Chanel And Tribeca Festival Host A Free ‘Through Her Lens’ Panel With Kerry Washington

Hear “Chanel” and it’s likely that tweed, pearls and Chanel No. 5 come to mind. Though Coco Chanel undoubtedly changed the landscape of fashion and perfumery, she also deeply influenced the film world. Always a steadfast patron of the arts, she was no stranger to the silver screen. For her, the worlds of film and fashion are deeply intertwined.

In 1931, Coco Chanel was invited to Hollywood by Samuel Goldwyn to design dresses for Gloria Swanson and other American leading ladies. When she returned to Paris, she collaborated with Jean Renoir and Marcel Carné on French films and became known for dressing actresses both on and off screen. She was friends with New Wave actresses including Jeanne Moreau and Romy Schneider, as well as game-changing directors from the 1960s, such as Luchino Visconti, Alain Resnais and Louis Malle.

The maison’s involvement in film continues to this day. Virginie Viard has collaborated with filmmaker and Chanel ambassador Sofia Coppola on several films for her latest collections. At Coppola’s request, Chanel created the wedding dress worn by Cailee Spaeny in Priscilla for the scene of her wedding with Elvis. Additionally, Chanel worked with Greta Gerwig to create several costumes for Barbie, including several looks for the titular character and a ski suit for Ken.

As part of Chanel’s commitment to cinema, their longstanding partnership with the Tribeca Festival has always been a natural fit. “Chanel is committed to making a meaningful and lasting mark on the film industry,” says Jane Rosenthal, Tribeca Enterprises co-founder and CEO. “Together, we set out, with passion, to support artists across disciplines and to launch the next generation of women filmmakers, and we’ve done just that. I also appreciate that over the past 19 years, Chanel’s partnership has remained steadfast. Not even a global pandemic can stop Chanel from supporting artists and storytellers. Both Tribeca and Chanel firmly believe that art is necessary to the human experience and needed all the more in times of trial and adversity—their commitment to the work we do together each year is a testament to this.”

Since 2015, Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program has supported nearly 100 emerging filmmakers and the development of 40 short films. “Winning films have premiered at top-tier festivals and have been distributed by Max, Searchlight, Criterion and more,” Rosenthal says. “I’m incredibly proud of our Through Her Lens alumni who are making waves within the industry and have gone on to direct critically acclaimed projects, including A.V. Rockwell, Numa Perrier, Nikyatu Jusu, Kat Coiro, Sonejuhi Sinha, Gabriella Moses, Hannah Peterson, Ani Simon-Kennedy, Laura Moss, Caroline Lindy and the list goes on.”

The partnership between Chanel and the Tribeca Festival began in 2005 with the Artist Awards Program and then further expanded with the creation of Through Her Lens in 2015. “As a company founded by a woman, Chanel is committed to providing resources and opportunities to help empower women creatives,” Rosenthal says. “Over the course of my career, as a producer and as the co-founder and CEO of Tribeca Enterprises, I have championed emerging filmmakers, and feel deeply connected to Chanel in our shared pursuit to support the next generation of women filmmakers and storytellers.”

This year the Tribeca Festival and Chanel will host Championing the Next Generation, a Through Her Lens Conversation open to the public on June 7 at 4 pm at the Crosby Street Hotel. Led by award-winning actor-producer Kerry Washington, award-winning writer-director Patty Jenkins and five-time Emmy-winning composer Laura Karpman, the panel will be moderated by documentary filmmaker Perri Peltz. Created by Tribeca Enterprises and Chanel in 2015, Through Her Lens is a mentorship program focused on giving industry support, artistic development and funding to emerging women and non-binary filmmakers based in the US.

“Tribeca and Chanel have a long legacy of championing women and non-binary filmmakers and are endlessly dedicated to investing in the next generation of storytellers and visionaries,” Rosenthal says. “As a female founder, CEO and film producer, this is personal to me. I am where I am today because of the support of the women around me. I founded Through Her Lens alongside my dear friend and trailblazer, the late Paula Weinstein. Paula believed that a rising tide lifts all ships and never hesitated to lift up those coming up behind her, myself included. Paula and I designed the program, in collaboration with Chanel, to mentor the next generation of women directors and to ignite positive change within our industry.”

