Daphne Schmon

OUR STORY ⬇️ “𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 – 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒄𝒌𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔. 𝑾𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔.” BTTL Founder @daphneschmon // @variety Since 2018, @breakingthroughthelens (BTTL) has been cutting through industry noise and dismantling the biggest barrier to equity in film: financing. What began as an intimate event at Cannes has grown into a global movement spanning the “big five” festivals—connecting women and LGBTQ+ filmmakers directly with investors, grants, and opportunities that turn vision into reality. Because for us, equity isn’t about talk. It’s about access. It’s about action. Now a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit in the U.S. and with a newly launched European base in Athens, BTTL is expanding its reach to support filmmakers around the world. Action takes a village. Our team is the heartbeat of BTTL: Executive Director @daphneschmon Co-Founders @emilyanncarlton @elpidou COO @saturzand Director of Programs Europe @elena_priovolou Director of Communications Europe @raffarossiello Board Members @lizzyinfilms @jasminmorrison7 Publicist Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis Strategic Advisors @tiffanyboyledonnermeyer @one.two.20 Legal Advisors @ramolawpc @ratiolaw @thanosleone Pitch Coach @sasha_damjanovski Photographer @jollytd Event Producers @elaineivy @freyanewland With gratitude to our partners: Gold Sponsors @campariofficial @trussardi $10K Action Grant @simbelleproductions (founded by @laurenmelindafilm ) Travel Grants @neogenplasma_official 🌍 From Cannes to Sundance, BTTL is a global force ensuring underrepresented voices don’t just get heard—they get financed. ✨ APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN FOR 2026! ✨ Hit the link in our bio to apply. #OurStory #BreakingThroughTheLens #FilmFinancing #Variety #ActionsSpeakLouder #WomenInFilm #LGBTQFilmmakers #RepresentationMatters #GlobalFilm #Cannes #Sundance #TIFF

Photoshoot for BTTL by the legendary @jimidrosinos 🖤 Follow link in bio to learn more about our non-profit organization @breakingthroughthelens

Anyone that knows my mama knows she is the most hard working, selfless, beautiful and kind person imaginable 💗 she showered Ash & I with endless Greek-loving from the moment we were born, and is living proof that you can be an excellent chef, dedicated mother, and “Broker of the Year” at the top real estate agency in NYC! My beautiful sister inherited all her best qualities and has become an equally gifted mother to our Dieguito and business leader extraordinaire. They both fall into the “I don’t how they do it all!” category and I feel beyond lucky to call them family. #Happymothersday @marieschmon and @schmoner σας αγαπώ με όλη την καρδιά μου! 💕 sending love to all those who may not have a mum or have lost their mum 💗

Watch our full LIVE conversation with our 2026 BTTL Action Grant Winner Brittany Ferrell, Director of "I Brought You Into This World.” 🎬 Brittany is actively casting for the 3rd storyline of her documentary, and you could be part of it! She is looking for someone who is pregnant or planning to conceive, identifies as Black and queer, ideally based in the American South. If that's you or someone you know, send us a DM or comment below. Our $10,000 Action Grant is helping Brittany film the final and vital story arc. In this conversation, she talks about her journey from nurse and birth worker to film director, her experience as the protagonist of “Whose Streets” the landmark documentary about the aftermath of Michael Brown Jr.'s killing in Ferguson, and what it means to make a film that holds Black birth with truth, complexity and joy rather than pity. "I Brought You Into This World" follows three Black birthing people navigating pregnancy, love and survival in post-Roe America. Because these women are not statistics. They are people demanding dignity, shaping futures, and carrying generations forward. FOLLOW THE FILMMAKERS: @ibroughtyouintothisworld @shoesoffmedia @firelight_media @bdoulaoblongata Hosted by BTTL Founder @daphneschmon #BlackBirth #BlackStorytelling #WomenInFilm #QueerBirth #queerparenting

