Tamar Simon Hoffs (née Tamar Ruth Simon; October 23, 1934) is an American filmmaker, best known for directing the indie films Red Roses and Petrol (2003) and Pound of Flesh (2009), both starring Malcolm McDowell. She is the mother of Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles.
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Life and career
Hoffs was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, the youngest child to a Jewish family. Her parents were Kelsey Hoffer and Rabbi Ralph Simon, and she had a brother, Matthew. 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 actor friend Leonard Nimoy asked her to join the art department of his indie film, Deathwatch. In 1974, she co-wrote Warner Brothers' Lepke, starring Tony Curtis. Hoffs later wrote and produced Stony Island, with Andrew Davis, 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.