The panel conversation will be centered on how artist development programs, such as Through Her Lens, influence and shape female filmmakers and, ultimately, their career paths. “With the Advisory Committee now in place, we’re excited to highlight our remarkable advisors and introduce them to our community,” Rosenthal says. “Kerry, Patty and Laura will draw upon their own experiences to discuss what true equality for women in the industry looks like—they will explore both the inroads we’ve made and the hurdles ahead. I hope attendees will leave feeling inspired and supported by this powerful community, and also ready to take action, push boundaries and fight the status quo.”

The Through Her Lens Advisory Committee—including Jane Fonda, Patty Jenkins, Laura Karpman, Greta Lee, A.V. Rockwell and Kerry Washington—helps execute the program, introduces new collaborators and gives feedback directly to participants. “As Through Her Lens enters a decade of successful and tangible support for women in film, Tribeca and Chanel reflected on ways to further strengthen the program and ensure its success over the course of the next decade,” Rosenthal says. “We decided to form an Advisory Committee of esteemed women in the industry to help advance the program, bring in new collaborators and provide direct consultation to participating filmmakers. We’re profoundly grateful for the incredibly talented women who joined us in our mission to support the careers of women in film.”

As part of the Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program, there is an immersive three-day workshop in September with one-on-one mentorship and intimate masterclasses on script development, film scoring, costume design, producing and directing. Participants in the Through Her Lens program work closely with mentors on their projects and then pitch it to a jury of film experts at the end. One team is awarded full financing to make their short film and four other projects are given grants.

“Each fall, Through Her Lens participants, alumni and supporters come together for three inspiring days of community, mentorship and learning,” Rosenthal says. “The environment of women supporting women is truly incredible and something I look forward to each year. It is such a delight to watch each Through Her Lens class workshop their projects in real time. And then the real fun comes when we get to see their projects show up on the big screen—whether they're premiering at Tribeca, Sundance, TIFF, you name it!”

Additionally, for the 19^th year, Chanel will support the Artist Awards Program, in which acclaimed artists donate their original artwork to the Tribeca Festival’s winning filmmakers. The 2024 festival runs from June 5 to 16 and 10 artists will be participating, including Deborah Kass, Erick and Elliot Jiménez, Glenn Ligon, Jenny Holzer, Joiri Minaya, José Parlá, Juliana Huxtable, Maia Cruz Palileo, Paul Anthony Smith and Tourmaline. This year’s art collection will be on display at the Tribeca Festival Hub at Spring Studios during the festival.

“For over three decades, Robert De Niro and I have invested in the cultural richness of Lower Manhattan, supporting and bringing together artists and storytellers across disciplines,” Rosenthal says. “We founded the Tribeca Festival in the aftermath of 9/11 to support the economic and cultural revitalization of our community and since its inception, we began the tradition of awarding winning filmmakers with an original piece of art. In 2005, Chanel joined us in our mission with the Artist Award Program, which celebrates the intersection between creative fields and New York City’s enduring spirit of cultural innovation. The solidarity and generosity of artists supporting artists is foundation to the Tribeca Festival and the work we do.”

Esteemed artists who have participated in the program in the past include Julian Schnabel, Chuck Close, Laurie Simmons, Tom Sachs, Kehinde Wiley, Francesco Clemente, JR, Shepherd Fairey, Kara Walker, Taryn Simon and Mickalene Thomas. “For the past three years, curator Racquel Chevremont has led the selection of studio artists and their works,” Rosenthal says. “Last year, Racquel selected a cohort of all woman artists and this year, she focused on bringing together a wide spectrum of perspectives, backgrounds and identities, affirming the essential role of diverse voices in storytelling. I love that the Artists Awards Program is all about artists supporting other artists! That’s core to who we are at Tribeca and integral to the spirit of Chanel as well.”

After nearly two decades of collaboration, Chanel and Tribeca Film have clearly made an impact on the cinematic world. “I’m extremely proud of everything we’ve accomplished together and the impact we’ve made on the industry,” Rosenthal says. “Today, I’m all the more committed to our joint mission of supporting women in film. This is a critical moment for women—our rights and freedoms are under attack—and Tribeca and Chanel are working to ensure that women’s voices and stories rise up. There is an urgency now to hearing from and seeing unrepresented voices both behind the camera and on the screen.”