STORY LEADS TO ACTION with MADE IN INDIA

Chicken & Egg Pictures and Working Films present the next installment of a monthly screening and audience engagement series at the 92Y Tribeca on Thursday, February 18th at 7:30 PM with MADE IN INDIA presented by the directors Rebecca Haimowitz and Vaishali Sinhais.



MADE IN INDIA is a feature documentary that follows the journey of an infertile American couple, an Indian surrogate and the reproductive outsourcing business that brings them together. Against the backdrop of an ever-growing international assisted reproductive technology industry we get a respectful up-close look at the phenomena of "outsourcing" surrogate mothers to India, a complicated clash of families, all in NEED and all in crisis, reproductive technology and "choice" from a global perspective.

BE A PART OF THE OUTREACH PLAN:

Spanning the global North and the global South, MADE IN INDIA ultimately tells a complex story. It not only amplifies the voices of the real people involved but - if all goes according to the filmmakers' hopes, dreams and goals, will inform policy-making around surrogacy in India, affect US and global corporate practices, and ensure that women's rights are protected and their choices respected. This evening will help form the foundations of the audience engagement plan that will tackle these issues.

Following the screening, Judith Helfand will lead a lively engaged panel and audience in a focused discussion on
how to balance the needs of a character driven film with the needs of a global campaign about women's health, reproductive rights, the business of being born and fast-paced globalization.

SCREENING DETAILS:
Evening starts at 7.30PM
Moderated by Judith Helfand Co-Founder, Chicken & Egg Pictures and Working Films
with special guests
Carole S. Vance, Ph.D, MPH, Departments of Sociomedical Sciences (Public Health) and Anthropology, Columbia University
Rebecca Jordan-Young, Assistant Professor of Women's Studies, Barnard College, Columbia University. Board of Directors, The Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies (CLAGS) at the CUNY Graduate Center
Caroline Earle Cotter, Program Coordinator, CREA (Creating Resources for Empowerment and Action), NY
Panelist TBD, Center for Reproduction

Tickets are $12
Click here to purchase tickets

Location:
92YTribeca
200 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10013

JOIN US AND BE A PART OF THE ACTION!

STORY LEADS TO ACTION is a monthly series featuring Chicken & Egg/Working Films' filmmakers coming together with strategic advocates and educators to brainstorm and "design" on-the-spot community/audience engagement strategies for their films.

MADE IN INDIA was supported in part by Chicken & Egg Pictures, Center for Asian American Media, The Fledgling Fund, Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund, New York State Council on the Arts, The Playboy Foundation and other generous donors/foundations. The film will premiere late Spring/Summer 2010 at US and International film festivals.


Chicken & Egg Pictures is a hybrid film fund and non-profit production
company dedicated to supporting women filmmakers who are as passionate about
the craft of storytelling as they are about the environmental, human rights
and social issues they're embracing, translating and exploring on film.


Working Films advances social, economic, environmental and racial justice by
linking non-fiction filmmaking to cutting-edge activism.

Chicken & Egg Pictures seeks new intern

Interested or know anyone who is interested in coming on board to a great fund, community and organization? We are seeking a new intern to start as soon as possible. Spread the word!

Purpose and Scope:
Chicken and Egg Pictures requires an intern to assist in their general operations. The intern will liaise with Program Associate Natalie Difford to help manage, build and push forward this exciting young organization. We are looking for someone who can commit to a minimum of two days a week, three ideally.

Internship tasks might include:
1) Building and maintaining our library and filing system
2) Read, watch and report on inquiries to the fund
3) Building research portfolios on professional and community resources to share with our community
4) Finding new information and hot stories to include on our blog
5) General admin assistance to Program Associate Natalie Difford
6) Assist our New-York based filmmakers with their projects; from a shoot to the edit room.

