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Marjorie Conrad
Marjorie Conrad
Marjorie Conrad
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Marjorie Conrad (born October 1, 1988) is a French-American filmmaker and model. She is known for being the eleventh eliminated contestant in the eleventh cycle of America's Next Top Model, and for her feature films Body Issues (2023), Desire Path (2020), and Chemical Cut (2016).

Key Information

Personal life

[edit]

Conrad was born in Marseille to French parents Didier Conrad, a graphic novel artist of Swiss origin, and Sophie Commenge, a graphic novel scenarist of partial Italian ancestry. When she was eight years old, the family left France and relocated to Los Angeles, California after her father began working on the film The Road to El Dorado (2000) with DreamWorks Studio. Conrad and her brother did not learn English until beginning public schooling in California.

Conrad attended school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, and began pursuing filmmaking as a middle schooler. She then attended Cleveland High School and San Francisco State University, where she graduated summa cum laude with a degree in film production in 2011.

Career

[edit]

America's Next Top Model

[edit]

In 2008, Conrad was scouted at the San Francisco State University campus bookstore for the eleventh cycle of America's Next Top Model.

After being the fourth girl (after Sheena Sakai, Lio Tipton, and Nikeysha Clarke) selected as a cast member, Conrad was never placed below seventh.[1] Her portfolio frequently garnered much praise from the judges. Conrad received two first call-outs which were both shot by photographer Mike Rosenthal (i.e. portraying the political issue of immigration during the voting-themed photoshoot in week one and embodying an award show mishap inspired by Tyra's Fiercee Awards in a dramatic photoshoot in week six).

She also won two challenges (i.e. her high-fashion take on the "Hunchback from Notre-Dame" impressed Tyra Banks during the Signature Pose Challenge, winning her diamonds at Rafinity Jewelry valued at 12k in week six and the commercial shoot challenge with model Mark Vanderloo judged by Paulina Porizkova where she was rewarded with a 10k shopping spree at G-Star Raw in week ten). Conrad during both her challenge wins chose to split and share the prize evenly with her friend and fellow contestant Tipton.

In week seven, challenge winner Elina Ivanova chose Conrad and Tipton to feature in a Seventeen Magazine holiday photoshoot.

Conrad survived her first-ever bottom two appearance over Ivanova who was eliminated in her third consecutive bottom two appearance in week nine. The judges eliminated Conrad eleventh in Amsterdam during her second consecutive bottom two appearance which Samantha Potter had survived for the second time.

Other Modeling

[edit]

Post-Top Model, Conrad resumed her studies at San Francisco State University and signed with Look Model Agency from 2009–2011.[2] Modeling credits included a cover and spreads in Fantasticsmag, opening a Marciano runway show, walking for the Parc 55 Hotel opening show, closing and a video shoot for the San Francisco Art Institute graduation show, several shoots and shows for diPietro Todd Salon, multiple shoots for Edo Salon, a shoot for Atelier Emmanuel, a trade show with Gina Khan Salon, in-store modeling for Neiman Marcus, and a video shoot for Macy's West and MAC Cosmetics. She has worked with San Francisco photographers Aubrey Trinnaman, Hideki Owa, Billy Winters, Tara Chumpelik, Christian Pollock, Tara Arrowood, Cody Rasmussen, RC Rivera, Jean-Baptiste Petispas, and Brittany McCall.[3]

Film

[edit]

Her 2011 graduate thesis film Limehouse won the Audience Award at the Juried Previews for the SFSU 51st Film Finals,[4] was selected to close the Film Finals screening, won Best Narrative at the Excelsior Short Film Festival,[5] and was praised by Sundance Feature Film Program Manager Cullen Conly. The short narrative film focused on San Francisco and featured legendary transgender pioneer Vicki Marlane in a rare and classic rendition of Lisa Kirk's Limehouse Blues.

After graduating with honors in 2011, Conrad moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles and set out to write her first feature script while working as a receptionist at World of Wonder Productions. It was there that she met her future cast members, including the late Ian Coster (son of Days of Our Lives actor Nicolas Coster, also performing in the film), Michael Lucid, Deven Green, David Keeps, and Stephen Saban, co-founder of Details. She fully funded the film using her earnings from World of Wonder, teaming up with SFSU alums Barret Hacia (Producer) and Mackenzie Mathis (Cinematographer). Conrad wore many hats for the project: writer, director, lead actress, executive producer, and editor.

