Donna Deitch (born June 8, 1945 in San Francisco, California) is an
American film and television director, producer, and writer best known
for her 1985 film Desert Hearts. The movie was the first feature film
to depict a lesbian love story in a generally mainstream vein, with
positive and respectful themes.Donna Deitch segued from award-winning
documentary filmmaker to producing and directing Desert Hearts, the
landmark hit of the 1985 Telluride and Toronto International film
festivals, and the 1986 Sundance Film Festival. The film was picked up
for worldwide distribution by The Samuel Goldwyn Company. Shortly
after seeing the film, Oprah Winfrey hired Deitch to direct the
Emmy-nominated four-hour mini-series The Women of Brewster
Place.Deitch directed four pilots subsequent to the success of
Brewster Place, three of which were picked up for series, including
Second Noah. She has directed numerous episodes of one-hour dramas
including NYPD Blue, ER, Murder One, Law and Order: SVU, EZ Streets,
The Visitor, Dragnet, Crossing Jordan, Heroes, Private Practice, and
others. She directed the pilot episode of The N's, South of
Nowhere.She directed Prison Stories: Women on the Inside for HBO;
Showtime's The Devil's Arithmetic starring Kirsten Dunst and Brittany
Murphy, and Common Ground, written by Terrence McNally, Paula Vogel,
and Harvey Fierstein (also for Showtime).
American film and television director, producer, and writer best known
for her 1985 film Desert Hearts. The movie was the first feature film
to depict a lesbian love story in a generally mainstream vein, with
positive and respectful themes.Donna Deitch segued from award-winning
documentary filmmaker to producing and directing Desert Hearts, the
landmark hit of the 1985 Telluride and Toronto International film
festivals, and the 1986 Sundance Film Festival. The film was picked up
for worldwide distribution by The Samuel Goldwyn Company. Shortly
after seeing the film, Oprah Winfrey hired Deitch to direct the
Emmy-nominated four-hour mini-series The Women of Brewster
Place.Deitch directed four pilots subsequent to the success of
Brewster Place, three of which were picked up for series, including
Second Noah. She has directed numerous episodes of one-hour dramas
including NYPD Blue, ER, Murder One, Law and Order: SVU, EZ Streets,
The Visitor, Dragnet, Crossing Jordan, Heroes, Private Practice, and
others. She directed the pilot episode of The N's, South of
Nowhere.She directed Prison Stories: Women on the Inside for HBO;
Showtime's The Devil's Arithmetic starring Kirsten Dunst and Brittany
Murphy, and Common Ground, written by Terrence McNally, Paula Vogel,
and Harvey Fierstein (also for Showtime).
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