Remember Madonna's first movie? Desperately Seeking Susan was at the vanguard of films produced by women, and those women are coming to New Zealand to share their story. Midge Sanford and business partner Sarah Pillsbury set up their film production company Sanford/Pillsbury Productions in 1982, and were a pioneering team of women producers in a male-dominated industry. Their first project, Desperately Seeking Susan, starring Madonna, helped put them on the map and led to a string of films including River's Edge, Eight Men Out, And The Band Played On, and How to Make an American Quilt. Sanford will speak about making independent films at this year's Big Screen Symposium at Auckland University's Business School September 30 - October 1.
Listen to National Radio' Kim Hill interview with Midge Sanford (amusingly titled, Desperately Seeking Funding)