Dr. Judy Hoffman

Biography

Judy Hoffman has been working in film and video since the 1970s and was actively involved in the Alternative Television Movement, experimenting with small format video equipment. In 1973, she assisted French ethnographer and filmmaker Jean Rouch at the International Visual Anthropology Conference, which influenced her approach to cinéma vérité within anthropology. A founding member of the award-winning independent documentary group Kartemquin Films, she notably served as Associate Producer on 'Golub,' which debuted at the New York Film Festival. Throughout her career, Hoffman has contributed to numerous PBS series, including 'Daley: Boss,' 'American Experience,' and Ken Burns' 'Baseball' and 'Jazz.' Her major focus has been on the Kwakwaka'wakw Nation in British Columbia, producing films that reclaim Native culture. Her work includes the award-winning documentary 'Box Treasures,' documenting cultural artifact repatriation efforts. Hoffman also directed a video training program for the N'amgis Reserve, helping the community create their own videos. As Acting Director of the Documentary Center at Columbia College in 1996, she developed 'Voices Cabrini,' addressing the destruction of public housing in Chicago. Her documentary '70 Acres Chicago' premiered at the Black Harvest Film Festival and aired on PBS. With eclectic documentary filmmaking experience, Hoffman has collaborated with noted feminist directors and worked on various projects including installations at local museums. Honors include the VOICE Media Activism Award in 1994 and the Nelson Algren Committee Award in 2004. She holds an MFA from Northwestern University and serves as a Professor of Practice in the Department of Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Chicago.

Research Interests