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

Maggie Rogers and Katie HolmesDimitrios Kambouris

The term—and notion of—“ladies who lunch” is about half a century outdated, but at Chanel and Tribeca’s traditional Friday afternoon gathering each June, women are always undoubtedly getting it done. Everywhere you looked around The Greenwich Hotel’s sun-soaked courtyard, guests were in huddles, discussing plans of action, sharing advice and information, and toasting to another year of the career-changing Through Her Lens program for self-identifying women and non-binary filmmakers.

“Breaking news,” Tribeca co-founder Jane Rosenthal told the room. “We have just found out that Jean-Michel has been picked up by Netflix.” Right on cue, Quinn Wilson, co-director of the green-lit documentary about Jean-Michel Basquiat that premiered during the film festival, jumped from their chair for a victory lap as the crowd cheered.

Among those making noise were Meg Ryan, Maggie Rogers, Katie Holmes, Debi Mazar, Supriya Ganesh, Myha’la, and industry stalwarts including Patty Jenkins and Bryce Norbitz who have been been a lifeline to many during the festival’s long history.

“Tribeca was born out of the belief that culture can help rebuild what fear and hatred tries to tear apart—and 25 years later, I believe that as strongly as I did then,” Rosenthal said. “When we launched Through Her Lens with Chanel 12 years ago, the goal was to create something unique and needed: a space for women filmmakers to tell their stories on their own terms, with access to mentorship, resources, funding, and community that believes in them. That mission feels more urgent than ever.”

In the years since, the program has supported over 50 short films and 100 emerging filmmakers, as well as helping to advance equity behind and in front of the camera. As newly-minted CEO of Tribeca, Rebecca Glashow, said: “Diverse voices make things stronger, more creative, and more connected to the world around us. That is the belief at the heart of everything we do, and this program has helped filmmakers turn ambitious ideas into reality.”