Maggie Greenwald facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maggie Greenwald
Born	(1955-06-23) June 23, 1955 (age 70) Queens, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Film director, television director, screenwriter
Years active	1983–present
Spouse(s)	David Mansfield (1994–present; 2 children)

Maggie Greenwald is an American filmmaker. She writes and directs movies and TV shows. She is known for her independent films. These include Sophie and the Rising Sun (2016) and Songcatcher (2000). She also directed The Ballad of Little Jo (1993) and The Kill-Off (1989).

Filmmaking Career

Early Films

Maggie Greenwald's first movie was Home Remedy (1987). She wrote the story for this film herself. It was shown at film festivals in Munich, London, and Torino. It also opened at the famous Film Forum in New York.

Her next film was The Kill-Off (1989). She adapted it from a book by Jim Thompson. This movie was shown at many film festivals. These included Sundance and Toronto. She won the Best Director Award at the Torino Film Festival for this film. The British Film Institute (BFI) lists The Kill-Off as one of the top 100 American Independent Films. This helped Maggie Greenwald become known as an important independent filmmaker.

Notable Movies

Greenwald then wrote and directed The Ballad of Little Jo (1993). This was a Western movie released around the world. The main actress, Suzy Amis, was nominated for an award. Many film experts consider The Ballad of Little Jo an important film in the Western genre.

Later, Greenwald wrote and directed Songcatcher (2000). This movie was a unique musical. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The film won a Special Jury Award for its cast's performance. It also received the first Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Feature Film Prize. Two actors, Emmy Rossum and Pat Carroll, were nominated for awards for their roles.

Her most recent film is Sophie and the Rising Sun (2016). It is based on a novel by Augusta Trobaugh. Maggie Greenwald adapted the book, produced, and directed the movie. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2016.

Television Work

Maggie Greenwald has directed both movies and TV shows. Her TV movies include What Makes a Family. This film starred Brooke Shields and Whoopi Goldberg. It won a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Television Movie. It also won a Humanitas Award.

Other TV movies she directed are Get a Clue (2002), starring Lindsay Lohan. She also directed Tempted (2003) and Comfort and Joy (2003). Comfort and Joy is a popular Christmas movie on Lifetime. She also directed Good Morning, Killer (2011).

More recently, Greenwald has directed episodes for TV series. These include Nashville and Madam Secretary. One episode of Madam Secretary, called “Break in Democracy,” was banned in the Philippines. This was because it showed a fictional dictator from that country.

Earlier in her career, she directed children's TV shows. For Nickelodeon, she directed several episodes of The Adventures of Pete & Pete. She also helped create the look of the show The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. She directed six episodes of that show. She also directed a pilot episode for a show that later became The Backyardigans. She also directed an episode of Wildfire for ABC Family.

Personal Life

Maggie Greenwald married composer and musician David Mansfield in 1994. He has written music for many of her films. They have two daughters named Maisie (born 1997) and Lulu (born 2000).

Her sister is the author Alison Leslie Gold.

Greenwald has also taught film directing and screenwriting. She has taught at Sarah Lawrence College, Columbia University, and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Filmography

Film

Television

TV movies

• What Makes a Family (2001)
• Get a Clue (2002)
• Tempted (2003)
• Comfort and Joy (2003)
• Good Morning, Killer (2011)
• Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane (2018)

Awards and Nominations