Her surreal debut feature, titled Chemical Cut, world premiered at the top-tier 2016 Slamdance Film Festival as an Official Selection in the Narrative Competition.[6] Marjorie was one of only two female directors accepted in the 2016 Narrative Feature lineup. In her dark comedy, "Irene, a 23-year-old artistic misfit, pursues a modeling career to escape her dead-end retail job but is quickly disillusioned by the cutthroat nature of the Los Angeles fashion world. Searching for identity and a kindred spirit while surrounded by competition, absurdity, and so many nude bras, Irene flounders until a mysterious woman's performance ignites her imagination."[7] Programmer Marie Jamora explained, "Writer/Director/Editor/Lead Actress Marjorie Conrad developed the story from her own experience as a former model, and she shows us a world where mannequins are treated better than real women, verbal molestation is palpable, and the scariest predators of pretty girls are the other pretty girls.”[8] Chemical Cut had a positive critical reception, including the following favorable reviews from Hammer To Nail,[9] Film Colossus,[10] Beyond Chron,[11] The Film Stage,[12] Eat Drink Films,[13] and Slug Magazine.[14] The following interviews with the cast and crew were conducted by Twitch Film,[15] World of Wonder[16] hosted by James St. James, Film Colossus,[17] The Park Record,[18] The Art of Monteque,[19] Screen Prism,[20] Serving Cinema,[21] Filmmaker Magazine,[22] and MovieMaker Magazine.[23] Other local radio and television interviews were conducted by Entertainment Journal, Park City Television, KPCW Radio, KXRK 96 Radio, Attention Deficit, UNLV Rebel Yell, P3 Update, International Screenwriting Association, and Examiner. The film was singled out as a festival highlight by AMFM Magazine,[24] Variety,[25] Twitch Film,[26] Hammer To Nail,[27] and The Davis Clipper,[28] and the festival trailer was initially released on Indiewire.[29] Filmmaker Magazine called the film "beguiling" and "intriguing," Slug Magazine described it as "a beautifully wrought film of the often fraught search for identity" and argued "the film manages to deftly explore questions of identity and creativity—perhaps drawing from Conrad’s own experiences—through opulent shots, outrageous characters and an exquisite backdrop of heightened reality."[30] While at the festival, Recreation Media secured the film's international rights. It screened at the ArcLight Hollywood on May 10, 2016 and the ArcLight Chicago on May 18, 2016 as part of the Slamdance Cinema Club.[31] The film was nominated for the Indie Spirit Award and won the Female Eye Filmmaking Award at The New Hope Film Festival.[32] It was an Official Selection at the 2016 Buffalo International Film Festival in the Domestic and ArtHouse Feature category.[33] Marjorie was interviewed for BIFFX by actress Tilke Hill as part of a Women in Film panel with feature directors Stavroula Toska (Beneath The Olive Tree) and Victoria Negri (Gold Star).[34] Chemical Cut was released on Amazon Prime Video [35] and Marjorie Conrad's YouTube Channel.[36]

Conrad's second feature film, Desire Path, premiered at the 2020 Mammoth Lakes Film Festival and won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature. Notable cast include Otto von Schirach and Amy Deanna.[37] Film critic, curator, and artist Nikola Gocić cited Desire Path as one of his cinematic favorites of 2020, an "uncompromising sophomore feature–a deliberately paced, relentlessly elliptical and formally adventurous de(con)struction of the vampire subgenre."[38][39] Gocić subsequently praised the 2021 version of the film: "Marjorie Conrad’s grimly sensual mood piece–one of the finest experimental features I saw last year–gets a condensed, yet even more daring version which emphasizes the film’s ‘tactility’. And when I say ‘tactility’, I don’t refer to it only in its literal sense, but also as in ‘a half-remembered dream that gently touches your psyche before veiling it in uncanny ethereality'..."[40] The 2021 version of Desire Path was released on Amazon Prime Video;[41] both the 2020[42] and 2021[43] versions were released on Marjorie Conrad's YouTube channel.