Prospective Interns should:
1) Have an interest in documentary filmmaking and social change
2) Be knowledgeable about web-based research
3) Take initiative and be able to work independently as well as with Program Associate Natalie Difford
4) Have stellar organizational skills.
5) Excellent writing skills for film summaries and research reports
6) Own your own laptop to bring in to the office.
7) Knowledge of Filmmaker Pro and any graphic design programs a plus.
8) Sense of humor is a must!

Internship is unpaid but Monthly MTA Metrocard for NYC provided.

With 'GOOD FORTUNE' Story Will Lead to Action

Chicken & Egg Pics in partnership with Working Films hosted another STORY LEADS TO ACTION at 92y Tribeca, with a screening of the documentary 'Good Fortune' by filmmakers Landon Van Soest and Jeremy Levine.



Set in Kenya, the documentary vividly calls into question the positive impact of international development organizations, from the housing reconstruction efforts of the UN in the slums of Kibera to a private agri-business in the swamp lands of Yala. The film raises issues about dead aid, and the politics of international development which often excludes the involvement of the very people these organizations are trying to help.

The film has had a successful year on the festival circuit along with a notable POV broadcast, but the aim of the night was to put heads together with NY guest educators to hash out how this film could really make a difference where it is most needed; among students learning international development, aid organizations, the donor community, inter-governmental organizations like the UN/World Bank/IMF that promote foreign investment in developing countries.

Dr. Mojúbàobolú Olúfúnké Okome, Professor of Political Science, Eliza Licht, Director, Community Engagement and Education, P.O.V and David Gerwin, Associate Professor, Coordinator, Program in Social Studies, all provided varied personal insight on the content of the film and the purpose to which it could be most effectively used.

POV came away with ideas for compiling an education packet to be distributed with the film to various education institutions and both Professors spoke about how the film could be used in the class room. Beyond the guest speakers contributions to the conversation, filmmakers in the audience shared their views and ideas about ways to take this film beyond the film circuit.

Audience members where encouraged to write their questions and ideas down, whilst the conversation was taking place, for the filmmakers to take home and transform into practical audience engagement strategies.

Here are some of audience members suggestions:

* Show the film to large foundations to encourage them to support projects with local involvement.
* Include more statistics for the educational version.
* Give updates on what is happening with the stories now.
* Provide more info on different approaches to development like microlending.
* We also got lots of great suggestions for organizations to highlight for our educational guide and venues to screen the film. Thanks to all!

For more info on the Good Fortune - please visit their website here.

Chicken & Egg grantees Laura Poitras and Kirsten Johnson win for Excellence in Cinematography: Documentary at Sundance Awards.

We couldn’t be more pleased for such strong women to win in male-dominant category, especially given where and who they were shooting. Although we would have liked to see Laura awarded with the achievement in directing, the cinematography of The Oath was one of the reasons behind Chicken & Egg coming on board in 2008. At the time there had been an over-consumption of war-related docs and support behind Laura was already strong as she was hot-off-the-tail of her previous academy-nominated film, My Country, My Country. Just looking at the footage submitted however, we knew we had to stand behind her, stand shoulder-to-shoulder - hell even stand on her shoulders! - in support of such risk-taking and beautiful lensing of this evocative story about two brothers. Our “I BELIEVE IN YOU” grant exists for a reason – we believe in you Laura and Kirsten!

See an excerpt from their speech here.

Chicken & Egg raises the roof at the 3rd annual Sundance Party!

From left to right: Caroline Libresco(eggspert), Robin Hessman(grantee), Julie Parker Benello(C&E), Laura Poitras(grantee), Wendy Ettinger(C&E), Michelle Byrd(Eggspert), Lisa Collins(grantee), Julia Bacha(grantee), Natalie Difford(C&E).

January 26th saw the 3rd annual Chicken & Egg Pictures Party at the ever-gracious home of hosts Jill and Richard Sheinberg. A perfect mix of industry and filmmakers alike, we were delighted to provide a space for festival folk to come and share war stories and celebrate triumphs. Julie Parker Benello, Wendy Ettinger and myself led the conga line (just kidding) in corralling a great group together in stimulating conversations, scrumptious food and film love all around! We were missing one very important part of the nest however and it is worth mentioning that the party could not have existed without co-founder, Judith Helfand who led us from her hospital bed in New York. (ed. she is doing a lot better now, thank you for asking).


