Jenny Slattery is the Co-Founder of Early Bird Films. Previously, she was the Development Director at BAVC Media, where she leads the Development Team to sustain and grow BAVC’s community of funders.
She also served as the Associate Director of Foundations and Artist Development at SFFILM, where she led foundation and government fundraising for the organization and collaborated with her Artist Development colleagues to launch and sustain new granting, fellowship, and residency programs.
She has worked independently as a consulting producer and artist development, organizational effectiveness, and fundraising consultant, providing guidance and support to independent filmmakers and organizations that include The New Orleans Film Society, Working Films, SFFILM, ITVS, Group Nine Media, The Nocturnists, Film Fatales, Kartemquin Films, OneGoal, I AM ALS, NatureBridge, and Peer Health Exchange’s Boston, Chicago, and New York chapters.
She has served as a juror at the Indie Grits, Hot Springs, and New Orleans film festivals and creative advisor and mentor for BAVC Media, Film Independent, and SFFILM’s FilmHouse Residency Program.
Lauren is the Co-Founder of Early Bird Films. Before launching Early Bird, Lauren was the Director of Artist Development at SFFILM where she oversaw the Artist Development program and strategy along with filmmaker programs including grants and a robust residency program.
Prior to joining SFFILM, Lauren spent six years at Participant Media in the feature documentary and film marketing divisions. In a range of roles, she vetted project submissions, supported films and filmmakers internally, worked on festival and distribution strategies, and helped create and implement marketing, social media, and impact campaigns.
Lauren has served as a Bay Area Video Coalition Mentor, Film Independent Advisor, and juror for the IDA's Enterprise Grant and Best Limited Series Award, and Washington West Film Festival.
Lauren is also the Managing Director of an anti-stalking non-profit that uses storytelling and community engagement to advocate for victims of and raise awareness about this pervasive form of violence.
Nat Rees is the Coordinator at Early Bird Films. They also work at the UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive as the Film Exhibition Program Manager, where they oversee a robust year-round program that hosts major filmmakers and showcases global cinema.
Before moving out west, Nat worked as the Program Associate at Boston Jewish Film, producing three annual film festivals. While attending college in New Hampshire, Nat interned for Ken Burns's production company, Florentine Films, where they supported work on his 2019 documentary, Country Music. A film enthusiast from a young age, Nat is inspired by how films serve to connect, ignite meaningful dialogue, and expose us to different ways of being and seeing.