This ‘Empire Waist’ Clip Highlights the Movie’s Fat-Positive Message (Exclusive)
Filmmaker Claire Ayoub’s Empire Waist officially hits theaters today and we could not be more excited!
Following in the footsteps of Netflix’s Dumplin’, based on the Julie Murphy YA novel of the same name, and Hulu’s Shrill, loosely based on Lindy West’s memoir of the same name, Empire Waist features a diverse cast and multiple fat protagonists, including teenage fashion designer Lenore (Mia Kaplan), her biology-partner-turned-friend Kayla (Jemima Yevu), and teacher Ms. Hall (Jolene Purdy).
When Kayla discovers Lenore’s secret talent for design, it thrusts Lenore into the spotlight, inviting new friends and bullies into her orbit. But as much as she wants to see other people wear her clothes and feel empowered in them, Lenore can’t bring herself to don her own fashions—and her image-conscious mother Rachel (Missi Pyle) fails her daughter the way so many diet-industry-obsessed moms have failed their kids on- and off-screen.
The Mary Sue can share an exclusive clip from the movie, in which Lenore’s clothes will be photographed on actual people for the very first time—and she reveals that she wants people who see the photos to see “confidence, power, that [the models are] capable of anything. That’s how I feel when I see all of you in my designs.”
Empire Waist has received multiple accolades on the festival circuit. It was an Official Selection for both the 2024 Annapolis Film Festival and 2024 Dallas International Film Festival and it won Best Feature at the 2024 Coney Island Film Festival, as well as Best Empowerment Film and Best Social Impact Film at the 2024 Sedona International Film Festival and the Wavemaker Award for Best Futurewave Feature at the 2024 Seattle International Film Festival. It’s made waves on social media for its fat-positive trailer and the coming-of-confidence story is already resonating with audiences.
Ayoub is also striving to make an impact beyond the movie itself. Empire Waist has partnered with Gillette to create “The Empire Waist Confidence Curriculum,” described as “a free resource for tweens, teens, and adults to process their own feelings about body image and self-confidence raised by the film.” It features seven videos and 15 downloadable activities, including interviews with cast members and tools provided by pediatrician Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez, dermatologist Dr. Dina Strachan, and clinical psychologist Dr. Emily Arnstein. [Note: The Mary Sue has not yet reviewed these materials and cannot speak to their content.]
Empire Waist is exclusively in theaters. If you want to see it in your city, consider calling your local theater, going in person to ask about screenings, or using the form on the film’s website to request a theater location.
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