Cynthia Wade
Once again, The New School is glamming up for Hollywood’s biggest party of the year, the Academy Awards. On February 24, Drama MFA alumnus Bradley Cooper and former Media studies adjunct professor Cynthia Wade will stroll the red carpet and take their seats in the Dolby Theatre with one hope for the night: winning that small gold statue.
Bradley Cooper, who received his MFA in Acting from The New School in 2000, is up for Best Actor for the film Silver Linings Playbook. Applauded by The New York Times for his “intensely focused performance,” as well as his on-screen dynamic chemistry with co-star Jennifer Lawrence, Cooper plays a man recovering after a stint in a mental institution in Philadelphia.
Cynthia Wade, who taught cinema photography in the graduate certificate program in Documentary Media Studies, was nominated for her second Academy Award with her film Mondays at Racine. She previously won the same category, Best Documentary (short subject) in 2008 for Freeheld. With over 20 years of filmmaking experience, Wade’s films tend to follow a strong female lead enduring high-stakes struggles or conflicts between communities.
Mondays at Racine is a documentary short chronicling a salon in Long Island that opens its door for free once a month to women undergoing chemotherapy treatments. The film focuses on the experience of fighting cancer and its resultant side effects on everyday life, including hair loss.
“Family Guy” creator and voice Seth MacFarlane will host the 85th Oscar telecast, which will start at 8:00 p.m. EST on February 24. For a full list of nominees, click here.
