Nancy Ward has been selected as the Visual Effects Society’s new executive director.
Ward, who joined VES in 2014 as the organization’s program and development director, was appointed interim executive director upon the retirement of Eric Roth in September 2022. Roth had served as leader of the organization for nearly 20 years.
The VES Board of Directors voted on the selection of Ward at the culmination of a comprehensive search process, guided under the leadership of VES chair Lisa Cooke. Ward’s elevation to executive director is effective immediately.
Cooke stated, “Nancy has a passion for the VES and a vision to further uplift the Society and bring it to the forefront of the global entertainment community. She has earned a tremendous reputation among the Board, staff, Sections, worldwide membership and industry partners, and we are confident that the VES will achieve new heights under her leadership. I am thrilled to have someone of Nancy’s caliber to helm our next chapter.”
“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as executive director of the Visual Effects Society,” said Ward. “It’s an enormous privilege to connect, educate, honor and celebrate the hardest working – and probably most underappreciated professionals – in entertainment, around the world. The VES is a beacon of creative and technological innovation and excellence, and it is my intention to further grow the Society into a powerful resource that is recognized and respected in all corners of the globe. I look forward to building on the strong foundation created by Eric Roth, and helping the Society cement its position as a leading voice at the epicenter of the entertainment industry.
Members of the VES Executive Director Search Committee shared the following about Ward’s selection:
“The VES is extremely lucky to have had Nancy among the significant pool of candidates seeking this important role,” said chair emeritus Jeffrey A. Okun, VES. “At this pivotal time in the industry, we are excited to work together to take the Society to the next level with Nancy at the helm.”
“Nancy has a clear vision for carrying the VES forward, focused around growth, continuing education, increased visibility and service to our membership,” said 2nd vice chair Susan Thurmond O’Neal. “Since she joined the organization, Nancy has deeply invested in the Society and helped achieve some of our longstanding goals, and I know she will continue that trajectory of success.”
The Search Committee also included 1st vice chair Emma Clifton Perry, VES secretary Rita Cahill and chair emeritus Mike Chambers, VES.
In her capacity as VES program and development director, Ward oversaw direct fundraising, partnerships, alliances and new programs. Her accomplishments include: driving annual sponsorship revenue; overseeing and directing the publishing team for VFX Voice, the Society’s flagship, award-winning print and digital magazine; spearheading initiatives around diversity, equity and inclusion, virtual production and women who lead VFX; overseeing the annual VES Honors Celebration, VES New York Awards Celebration and other VES and Section events; and leading the VES Archives initiative and development of the Society’s forthcoming VES digital museum.
Prior to joining the VES, Ward spent more than a decade in advertising, direct marketing, brand identity and business development, managing successful multi-million-dollar campaigns – as both a client and an ad agency account manager – for General Motors, Taco Bell, Mattel, office products, financial services companies and various nonprofits.
Pamela Anderson takes a bow at TIFF for Gia Coppola’s “The Last Showgirl”
The Toronto International Film Festival has played host to many comeback stories over the years. Brendan Fraser was cheered here two years ago for his performance in "The Whale." This year's unlikely comeback story might be Pamela Anderson.
On Friday, Gia Coppola premiered her film "The Last Showgirl," an indie drama starring Anderson as an aging Las Vegas showgirl. Shelley (Anderson) is the long-running star of casino dance show of scantily clad, feather-adorned women that has seen better days. With attendance dwindling, the show's stage manager (Dave Bautista) announces they will soon give their last performance, leaving Shelley — who believes sincerely in the show — pondering her choices.
The film, which is for sale in Toronto, drew mixed reviews but warm applause for the 57-year-old Anderson.
"I've been getting ready my whole life for this role," Anderson told the crowd at the Princess of Wales Theatre following the premiere.
For Anderson, whose most notable credits include "Baywatch" and "Borat," the festival acclaim was a novel experience. Even just getting a script like "The Last Showgirl" was something new for her.
"It's the first time I've read a good script, first of all. I've never had a script come to me that was coherent," said Anderson. "I was like: I'm the only one that can do this. I've never felt that strongly about something."
"The Last Showgirl" extends a run of good fortune for the former Playboy Playmate that includes her 2023 memoir "Love, Pamela" and the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary "Pamela, A Love Story." It also shares some of the same themes as another TIFF entry, the body horror film "The Substance." That film, starring Demi Moore, likewise grapples with agism for female... Read More