About Chicken & Egg Films
We champion women and gender-expansive documentary filmmakers around the globe with funding, mentorship, and access so they can tell stories that ignite change.
Focus Areas
Documentary filmFilmmaker mentorship and professional developmentGender equity in the film industryImpact & engagement campaignsEarly-stage research and development for films
Who They Fund
documentary filmmakersindependent film projectsdirectors/producers of documentary work
Funding Style
award-based fundingproject-specific/production supportartist-focused grants
About Chicken & Egg Films
Chicken & Egg Films Inc centers women and gender-expansive documentary filmmakers, pairing cash support with mentorship and access across a portfolio that reaches finished-film impact work, early development, and career advancement. One of its clearest signatures is the Chicken & Egg Award, a $75,000 grant that comes with a year-long mentorship program for filmmakers at advanced stages of their careers. The foundation also backs first- and second-feature nonfiction makers through (Egg)celerator Lab and supports research and development for feature documentaries at an earlier stage. Recent grants show a mix of project support and field-building support. Women Make Movies received multiple awards across documentary, documentary series, and Chicken & Egg Award categories, while Walking Iris Media appears repeatedly in both award and documentary film support. The foundation also funds impact-oriented work through Hatched, which supports strategic visions for how a finished film can drive audience engagement, distribution, and social change. Across these programs, the emphasis stays on documentary storytelling and the professional conditions that help filmmakers complete and extend their work.
What Chicken & Egg Films Funds
Documentary production is the core of the grantmaking. Women Make Movies received $471,500 in 2023 and $355,000 in 2024 for documentary film support, plus $75,000 in 2023 for documentary series work, showing that the foundation funds both features and episodic nonfiction. Career advancement is another clear lane. Walking Iris Media received a $512,500 Chicken & Egg Award in 2024 and another $285,000 in 2025 under the same program, alongside $80,000 in 2025 for documentary film support. That pattern points to sustained investment in filmmakers as they move through different stages of a project and career. The foundation also backs the broader documentary infrastructure. Union Docs received $170,000 in 2023 and $50,000 in 2024, while The American Documentary Inc received $60,000 in 2023 for documentary short films. Those grants show support for organizations that serve documentary makers and the formats they work in.
How Chicken & Egg Films Gives
Typical grants cluster around a median of $40,000, with a p25 of $25,000 and a p75 of $60,000. The active programs show both open and selective pathways: Hatched, (Egg)celerator Lab, and Research & Development Grant accept unsolicited applications, while the Chicken & Egg Award does not. The grant list also shows repeat funding across multiple years for several recipients, including Women Make Movies and Walking Iris Media, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards. Chicken & Egg Films Inc is a regular funder, not a DAF or a funder of individuals.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.4M
Total Assets
$9.6M
Total Revenue
$5.6M
Total Expenses
$4.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $25K and $60K, with a median of $40K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$40K
75th Percentile
$60K
Geographic Reach
National12 states funded
About 31% of grants go to recipients in CA.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
JENNIFER WOLFSON
Accepts unsolicited proposals
Unlock Deep Analysis
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeSee Similar Funders
Free Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeExplore related grant guides
Want a Personalized Pitch for Chicken & Egg Films?
Sign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Free plan available
No contracts
Cancel anytime