Tammy Hoffs
Director, "Red Roses & Petrol," Cannes award winning short "The Haircut"
Tamar Simon Hoffs directed, produced and adapted Joseph O’Connor’s brilliant Irish play RED ROSES & PETROL for the screen, starring Malcolm McDowell, in 2003. TOP PRIZE WINNER at the AVIGNON Film Festival, 2005, it has also been an OFFICIAL SELECTION of AFI, BANGKOK, GALWAY, and DEAUVILLE International Film Festivals. In 2003 she also completed her DOCUMENTARY, GIRLSUNCOVERED, about coming of age in the millennium. She is currently preparing to direct the film, POUND OF FLESH, from her own script, with Malcolm McDowell and Pam Grier.
Tamar was the first woman to receive the director, writer, and producer credit, on a major studio feature, THE ALLNIGHTER, a Universal Pictures release, 1987. She received all three credits for her award-winning short comedy, THE HAIRCUT, also for Universal, starring John Cassavetes, an OFFICIAL SELECTION of CANNES FILM FESTIVAL (Un Certain Regard) 1983, and SUNDANCE, 1989. THE HAIRCUT was also shown at TORONTO, and TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVALS.
A pioneer in the use of new media, her triple credits for younger audiences are ROCK ‘n’ READ, (MCA-Universal Home Entertainment, 1989}, starring Pauly Shore, that promotes literacy through music; and with Michael Pitt, SMOKIN': SOMEBODY STOP ME, a 4 part series about the dangers of tobacco use, (Schlessinger Media, 1999). Her BAFTA nominated, 26 episode digital animation series is HORRIBLE HISTORIES, narrated by Stephen Rea, for which she served as a producer, writer and voice director (Scholastic Entertainment, Telegael, Ireland, Mike Young Productions, 2002).
Tamar has written screenplays for Universal, Disney, Twentieth Century Fox, Columbia, and Warner Brothers. In 1974, she received her first produced writing credit for Warner Brothers' LEPKE, starring Tony Curtis; followed by co-writer-co-producer for STONY ISLAND, a seminal independent film in 1976 , directed by Andrew Davis. STONY ISLAND was an OFFICIAL SELECTION of CHICAGO (winning the Lincoln Award), SUNDANCE, and DEAUVILLE Film Festivals.
Among Tamar’s music video credits are the BANGLES' GOING DOWN TO LIVERPOOL, and IF SHE KNEW WHAT SHE WANTS, 1984; and PRICE-SULTON'S NO T.V., NO PHONE, 1987, (Columbia Records). She directed GHOST MUSIC, in LA Theatreworks New Play Series, starring Pam Grier, Jennifer Warren and Nick Cassavetes.
Hoffs received her Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Chicago. She did graduate studies in painting with Josef Albers, at Yale University School of Fine Arts, and in art education at Institute of Design of Illinois Institute of Technology. In 1994 she received an honorary Doctorate from International University College, Aix-en-Provence, France. She is a member of the Director's Guild of America and the Writer's Guild of America. In 1980 Ms. Hoffs was accepted to the Directing Workshop for Women, of the American Film Institute, and directed two short films in the program.
Commendations for filmmaking from: Robert Redford, Sundance Institute; Illinois Governor James Thompson; Cinemateques: Paris, France, and Jerusalem, Israel. The Lincoln Award: for contributions to filmmaking in Illinois. Short Film Awards: Telluride Film Festival, Un Certain Regard, International Festval du Film, Cannes, Aspen Fest. She is a founding member of the Alliance of Women Directors.
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