The annual Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program has officially announced its 2024 grant recipients. The star-studded three-day workshop is a coveted experience for selected female filmmakers, and has served as a launchpad for filmmakers such as Nikyatu Jusu (“Nanny”), Kat Coiro (“She-Hulk”), and A.V. Rockwell (“A Thousand and One”).
The 2024 jurors included Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Olivia Wilde, Beanie Feldstein, Lucy Liu, and Joanna Calo. Filmmaking duo Sophia Youssef and Céline Bava-Helms was awarded the grand prize for their short film “Black Shore.”
“Black Shore” received full production funding; per an official statement, “the short tells the story about Evangelina, who, forced to look after her ailing mother back home in Santorini, must confront the reality that her mother’s lifelong obsession with mythological monsters and an ancient family curse might not be pure fantasy, but a terrifying warning that some fates are inherited.”
In addition to “Black Shore” receiving full funding, other program participants of short films “Brace Yourself,” “Copy, Save,” “Haint,” and “Selah” each received a development grant to support continued work on their respective films to move them closer to production.
“Through Her Lens began in 2015 with a clear vision to inspire and empower the next generation of women storytellers. Here we are, ten years later, still led by the spirit of [late producer and Tribeca Executive Vice President] Paula Weinstein, who knew that mentorship and genuine connections are essential to build careers for women,” Jane Fonda, who serves on the Through Her Lens advisory committee, said when announcing the 2024 award. “She also knew how difficult a career path this is. These past years, throughout inflation, strikes, and major changes in our industries, the path is steeper than ever.”
The 2024 grant winners, “Black Shore” filmmakers Youssef and Bava-Helms, met while students at AFI. The duo went on to be part of the Disney Launchpad program, and first applied for the Through Her Lens program in 2022. While they were not accepted at the time, their new project now has taken home the winning grant award. Youssef told IndieWire that “Black Shore” will immediately be going into pre-production. The short film is a proof of concept for a slated feature, which Youssef and Bava-Helms have already written.
Doing the Through Her Lens program, 10 contestants have one-on-one meetings with mentors such as Pamela Adlon, Janicza Bravo, Chase Sui Wonders, and Mara Brock Akil, and later pitch their respective projects to the jury. Five finalists were then selected.
This year’s three-day mentorship program also gathered industry leaders like Patty Jenkins, Ruth E. Carter, and Laura Karpman to lead immersive workshops and intimate conversations focused on script-to-screen development, music composition, costume design, producing, and directing. Additional advisory committee members also include Greta Lee, Kerry Washington, and former Through Her Lens winner A.V. Rockwell.
Tribeca Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal told IndieWire that Through Her Lens is a program that keeps reaping its rewards, even nine years after its inception. “Each year, it’s better and smarter,” Rosenthal said.
Selecting a winning project was “an impossible task” according to Through Her Lens jury member Olivia Wilde. “The future of filmmaking is in this room,” Wilde said onstage, “and we were all so honored to witness such magical artistry.” Fellow jury member Lucy Liu added to IndieWire that Through Her Lens is “not about a competition or winning. It’s about mentoring each other and having a shared experience.”
Since its founding in 2015, Through Her Lens has supported nearly 100 emerging filmmakers and developed 40 short films. Almost 70 percent of all participants are women or non-binary people of color. Winning films have premiered at top festivals and have been distributed by Max, Searchlight, Criterion, and more.
