Susan Seidelman

Susan Seidelman (born December 11, 1952, Philadelphia) is an American film director, producer and writer. She came to prominence in the 1980s with Smithereens, which was the first American independent feature to be screened in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival, and Desperately Seeking Susan, featuring Madonna in her first film role. Seidelman's films continue to mix comedy with drama, blending genres and pop-cultural references with a focus on women protagonists, particularly outsiders. She also works in television and is known for directing the pilot of Sex and the City.

Early life and education

Seidelman was raised in a suburb of Philadelphia, the oldest daughter of a hardware manufacturer and a teacher. She graduated from Abington Senior High School in 1969, and went on to study fashion and arts at Drexel University in Philadelphia. After taking a film appreciation class where she was inspired by the French New Wave, particularly the films of Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut, as well as Ingmar Bergman, she switched her focus to filmmaking.