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Susan Seidelman (born December 11, 1952, Philadelphia) is an American director, producer, writer, and actress. Susan Seidelman belongs to the first wave of female independent film makers in the American cinema of the 1980s. She graduated Abington Senior High School in 1969 , and went on to study fashion and arts at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Her first forays into movie-making at New York University resulted in a slew of awards. In 1982, she made her feature film debut with Smithereens, which was the first American independent film to be selected for competition at the 1982 Cannes... MORE

Susan Seidelman (born December 11, 1952, Philadelphia) is an American director, producer, writer, and actress. Susan Seidelman belongs to the first wave of female independent film makers in the American cinema of the 1980s. She graduated Abington Senior High School in 1969 , and went on to study fashion and arts at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Her first forays into movie-making at New York University resulted in a slew of awards. In 1982, she made her feature film debut with Smithereens, which was the first American independent film to be selected for competition at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival. The film was written by Ron Nyswaner, who would lated receive an Academy Award nomination for Philadelphia in 1994. In the same year she was a member of the jury at the 44th Berlin International Film Festival. Her second film Desperately Seeking Susan, featuring then-rising star Madonna, was a major box-office success for Seidelman, and launched the film careers of co-stars Rosanna Arquette and Aidan Quinn. Seidelman's subsequent movies, however--Making Mr. Right starring John Malkovich; Cookie with Peter Falk; and She-Devil, the film version of Fay Weldon's bestselling novel with LESS