Kimberly Peirce

Kimberly Ane Peirce (born September 8, 1967) is an American filmmaker renowned for her uncompromising storytelling and commitment to social justice. Raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, she moved with her parents to New York City at age three and later to Miami, where she completed high school at Miami Sunset Senior High. She earned a BA in English and Japanese Literature from the University of Chicago after a two‑year stint in Kobe, Japan working as a photographer and teaching English, and later honed her craft with an MFA in film from Columbia University, where her experimental short The Last Good Breath earned festival recognition. Peirce burst onto the international scene with her debut feature Boys Don't Cry (1999), a harrowing true‑story drama that won Hilary Swank an Academy Award and earned critical acclaim for its raw portrayal of gender identity, while also bringing Chloë Sevigny award‑winning performances. Her follow‑up Stop‑Loss (2008) investigated the moral ambiguities of the U.S. military’s stop‑loss policy, blending personal interviews with narrative cinema and earning her multiple directing honors. In 2013 she re‑imagined Stephen King’s Carrie, delivering a contemporary horror adaptation that garnered the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Horror Movie and solidified her versatility across genres. Beyond feature films, Peirce has directed acclaimed television episodes for series such as American Crime, Halt and Catch Fire, and Dear White People, demonstrating a seamless transition between big‑screen and small‑screen storytelling. An outspoken activist, she co‑founded ReFrame to combat industry bias, leads the Diversity Committee for the Directors Guild, and frequently delivers keynote addresses on transgender rights and gender equity. Her work has been recognized with numerous honors, including a National Film Registry selection for Boys Don't Cry and multiple GLAAD, Lambda Legal, and Women in Film awards, underscoring her lasting impact on both cinema and social advocacy.