Conrad's formally daring third feature, Body Issues, makes innovative use of body cam footage, a lack of visible human faces,[44] and "an unreliable narrator as the only guide."[45] It debuted at the 2023 Cine-Excess Film Festival in the UK, exploring "physical and familial alienation" central to the festival's theme.[46] In his review, Nikola Gocić commends the film's bold, raw, and essayistic experimentation that "constantly keeps you guessing," describing the film as "a heavy dream in which you’re enveloped in darkness, and lost in a place you can’t recognize," its nightmarish atmosphere reminiscent of "Philippe Grandrieux and David Lynch (in the Inland Empire element)."[45] The film was also programmed at the 2023 Bridge Film and Video Festival,[47] the 2023 BizarroLand Film Festival,[48] and the 2024 New Jersey Film Festival.[44]

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]
Film
Year Title Role Festival Screenings Notes / Awards
2011 Limehouse Director / Writer / Producer / Editor SFSU 51st Film Finals Audience Award[49]
Closed Film Finals
2011 Excelsior Short Film Festival Best Narrative[50]
2016 Chemical Cut Director / Writer / Producer / Editor / Lead Actress 2016 Slamdance Film Festival Official Selection – Narrative Competition[6]
Best Narrative Feature (Nominee)[51]
2016 New Hope Film Festival Official Selection[52]
Female Eye Filmmaking Award[52]
Indie Spirit Award (Nominee)[52]
2016 Buffalo International Film Festival Official Selection[53]
2020 Desire Path (Festival Cut) Director / Writer / Producer / Editor 2020 Mammoth Lakes Film Festival World Premiere[54][37]
Audience Award[55]
2021 Desire Path (Final Cut) Director / Writer / Producer / Editor N/A Alternate version released on YouTube[56][57]
2023 Body Issues Director / Writer / Producer / Cinematographer / Actress / Editor / Sound Designer 2023 Cine-Excess Film Festival Official Selection[46]
2023 Bridge Film and Video Festival Official Selection – Opening Film[47]
2023 BizarroLand Film Festival Official Selection – Closing Film[48]
2024 New Jersey Film Festival Official Selection[44]

Television

[edit]
Television
Year Title Role Episode # Notes / Awards
2008 America's Next Top Model (Cycle 11) Self 2 – Top Model Inauguration 1st Place Photo Call-Out, shot by Mike Rosenthal
7 – The Fiercee Awards 1st Place Photo Call-Out, shot by Mike Rosenthal
Won Reward Challenge – Best Signature Pose, shot by Tyra Banks
12 – Good Times and Windmills Finished 4th
Won Reward Challenge – Commercial Shoot with Mark Vanderloo

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Marjorie Conrad

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Marjorie Conrad (born October 1, 1988) is a French-American filmmaker and former model known for her appearance as the third runner-up on cycle 11 of and for directing semi-autobiographical films inspired by her experiences in the fashion industry. Born in in the south of , Conrad immigrated to the with her family at the age of eight and later settled in . She began studying film in middle school and earned a Bachelor of Arts in filmmaking from , where her thesis short Limehouse (2011) won the Best Narrative award at the Short Film Festival and the Audience Award at the 51st SFSU Film Finals. Following her time on America's Next Top Model in 2008, where she underwent a controversial buzz cut makeover and modeled primarily in San Francisco for about two years, Conrad transitioned fully to filmmaking. Her feature debut, Chemical Cut (2016), a comedy-drama she wrote, directed, edited, and starred in as an aspiring model navigating degrading industry experiences, premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival and received the Female Eye Filmmaking Award at the New Hope Film Festival. Subsequent works include the short Desire Path (2020) and the experimental feature Body Issues (2023), shot over one month in Seattle using a GoPro to explore themes of perception, identity, and transience through a bodycam perspective. Conrad has been selected for prestigious programs such as the 2019 WIF/Sundance ReFrame Rise Directors Program and served on the 2016 WIF Film Finishing Fund jury; she maintains a vegan lifestyle, resides in Seattle with her significant other, and has no children.

Early life and education

Childhood and family background

Marjorie Conrad was born in , , on October 1, 1988. Her father, , is a renowned French graphic novel artist of Swiss origin who has worked on prominent series such as . Her mother, Sophie Commenge, is a scenarist known for her contributions to graphic novels, including collaborations with her husband on works like Tigresse Blanche. Conrad spent her early childhood in , immersed in a creative household shaped by her parents' professions in and . This environment fostered her interest in and visual media from a young age, surrounded by the worlds of , illustration, and scriptwriting. She began studying in middle school and created her first at age 13, adapting a story by to explore themes of appearances and integrity. At age eight, her family immigrated to the , initially to , where her father took a position at , further exposing her to the and industries.

Move to the United States and schooling

At the age of eight, Marjorie Conrad relocated with her family from the south of to , . Upon arriving in the , Conrad, who had been raised speaking French, did not know English and faced initial language barriers alongside her brother. She acquired proficiency in the language through immersion in the public school system, beginning her formal there shortly after the move. Conrad later pursued higher education in film, attending . She graduated in 2011 with a in filmmaking.

