Teh upcoming edition of Via Her lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program is set to take place from September 16-18 in New York City.
This year’s jury will feature notable figures such as Kaitlyn Dever, Meghann Fahy, Allison Janney, Payal Kapadia, Issa Rae, and jenny Slate.
Mentorship for this year will be provided by Riva Marker, Sarah Paulson, Frida Perez, Constance Tsang, and Odessa Young.
Established in 2015, Via Her Lens aims to support female and non-binary filmmakers based in the U.S. by offering financial backing, creative guidance, and practical advancement opportunities. Each year, this initiative gathers emerging filmmakers alongside a jury and industry leaders for three days filled with workshops, discussions, mentorship sessions, and community building. Participants engage in mentor-led activities covering script development, directing techniques, music composition, and costume design before refining their projects for a live pitch to the jury. One team receives full funding to produce their short film with assistance from tribeca Studios while four additional teams are granted development funds.
Emphasizing Diversity
this year’s Advisory Committee welcomes three new members—lucy Liu,Tessa Thompson,and olivia Wilde—joining returning members Jane Fonda,Patty Jenkins,laura Karpman,A.V. Rockwell,and Kerry Washington.
“Via Her Lens is more then just a program; it represents a community that Tribeca and Chanel have intentionally built,” stated Jane rosenthal co-founder and CEO of tribeca Enterprises. “Over the past decade we’ve fostered an habitat where women filmmakers uplift each other’s work; alumni open doors for one another; belonging to this community truly means something meaningful within our industry. In collaboration with chanel we remain dedicated to amplifying voices that have always existed but too often go unheard.Via Her Lens embodies consistency perseverance—and transformative change—the kind that reshapes our culture at a time when it is most needed.”
Leading discussions this year are Pamela Abdy , Colleen Atwood , Laura Karpman , Lucy Liu ,and A.V .Rockwell .
The selected projects along with their filmmakers for 2025 include:
- “Buddy Boy”
Rachel Harrison Gordon (director; Screenwriter); Emily Kron (Producer)
After two decades voicing an iconic animated capybara character,a Black actress undergoes vocal surgery seeking liberation from the persona that has defined her career—but when she learns of a young white actress cast as her replacement in the live-action reboot,she spirals into mimicry,rage,and must confront how she will be recognized in an industry where she no longer embodies Buddy boy. - “Cuqui”
Gabriela Garcia Medina (Director; Co-Screenwriter); Laura Fries (Producer)
Cuqui,a cheerful Uber driver driven by optimism,must rely on every tip earned to cover expenses bringing her mother brother over from abroad—but when she picks up an uptight passenger,a chaotic ride through Los Angeles traffic threatens both her perfect rating—and her family’s future. - “Smoked”
Alice Gu (Director); Katie White (Producer)
Amidst raging wildfires,a mother’s quest for her son’s beloved plush toy becomes desperate battle preserving his childhood innocence while grappling with dwindling sanity—a tale of survival,love,and customer service madness inspired by director’s own experiences during California’s Palisades fires. - “Strangers”
Karishma Dev Dube( Director ; Screenwriter ); MG Evangelista( Producer )
Newlyweds Ronny Pari awkwardly navigate intimacy early on into their arranged marriage until they experience jarring subway altercation which shifts dynamics between them dramatically . - < strong > “Tartalo “< br /> Kat Whalen( Director ; Screenwriter ); Ginger Kearns( Producer )< br /> When young basque shepherdess finds herself isolated on Western frontier,she battles against marauding cowboys threatening flock while facing looming presence mysterious legendary creature .