Lucy Liu, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Olivia Wilde, Beanie Feldstein and Joanna Calo Award 2024 Grant Recipient of Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program

Lucy Liu, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Olivia Wilde, Beanie Feldstein and Joanna Calo gathered together at a cocktail party Thursday evening in New York City to name the grant recipient of the 2024 Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program.

The five women served as this year’s jury for the annual program, which provides industry support and artistic development to self-identifying women and non-binary filmmakers. After an intensive, three-day workshop, Liu, Randolph, Wilde, Feldstein and Calo awarded writer-director Sophia Youssef and producer Céline Bava-Helms the grand prize for their short film, “Black Shore.”

“We thought that ‘Black Shore’ was very ambitious and world-building,” Liu told Variety at the cocktail event on the upper terrace of the Greenwich Hotel’s Tribeca penthouse. “And it was different from the other projects because it was so expansive.”

Liu recalled the jury’s deliberation process after hearing pitches from the emerging filmmakers. “We all have different perspectives, but we were all aligned in terms of our vision,” she said. “These are powerful, intentional, decisive, creative women. And so to be a part of that group was really the reason why I said yes… It’s strength in numbers and also knowing that individually, we can stand up on our own.”

Earlier at the cocktail party, Jane Fonda, a member of the Through Her Lens advisory committee, made a special announcement about the program’s future.

“Through Her Lens began in 2015 with a clear vision to inspire and empower the next generation of women storytellers. Here we are, 10 years later, still led by the spirit of [late Tribeca executive vice president] Paula Weinstein, who knew that mentorship and genuine connections are essential to build careers for women,” said Fonda. “She also knew how difficult a career path this is. These past years, throughout inflation, strikes and major changes in our industries, the path is steeper than ever. That is why, in Paula’s honor, I’m thrilled to announce that Chanel is generously increasing the winner’s prize and the four other development funds this year.”

“Black Shore” will receive full production funding and support from Tribeca Studios. The description for the original short film reads, “Forced to look after her ailing mother back home in Santorini, Evangelina must confront the reality that her mother’s lifelong obsession with mythological monsters and an ancient family curse might not be pure fantasy, but a terrifying warning that some fates are inherited.”

Youseff was inspired by three members of her family “who had different genetic illnesses that all led to locked-in syndrome,” a rare disorder in which an individual is conscious but cannot move or speak due to complete paralysis of voluntary muscles.

“My family members and I spent 10 years helping three paralyzed people slowly die essentially,” Youseff explained to Variety. “So I wanted to take that fear of feeling like that was gonna be my inevitable end as well — because I share genes with those people — and turn it into a story. And because I’m from Greece and my family lives there, it felt like Medusa was the perfect allegory to make a body horror about that experience.”

In addition to “Black Shore” receiving full funding, the other program participants — “Brace Yourself,” “Copy, Save,” “Haint” and “Selah” — each received a development grant.

“The future of filmmaking is in this room, and we were all so honored to witness such magical artistry,” Wilde said to the filmmakers.

“Truly, I do believe every single one of these girls will have a career,” Randolph told Variety. “I think by even being here says a lot.”