Julien Dubuque International Film Festival 2019 – Straight/Curve: Redefining Body Image
A documentary about our body image crisis and the industry leaders challenging society’s dangerous and unrealistic standards of beauty.
Interview with Director/Producer Jenny McQuaile
Watch Straight/Curve: Redefining Body Image on Prime Video, DocPlay, Vimeo on demand and iTunes
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
This film is for anybody who has ever looked in the mirror and felt like they are not good enough. I wanted to explore the issue of body image through the lens of the fashion industry and media as I believe these industries are at the crux of the damaging messaging and imagery we are putting out in the world. Straight/Curve: Redefining Body Image follows the pioneering people who are fighting to change society's unrealistic and dangerous standards of beauty.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
If you've ever had a negative thought about how you look then this film is for you. We showcase a diverse range of women of different shapes, sizes, ages and colors so every woman can feel represented.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The documentary has received terrific feedback from inside the fashion industry and society at large. I think women and younger girls are desperate for content like this where they can see themselves reflected on screen.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
There are always some negative comments out there, particularly because this film is about women's bodies, which people love to comment on. However, the positive feedback way outweighs the haters who just want to judge people for their size, without knowing anything about them as people. This stems from our societal phobia of fat.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I would love my film to reach even more people so women and girls everywhere can start feeling a little better about themselves.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We are already released in the world so now it's word of mouth to help build an even larger audience.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
We have been working hard in the educational realm for the last two years and that continues to be important to me. I want our next generation of girls to feel like they can do anything and not be held back because of how they feel about their bodies.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What do you see when you look in the mirror?
Interview: April 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Straight/Curve: Redefining Body Image
A documentary about our body image crisis and the industry leaders challenging society’s dangerous and unrealistic standards of beauty.
Length: 1:22:12
Director: Jenny McQuaile
Producer: Yael Melamede
About the writer, director and producer:
JENNY MCQUAILE is a journalist and award-winning documentary filmmaker. Her latest feature film Straight/Curve: Redefining Body Image premiered on EPIX in June 2017 with roco films snapping up the educational and international distribution rights. The documentary has also been selected by the State Department to represent the United States at embassies around the world as part of the American Film Showcase program. Jenny has appeared on Good Morning America and The Today Show, as well as being interviewed in Vogue Magazine, Well + Good, Huffington Post, People Magazine, Glamour Magazine and Women and Hollywood, amongst many others. Jenny was an Associate Producer on The World Cup Project, a TV documentary series about 11 countries around the world that use soccer for social change. She directed and edited three episodes of the series including Laces, set in Liberia, which won Best Documentary Short at the NYLA International Film Festival in 2015 and was an Official Selection at The Lighthouse International Film Festival. Jenny also works as an Impact Producer for award-winning production company Salty Features and with the new documentary feature Invisible Hands, which exposes child labor trafficking within supply chains of the world’s biggest companies.
YAEL MELAMEDE is the co-founder of SALTY Features – an independent production company based in NYC whose goal is to create media that is entertaining and enhances the world. Yael is an Executive Producer for the TV series Why We Hate, created by Steven Spielberg and Alex Gibney, which is scheduled to premiere on Discovery in 2019. SALTY’s film Straight/Curve, directed by Jenny McQuaile, was released by Epix in June, 2017. Yael's previous film and directorial debut, (Dis)Honesty – The Truth About Lies, was released to great critical acclaim in May 2015. SALTY’s other films include: Inocente, winner of the 2013 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short; When I Walk, winner of the 2015 Documentary Emmy; and Desert Runners, winner of multiple awards in the US and around the world. Other producing credits include: Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, The Inner Life of Martin Frost, and My Architect. Melamede trained as an architect before becoming a filmmaker.
Key cast: Tim Gunn (himself), Denise Bidot (herself), Iskra Lawrence (herself), Emme (herself), Tess Holliday (herself)
Facebook: Straight/Curve: Redefining Body Image
Twitter: @StraightCurveNY
Instagram: @straightcurvefilm
Hashtags used: #straightcurvefilm
Website: www.straightcurvefilm.com
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Amazon, iTunes, Vimeo, EPIX, Hulu