Tamar Simon Hoffs
Encyclopedia
Tamar Simon Hoffs is an award-winning American film director, writer, and producer, best known for directing the indie films Red Roses and Petrol
(2003) and Pound of Flesh (2009), both starring Malcolm McDowell
.
. She grew up in Chicago
and received a BA from the University of Chicago
, followed by Graduate Studies at Yale University
School of Fine Arts and the Illinois Institute of Technology
, Institute of Design.
After moving to Los Angeles
, Hoffs entered the filmmaking profession almost by accident, when her actor friend, Leonard Nimoy
, asked her to join the art department of his indie film, "Death Watch". In 1974 she co-wrote Warner Brothers' "Lepke", starring Tony Curtis
. She later wrote and produced "Stony Island", with Andrew Davis (film director)
, an independent film about young R&B musicians in inner city Chicago. It screened at Sundance Film Festival
, Deauville American Film Festival
and at the Chicago International Film Festival
, where it won the coveted Lincoln Award and commendation from Illinois Governor James R. Thompson
.
In 1980 Hoffs was chosen to participate in the prestigious AFI Directing workshop for women
. Her directorial debut was the short comedy, The Haircut
, (Universal Studios
, 1983), starring John Cassavetes
, an official selection of the 1983 Cannes Film Festival
, (Un Certain Regard
), Toronto International Film Festival
, Telluride Film Festival
and Sundance Film Festival
, and receiving a commendation from Robert Redford
, Sundance Institute
.
In 1987 Hoffs became the first woman to receive the triple director/writer/producer credit on a major studio feature film, "The Allnighter (film)
", (Universal Studios
). In 1994 she was awarded Doctor of Humane Letters from International University College, Aix-en-Provence in International Education and European Studies.
In 1989 Hoffs wrote, produced and directed the youth musical "Rock n' Read", starring Pauly Shore
(MCA- Universal Studios
), and "Smokin': Somebody Stop Me" (Library Video Company
/ Schlessinger Media, 1999), a series about the dangers of tobacco use. She served as producer, writer, and voice director on the digital animation series, Horrible Histories
, (Scholastic Corporation, 2001), narrated by Stephen Rea
.
In 2003 Hoffs wrote, directed and produced Red Roses and Petrol
, a feature based on the stage play of the same name by Joseph O'Connor
, starring Malcolm McDowell
and Max Beesley
. Her next feature, "Pound of Flesh", starring Malcolm McDowell
and Angus Macfadyen
, is set to be released in 2010.
Hoffs has also directed and produced numerous music videos, notably The Bangles
' "Going Down to Liverpool" and "If She Knew What She Wants
" (Columbia Records
, 1984).
In the theater, Hoffs directed the play Ghost Music, with Pam Grier
and Nick Cassavetes (Beyond Baroque Theater, 1984).
Hoffs is a member of the Directors Guild of America
, the Writers Guild of America, west
and the Alliance of Women Directors. She is married to Joshua Hoffs, MD, and has three children, John, Jesse, and Susanna Hoffs
of 1980s band, The Bangles
. She has four grandchildren.
Red Roses and Petrol
Red Roses and Petrol is a 2003 drama film based on the stage play of the same name by Joseph O'Connor. The film was directed by Tamar Simon Hoffs, and stars Malcolm McDowell and Max Beesley. Was released in 2008.- Synopsis :...
(2003) and Pound of Flesh (2009), both starring Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell is an English actor with a career spanning over forty years.McDowell is principally known for his roles in the controversial films If...., O Lucky Man!, A Clockwork Orange and Caligula...
.
Life and career
Hoffs was born in Johnstown, PennsylvaniaJohnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
. She grew up in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and received a BA from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, followed by Graduate Studies at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
School of Fine Arts and the Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology, commonly called Illinois Tech or IIT, is a private Ph.D.-granting university located in Chicago, Illinois, with programs in engineering, science, psychology, architecture, business, communications, industrial technology, information technology, design, and law...
, Institute of Design.
After moving to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Hoffs entered the filmmaking profession almost by accident, when her actor friend, Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
, asked her to join the art department of his indie film, "Death Watch". In 1974 she co-wrote Warner Brothers' "Lepke", starring Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis was an American film actor whose career spanned six decades, but had his greatest popularity during the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in over 100 films in roles covering a wide range of genres, from light comedy to serious drama...