From left to right our grantees: Laura Poitras(The Oath), Jennifer Arnold(A Small Act), Robin Hessman(My Perestroika), Patti Lee(A Small Act)

The annual party is a great space to present and highlight our grantees at the festival, a moment away from the festival to say "hi!", "well done", "get a drink down yer". Honoree grantees premiering at this year's festival were: Jennifer Arnold with A Small Act, Robin Hessman with My Perestroika and Laura Poitras with The Oath. Collaboration is an essential part of the work Chicken & Egg embarks on to ensure our projects take flight and thus we couldn't have a party without acknowledging those who work with us to make change possible. This year we honored Impact Partners and Firelight Media.

We celebrate Impact Partners because they “truly believe that there is a double bottom line that can serve the field, link new resources to new voices, help filmmakers and investors alike navigate new models for financing films. The films they get behind are launched with intention, dedication and deliver long-term returns — social and capital -- that keep giving. Behind every good chicken there is often a great rooster… like Dan Cogan. And if they are lucky they get to lay their eggs in a fabulous coop like the Salt Lake City Film Center —a venue, founded and created by co-founder Geralyn Dreyfous."


Dan Cogan, Impact Partners receives a rooster from Wendy Ettinger whilst Julie Parker Benello hands Geralyn Dreyfous her egg.


New to the nest is our collaboration with the Firelight Media Producer's Lab who will work with us to provide comprehensive mentorship to our filmmakers and the field-at-large. Our collaboration celebrates their vision, strategic creative storytelling and producing support to emergent producers of color.


Stanley Nelson from Firelight Media.

I think everyone can agree (and I have the pictures to prove it) that the party was a resounding success – what a way to kick off year five for Chicken & Egg Pictures!
(credit for photos is Lesli Klainberg)

If Laura Poitras started a filmmaking cult, I'd take THE OATH.

Cinematographer Kirsten Johnson and Director/Cinematographer Laura Poitras

I kid you not, Laura Poitras is my hero! She embodies everything a member of the documentary community seeks to possess; she has integrity, dedication, skill, passion and a very generous and kind soul. With complex and intensely political themes, the premiere of The Oath was never going to be easy. If you were concerned about this, however, you would forget that such a subject was in the hands of award-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras. During my entire stay at Sundance, I didn’t experience buzz like the chatter created post-Oath screenings. It was one of the only screenings I knew of where the audience couldn’t muster a bad thing to say about it and not without note to the handling of the film’s tough terrain by Poitras.

The strength of the film is approaching the strong underlying political themes with quiet, chilling verite, masterfully captured by cinematographers Kirsten Johnson and Laura Poitras, for which they also won the Excellence in Cinematography at Sundance’s award ceremony on Sunday. The film comes one year after the announcement of the closure of Guantanamo at Barack Obama’s inauguration.

The Q&A was filled with politically-laden questions but Poitras handled these with a steady confidence, insisting that the film is “essentially a story about two brothers” and yet managed to main an understanding in her answers that America has yet to come to grips with the issues featured in the film. “I think it’s important to understand these people as humans and not as stereotypes as they’re presented in the media,” Poitras exclaimed during the Q&A. “They are basically radicalizing Al Qaeda.” She said in reference to America’s treatment of terrorists and terrorism.

Click here for a Sundance Film Festival interview with Laura Poitras which, if you haven’t been convinced by me already, will make you want to contribute your money, sweat and tears to any project she sets upon next.

Filmed in Yemen and Guantanamo Bay, The Oath tells the story of Abu Jandal, Osama bin Laden's former bodyguard, and Salim Hamdan, a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay Prison and the first man to face the controversial military tribunals. The Oath is a family drama about two men whose fateful encounter in 1996 set them on a journey that would lead to Osama bin Laden, 9/11, Guantanamo Bay prison and the U.S. Supreme Court. The film begins as Salim Hamdan is set to face war crime charges at Guantanamo and Abu Jandal is a free man who drives a taxi in Yemen.

