Cynthia Wade facts for kids

Cynthia Wade is an American film director, producer, and cinematographer (someone who plans and shoots movies) from New York City. She makes documentaries, which are real-life films about important topics. Her films often focus on social issues, like caring for animals or making sure everyone is treated fairly. Cynthia has won many awards for her work, including an Oscar in 2008! She was also nominated for another Oscar in 2013.

About Cynthia Wade

Cynthia Wade grew up in the New York City area. Her great-grandfather, John Orr Young, started a famous advertising company called Young & Rubicam.

Cynthia went to Smith College for her first degree and then to Stanford University. There, she earned a special degree in making documentary films. While in college, she also studied directing at the National Theater Institute.

In 1999, she married Matthew Syrett. Cynthia has also taught film production at The New School. She runs her own film company, Cynthia Wade Productions, Inc.

Cynthia Wade's Films and Projects

Cynthia Wade has directed and produced many important films. Her work often highlights real people and their stories.

Early Documentaries

In 1999, Cynthia's personal documentary Grist for the Mill was shown on Cinemax. This film won several awards at different film festivals.

In 2003, she directed Shelter Dogs. This film explored the lives of dogs in animal shelters. It was featured on HBO's America Undercover series.

Freeheld and Oscar Win

In 2007, Cynthia directed and filmed Freeheld. This documentary told the story of Laurel Hester, a very sick police officer in New Jersey. Laurel wanted her female partner, Stacie Andree, to receive her pension benefits after she passed away. This was a big fight for fairness.

Cynthia lived with Laurel and Stacie while making the film. Freeheld won 16 film awards, including a special prize at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. In 2008, Cynthia and producer Vanessa Roth won an Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject) for Freeheld.

Later, in 2015, a feature film also called Freeheld was made based on Cynthia's documentary. Cynthia was a lead producer on this movie, which starred famous actors like Julianne Moore and Elliot Page.

Other Notable Works

In 2008 and 2009, Cynthia directed Living the Legacy: The Untold Story of Milton Hershey School. This film was about the Milton Hershey School in Pennsylvania. It aired on the Sundance Channel.

In 2010, her documentary Born Sweet premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. This film was about a Cambodian boy who was poisoned by arsenic. It won 14 more awards.

In 2011, Cynthia was the documentary director for a special Sesame Street TV show called "Growing Hope Against Hunger." This show won an Emmy Award. It taught kids about food insecurity in America through the eyes of children.

In 2013, Cynthia was nominated for her second Academy Award for her HBO documentary Mondays at Racine.

Social Media and Modern Issues

In 2014, Cynthia released a short film called "Selfie" at the Sundance Film Festival. This film, made with the Sundance Institute and Dove (soap), looked at how social media changes how women see beauty. The "Selfie" project became very popular, getting over 7.1 million views worldwide.

In 2015, Cynthia directed a 7-minute documentary for Similac called #EndMommyWars. This film showed real new moms talking about how they judged other mothers and felt judged themselves.

In 2016, Cynthia co-directed Generation Startup. This documentary followed six new businesses starting in Detroit.

In 2019, she co-directed the PBS POV documentary Grit. This film was about the Lapindo Mud disaster in Indonesia.

More recently, in 2022, Cynthia directed three episodes of the TV series Gutsy, which featured Chelsea Clinton and Hillary Clinton. She also co-directed and co-produced The Flagmakers. This documentary shows a factory that makes American flags, where most employees are immigrants.

Filmography

Cynthia Wade has an extensive list of films she has directed, produced, and worked on as a cinematographer. Here are some of her notable works:

Director

• 1999: Grist for the Mill (Documentary)
• 2003: Shelter Dogs (Documentary)
• 2007: Freeheld (Documentary Short)
• 2009: Living the Legacy: The Untold Story of Milton Hershey School (TV Movie Documentary)
• 2010: Born Sweet (Documentary Short)
• 2011: Growing Hope Against Hunger (TV Movie Documentary)
• 2012: Mondays at Racine (Documentary Short)
• 2015: #EndTheMommyWars (Documentary Short)
• 2016: Generation Startup (Documentary)
• 2018: Grit (Documentary)
• 2022: Gutsy (TV Documentary Series)
• 2022: The Flagmakers (Documentary Short, co-directed with Sharon Liese)

Producer

• 1999: Grist for the Mill (Documentary)
• 2003: Shelter Dogs (Documentary)
• 2007: Freeheld (Documentary Short)
• 2010: Born Sweet (Documentary Short)
• 2012: Mondays at Racine (Documentary Short)
• 2015: Freeheld (Documentary Short)
• 2018: Grit (Documentary)
• 2022: The Flagmakers (Documentary Short, co-produced with Sharon Liese)

Cinematographer

• 1999: Grist for the Mill
• 2003: Shelter Dogs
• 2007: Freeheld
• 2010: Born Sweet (Documentary Short)