Modeling career

Participation in

Marjorie Conrad, a 19-year-old student with no prior modeling experience, was scouted at her college bookstore in , , before undergoing a lengthy and grueling audition process that led to her selection for Cycle 11 of America's Next Top Model, which premiered in 2008. Throughout the competition, Conrad emerged as a strong contender, earning first call-out in the premiere episode for her versatile performance in a addressing immigration issues. She also received another first call-out later in the cycle and excelled in key challenges, including a wordless commercial audition where her geeky charisma led to a win, and the G-Star denim challenge, for which she shared a $10,000 shopping spree prize with fellow contestant Analeigh Tipton. Despite these achievements, Conrad's portrayal on the show emphasized her nervous demeanor and introspective personality, often attributing her jitteriness to cultural differences as a French-American contestant, though she demonstrated composure during panel deliberations. A controversial episode resulted in her hair being bleached and buzzed, accentuating her distinctive, edgy look that judges praised for its potential in high-fashion contexts. Conrad was eliminated in episode 12 after landing in the bottom two alongside Potter following a couture in , where critics noted her shots appeared stiff and lacking engagement, placing her as the 11th eliminated contestant and third runner-up overall. Her strong portfolio and unique presence on the show significantly boosted her visibility in the modeling industry, highlighting her as a thoughtful and visually compelling participant.

Post-competition modeling assignments

Following her participation in America's Next Top Model, Conrad signed with Look Model Agency in San Francisco, where she was represented from 2009 to 2011. During this period, she pursued professional modeling assignments primarily in the San Francisco area, focusing on smaller, less commercial clients compared to major markets like Los Angeles. These included print work for magazines such as Fantasticsmag, Horizon, and PDN, as well as runway appearances, such as opening a Marciano fashion show, often for local or emerging brands, though many gigs were unpaid or low-paying. Conrad's experiences highlighted the industry's challenges, including unpredictable job requirements and exploitative conditions; she recounted instances of belittlement, shouting from clients, and physical strain. She modeled for approximately two years while completing her film degree, viewing models as treated like "empty vessels" or passive "blank slates" rather than individuals with agency. These encounters with the fashion world's absurdities and harsh realities provided key inspiration for her later , subtly informing themes of identity and exploitation in her directorial work.

Filmmaking career

Transition from modeling and early short films

After appearing on in 2008, Conrad continued modeling assignments in while pursuing her studies in film production at , where she earned her degree in 2011. This dual pursuit facilitated her gradual shift toward , as she began channeling her firsthand encounters with the modeling industry's demands—such as performative identity and competitive pressures—into creative explorations of personal and cultural narratives. Conrad's debut short film, (2011), served as a pivotal project during her final year of studies, marking her entry into directing, writing, producing, and editing. The 5.92-minute narrative, shot on digital and 16mm, centers on fog-shrouded and features transgender performer Vicki Marlane in a evocative performance inspired by the lyric "He gave her rings for her fingers and tears for her crown," evoking themes of resilience amid historical and atmospheric obscurity in the city's era. Limehouse garnered early recognition, winning the Audience Award at the 2011 SFSU 51st Film Finals Juried Previews Screening and Best Narrative at the 2011 Excelsior Short Film Festival. Its success led to an invitation to apply for the 2011 Sundance Screenwriters Workshop, affirming Conrad's potential in independent cinema and solidifying her commitment to over modeling.

