(Egg)celerator Lab
The 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab supports ten feature-length documentaries with $40,000 each in grant funding, mentorship, and creative support. By working with emerging directors, Chicken & Egg Pictures supports a new generation of artists as they lay sustainable foundations for lasting careers in the field.
Behind the scenes image of Jude Chehab, director of Q
2021 (Egg)celerator Lab grantees are promising films that explore urgent social issues:
Still from Against the Tide
Against the Tide
dir. Sarvnik Kaur (INDIA)
prods. Sarvnik Kaur, Koval Bhatia
Still from Seeds
Seeds
dir. Brittany Shyne (US)
prods. Brittany Shyne, Danielle Varga
Still from The Last Nomads
The Last Nomads
dirs. Biljana Tutorov, Petar Glomazić (SERBIA / SWEDEN)
prods. Biljana Tutorov, Veliša Popović
Still from Acts of Reparation
Acts of Reparation
dirs. Selina Lewis Davidson, Macky Alston (US)
prods. Selina Lewis Davidson, Macky Alston
Still from Q
Q
dir. Jude Chehab (US / LEBANON)
prod. Jude Chehab
Still from The Tuba Thieves
The Tuba Thieves
dir. Alison O’Daniel (US)
prod. Rachel Nederveld
Still from Testament
Testament
dirs. Zippy Kimundu, Meena Nanji (KENYA / US)
prods. Zippy Kimundu, Meena Nanji
Still from Mija
Mija
dir. Isabel Castro (MEXICO / US)
prod. Tabs Breese
Still from The In Between
The In Between
dir. Robie Flores (US/MEXICO)
prods. Robie Flores, Alejandro Flores, Kellen Quinn
Still from Is There Anybody Out There?
Is There Anybody Out There?
dir. Ella Glendining (UK)
prod. Janine J. Marmot
A closer look at our filmmakers’
(Egg)celerator Lab year
January – February
One-on-one mentorship with our Senior Creative Team & monthly cohort calls
March
First Retreat: Special Focus on Story
Guest mentors: Rabab Haj Yahya, Jialing Zhang, & Colleen Keegan
Workshops: Strategic planning for sustainability & conversations about character complexities, money, and access
April – May
One-on-one mentorship with our Senior Creative Team & monthly cohort calls
June
Second Retreat: Pitch Training at Sheffield Doc/Fest + MeetMarket
Guest Mentors: Rintu Thomas, Sushmit Ghosh, Violet du Feng & Farah Kassem
Filmmakers participate in an exclusive pitch at Sheffield Doc/Fest, attended by 400+ industry members
July – October
One-on-one mentorship with our Senior Creative Team & Monthly cohort calls
November – December
Third Retreat: Creative Sessions & Career Planning
Guest Mentors: Laura Karpman, Colleen Keegan & Michèle Stephenson
Workshops: Sessions with editors, distribution strategy and impact, career trajectory stories & more strategic planning
Sample materials from 2021 films
A Little Eggstra Fund
Our 2021 (Egg)celerator Lab was unable to meet in person this year. To include some of the elements of the program that would have been fulfilled in a physical retreat and to acknowledge the toll that our virtual reality is also taking on filmmakers’ mental health and creative energy, we disbursed the “A Little Eggstra Fund.” The flexible fund of $2,000 was awarded to Lab filmmakers to be used for professional development, networking and film forum related travel, childcare support, or creative needs.
The (Egg)celerator Lab is generously supported by our donors who provide us with General Operating Support. Additional support comes from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and The NDL Foundation.