This week, Tribeca and Chanel came together to advance women in film for the ninth annual celebration of Through Her Lens. The the artist-development program, which has supported nearly 100 emerging filmmakers and the development of 40 short films, will take on the mentorship of ten rising filmmakers through immersive workshops and conversations with mentors who guide and shape their artistic visions.
Marking the official start of the annual event on Tuesday, Tribeca CEO and co-founder Jane Rosenthal and Chanel hosted a luncheon at Locanda Verde — guests included this year’s jurors Olivia Wilde and Beanie Feldstein, the program’s mentors Pamela Adlon and Chase Sui Wonders, conversation leader Ruth E. Carter, and advisory committee leader A.V. Rockwell. Chloe Fineman, Gayle King, Maggie Rogers, Misty Copeland, Rosie Perez, Whitney Peak, Chase Infiniti, Drena De Niro, Ella Hunt, Francesca Scorsese, Rosanna Arquette, Leslie Mann, and Maude Apatow were also in attendance.
On the ivy carpet outside the Tribeca restaurant, Fineman praised the talents of her favorite female directors, Sofia Coppola and Emerald Fennell, while Wilde was overheard talking about Nicole Kidman’s new “bold and sexy” film, Babygirl. Some attendees then candidly shared what they hope to see change in the next decade for women in film.
“My whole career is built on working with first-time female filmmakers — like being in Lady Bird and Booksmart with Greta Gerwig and Olivia Wilde,” Feldstein said. “Olivia always used to say: ‘You can’t look at the résumé. You have to look at the person,’ because people are not given jobs at the same rate, they’re not given opportunities at the same. And so you have to really look for the talent and to dig a little deeper, and creativity that might not always get their foot in the door.”
“It’s time for women’s voices to transform cinema,” said Carter, the Oscar-winning fashion designer, highlighting fellow behind-the-camera “trailblazers” like Ava DuVernay. “It’s our time.”
A longtime attendee of the Tribeca and Chanel event, King added of the program, “Nothing beats advice from people who know what the hell they’re doing, and people in that room know what the hell they’re doing and they can help you get to the next level.”
“We had Halle Berry on CBS this morning and you know, I hadn’t thought about it until Halle said it, but since she won the Oscar, there has not been another Black woman who has won the best actress Oscar,” King added. “We still have work to do. There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done, and it all starts with meetings.”
Inside the event, Rosenthal welcomed guests and kicked off the luncheon with a warm introduction. “You can’t take this room for granted,” she said. “Look around at who’s sitting next to you.”
Throughout the rest of the event, guests mingled at tables mixed with actors, musicians, directors and writers, costume designers, and some Tribeca team members. As drinks and lunch were served, Wilde snuck over to Feldstein’s table to hug her friend and fellow Booksmart colleague while posing for photos. Peak pulled up next to Infiniti and took cute iPhone photos while Fineman made her rounds and was snapped chatting with mentor Sui Wonders. Across the room, in one of Locanda Verde’s booths, Rogers chatted with Adlon and Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins.
At the conclusion of the lunch, this year’s ten chosen filmmakers gathered together to pose for photos inside and outside the restaurant as they geared up for the start of their next chapter. (Now they have to pitch their project to a jury of industry experts, with one team winning the financing to produce their short film with support from Tribeca Studios. No pressure!)