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Non-profit

Chicken & Egg Pictures

Website:

chickeneggpics.org
Location:

BROOKLYN, NY
Tax ID:

47-4712007
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2017):

Revenue: $2,093,648
Expenses: $1,971,811
Assets: $2,775,485
Formation:

2005
Executive Director:

Jenni Wolfson
Executive Director’s Compensation:

Gross Salary: $150,9971

References

  1. Chicken & Egg Pictures, Return of Organization (Form 990), 2017, Part VII Line 1a

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Chicken and Egg Pictures is an organization providing financial support to left-aligned female nonfiction filmmakers. Founded in 2005, the organization was originally a fiscally sponsored project of the left-wing Tides Center. Chicken and Egg Pictures became an independent organization in 2016, though its fund at Tides Center remains active. 1 The organization has awarded over $7 million in grants and supported more than 300 filmmakers. 2

Films

Chicken and Egg Pictures support women filmmakers who frequently give favorable portrayals of left-of-center policy ideas and criticisms of right-of-center positions. Common political themes in their films are support for abortion rights, activist environmentalism, expansionist immigration, strengthened labor unions, and broader LGBT rights. 3 Several Chicken and Egg productions have been nominated for and received industry awards. 4

The 2019 documentary American Factory has been compared to Michael Moore’s 1989 documentary Roger and Me. It is a contemporary story of a Chinese company taking over a General Motors plant in Dayton, Ohio, and the ensuing labor vs. management struggles. 5 This film was awarded Sundance’s 2019 Directing Award in the documentary category. 6

The 2017 film Whose Streets? was directed by Sabaah Folayan, an activist and organizer of the Millions March in New York and earned a Peabody Award nomination. 7 The film documents the people of Ferguson, Missouri, after the death of Michael Brown and the ensuing riots. 8

Shortlisted for an Oscar nomination in the documentary category is director Kimberly Reed’s film Dark Money. Set in director’s home state of Montana, it chronicles the investigative reporting of campaign contributions, and opposes of the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. FEC. 9

Promotion

Chicken and Egg Pictures uses a variety of ways to help promote their filmmakers. It partners with larger organizations, media groups, and film festivals to promote women in the film industry. 10

One such festival is LUNAFEST, an all-women traveling film festival sponsored by Luna Bar, a brand of Clif Bar. 11 This festival started in 2000, and has held screenings in more than 175 cities. 12 Other festivals that have included Chicken and Egg-backed films include the Sundance Film Festival, South By Southwest (SXSW), and the Tribeca Film Festival. 13

Chicken and Egg’s films have been also picked up by networks and streaming services like HBO, Netflix,14 and Amazon. 15 Lifetime, one of Chicken and Egg’s network partners, has produced short films for TEDWomen and features these films on its digital platform. 16

Funding

According to its 2017 financials, Chicken and Egg Pictures received $91,000 in government grants and $1.97 million in contributions from individual donors, foundations, and other organizations. 17

Notable institutional funders of Chicken and Egg Pictures include the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Tides Foundation, the Knight Foundation, and the Dobkin Family Foundation. 18

People

Executive Director Jenni Wolfson is the former Managing Director of WITNESS, an international human rights advocacy video organization. She has also worked for UNICEF. 19

Lucila Moctezuma is the Program Director at Chicken and Egg, and has formerly held positions at UnionDocs (UNDO) Center for Documentary Art and Women Make Movies. She is the former director of the Media Arts Fellowships for the Rockefeller Foundation. 20

Sarah Anderson is the Director of Operations and Innovations. She is the former program office manager at the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), a human rights and accountability organization. 21

Co-Founders

Julie Parker Benello co-founded Chicken and Egg Pictures in 2005, and is the current board president. She is the founder of Secret Sauce Media, and serves on the board of the San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM) and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Documentary Branch. 22

Judith Helfand is a co-founder and senior creative consultant. She co-founded Working Films, and sits on the boards of Great Small Works and the Lower East Side Girls Club. 23

Wendy Ettinger is a co-founder of Chicken and Egg Pictures and Gamechanger Films. 24

Board of Directors

Roswitha Mueller-Agarwal is the treasurer of the board and a former member of the board of Research Partners International, an investment and brokerage firm. 25

Leslie Belzberg is the senior vice president for Gaumont USA, former consultant for Blumhouse Television, and head of production at Miramax and Endemol-Shine North America. She is the co-creator of St. Clare Entertainment. 26

David Lee is the founder and former executive director of the Stinky Peace Project. Lee serves on the board of To Educate All Children (TEACH), and is a member of the Philanthropy Workshop. 27

Susan Margolin serves on the boards of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and New York Women in Film and Television. At Cinedigm, she is the president of both Docurama and Special Acquisitions. 28

Nion McEvoy is the Chairman & CEO of Chronicle Books and the McEvoy Group. He serves as chairman of the board of the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) and serves as a member on the boards of Aperture, San Francisco Film Society, SFMOMA, and the UCSF Foundation. 29

Patty Quillin is the director of Meadow Fund, a Silicon Valley Community Foundation donor-advised fund. She contributes to the Sundance Institute and is a member of Impact Partners Film. 30

Brenda Robinson serves on the board of the Grammy Music Education Coalition, the Representation Project, and the International Documentary Association (IDA). She is a founding advisory board member of the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, and a member of the Women at Sundance Leadership Council. 31

