Inside Chanel’s Women’s Filmmaker Luncheon With Sarah Paulson, Tessa Thompson, and More

On Tuesday, September 16, Locanda Verde in Tribeca filled up with quilted bags, cap-toe shoes, and a whole lot of tweed—which could only mean one thing: Chanel’s annual Through Her Lens Luncheon was back in town. Held in conjunction with the Tribeca Film Festival, Chanel invited friends of the house, emerging filmmakers, and industry leaders to kick off a three-day workshop dedicated to cultivating and empowering women filmmakers.

But before guests sat down for a feast of Sardinian sheep’s milk ricotta and halibut, the Film Festival’s co-founder and CEO, Jane Rosenthal, took the mic to make some remarks, starting with a recognition of the day’s loss. “I’d love if we could begin and take a moment and raise a glass to Robert Redford,” she said as the room responded with head nods and sighs. “For making the world a better place through his activism, his charm, and his films.”

Rosenthal continued, pivoting to a reflection on the history of Through Her Lens, which is now in its 10th year. “When Paula Weinstein and I launched Through Her Lens with Chanel, we thought we were starting a program, but what we really were starting was a movement. We built a network, a home, a family, and we found a few new girlfriends along the way.” That network now includes Sarah Paulson, a mentor for this year’s program, and jury members Kaitlyn Dever and Meghann Fahy, all of whom were in attendance and dressed in their Chanel best on Tuesday.

For a decade, Through Her Lens has supported over 100 U.S.-based self-identifying women and non-binary filmmakers by inviting them to three days of workshops, conversations, mentorship, and community-building. “Our alumni open doors for one another, champion each other’s work, and prove what we’ve always known: the barrier has never been about talent—it’s access.”

Ahead of the sit-down lunch and Rosenthal’s remarks, guests enjoyed drinks and passed hors d’oeuvres as they mingled throughout the restaurant. Edie Falco and Katie Couric bonded over their children, while Dever—dressed in a black knit top and denim pants—held court in the back corner of the room. Paulson and Hargitay, who snapped some photos together on the event’s step-and-repeat, took the opportunity to catch up before taking their seats.

Juror Fahy looked stylish in a black lambskin coat from Chanel’s fall 2025 pre-collection, while Thompson stood out in a black Chanel silk skirt and a Fiona Apple shirt. There was a lot of denim in the crowd, with Lucy Liu, Havana Rose Liu, Dever, Paulson, and more guests showing off the best of Chanel’s jeans.

It was a lively event filled with conversation, good food, even better fashion, and the championing of women. As Rosenthal said, “Through her lens, the world looks sharper, braver, more honest, and, let’s be real, it looks a lot better-dressed.”