Anna Chai is an Emmy Award-winning director and producer known for her work on the James Beard Award-winning series “The Mind of a Chef” and “The Layover.”

Nari Kye is an Emmy Award-winning producer of “The Mind of a Chef” and the Peabody Award-winning series, “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.”

“WASTED! The Story of Food Waste” will premiere at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival on April 22.

W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.

AC&NK: “WASTED! The Story of Food Waste” is a feature-length documentary that will change how people buy, cook, and eat food.

Through the eyes of chef-heroes like Anthony Bourdain, Dan Barber, Mario Batali, Massimo Bottura, and Danny Bowien, audiences will see how the world’s most influential chefs battle food waste — transforming what most people consider scraps and rejects into incredible dishes that feed more people and create a more sustainable food system.

“WASTED!” showcases forward-thinking organizations and individuals who are already influencing the future of food recovery and demonstrating how eating empowers you.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

AC&NK: One of the perks of working with Anthony Bourdain and on shows like “The Mind of a Chef” is that you come in contact with a lot of chefs. Being in their worlds, their restaurants, and their kitchens, we see up close what makes these people tick and also what boils their blood.

Time and again, food waste was something that chefs railed against. It’s bad business. It shows laziness, a lack of creativity, and worst of all, disrespects the time, money, labor, and craft needed to grow the ingredients.

Enter The Rockefeller Foundation. With their support, we started doing research and quickly realized that while America happens to be the worst offender, food waste is a global problem. Every year, 1.3 billion tons of food is thrown out. There is $218 billion worth of food produced for human consumption that never gets eaten, and yet there are 800 million people around the globe who are starving.

So, why should we care about food waste? And what can the average person do that will have any impact? In addition to the chefs who are battling food waste, we were excited to discover so many solution-oriented individuals and organizations doing impactful work all over the world.

A film emerged, featuring stories of success that will hopefully show the audience that any action — no matter how small — can lead to new ways of feeding more people, curbing environmental damage, stimulating technology and business, and ultimately improving the health and well-being of all citizens.

W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?

AC&NK: Every year, 1.3 billion tons of food is thrown out. $218 billion worth of food produced for human consumption never gets eaten, despite 800 million people in the world who are hungry. And all this wasted food happens to be one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases.

Whether your motivation is economic, moral, or environmental, food waste is a cause we can all get behind. Food waste is something everyone can have an impact on.

W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?

AC&NK: The project was greenlit in May 2016. Production began in August 2016. Principal photography was completed in January 2017 and picture was locked in March 2017. It’s pretty hard to believe that we made a feature documentary in that time, especially because we discovered so many chefs, activists, and forward-thinking organizations all over the world who have come up with successful strategies on how to reduce food waste — on all levels of the food system.

There were so many solutions we heard about and smart people we met but not enough time to include them in the doc! For every one story in the film, there were at least three others that could not be included.

W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.

AC&NK: In 2015, the United Nations announced a global goal to reduce per capita food waste by half by 2030. In support of this Sustainable Development Goal, The Rockefeller Foundation launched its $130 million, seven-year YieldWise initiative designed to systemically address preventable food waste.

When Zero Point Zero Films approached the Rockefeller Foundation with an idea for a chef-centric documentary, both parties realized the opportunity to leverage the cultural cachet of the world’s best chefs and raise awareness about the problem of food waste.

W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at Tribeca?

AC&NK: It was a monumental effort to get the documentary done as quickly as we did. For “WASTED!” to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival here in New York? We are ecstatic! It’s such a proud moment. And we feel so lucky to be able to celebrate with the whole team, ZPZ Films, The Rockefeller Foundation, as well as all our friends and family.

W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?

AC: Best advice: “Work hard and be nice to people.”

NK: Best advice: “Great films are made through great teamwork. Every single member of the team should be treated with respect and kindness.”

AC&NK: Worst advice: “You’re the director. You shouldn’t have to do that.” As the director, you have to be ready to do anything — get coffee, drive the van, haul equipment, etc. Often, you get to do the things that no one else wants to do!

W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?

AC&NK: Being a lady is not a liability. The way we think, the way we talk, how we see the world — these are all assets. Our body language, even our energy and attitude, are different from men. But different can be good.

And yes, it is possible to be a working mom in production!

W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.

AC: “Point Break” by Kathryn Bigelow, which was released in 1991, when I was in high school. It’s a timeless story of anti-heroes and underdogs. To me, that movie is a masterpiece.

NK: “Clueless” by Amy Heckerling. I love coming-of-age films that really capture the voice of a generation. And for better or for worse, “Clueless” did just that for mine. This film has it all: Heckerling’s humorous and eerily accurate screenplay, a strong and beautiful female lead, amazing costumes, a perfect soundtrack, and a Jane Austen story to boot.

W&H: There have been significant conversations over the last couple of years about increasing the amount of opportunities for women directors yet the numbers have not increased. Are you optimistic about the possibilities for change? Share any thoughts you might have on this topic.

AC: A woman was the lead in the last “Star Wars” movie. Wonder Woman is getting her own film. And “The Handmaid’s Tale” just got remade. More and more stories are being told about women and by women — as directors, screenwriters, cinematographers, and showrunners. It’s an exciting time to be filmmakers and storytellers.

NK: I think it’s all about visibility. Women directors need to see, hear, and learn from other women directors. I wish I had more exposure to that when I was in film school. But I know that’s changing for the better. I think the only way to even out the playing field is to encourage and inspire each other to keep directing more and more!