1984 , Pose ), studio executive Channing Dungey, producer Jessica Elbaum (Booksmart, Hustlers),actor Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia, Marie Antoinette), and actor Lucy Boynton (Bohemian Rhapsody, Murder on the Orient Express).
This year's THROUGH HER LENS participants came together to create more opportunities for women filmmakers to tell their stories, ranging from childhood to adulthood, despite the challenges of todays extraordinary circumstances," said Paula Weinstein, Chief Content Officer of Tribeca Enterprises. "Writer/director Crystal Kayiza and producer Jalena Keane-Lees ability to connect with our mentors and jurors virtually is a testament to the strength of this program and how great storytelling can push us forward."
From actor/director/producer, and activist, Angela Bassett on behalf of the jury: Right now we are in a world of great uncertainty, but we are all looking for hope, love and unity. Crystal Kayiza and Jalena Keane-Lee were able to bring all of this together in a few, short poignant minutes. No matter where you are from, this film pierces the heart and souls of us all. They created a world with extraordinary voices; a multigenerational story filled with love, acceptance and belonging. It was truly an honor to be invited into her world of discovery.
The winning project, Rest Stop, is centered on seven-year-old Meyi who, while on a bus ride from New York to Oklahoma, realizes her place in the world through the eyes of her mother.
This entire opportunity has been surreal. Creating during this time has been difficult, but the depth of my gratitude is unending. Being able to meet with these filmmakers, who we see as our heroes and who I really admire, has affirmed my ability to create work and keep me motivated, said writer/director of Rest Stop, Crystal Kayiza.
We are so honored to get to be a part of this new wave of female filmmakers, bringing these types of voices to the forefront. In our case, honoring the whole breadth of the immigrant experience, a coming-of-age story, and lessons that are learned from mothers to daughters, said producer of Rest Stop Jalena Keane-Lee.
The announcement closes the 6th annual mentorship and development program, occurring for the first time virtually, presented by Tribeca and CHANEL in collaboration with Pulse Films.
Participants received project support, one-on-one mentorship, peer-to-peer sessions, and master classes on directing, costume design, composing, producing and editing. The women filmmakers selected for the program were:
Writer/Director Zandash Brown and Producer Monica Sorelle with Benediction
Writer/Producer Nadia P. Manzoor and Producer Khaula Malik with Cut Leaf
Writer/Director Crystal Kayiza and Producer Jalena Keane-Lee with Rest Stop
Writer/Director Mary Ang lica Molina with Rosario
Writer/Director/Producer Susan O'Brien and Writer Producer Giselle Byrd with Wings
For the first time this year, Tribeca and CHANEL hosted In Conversation, a series of publicly available talks between leading women in film featuring: actor/producer, Yara Shahidi and her business partner and mother, Keri Shahidi, discussing the business of film and setting one's own career path; cinematographers Rachel Morrsion and Ellen Kuras, exchanging insights on visual storytelling; and actor/director Kristen Stewart and actor/writer Jenny Slate weighing in on creative collaborations with actors.
In Conversation talks are available to view at www.tribecafilm.com/throughherlens
The leadership committee for the program, in addition to the jury, included the following:
MASTERCLASS ADVISORS: casting Alexa Fogel (The Prom, Judas and The Black Messiah), actor Annette Bening (American Beauty, 20th Century Women), directing Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Old Guard, Beyond The Lights), composer Laura Karpman ( Lovecraft Country , Cotton Club Encore), writer/director/ producer Marti Noxon (Dietland, Sharp Objects), and costume designer Sharen Davis (Ray, Watchmen )
JURORS: actor/director/producer Angela Bassett (Black Panther, What's Love Got to Do With It), actor/producer Angelica Ross ( American Horror Story: 1984 , Pose ), Studio Executive Channing Dungey, producer Jessica Elbaum (Booksmart, Hustlers), actor Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia, Marie Antoinette), and actor Lucy Boynton (Bohemian Rhapsody, Murder on the Orient Express).
MENTORS: actor Glenn Close (Hillbilly Elegy, The Wife), actor Emilia Clarke ( Game of Thrones , Me Before You), producer Mollye Asher (Nomadland, Swallow), writer/director Nikki Caro (Whale Rider, Mulan)
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
31/05/2026
Olivia P rez-Collellmir to Premiere Original Work at Gaud Centennial in Barcelona The Berklee graduate and faculty member will debut her choral symphony with...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
Latino Film Institute Fellows Screen Their Short Films at the Egyptian Theatre
The Inclusion Fellowship and Spark Animation Grant uplifts 15 ...
29/05/2026
GLOOKAST LAUNCHES CINNAFILM TACHYON PLUGIN FOR MEDIA PRODUCER AND MEDIA SERVICES
This release first appeared here.
Visit our Tachyon product page or contact...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
