Jonathan’s film producing film credits include The Producers – The Musical (based on the Mel Brooks Broadway musical), for Universal Pictures (US) and Sony Pictures (foreign territories).  It starred the original cast – Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, plus Uma Thurman and Will Ferrell.

Sanger was hired by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner (C/W Productions) to Executive Produce the Warner Brothers feature, Without Limits, starring Billy Crudup and Donald Sutherland, written and directed by Robert Towne.  He subsequently, joined their production company where he Executive Produced a number of productions including Suspect Zero and Vanilla Sky, starring Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz, written and directed by Cameron Crowe. 

Jonathan’s first produced film was The Elephant Man, directed by David Lynch and starring John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins.  The emotionally charged film, made a strong impact on critics and audiences alike, and was rewarded with eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, as well as the British Academy Film Award for Best Motion Picture and the French Cesar Award.   Jonathan next went on to produce the equally passionate story of actress Frances Farmer.  Frances, starred Jessica Lange, Kim Stanley and Sam Shepard, the film was nominated for two Oscars.  Other films produced by him are Flight Of The Navigator for Walt Disney Productions which received the Best Picture Award from the Academy of Family Films and Television, and The Doctors and The Devils,  a 20th Century Fox film starring Jonathan Price, Timothy Dalton and Twiggy.  Among the other films recently produced by Jonathan is Paraiso Travel, a groundbreaking film directed by Colombian filmmaker, Simon Brand.

Among his numerous television director credits, are more than fifteen episodic television shows, including Twin Peaks, Wiseguy, and L.A. Law.  Code Name: Emerald, a World War II spy drama filmed in Paris for NBC’s feature film division starring Ed Harris, Max Von Sydow and Eric Stoltz.   Down Came A Blackbird, starring Laura Dern, Raul Julia, and Vanessa Redgrave for Showtime Networks, which was nominated for three Cable Ace Awards.  CBS’s Children Of The Bride starring Rue McClanahan, Patrick Duffy and Kristy McNichol.  NBC’s Chance Of A Lifetime, starring Betty White and Leslie Nielsen; NBC’s Just My Imagination, starring Jean Smart and Tom Wopat; and ABC’s Obsessed starring Shannon Doherty and William Devane.

He also wrote and directed the short film entitled Peacemaker with Lucas Haas for PBS’ American Playhouse, which won the Houston International Film Festival’s first prize for Best Short Subject.

Sanger formed Chanticleer Films and created The Discovery Program in the late 1980.  This allowed industry professionals opportunities to cross over into directing.  Forty-two short films were produced, including the Academy Award winning and internationally acclaimed Ray Male Heterosexual Dance Hall as well as Academy Award winner, Session Man.   Additionally, Chanticleer received seven more Academy Award nominations, and all the Discovery Program shorts have won awards at international film festivals.

Jonathan received a Bachelor of Arts and Masters in Communications at the University of Pennsylvania.  He spent three years in the Peace Corps in South America and speaks fluent Spanish.  He is married to Carla Sanger, founder and head of “LA’s BEST”, the nation’s largest after-school program, and has two sons.  They live in Los Angeles.