A seasoned filmmaker, and alumnus of the prestigious AFI Directing Workshop for Women, Tamar was the first woman to receive the triple director/writer/ producer credit on a major studio feature film, “The Allnighter” (Universal, 1987). Her critically acclaimed short comedy, “The Haircut”, also Universal, starring John Cassavetes, was a film festival favorite, an “Official Selection of Cannes”, 1983, (Un Certain Regard), and an official selection of “Sundance”, “Toronto”, “Telluride”. The experience of directing her icon, John Cassavetes, in her first film, set Hoffs’ directing career in motion on a high note.
Tammy’s first produced film credit came in 1974 as co-writer of Warner Brothers' “Lepke," starring Tony Curtis. Two years later she served as writer-producer with Andrew Davis on “Stony Island," a seminal independent film about a group of R&B musicians in inner city Chicago. It was screened at Sundance, Deauville and at the Chicago Film Festival, where it won the coveted Chicago Award.
A pioneer in the use of new media, Hoffs wrote, produced and directed
“Rock ‘n’ Read" (MCA-Universal, 1989}, starring Pauly Shore, for younger
audiences. She created “Smokin’: Somebody Stop Me," a video series
about the dangers of tobacco use, (Schlessinger Media, 1999). She
served as producer, writer and voice director on her BAFTA nominated, digital
animation series, “Horrible Histories" (Scholastic
Entertainment, 2001), narrated by Stephen Rea. In the theater,
Hoffs directed “Ghost Music," starring Pam Grier, Jennifer Warren and Nick
Cassavetes. She has directed and produced numerous music videos,
most notably the Bangles’ “Going Down to Liverpool” and “If She Knew What
She Wants”, (Columbia Records, 1984).
Tamar Simon was born in the famous steel town, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, but grew up in Chicago. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Chicago, followed by graduate studies in painting with Josef Albers at Yale University School of Fine Arts, where she met medical student and husband-to-be, Joshua Hoffs. Planning a career in art education, she pursued a Masters degree at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Institute of Design. After moving to Los Angeles, Tammy discovered her true calling as a filmmaker almost by accident, when she was asked by Leonard Nimoy to join the art department of his indie film “Death Watch.” The Hoffs have three children and four grandchildren.
Hoffs has won the Lincoln Award for contributions to filmmaking in Illinois
and the Chicago Award from the Chicago International Film Festival, as
well as commendations from Robert Redford, Sundance Institute, and Illinois
Governor James Thompson. She is a member of the Director's Guild of America
and the Writer's Guild of America, and is a founding member of the Alliance
of Women Directors. She was instrumental in organizing the French-American
Film Workshop and has participated in several of its programs in Avignon,
France. In 1994 she was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters from International
University College, Aix-en-Provence, France.