I can hardly believe that my beautiful sister @schmoner turns 40 today!!! 💕 Being side by side through every stage of this wild life has been the most special gift. We basically grew up as twins, being only 15 months apart, and I always had the benefit of getting the inside scoop on what next year would bring 🥰 Except your humor and humble masterful approach was unmatched! Let’s never forget you leaped off the 6m jumping rock at six years old! You were never one to brag, instead you quietly push through the most difficult challenges, letting your actions speak louder than words. You also happen to be the most outrageously good chef at home! I am endlessly proud of the business leader, friend, wife, mama, daughter and αδελφούλα you are! So excited to be celebrating with you in just a few days. Love you always poo-bear 💓

Happy birthday to the King of Adventure, my Dadda! ♥️ 75 years young yesterday, and still roasts me going up a hill on his bike. Having two daughters never held you back from showing us a life full of 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘺 fun. From hiking, cycling, windsurfing, skiing to motorcycle riding, there was truly never a dull moment. But your real super power has always been your ability to encourage and support those you love. Celebrating the most generous kindhearted and legendary “big Bob” on this special day. What an incredible Dadda, Gampy and friend you are! Love you always @robertmccormickschmon

In celebration of 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲, we honor all the extraordinary women who power the global film industry, both in front of and behind the camera. Over the past few years, we’ve seen some serious milestones: • 𝐂𝐡𝐥𝐨é 𝐙𝐡𝐚𝐨 (Hamnet) became the only director to win the Toronto International Film Festival People’s Choice Award twice, and the first woman of color nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Director. 
• 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐚𝐭 (The Substance) received widespread acclaim and a 2025 Oscar nomination for Best Director, joining the small group of women ever nominated in that category. 
• 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐭 (Anatomy of a Fall) won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, following her historic Palme d’Or win at Cannes. 
• 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐊𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐚 (All We Imagine as Light) became the first Indian filmmaker to win the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. 
• For the first time in history, 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝟒𝟐% 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝟏𝟎𝟎 highest-grossing films in the United States, reaching parity with male leads. The progress is real. And yet, the world today feels turbulent and divided in so many ways. In moments like this, cinema has the rare power to build empathy and to bring us into cultural experiences beyond our own. It reminds us that beneath our differences, our humanity is shared. Today @breakingthroughthelens celebrates the brilliance and resilience of women across the world. Those leading film sets and the village surrounding them from technicians to cleaners who all make this art form possible. Here’s to the women who came before us, those making waves today, and the generations still to come. #InternationalWomensDay #BTTL #IWD #WomenDirectors #CinemaForChange

We’re incredibly proud to introduce our 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐁𝐓𝐓𝐋 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭: five extraordinary feature projects seeking finance, who we’ll be supporting throughout the year with 1:1 mentorship, industry introductions, fiscal sponsorship access, and the opportunity to present at our Investor Showcase during Cannes Film Festival this May! A huge thank you to our Jury for their care and thoughtful dedication, and to every single filmmaker who applied this year. The level of work was exceptionally high, a powerful reminder of both the urgency and the depth of support our industry needs at the moment. We see you and appreciate you all. ♥️ ✨ ACTION GRANT WINNER ✨ 𝐈 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 — Director Brittany Ferrell, Producer Shannon Sun-Higginson A powerful, intimate meditation on Black birth and bodily autonomy in post-Roe America, centering joy, agency, and lived experience. @ibroughtyouintothisworld 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓𝐘𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 — Director Alexandra Qin, Producers Asher Goldstein, Carlos López Estrada, Valerie Bush, Michael Sherman A sharp, emotionally raw comedy-drama about addiction, family, and sisterhood. @aaalexqin @thirstygirl.film 𝐄𝐗𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 — Director Ilse Fernandez, Producer Alessandra Pasquino A deeply empathetic documentary following three Central American immigrants navigating a broken asylum system with unflinching resolve. @exodusstories @ilsefernandez @alessandrapasquino 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐔𝐒 — Director San San F. Young, Producers Rebecca Wolff & Ed Owles An immersive, BIPOC-futurist exploration of climate justice shaped by young voices and radical imagination. @ss.fyoung @postcodefilms @beccawolff27 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐎 — Director Annabella Fazio Mineghino, Producers Jade Risser, Sofia Kunz & Theodora Dunlap A queer reimagining of the Western, where identity, desire, and rebellion meet on a fading Spanish ranch. @annabella.fazio @sofi.kunz These projects, bold in form, fearless in voice, and driven in purpose, remind us why independent cinema matters. 👉 Learn more about the films and our mission via the link in @breakingthroughthelens bio. #BTTL2026 #FilmFinance #GenderEquality

