Cindy Baer, a renowned filmmaker, embarked on her acting journey at the tender age of 14 with the esteemed Boston Children's Theatre. Throughout her illustrious career, she has had the privilege of performing in over two dozen stage plays, including the critically acclaimed roles of Essie in the Pasadena Shakespeare Company's production of "You Can't Take It With You" and Jill in the 30th anniversary production of Leonard Gershe's "Butterflies are Free" at the prestigious Matrix Theatre in Hollywood, which she also had the distinction of producing.
In 2001, Cindy founded the production company Free Dream Pictures, and made her feature directing and producing debut with Purgatory House in 2004. This remarkable film was written by a 14-year-old at-risk girl that Baer mentored in the Big Sisters of Los Angeles Program. The film boasted an impressive cast, featuring newcomers Celeste Davis, Johnny Pacar, and Brian Dietzen in their acting debuts, alongside Jim Hanks, the talented younger brother of Tom Hanks. Purgatory House garnered widespread critical acclaim, earning feature stories in over 60 publications, including NPR's "All Things Considered", The New York Post, The Chicago Tribune, and CBS Radio. The film won 12 film festival awards, 2 Prism Award Nominations, and appeared on several critics' lists for "Best Films of the Year" before securing distribution with Image Entertainment.
Cindy's second feature, Odd Brodsky, released in 2014, was also met with immense critical and commercial success. Directed, produced, and co-written by Baer with her cinematographer husband Matthew Irving, the film appeared in 30 film festivals and won 21 festival awards. It was a critical darling, boasting a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and reached #19 on the iTunes independent Comedy Charts in the United States, #13 in the United Kingdom, and #2 in Sweden and Armenia. The screenplay even reached #1 on Amazon's Best Sellers charts for screenplays.
In addition to her impressive filmmaking career, Cindy is also the co-founder of the California nonprofit organization Patron of the Arts, whose mission is to support emerging filmmakers in creating work and connecting with audiences.
