Know Your Neighbor – Emily Ann Hoffman, Filmmaker, Bedford
Later this month, filmmaker Emily Ann Hoffman will attempt to follow in the footsteps of cinematic legends.
Hoffman plans to be in Park City, Utah where her stop-motion animated short film “Nevada” will be screened at the Sundance Film Festival.
During her brief career, the 24-year-old writer and director from Bedford has received high acclaim at national and international film festivals for her three short films that each focus on situations that many women have confronted.
Last year, Hoffman was accepted into the Jacob Burns Film Center Valentine and Clark Emerging Artist Fellow program, where she received the creative support, mentorship, studio space and financial backing to film “Nevada” and “Ok, Call Me Back,” another short.
Hoffman was also accepted into the Sundance Ignite Fellows Program, an internship where young filmmakers receive additional creative and professional development opportunities as they develop their craft.
Hoffman, a 2015 Rhode Island School of Design graduate with a degree in illustration, spent the latter part of her college career focused on film and animation. She said her decision to concentrate on those areas of study opened her eyes to a more dynamic method of storytelling and self-expression.
“I loved it,” Hoffman said about her animation classes. “I kept doing it throughout college and took as many classes as I could.”
In her senior year, Hoffman collaborated with classmate Ariel Noltimier Strauss to produce “The Emily & Ariel Show,” another stop-motion, animated short that portrays the simple fun two young women can have when they hang out. The film was well-received and qualified for entry into several national and international film festivals.
But Hoffman had become discouraged when she couldn’t find work after graduating from college.
“I felt like I wasn’t going anywhere,” she said. “This is what I wanted to do, so I channeled that energy and focused on my own projects.”
Hoffman began writing screenplays and sought out opportunities to make her movies when her basement was no longer the ideal filming space. After seeing an advertisement on Facebook for the Burns’ fellowship program, Hoffman applied with her script for “Nevada,” a comedic story of a how a young couple’s weekend getaway is interrupted by a birth control mishap.
With support from Burns producer Sean Weiner and input from the film center’s educational program, Creative Culture, Hoffman’s story came to life. Weiner also produced “Ok, Call Me Back,” a live action short where a woman craving companionship leaves a voicemail late at night.
“It was a great opportunity, especially because I didn’t come into it with a great knowledge of film school,” Hoffman said. “I was constantly surrounded by support and creativity and they helped me make the best film it could be.”
After submitting both films to several festivals, Hoffman was overjoyed when she got the news that “Nevada” was accepted into the Sundance Film Festival, the largest competitive independent film festival in the United States.
“It was a crazy feeling because two years ago I never thought that this would have happened at this point in my life,” Hoffman said. “It feels overwhelming in a really good way.”
While Hoffman works as a freelance illustrator and animator during her downtime, she said attending film festivals and meeting other filmmakers has inspired her to keep working and creating new projects. Although she has had some early success, Hoffman is looking ahead, already working on her next project while maintaining ambitious goals for the future.
“I hope within the next couple of years I’ll be able to make a feature length film and share my films and get more exposure,” she said. “It’s been the most rewarding experience making these films. I’m very happy with what I’m doing.”
