Kimberly Peirce facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kimberly Peirce
Peirce interviewed in 2013
Born	Kimberly Ane Peirce (1967-09-08) September 8, 1967 (age 57) Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Education	University of Chicago (BA) Columbia University (MFA)
Occupation	Film director screenwriter producer
Years active	1994–present

Kimberly Ane Peirce (born September 8, 1967) is an American filmmaker. She is best known for directing the award-winning movie Boys Don't Cry (1999). This film helped actress Hilary Swank win her first Academy Award.

Peirce has also directed other major films like Stop-Loss (2008) and Carrie (2013). Besides making movies, she is a leader in the film community. She is a governor of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and a board member of the Directors Guild of America.

Early Life and Schooling

Kimberly Peirce was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Her parents were Sherry and Robert A. Peirce, who owned a construction company. When she was three, her family moved to New York City. Later, they moved to Miami, Florida, where she graduated from high school.

During her time at the University of Chicago, Peirce lived in Kobe, Japan, for two years. There, she worked as a photographer and taught English. After Japan, she moved back to New York and worked as an intern for Time magazine with the famous photojournalist Alfred Eisenstaedt.

She returned to the University of Chicago and earned a degree in English and Japanese Literature. Peirce then went to Columbia University to study film. For one of her school projects, she made a short film called The Last Good Breath. It was shown at a film festival in Switzerland.

Filmmaking Career

Peirce has directed several important films and television shows. Her work often explores serious and emotional topics.

Boys Don't Cry

While studying at Columbia, Peirce read an article about the true story of Brandon Teena. He was a young person from Nebraska who faced terrible prejudice and violence. Peirce was so moved by his story that she decided to make a film about his life.

She traveled to Nebraska to do research. She interviewed people who knew Brandon and attended the trial related to his tragic death. She first made a short film about the story for her school thesis.

A film producer named Christine Vachon saw the short film and wanted to help turn it into a full-length movie. To get money for the project, Peirce worked several jobs, including as a paralegal and a film projectionist.

The movie, Boys Don't Cry, was released in 1999. It became one of the most talked-about films of the year.

• Hilary Swank, who played Brandon, won an Academy Award for her performance.
• Chloë Sevigny, who played Brandon's girlfriend, was nominated for an Academy Award.
• The film won awards at film festivals in London and Stockholm.
• Peirce won awards for being the Best New Filmmaker from several groups, including the Boston Society of Film Critics.

Stop-Loss

In 2005, Peirce started working on a film called Stop-Loss. The movie was inspired by the real stories of American soldiers, including her own brother, who were fighting in the Iraq War. She traveled across the country to interview soldiers about their experiences.

The film, released in 2008, tells the story of soldiers coming home from war. It also explains the stop-loss policy. This was a rule that forced soldiers to stay in the military longer than they had agreed to.

After the movie came out, Peirce spoke to members of the U.S. Congress about the stop-loss policy. She supported a new law to give extra pay to soldiers affected by the policy. The law was later passed.

Carrie

In 2013, Peirce directed Carrie. It was a new version of the famous 1976 horror movie of the same name, based on a novel by Stephen King.

The movie is about a teenage girl with special powers who is treated badly by her classmates and mother. The film starred Chloë Grace Moretz as Carrie and Julianne Moore as her mother. It was a box office success and won a People's Choice Award for Favorite Horror Movie.

Television and Other Work

Kimberly Peirce has also directed episodes for many popular TV shows. These include American Crime, Halt and Catch Fire, Dear White People, and Kidding.

She has also been involved in other movie projects. One upcoming film she is set to direct is called This is Jane. It tells the story of a group of activists in the 1960s who created a network to help women with their health choices.

Activism

Peirce is an activist who works to make Hollywood a fairer place. She is a founding member of ReFrame, a group that pushes for more opportunities for women and people of color in the film industry.

She has given speeches at major events at Yale University and the American Film Institute (AFI). She has also won many awards for her work in supporting equality and fairness in the movie business.

Filmography

Here is a list of some of the films and TV shows Kimberly Peirce has directed.

Feature Films

Television (Selected)

Awards and Honors

Throughout her career, Peirce has received many awards for her work.

• Best New Filmmaker – Boston Society of Film Critics
• Best Debut Director – National Board of Review
• Satyajit Ray Award for her first feature film
• Prizes from the London and Stockholm Film Festivals for Boys Don't Cry
• In 2019, the Library of Congress chose Boys Don't Cry to be preserved in the National Film Registry. This honor is for films that are important to American culture and history.

See also

• List of female film and television directors
• List of lesbian filmmakers
• List of LGBT-related films directed by women