In 1982 , Seidelman made her feature-film debut with '' Smithereens '' , a bleak and darkly humorous look at New York City 's downtown Bohemian scene of the 1980s . It was shot on 16 mm for $ 40,000 on location , at times " guerrilla style " on the streets and in the subways of New York . '' Smithereens '' captured the look of the post-punk music scene and was the first American independent film to be selected for competition at the Cannes Film Festival . With recognition from Cannes , Seidelman became a member of the first wave of 80s-era independent filmmakers in the American cinema
Cannes Film Festival
1982 Cannes Film Festival
Susan Seidelman