Chanel and Tribeca Celebrated the Power of Storytelling and Another Year of the Through Her Lens Program

Maggie Rogers and Katie HolmesDimitrios Cambris

The term and concept of “lunching ladies” has been out of fashion for about half a century, but at Chanel and Tribeca’s traditional Friday afternoon get-togethers every June, women have undoubtedly always understood it complete. Looking around the sun-drenched courtyard of the Greenwich Hotel, guests could be seen huddled together to discuss action plans, share advice and information, and toast to another year of Through Her Lens, the self-identified female and non-binary filmmaker’s career-changing project.

“Breaking news,” Tribeca co-founder Jane Rosenthal told the room. “We just found out Jean-Michel Already picked up by Netflix. At that moment, Quinn Wilson, co-director of a documentary about Jean-Michel Basquiat that premiered during the festival, jumped out of his chair to cheers from the audience and circled around in celebration.

These include Meg Ryan, Maggie Rogers, Katie Holmes, Debi Mazar, Supriya Ganesh, Myha’la, and industry stalwarts including Patty Jenkins and Bryce Norbitz, who have been a lifeline to many throughout the festival’s long history.

“Tribeca was born out of the belief that culture can help rebuild what fear and hatred try to tear apart — and 25 years later, I still believe in that as much as I did then,” Rosenthal said. “Twelve years ago, when we partnered with Chanel to launch ‘Through Her Lens, our goal was to create something unique and needed: a space for female filmmakers to tell their stories on their own terms and have access to mentorship, resources, funding, and a community that believes in them. This mission is more urgent than ever.”

In the years since, the program has supported more than 50 short films and more than 100 emerging filmmakers, and helped improve equity in front of and behind the camera. As Tribeca’s new CEO Rebecca Glashow said: “Diverse voices make things stronger, more creative, and more connected to the world around us. It’s a belief at the heart of everything we do, and this program helps filmmakers turn their ambitious ideas into reality.”