Big shout out to Sundance for giving such great opportunities to their grantees!

Three cheers to the Sundance Documentary Program!

Over the course of the second week of the festival, Lesli Klainberg, Win-sie Tow, Kristin Feeley and team put together strategic meetings for the fellows in their DFP. I can honestly say that I came away from these meetings chanting “I Love my job!” Seeing the whites of filmmakers’ eyes really helps us see, hear and get-down with a project– which is especially useful when we get over 500 submissions a year! The Sundance grantees weren’t kidding when they said that coming to Sundance with the DFP was like an extended family. The SIM (Sundance Industry Meeting) team were certainly like mothering hens: making sure you had spoken to this project and that project (even if it wasn’t on your list!), providing a space for the filmmakers to work and providing snacks to boot! I wish I could devote more of my working week to being available to filmmakers currently outside of the nest but, whilst we assess capacity, I’m at least happy to be included in efforts like this and make the connection.

Ooh, talking about filmmakers, granting and meetings – for those of you waiting for the LOI to go online. I would check out Chicken & Egg Pictures’ Open Call when it opens for business later this month. Stay tuned to the blog for an announcement!

A Small Act at Sundance is no small feat.

When Hilde Back (pictured, center) sponsored a young, impoverished Kenyan student, she thought nothing of it. She paid roughly $15 dollars per term to keep him in primary school. She certainly never expected to hear from him, but many years later, she does. Chris Mburu has been thinking of his “angel” Hilde since he was a boy. The small contribution she made paid off – Chris went all the way to Harvard. Now, he’s a respected UN human rights lawyer, dedicating his life to battling genocide and crimes against humanity. Chris decides to replicate Hilde’s generosity by starting his own scholarship fund, and he names it after her. This scholarship will educate bright kids in his village so they can also succeed and give back.

As fundraising gets smaller and social media booms, funders and supporters increasingly want to be able to see the impact of their efforts. A Small Act is a prime case of how STORY LEADS TO ACTION (check out Chicken & Egg’s monthly screenings at the 92Y where you too can see how good films make a difference). Since premiering at Sundance last week, A Small Act has attracted over $90,000 in funding to the fund featured in the film, set-up text message donations and Bill Gates included as one of its fans. In the screening I attended, the first question after the lights came up was “What can we do?” The subjects, especially Hilde Bach, became instant celebrities and received standing ovations everyplace they went. Next stop? Faced with the immense passion of the audience, the filmmakers, Jennifer Arnold and Patti Lee, are planning to take time and strategize on how best to use the attention they’ve garnered. How can the audience give in a responsible way to a fledgling African foundation? How can this story be evolved to be important to facing the education issues our own country needs to address? How can the audience be better educated in regards to the Kenyan education system to know what the kids featured in the film really need?

Director, Jennifer Arnold shares her experience of Sundance 2010:
I've been to Sundance with a short film, so I knew I was in for a ride. I
expected I might meet some amazing celebrities (and I did) as well as
incredible filmmakers (and I did) -- but the biggest thrill of Sundance came
from the everyday audience members.

A SMALL ACT tells the story of how one small person can make a difference.
The focus of the film is a struggling education foundation in Kenya. In the
second screening someone pledged $5000 dollars toward the fund. Another
audience member matched that sum. By the third screening $20,000 dollars had
been donated. Then, mid-week, there was a pledge of $50,000 dollars. There
were emails from young students in the US who wanted to do their own "Small
Acts." I got requests from teachers who wanted to use the film as a teaching
tool. Yesterday I got an email from someone telling me that on Sunday their
pastor did an entire sermon about the film and urged the congregation to do
"Small Acts" as well. By the end of the festival $90,000 dollars was raised.
The education foundation is going to send more kids to school this year than
in the last five years combined.