Feature film directorial works

Marjorie Conrad's transition to feature-length directing began with Chemical Cut (2016), a semi-autobiographical drawing from her experiences in the modeling industry. The film follows Irene, a 23-year-old artistic misfit who enters the cutthroat fashion world, grappling with disillusionment and a search for identity amid its soul-crushing demands. It premiered in the Narrative Feature Competition at the 2016 , where it received praise for its quirky insights into the industry's harsh realities. The film later won the Female Eye Filmmaking Award at the 2016 New Hope Film Festival and earned Conrad an invitation to apply for the 2019 / ReFrame Rise Directors Program. Conrad's second feature, (2020), marked a shift toward experimental storytelling with an elliptical vampire narrative. In the film, a young woman unwittingly invites a demonic figure into her life by following a makeshift path near her home, exploring themes of uncontrollable drives and vulnerability through haptic visuals, minimal dialogue, and techniques. It received the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2020 Mammoth Lakes Film Festival, highlighting its resonance with viewers despite its abstract form. A subsequent iteration in 2021 refined its structure for additional screenings, further emphasizing Conrad's interest in psychological and elements tied to personal compulsion. Her third feature, Body Issues (2023), delves deeper into explorations of and identity loss through an innovative experimental lens. Filmed entirely with body cam footage and featuring obscured faces alongside an unreliable narrator, it portrays protagonist Jane's descent into inner confusion as she struggles to connect with her physical self, addressing alienation in a visually disorienting style. The film debuted at the 2023 Cine-Excess , where it was noted for its unsettling take on physical and familial disconnection. In 2024, it won Best Experimental Film at the ReelHeart International and received a nomination for Best Editing there, underscoring its technical boldness. Across these works, Conrad's films consistently draw from her personal encounters with the fashion industry's pressures, weaving motifs of identity formation and bodily autonomy into narratives that challenge conventional viewing. Her visual approach is influenced by health sensitivities, including glare from bright lights and difficulties with rapid light-dark transitions, which inform subdued lighting and transitional effects to evoke discomfort and . As of 2025, no new directorial projects have been announced.

Filmography

Films

  • Limehouse (2011): director, writer, producer, editor.
  • Chemical Cut (2016): director, writer, producer, editor, .
  • Desire Path (2020): director, writer, producer, editor.
  • Body Issues (2023): director, writer, producer, , editor, .

Television

Conrad's primary television appearance was as a contestant on the reality competition series , Cycle 11, which aired on in 2008. She participated in the first 11 episodes, showcasing her modeling skills through challenges, photo shoots, and judging panels, before her elimination in the subsequent episode. Conrad ultimately placed fourth overall, recognized as the third runner-up for her strong performances and editorial posing style. Beyond this competition, she has had no other notable television roles or guest spots as of 2025.

References

  1. https://the-take.com/read/ask-the-director-marjorie-conrad-talks-about-life-after-top-model-and-her-debut-chemical-cut
  2. https://www.parkrecord.com/2016/01/23/conrads-chemical-cut-inspired-by-her-modeling-experiences/
  3. https://marjorie-conrad.com/
  4. https://www.whosdatedwho.com/dating/marjorie-conrad
  5. https://www.newjerseystage.com/articles2/2024/02/04/marjorie-conrads-amazing-experimental-feature-body-issues-screens-at-the-new-jersey-film-festival-on-saturday-february-10-2024022024/
  6. https://www.fashionmodeldirectory.com/models/marjorie_conrad/
  7. https://www.bedetheque.com/auteur-856-BD-Commenge-Sophie.html
  8. http://reapmediazine.com/index.php/article-list/204-chemical-cut-interview-with-marjorie-conrad-and-barret-michael-hacia-15
  9. https://lca.sfsu.edu/archive/lcanews/2016/01/26/813181-alum-marjorie-conrads-chemical-cut-inspired-her-modeling-experiences.html
  10. https://www.realitytvworld.com/news/marjorie-conrad-dishes-about-her-time-on-america-next-top-model-8013.php
  11. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1267205/
  12. https://www.channelguidemag.com/tv-news/2008/11/12/its-time-to-boot-marjorie-off-antm/
  13. https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/show-tracker/story/2008-11-12/americas-next-top-model-how-come-tyra-gets-to-take-her-clogs-off
  14. https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/show-tracker/story/2008-11-19/americas-next-top-model-we-have-a-winner-again
  15. https://antm.fandom.com/wiki/Marjorie_Conrad
  16. https://www.tumblr.com/antmrankings/113318805110/3-marjorie-conrad-marjorie-was-a-gigantic-ball
  17. https://news.sfsu.edu/archive/sf-state-news/2016.html
  18. https://marjorie-conrad.com/limehouse.html
  19. https://pt.findagrave.com/memorial/132032302/vicki-marlane
  20. https://marjorie-conrad.com/chemical_cut.html
  21. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/chemical-cut-slamdance-review-857873/
  22. http://newhopefilmfest.blogspot.com/2016/08/2016-award-winners.html
  23. https://marjorie-conrad.com/desire_path.html
  24. https://www.bravenewhollywood.com/mammoth-lakes-film-festival-2020-winners/
  25. https://www.diversionsla.com/mammoth-lakes-film-festival-2020-was-a-virtual-winner-on-the-weekend/
  26. https://marjorie-conrad.com/body_issues.html
  27. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oyTwgePKeE
  28. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3108764/
  29. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4881380/
  30. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3406296/
  31. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12998774/
  32. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29519815/
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