. She later wrote and produced "Stony Island", with Andrew Davis (film director)
Andrew Davis (film director)
Andrew Davis is an American film director, producer and cinematographer, noted for the action films Code of Silence, The Fugitive, Chain Reaction, Collateral Damage, Above the Law, The Guardian and Under Siege.-Biography:Born on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, Davis has directed several films...
, an independent film about young R&B musicians in inner city Chicago. It screened at Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
, Deauville American Film Festival
Deauville American Film Festival
The Deauville American Film Festival is a yearly film festival devoted to American cinema, taking place since 1975 in Deauville, France. It was established by Lionel Chouchan and André Halimi....
and at the Chicago International Film Festival
Chicago International Film Festival
The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America....
, where it won the coveted Lincoln Award and commendation from Illinois Governor James R. Thompson
James R. Thompson
James Robert Thompson, Jr. , also known as Big Jim Thompson, was the 37th and longest serving Governor of the US state of Illinois...
.
In 1980 Hoffs was chosen to participate in the prestigious AFI Directing workshop for women
Directing workshop for women
-Origins:In the 1970s, though many women acted in major motion pictures, almost none directed them. In 1974, Mathilde Krim, a scientist and Rockefeller Foundation board member, approached the American Film Institute about using her influence with the foundation to help women in film...
. Her directorial debut was the short comedy, The Haircut
The Haircut
The Haircut is a 1982 American short drama film directed by Tamar Simon Hoffs. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* John Cassavetes - Music Industry Executive* Joyce Bulifant - Dell...
, (Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
, 1983), starring John Cassavetes
John Cassavetes
John Nicholas Cassavetes was an American actor, screenwriter and filmmaker. He acted in many Hollywood films, notably Rosemary's Baby and The Dirty Dozen...
, an official selection of the 1983 Cannes Film Festival
1983 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :*William Styron *Henri Alekan *Yvonne Baby *Sergei Bondarchuk *Youssef Chahine *Souleymane Cissé *Gilbert de Goldschmidt *Mariangela Melato *Karel Reisz...
, (Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
), Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
, Telluride Film Festival
Telluride Film Festival
The Telluride Film Festival was started in 1974 by Bill and Stella Pence, Tom Luddy and Jim Card in the town of Telluride, Colorado, United States. It is operated by the National Film Preserve....
and Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
, and receiving a commendation from Robert Redford
Robert Redford
Charles Robert Redford, Jr. , better known as Robert Redford, is an American actor, film director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. He has received two Oscars: one in 1981 for directing Ordinary People, and one for Lifetime...
, Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute is a non-profit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981 that actively advances the work of filmmakers and storytellers worldwide...
.
In 1987 Hoffs became the first woman to receive the triple director/writer/producer credit on a major studio feature film, "The Allnighter (film)
The Allnighter (film)
The Allnighter is a 1987 American comedy film directed by Tamar Simon Hoffs, released on May 1, 1987. The movie stars Susanna Hoffs, Dedee Pfeiffer, Joan Cusack and Pam Grier.-Background:...
", (Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
). In 1994 she was awarded Doctor of Humane Letters from International University College, Aix-en-Provence in International Education and European Studies.
In 1989 Hoffs wrote, produced and directed the youth musical "Rock n' Read", starring Pauly Shore
Pauly Shore
Paul Montgomery "Pauly" Shore is an American comedian and actor who starred in several comedy films in the 1990s and hosted a video show on MTV in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
(MCA- Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
), and "Smokin': Somebody Stop Me" (Library Video Company
Library Video Company
Library Video Company is an educational video distributor founded in 1975 by Andrew Schlessinger and based in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. A subsidiary of the company, Schlessinger Media, was founded in 1980 and distributes such series as Reading Rainbow, The Way Things Work, and Cosmic Odyssey.In...
/ Schlessinger Media, 1999), a series about the dangers of tobacco use. She served as producer, writer, and voice director on the digital animation series, Horrible Histories
Horrible Histories (TV series)
Horrible Histories may refer to:* Horrible Histories , a 2001-2002 animated children's TV series* Horrible Histories , a 2009 live-action children's TV series...
, (Scholastic Corporation, 2001), narrated by Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea is an Irish film and stage actor. Rea has appeared in high profile films such as V for Vendetta, Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire and Breakfast on Pluto...
.
In 2003 Hoffs wrote, directed and produced Red Roses and Petrol
Red Roses and Petrol
Red Roses and Petrol is a 2003 drama film based on the stage play of the same name by Joseph O'Connor. The film was directed by Tamar Simon Hoffs, and stars Malcolm McDowell and Max Beesley. Was released in 2008.- Synopsis :...