Marjan Safinia has produced work for Google co-founder Sergey Brin, the Obama administration, and Next Generation in conjunction with the Clinton Foundation. She is the former president of the board of the International Documentary Association (IDA). 32

Donor Organizations 

References

  1. “Transformation: 2015 Annual Report.” Tides Foundation. Accessed October 2, 2019. https://www.tides.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Web_2015_Annual_Report.pdf.
  2. “Our Story.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, 2014. Accessed October 2, 2019. https://chickeneggpics.org/about/#our-story.
  3. “Grantees.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, 2014. Accessed October 2, 2019.  https://chickeneggpics.org/grantees/?sortby=title&phase=&program=.
  4. “Search Results for: Awards.” Chicken & Egg Pictures. Accessed October 2, 2019.   https://chickeneggpics.org/?s=awards.
  5. Kaufman, Anthony. “American Factory: Sundance Review.” Screen Daily, January 27, 2019. Accessed October 2, 2019. https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/american-factory-sundance-review/5136212.article.
  6. “2019 Sundance Festival Winners.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, February 3, 2019. Accessed October 2, 2019. https://chickeneggpics.org/2019-sundance-festival-winners/.
  7. “Whose Streets?” Chicken & Egg Pictures, 2014. Accessed October 2, 2019.  https://chickeneggpics.org/grantee/whose-streets/.
  8. “The Apology Wins a Peabody Award.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, April 10, 2019. Accessed October 2, 2019.    https://chickeneggpics.org/2019-peabody-nominees/.
  9. “Dark Money and On Her Shoulders on the 91st Oscars Documentary Shortlist.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, January 14, 2019. Accessed October 2, 2019. https://chickeneggpics.org/dark-money-and-on-her-shoulders-on-the-91st-oscars-documentary-shortlist/.
  10. “Partnership.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, 2014. Accessed October 2, 2019.   https://chickeneggpics.org/partnership/.
  11. “Partnership.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, 2014. Accessed October 2, 2019.   https://chickeneggpics.org/partnership/.
  12. “Our Story and Mission.” LUNAFEST, 2019. Accessed October 2, 2019. https://www.lunafest.org/our-story.
  13. Montpelier, Rachel. “Chicken & Egg Award Winners and (Egg)celerator Lab Participants Announced.” Women and Hollywood, January 24, 2019. Accessed October 2, 2019. https://womenandhollywood.com/chicken-egg-award-winners-and-eggcelerator-lab-participants-announced/.
  14. “Honoring World Refugee Day at Chicken & Egg Pictures.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, June 20, 2018. Accessed October 2, 2019. https://chickeneggpics.org/world-refugee-day-chicken-egg-pictures/.
  15. “2019 Sundance Festival Winners.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, February 3, 2019. Accessed October 2, 2019. https://chickeneggpics.org/2019-sundance-festival-winners/.
  16. “Partnership.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, 2014. Accessed October 2, 2019.   https://chickeneggpics.org/partnership/.
  17. Chicken & Egg Pictures, Return of Organization (Form 990), 2017, Part XIII Line 1e and 1f
  18. Data compiled by FoundationSearch.com subscription service, a project of Metasoft Systems, Inc., from forms filed with the IRS. Queries conducted October 8, 2019.
  19. “Team.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, 2014. Accessed October 2, 2019. https://chickeneggpics.org/about/#team.
  20. “Team.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, 2014. Accessed October 2, 2019. https://chickeneggpics.org/about/#team.
  21. “Team.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, 2014. Accessed October 2, 2019. https://chickeneggpics.org/about/#team.
  22. “Team.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, 2014. Accessed October 2, 2019. https://chickeneggpics.org/about/#team.
  23. “Team.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, 2014. Accessed October 2, 2019. https://chickeneggpics.org/about/#team.
  24. “Team.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, 2014. Accessed October 2, 2019. https://chickeneggpics.org/about/#team.
  25. “Board of Directors.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, 2014. Accessed October 2, 2019.  https://chickeneggpics.org/about/#board-of-directors.
  26. “Board of Directors.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, 2014. Accessed October 2, 2019.  https://chickeneggpics.org/about/#board-of-directors.
  27. “Board of Directors.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, 2014. Accessed October 2, 2019.  https://chickeneggpics.org/about/#board-of-directors.
  28. “Board of Directors.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, 2014. Accessed October 2, 2019.  https://chickeneggpics.org/about/#board-of-directors.
  29. “Board of Directors.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, 2014. Accessed October 2, 2019.  https://chickeneggpics.org/about/#board-of-directors.
  30. “Board of Directors.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, 2014. Accessed October 2, 2019.  https://chickeneggpics.org/about/#board-of-directors.
  31. “Board of Directors.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, 2014. Accessed October 2, 2019.  https://chickeneggpics.org/about/#board-of-directors.
  32. “Board of Directors.” Chicken & Egg Pictures, 2014. Accessed October 2, 2019.  https://chickeneggpics.org/about/#board-of-directors.

Donation Recipients

  1. Firelight Media (Non-profit)
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: December 1, 2015

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2017 Dec Form 990 $2,093,648 $1,971,811 $2,775,485 $111,827 N $2,061,044 $13,895 $977 $191,237
    2016 Dec Form 990 $3,035,289 $493,468 $2,685,095 $143,274 N $2,931,480 $100,185 $0 $55,330

    Chicken & Egg Pictures

    45 MAIN ST STE 506
    BROOKLYN, NY 11201-1093