Michael Hoffman

During his 20-plus year career as a feature film writer and director, Michael Hoffman helmed both studio and independent films, though it was his lesser-seen work that made the strongest impression on critics. Hoffman was no stranger to the film festival circuit, where he first earned notice in 1988 for "Promised Land" and by 2009 was still getting high marks and nominations for "The Last Station" (2009), based on the life of author Leo Tolstoy. While his subject matter for that film was decidedly aimed at the art house crowd, Hoffman had pleased mainstream audiences with his romantic comedy "One Fine Day" (1996), and even tried to combine mass appeal and literary subject matter to moderate success in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (1999). With multiple Independent Spirit Award nominations under his belt, Hoffman was a well-regarded filmmaker unafraid to dig deep into the psyche and explore a wide range of human experiences.