I left for Sundance hoping the audience would like the film, but I never
dreamed they would get so involved and directly change lives. What an
amazing experience!

Still not convinced that A Small Act is changing the world, in its own small way? Even the NY Times is writing about it - read here.

Lynn Shelton continues to show independent film how to make your projects interesting.

I think I mis-read the project when I got the press invite to hear about Lynn Shelton talk about her new project $5 Cover. I somehow thought this was a film about the underground Seattle music scene and got excited; this would be like Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity re-make…but done right. Shelton is known for her ability to take the intricate nature of relationships and people in transition and make them…human, real, humorous cool-not-dickheads.

Shelton has the unenviable task of being that woman director who doesn’t direct like a “woman.” Can she do for Seattle what she did for modern relationships in Humpday? Webisodes may be the answer. With this new form, Shelton hopes to “Push the reset button and to really show that there is a whole new scene going on and wholesome vibrant music happening.” Her new project is called "$5 cover" (which I initially thought meant they wanted a $5 cover and almost didn't go) and follows indie Seattle bands on the music scene.

We are all about the short-form at Chicken & Egg Pictures; last year we launched a grant for a woman shorts filmmaker in partnership with Rooftop Films. Short films are an opportunity for filmmakers, especially emergent and first-time, to exercise their voice, vision and craft, when the stakes are relatively low and the distribution opportunity– between film festivals and digital/viral networks – is very high.
Chicken & Egg Pictures encourage their filmmakers to embrace new media as ways to explore, promote and distribute their stories. We’re delighted to see a woman like Lynn Shelton leading the field - keep your eyes peeled for this one here.

Can't let the article end however without reiterating how cool a version Lynn Shelton would do of High Fidelity. Just sayin'

There's nothing like a bit of Russian politics to strike up the crowd!

My Perestroika tells the story of the last generation of Soviet children brought up behind the Iron Curtain. Just coming of age when the USSR collapsed, they witnessed the world of their childhood crumble and change beyond recognition.

(credit to photo unknown)

We couldn’t be prouder to support Robin Hessman with a Liberty Grant – this grant so entitled because it addresses those truly "chicken & egg" moments. The Liberty Grant enables the filmmaker to stop fundraising and concentrate on completing their film, ready to launch their film with their rights and spirit intact. In 2010, Chicken & Egg Pictures also wants to extend our mentorship to support those who have previously given it...but to other people's projects. 'When Sparks Fly' (to be formally announced soon) will take the time to take these people and help them evolve their own voice. We are delighted for Robin Hessman, who has previously worked on other peoples’ films but in supporting roles, comes to Sundance with her first feature documentary.

In times when google and cheap cameras are cause enough for people to start filming, it was so refreshing to watch a film that had obviously been made with intimacy, research and time. Hessman, who lived in Russia for eight years, looked at home up on the stage – so much so that the audience took to asking very political questions! Luckily, Robin had the presence of her subjects, the Meyerson family, to provide a very unique insight into living in Russia in the "Pepsi generation." P.O.V has video footage of this Q&A which you can watch here.

Look out for the red scarves coming to a town near you soon and to be on P.O.V this summer!

THE SUNDANCE THAT WAS: 2010

Fresh from another great year in the snow, Chicken & Egg Pictures have some great blog postings to share so that you too can feel the frostbite. I think I only wrote one Sundance round-up last year but I have returned this time, armed with accreditation and ready to share all the down and dirty (I'm referring to the slushy snow here) goings on in Park City.

What was on everyone's lips this year? I don't consider myself equipped to stand behind any of these arguments so instead i'll just link some interesting articles here:

FOR SALE! The state of the buying market this year

FESTIVAL SHMESTIVAL: Do we even still need film festivals with youtube and twitter?

A New Decade, A New Sundance: Sundance "rebels" with new chief, John Cooper, and a new Sidebar NEXT

Over the next batch of blog posts you will see what Chicken & Egg got up to, C&E grantees at the festival and scraps of useful/useless information.

Here is me as a pressateer!