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Kanbar Institute of Film & Television

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Writing the Thesis II

Biography

Accomplished writer-director Maggie Greenwald began her career as an actor and dancer, then worked as a picture and sound editor before becoming an award-winning filmmaker. Greenwald’s first film, HOME REMEDY screened at the Munich, London and Torino Film Festivals before opening at the prestigious Film Forum in New York. Her next film, THE KILL-OFF, a noir thriller based on a novel by Jim Thompson, appeared at film festivals around the world including Sundance (in Dramatic Competition), Munich (opening night), London, Florence, Deauville, Toronto and Edinburgh before winning the Best Director Award at the Torino Film Festival. The film is acknowledged by the British Film Institute as one of the "100 Best American Independents." Greenwald’s acclaimed, ground-breaking Western, THE BALLAD OF LITTLE JO was released worldwide by Fine Line Features and Polygram Filmed Entertainment; it won an Independent Spirit Award. Subsequently, Greenwald wrote and directed SONGCATCHER with music produced and created by composer David Mansfield. The film premiered in Dramatic Competition at Sundance 2000 where it garnered a Special Jury Award for Ensemble Performance. Additionally, the film received the first Sloan Foundation Award, Deauville Film Festival Audience Award, two Independent Spirit Award nominations and a GLAAD Award nomination. In 2002 Greenwald was awarded the Dorothy Arzner Award from the Director’s View Film Festival. For television, Greenwald has directed the GLAAD Award winning film WHAT MAKES A FAMILY (starring Brooke Shields, Whoopi Goldberg and Cherry Jones), GET A CLUE (starring Lindsey Lohan), TEMPTED (starring Virginia Madsen) and COMFORT AND JOY. Episodic work includes THE ADVENTURES OF PETE & PETE (Cable ACE Award), THE MYSTERY FILES OF SHELBY WOO and WILDFIRE.