Halle Berry, Regina King and Meg Ryan will join the jury for the 11th Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program, which supports emerging women and non binary filmmakers.
The three-day program will take place Sept. 22-24 in New York City. Five filmmaking teams will participate in workshops, individual mentorship sessions and industry discussions before presenting their projects in a live pitch to the jury.
One team will receive full financing to produce its short film through Tribeca Studios. The other four teams will receive development grants, giving each project financial support as it moves toward production.
The 2026 Filmmaking Teams
This year’s projects cover a range of stories and settings. Jasmine J. Johnson and producer Katy Wicker will present “Break,” about a young Black surfer dealing with the aftermath of a viral wipeout.
Other projects include “Camouflage” by Jinsui Song and Shen Wei, set during military training in 2007 Shenzhen; “Cold Embrace” by Victoria Trow and Sabina Friedman-Seitz, about a woman prescribed an emotional support python; “Cowards” by Gem Little and Kseniya Yorsh, set in 1999 Chicago; and “Grippy Socks” by Carlen May-Mann and Cacá Montagnana, following a woman during a 36-hour emergency-room stay.
Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw and actress Ella Rubin will also serve on the jury. Mentors include Celine Song, Aleshea Harris, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Fala Chen and Gina Prince-Bythewood.
Founded by Tribeca and Chanel in 2015, Through Her Lens has developed 50 short films across its first 11 editions, with 10 projects receiving full financing.
Alumni include A.V. Rockwell, Nikyatu Jusu, Numa Perrier and Hannah Peterson, whose subsequent feature work includes A Thousand and One, Nanny and The Perfect Find.
