Director Cynthia Wade–whose work spans short and long-form documentaries, commercials and branded content–has signed with bicoastal production house Honor Society for spotmaking representation in the U.S. Wade has twice been nominated for the Best Short Subject Documentary Oscar, winning it in 2008 for HBO’s Freeheld, which tells the story of Laurel Hester who’s diagnosed with terminal cancer. The dying policewoman wants to leave her pension benefits to her life partner, Stacie Andree, only to have that request denied. Hester fought to gain that right so that her same-sex partner could afford to keep their home in New Jersey. Freeheld was later made into a narrative feature directed by Peter Sollett and starring Julianne Moore and Ellen Page.
Wade’s second Short Subject Documentary Oscar nod came in 2013 for Mondays at Racine, which introduces us to two sisters–Rachel and Cynthia–who run a beauty salon on Long Island. Every third Monday of the month, their salon, called Racine, provides free beauty and support services for women undergoing chemotherapy. The sisters–who lost their mother to breast cancer–are determined to give women who are losing their hair, eyebrows and eyelashes a sense of normalcy and dignity during a traumatic, uncertain time. As it delves into the lives of the sisters and the women who come into the salon, the documentary evolves into a poignant, moving look at womanhood, motherhood and marriage.
On the ad front, Wade has directed major commercial campaigns for brands including Kellogg’s, Unilever, Pfizer, Hershey and Bristol Myers Squibb. Her branded films include Selfie for Dove Real Beauty and #EndMommyWars for Similac, which both ranked as Top 10 most watched videos on YouTube after their release. In April of this year, Wade premiered her most recent feature-length documentary entitled Grit at the Hot Docs International Film Festival, North America’s largest documentary festival held in Toronto. Wade is currently developing her first narrative feature.
“Cynthia’s vast experience working with top broadcasters such as HBO, her high quality branded films and her authentic directorial sensibility on spots make her a great fit for Honor Society,” says Megan Kelly, founder/managing partner at Honor Society. “She’s the kind of smart, resourceful filmmaker that agencies and brands want to have in their corner when navigating the intersection of entertainment and advertising.”
Wade holds an MA in documentary filmmaking from Stanford University, and started out in the industry as a cameraperson working for studios such as A&E and MTV while directing her own independent documentaries.
“I’ve been watching what Honor Society is doing and I’ve been impressed by some of their work, and with Megan Kelly’s leadership and choices,” Wade said.
Early on, Wade became known for her hand-held verité camera work. In addition to her Oscar recognition for Freeheld and Mondays at Racine, Wade saw her documentary short Born Sweet get shortlisted for an Academy Award. Wade’s primetime PBS special Growing Hope Against Hunger won an Emmy. She has received both a Special Jury Prize and an Honorable Mention at the Sundance Film Festival as well a Clio Image Award. Wade was most recently represented for commercials by Mod Op (which has since evolved into the company MOR).
Review: Writer-Director Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance”
In its first two hours, "The Substance" is a well-made, entertaining movie. Writer-director Coralie Fargeat treats audiences to a heavy dose of biting social commentary on ageism and sexism in Hollywood, with a spoonful of sugar- and sparkle-doused body horror.
But the film's deliciously unhinged, blood-soaked and inevitably polarizing third act is what makes it unforgettable.
What begins as a dread-inducing but still relatively palatable sci-fi flick spirals deeper into absurdism and violence, eventually erupting — quite literally — into a full-blown monster movie. Let the viewer decide who the monster is.
Fargeat — who won best screenplay at this year's Cannes Film Festival — has been vocal about her reverence for "The Fly" director David Cronenberg, and fans of the godfather of body horror will see his unmistakable influence. But "The Substance" is also wholly unique and benefits from Fargeat's perspective, which, according to the French filmmaker, has involved extensive grappling with her own relationship to her body and society's scrutiny.
"The Substance" tells the story of Elisabeth Sparkle, a famed aerobics instructor with a televised show, played by a powerfully vulnerable Demi Moore. Sparkle is fired on her 50th birthday by a ruthless executive — a perfectly cast Dennis Quaid, who nails sleazy and gross.
Feeling rejected by a town that once loved her and despairing over her bygone star power, Sparkle learns from a handsome young nurse about a black-market drug that promises to create a "younger, more beautiful, more perfect" version of its user. Though she initially tosses the phone number in the trash, she soon fishes it out in a desperate panic and places an order.
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