On Friday afternoon, Chanel and Tribeca’s annual—and always glamorous—Through Her Lens luncheon returned to The Greenwich Hotel. Now in its tenth year, the initiative continues to spotlight emerging women-identifying filmmakers, championing inclusivity and creative freedom in an industry still grappling with inequity. As Tribeca co-founder Jane Rosenthal put it in her opening remarks: “There’s still so much more work to do.”
The program’s impact is undeniable—even Miley Cyrus made time to attend, slipping away from her Something Beautiful album rollout just ahead of the film’s world premiere at Tribeca later that evening.
Cyrus arrived in head-to-toe black leather Chanel, unbothered by the midday heat. Pausing to polish her sunglasses on the T-shirt of her stylist, Bradley Kenneth, she sent the sidewalk crowd into a frenzy. “I’m so happy to finally let the music live out in the world after two years of working on it,” she told Vogue. “Summer is the best time to listen to new music, don’t you think?”
She brought her mother, Tish Cyrus, as her date—no stranger to film production herself—and the pair listened intently to powerful speeches from Rosenthal, Patty Jenkins, and Laura Karpman once inside the hotel’s sunlit courtyard.
“Women directors make up just 15 percent of the industry—that’s unacceptable,” Rosenthal declared. Around her, a stylish crowd of actresses, producers, and program alums nibbled on shrimp cocktail and fanned themselves with linen menus. Among the attendees were White Lotus stars Carrie Coon and Parker Posey; past Through Her Lens jurors Beanie Feldstein, Lucy Liu, and Francesca Scorsese; and program alum A.V. Rockwell.
Rosenthal continued: “Especially over the past 137 days, when women’s rights are under attack, the very act of speaking up is risky. This program reminds us that storytelling is activism—and that art is resistance.”
“Programs like this are so necessary,” echoed Riley Keough, dressed in an embroidered jacket from the Métiers d’art 2024/25 collection and relaxed denim. Keough, along with creative partner Gina Gammell, is preparing to debut her latest project In Process during the festival. “We conceived it through the Through Her Lens program as a way to showcase different female artists—a director, an actor, and myself as an author. It was so beautiful getting to watch these women at work,” she said.
Lucy Liu, another alumna-turned-power-producer, also has a premiere this year: her long-awaited film Rosemead. “We’ve had it in the vault for so long—almost ten years,” Liu shared. “I can’t wait for the [immigrant] community to see it. They’re why we made this movie.”
In the sun-drenched garden, conversation buzzed around upcoming screenings and new voices to watch. AnnaSophia Robb spoke excitedly about Jean Jacket, a 13-minute short she starred in and produced. Francesca Scorsese beamed as she shared details about her two festival entries, Fame and Other Four Letter Words and Money Talks. Mariska Hargitay, meanwhile, was on hand ahead of the North American premiere of her new documentary My Mom Jayne, about her mother Jayne Mansfield.
Everywhere, business cards and ideas were exchanged. “Fifteen percent is a dismal number,” Patty Jenkins said, “but when I look around this room, I’m reminded of how many women are actively shifting the culture.”
“It’s keeping the door open that’s the hard part,” added composer Laura Karpman. “Ladies, we need a battering ram—and this program is the battering ram.”