Seeking Asylum? Call Saint Judy

Saint Judy is a film made by many Badgers. Directed by Sean Hanish ’90 (below) and executive-produced by Kelly Kahl ’89 and George ’80 and Pamela Hamel, it tells the true story of Judy Wood, an immigration lawyer who helped establish protections for women in U.S. asylum law.

Around the time of the film’s premiere in March, Hanish — an economics and communication arts graduate — participated in Q & A sessions with Kelley Conway, the UW’s chair of the Department of Communication Arts, and Sara McKinnon, a UW associate professor of communication arts. Hanish learned of the story from a friend who had interned for Wood, according to the Capital Times. “I got a chance to get to know Judy and see what she is about,” Hanish said. “Judy is fiercely optimistic, relentlessly optimistic.”

Sean Hanish Emma Eldred

Hanish was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for his 2014 debut feature film, Return to Zero. In addition to the Writers Guild, he is a member of the Directors Guild of America and the Producers Guild of America and has his own production company. Kahl, president of CBS Entertainment, and George Hamel, co-owner of Hamel Family Wines and a 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, are both communication arts graduates.

Saint Judy, which stars Michelle Monaghan, Leem Lubany, and Common, is available for purchase on Amazon Prime, iTunes, and Google Play.

Published in the Fall 2019 issue