, a feature based on the stage play of the same name by Joseph O'Connor
Joseph O'Connor
Joseph Victor O'Connor is an Irish novelist. He is known for his 2002 historical novel Star of the Sea. Before success as an author he was a journalist with the Sunday Tribune newspaper and Esquire magazine...
, starring Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell is an English actor with a career spanning over forty years.McDowell is principally known for his roles in the controversial films If...., O Lucky Man!, A Clockwork Orange and Caligula...
and Max Beesley
Max Beesley
Maxton Gig Beesley Jr. , known simply as Max Beesley, is an English actor and musician.Beesley rose to fame for his role of Andy Simpson in Every Woman, Every Man from 1993 to 1998, and has since appeared in a variety of television shows including Bodies, Hotel Babylon, London Ink, Survivors and...
. Her next feature, "Pound of Flesh", starring Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell is an English actor with a career spanning over forty years.McDowell is principally known for his roles in the controversial films If...., O Lucky Man!, A Clockwork Orange and Caligula...
and Angus Macfadyen
Angus Macfadyen
Angus Macfadyen is a Scottish actor.Angus Macfadyen was born in Glasgow and was brought up partly in Africa, France, the Philippines and Singapore. His father was a doctor in the World Health Organisation. He was once engaged to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.Angus attended the University of...
, is set to be released in 2010.
Hoffs has also directed and produced numerous music videos, notably The Bangles
The Bangles
The Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...
' "Going Down to Liverpool" and "If She Knew What She Wants
If She Knew What She Wants
"If She Knew What She Wants" is a song by Jules Shear released on his 1985 album The Eternal Return. The song was later and famously covered by The Bangles on their 1986 album Different Light.-Variations:...
" (Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, 1984).
In the theater, Hoffs directed the play Ghost Music, with Pam Grier
Pam Grier
Pamela Suzette "Pam" Grier is an American actress. She became famous in the early 1970s, after starring in a string of moderately successful women in prison and blaxploitation films such as 1974's Foxy Brown. Her career was revitalized in 1997 after her appearance in Quentin Tarantino's film...
and Nick Cassavetes (Beyond Baroque Theater, 1984).
Hoffs is a member of the Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
, the Writers Guild of America, west
Writers Guild of America, west
Writers Guild of America, West is a labor union representing film, television, radio, and new media writers. The Guild was formed in 1954 from five organizations representing writers, which include the Screen Writers Guild...
and the Alliance of Women Directors. She is married to Joshua Hoffs, MD, and has three children, John, Jesse, and Susanna Hoffs
Susanna Hoffs
Susanna Lee Hoffs is an American vocalist, guitarist and actress. She is best known as a member of the all-female pop band The Bangles.-Early life:...
of 1980s band, The Bangles
The Bangles
The Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...
. She has four grandchildren.
Filmography
- Pound of Flesh (writer, director, producer), 2009
- Red Roses and PetrolRed Roses and PetrolRed Roses and Petrol is a 2003 drama film based on the stage play of the same name by Joseph O'Connor. The film was directed by Tamar Simon Hoffs, and stars Malcolm McDowell and Max Beesley. Was released in 2008.- Synopsis :...
(writer, director, producer), 2003 - Horrible Histories (TV series)Horrible Histories (TV series)Horrible Histories may refer to:* Horrible Histories , a 2001-2002 animated children's TV series* Horrible Histories , a 2009 live-action children's TV series...
(producer), 25 episodes, 2001–2002 - The BanglesThe BanglesThe Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...
Video "If She Knew What She Wants" (producer), 1990 - The BanglesThe BanglesThe Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...
Video "Going Down to Liverpool" (director), 1990 - Rock & Read (writer, director, producer), 1989
- The Allnighter (film)The Allnighter (film)The Allnighter is a 1987 American comedy film directed by Tamar Simon Hoffs, released on May 1, 1987. The movie stars Susanna Hoffs, Dedee Pfeiffer, Joan Cusack and Pam Grier.-Background:...
(writer, director), 1987 - Stand Alone (associate producer), 1985
- The HaircutThe HaircutThe Haircut is a 1982 American short drama film directed by Tamar Simon Hoffs. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* John Cassavetes - Music Industry Executive* Joyce Bulifant - Dell...
(writer, director), 1982 - Stony Island (writer, producer), 1978
- At Home with Shields and Yarnell (associate producer), 1978
- Lepke (writer), 1975