THE EYE is now available to watch across the US, Canada and UK on digital platforms including @appletv and @primevideo 🔗 in bio Grieving her husband’s sudden death, Diana returns to a remote island where whispers of a dark curse stir paranoia and desire. Caught between myth and madness, she faces a harrowing choice that could rewrite the laws of life - and death. Starring @shrutzhaasan @markrowley90 @cstergioglou @elpidou @aimilios_.gkrps_ #LindaMarlowe #AnnaSavva Directed by @daphneschmon Written by @emilycarltoncarlton Director of Photography @jameschegwyn Produced by @fingerprintcontentltd @melanie_dicks2 Executive Producers @yufai.suen @londonishstyle Distributed by @freestyledigitalmedia International sales by @mind.the.gap_productions Watch THE EYE today! Follow 🔗 in bio.

2025 ♡ Through loss, through heartbreak, through joy, this was a year that shifted my entire perspective. I am grateful for the pain as much as the magic, for light shines far brighter in darkness! My experience with Thyroid cancer taught me how precious and beautiful this life really is. Though it was low risk, I realized that the journey is much more important than the end result; To let go of stress, and celebrate the people beside you the unplanned electric moments that change you; Friendships formed while filming count way more than the film itself! Backgammon at sunset, naked cold plunges, dancing and belly laughing with loved ones. These moments feed the soul. I left a 2 year relationship with someone who still feels like family to me; from this I learned that you can love deeply but not be right for each other I am forever grateful for that chapter and for my angel-girl @444sophrose who I gained along the way… Stepping into 2026, I release what feels heavy and make space for people and experiences that feel honest, invigorating and energizing. I break free of the belief system and fears I have held onto all my life, and open myself to infinite possibility. In a world that can feel unsteady I am grateful every day that I get to travel and create and live my passion I carry a quiet dream forward to build a business that allows me to give back, especially to less fortunate children who need it the most. Above all, I am grateful for my family, both chosen and real, my people, my guardian angels on this earth who light my soul on fire and lift my spirits in the toughest of times reminding me what truly matters. I move forward lighter than ever with an open heart Knowing only that I don’t know what’s to come none of us can imagine the gifts that this wild universe has in store! I surrender to the divine force that unites us and hold a deep love for all those who sail forward with me to unchartered waters.

The love of family and friends is truly the most healing tonic in challenging times 🌊 grateful to be surrounded by such kind gorgeous souls in my life!

@rschmonie you introduced me to this song and no better lyrics to describe you: “Somethin’ so out of the ordinary. You got me kissin’ the ground of your sanctuary” ✨ you really are a walking angel on this earth, and my safe place at all times. Across continents, huge challenges, mischievous adventures, belly laughs, howling tears, you’re my ultimate ride or die. I’m so proud of all you’ve accomplished and the extraordinary human being are. You attract magnetic beautiful people like a moth to a flame 🔥 because you ARE one! We all rejoice on the day you were born and every day to have you in our lives! Our souls will be dancing together for eternity! I love you beyond all words. Forever my glowing sanctuary 💕 Happy birthday boogies! 😘