A non-profit initiative that advocates for gender equality in film by providing vital support at the financing stage. Our program offers action grants, fiscal sponsorship, curated investor meetings and industry mentorship.
“You want to make the same movie over and over again… stop asking why.”
Kristen Stewart speaks at Breaking Through The Lens’ event at the 78th Cannes Film Festival ahead of her directorial debut The Chronology of Water (Un Certain Regard).
Applications open May 25th for our 2026 Cycle.
~ Offering €10,000 Development Funding
~ Announcing a brand new SIMBELLE IMPACT AWARD
On Sunday May 25th, we will open to any feature film Director who experienced marginalization due to their gender, including women, non-binary and trans filmmakers.
THE FILMS
who will be presenting at the 78th Cannes Film Festival on Sunday May 18th
STARSHIP TRAVEL GRANT
Presented by
In 2024, we launched our innaugural “Starship Travel Grant" presented by Space Pilot Media, awarding each of our BTTL Finalist Teams a travel grant to attend the Cannes Film Festival.
THE FILMS
APPLICATIONS ARE now CLOSED.
they will re-open at the cannes film festival this may 2025.
2025
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
Our Mission
Breaking Through The Lens (BTTL) launched at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival with a simple yet powerful vision to help women feature-film directors get their projects made. Our founders – a Director, Writer and Actor working on a film together – received an opportunity from an investor to host a pitching event in his villa, and BTTL was born.
We have since expanded to world renowned festivals such as Venice, Toronto and Berlin, hosting dynamic panels and events. We believe that by providing secure avenues to finance by way of grants, curated investor meetings and industry mentorship, we can systemically change the landscape and improve gender representation at the top levels of cinema.
Now set up as a 501(c)3 registered non-profit in the U.S., our program is open to any filmmaker who experiences marginalization due to their gender, including women, non-binary and trans directors. Our mission is to be a results-driven resource, one that promotes passionate storytelling, smart business and equal representation.
“
In an industry that has favored
the male voice for so long…
Breaking Through The Lens
is changing that dynamic.
Liza Foreman, Front Page Cannes Market News
Get Involved
We are planning to expand Breaking Through The Lens to other major festivals around the world and to create a supportive network for women through every stage of making their feature films. Find out how you can join us on this journey.
ATTEND our EVENTs
Our events are strictly invite only. However, we will evaluate individual requests on a case by case basis. Please include your company affiliation.
STAY INFORMED
Applications for our next BTTL Action Grant are now closed. The shortlist will be announced November 1st.
JOIN THE MOVEMENT
Whether you are a sponsor, filmmaker, industry or volunteer, we would love to hear from you. We are always looking for new collaborators to grow our initiative.