ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I owe many thank-yous for this book. First, I am a deeply grateful to the contributors who jumped on board to participate. It was a true pleasure to reconnect with old friends, make new friends and colleagues, and spend time with some of the film and television professionals I most admire. They took time out of their busy schedules to share their perspective and expertise, which is among the most generous of gifts. I must also acknowledge the many photographers who graciously allowed us to include their work in this book.

Thank you to my friends, colleagues, and mentors who supported or influenced this project from the outset and onward. UCR-Palm Desert faculty members Kate Anger, Joshua Malkin, Bill Rabkin, and Deanne Stillman are not only all-round good humans, but they’ve consistently gone above and beyond more times than I can count. Several additional people came in early to read the proposal for this book and series, as well as early proposals for other projects; their feedback was priceless. Thank you to Trai Cartwright, Lisa Channer, Lee Michael Cohn, Chuck Erven, Sarah Huffman, Jim Jennewein, Kevin Jones, Brian Lipson, and Chad Parsons. Thanks also to Celia Burger, Glenda Freeman, Mark Futterman, Wendy Peterson, Allison Phillips, Cindy Reed, Andrea Stewart, and Carol Whatley for hiring me, inspiring me, or any combination of the two. Thank you to Bobby Mitas and Andy Ziskin for an incredible opportunity. To Jay Paul Deratany, Connie Haneline, Mindy Seidman, Claire Wilson, Jeff Wood, and Hilary Wyss for indulging me more than my fair share of coffee and cocktail time to discuss this project as it unfolded.

To my students at Auburn University, thank you for providing perspective, inspiration, and laughter. To AU’s Media Studies faculty members George Plasketes and Hollie Lavenstein, thank you for the support in the early stages of this project.

Three interviews in this book are adapted from the “Diva Directors” series in Intellect’s Film International: in Chapter 3, “Documentary Filmmaking in Pakistan: When Directing Can Be Dangerous: An Interview With Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy”; in Chapter 4, “The Evolution of a Directing Career: From Australia to Hollywood and Back Again: An Interview with Gillian Armstrong”; and in Chapter 5, “Navigating the Creative Process: Insights on Gender and the Business of Directing: An Interview with Susanne Bier.” I must also thank my editors at Film International, Daniel Lindvall and Matthew Sorrento, who often wait long stretches without pressure or complaint.

I am indebted to my editors Emily McCloskey and Stacey Walker at Focal Press | Routledge. They initially saw the possibility in this series and advocated for it from the beginning. Elliana Arons supported the early stages of development, and Meredith Darnell and John Makowski expertly shepherded the manuscripts through development. I am grateful to Abigail Stanley for her expertise in taking the book through the production process and to Harbour Fraser Hodder who was especially attentive and thorough in her copyediting. Thank you also to Nicci Leamon, who has been transcribing interviews for years now, to Susan Cochran for her last-minute transcriptions, and to Ande Nichols, Jill Nusbaum, and Geneva Willis for their truly excellent editorial support.

Above all, I am grateful for my family. Thanks to my parents for encouraging me to pursue the arts, and to my siblings for applauding me along the way. Thank you, girl, always. And of course, this book wouldn’t exist without my husband’s willingness to take this journey with me. Chris Qualls, this has been incredibly fun, but it would be meaningless without you and the kids.

Finally, thanks to my children, who have been so patient these past few years and have also offered unique insight at crucial moments during the making of this book and series. You’re my inspiration, boys. I hope you will continue to pursue your dreams with tenacity, enthusiasm, and confidence.