Diana Ginsburg

Diana Ginsburg is a South African, later American, editor, film maker, author and photographer.

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Also known by her married name, Diana Friedberg.

Biography

Has a BA in Drama from the University of Cape Town Drama Department (1967) and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Cinema from the University of Southern California (1976).

Co-author, with Lori-Jane Coleman of the books Make the Cut: A Guide to Becoming a Successful Assistant Editor in Film and TV (2010). [1] and Jump Cut. How to Jump Start your Career as a Film Editor.

She started out as an editor and director in South Africa (see the next section below) then relocated to Hollywood with her husband and family in 1986. With an MFA from USC in film production Friedberg has edited and produced features, episodic television, animation series and non-fiction productions for companies as diverse as Disney, National Geographic, The History Channel, A&E, Discovery, NBC, USA, Stephen J. Cannell, and Leonard Nimoy Productions.

Married to Lionel Friedberg, she also uses her married name, Diana Friedberg, on occasion.

Contributions to South African theatre, film, media and performance

Editing career

She started working in Cape Town as an Assistant Editor for Audio Kine Africa (1967 -1968), making commercials and documentaries for a range of clients, including Peter Stuyvesant, Rothmans, Dunhill and Lexington - with internationally acclaimed director Ashley Lazarus.

In 1969 she worked as an Editing Intern for Universal Pictures MOW on John Blackburn’s 1962 thriller novel The Gaunt Woman (adapted into a television film called Destiny of a Spy, directed by Boris Sagal, starring Rachel Roberts and Lorne Greene, at Pinewood Studios, London, 1969).[2]

On her return to South Africa she became an Assistant Editor and Editor, working with Dirk de Villiers for C-Films and Bevil Films, with Ray Austin for Capital Films and for Cavalier Films. Films edited in the period 1970-1974 include

Abashokobezi, Crazy People,

Directing career

She moved from editing to directing as an assistant director and supervising editor on Abashokobezi for C Films and then became one of first women in South Africa to direct a feature film when she did Die Spook van Donkergat for Capital Films.

EDITOR AND ASSISTANT EDITOR: FEATURE FILMS (1970-1974) CRAZY PEOPLE – Directed by Dirk de Villiers, Cape Town. C Films. ABASHOKOBEZI – Assistant Director and Supervising Editor. C Films. PENS EN POOTJIE – Directed by Dirk de Villiers. Bevil Films. THE VIRGIN GODDESS – Script Supervisor/Editor. Directed by Dirk de Villiers. Feature starring Isabel Sarli. Bevil Films. HOUSE OF THE LIVING DEAD – Editor. Directed by Ray Austin starring Shirley Ann Field and Mark Burns. Capital Films. DIE SPOOK VAN DONKERGAT – Director/Editor. Starring Pip Freedman, Pieter van der Byl (Piet Pompies) and Nerina Ferreira. Capital Films.

        AWARDS AND RECOGNITION:
        One of first women in South Africa to direct a feature film.

MY BROER SE BRIL – Script Supervisor/Editor. Directed by Dirk de Villiers. Bevil Films DIE LEWE SONDER JOU – Script Supervisor/Editor. Directed by Dirk de Villiers. Bevil Films. ZEBRA – Assistant editor. Cavalier Films. A NEW LIFE – Assistant editor. Cavalier Films. VICKI – Assistant editor. Cavalier Films. GOLD SQUAD – Assistant editor. Cavalier Films. DIE DRIE VAN DER MERWES – Assistant editor. Cavalier Films. SIEN JOU MORE – Assistant editor. Cavalier Films. THE GAUNT WOMAN – Editing Intern Universal Pictures MOW. Directed by Boris Sagal starring Rachel Roberts and Lorne Greene. Pinewood Studios. London (1969).

As editor:

1970: Sien Jou Môre (assistant editor)

1972: Die Lewe Sonder Jou

As director:

1973: Die Spook van Donkergat

For a listing of all her South African and international work, see https://dianafriedberg.com/about/

Sources

https://dianafriedberg.com/about/

http://www.worldonastringproject.com/about_diana.php

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2034659/

https://dianafriedberg.com/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064229/fullcredits/

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