Tamar Halpern

Tamar Halpern’s feature documentary Llyn Foulkes One Man Band, about an LA painter rediscovered by the international art world at age 77, premiered in competition at the LA Film Festival and released theatrically 2014-2015 at Film Forum in NYC and Laemmles, playing 32 additional US cities as well as Canada, Israel and Argentina. “A joy to watch” (The Hollywood Reporter) “Undeniably fascinating... with an air of a queasy thriller” (Variety).

2015 screenwriting projects include the film adaption of Stacey Moskall Parsons life story for producer Robert Stillman, and for TV the story of civil rights activist Clyde Kennard and those who worked to overturn his wrongful conviction 40 years after his death, for producer Chuck Simon. Halpern wrote and directed the short Death, Taxes and Apple Juice, invited to over 35 festivals 2012-2015, winning 16 awards including the 2015 Boston Women in Comedy Audience Award.

In 2013, she directed digital campaigns for Yves Saint Laurent and Armani cosmetics and produced a docu-series for Visa in Brazil in advance of the World Cup. She directed Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, starring Mira Sovino, Joe Pantoliano and Michael Urie. Halpern adapted the screenplay from the YA book by New York Times bestseller Wendy Mass. Halpern has since optioned and adapted for sceen the Wendy Mass book, A Mango Shaped Space, about a 13 year old girl with Synesthesia, a neurological condition where senses cross. The book has sold well in the US, Canada, China, Japan, Korea, France, Indonesia and Brazil for the past 10 years, winning the American Library Association Schneider Family Book Award, among others.

Previous writer/director work includes Shelf Life, “a whip smart film that taps into a fresh source for American comedy” (Variety), starring Betsy Brandt of Breaking Bad. Halpern’s script about legendary journalist Nellie Bly is in development with Sobini films and her script Ezzy Fish was on the Black List, a Nicholl’s semi finalist, IFP/NY top ten, and accepted into FIND Producers Lab and Directors Lab. Halpern has an MFA in Film and TV Production from USC and has twice been awarded residencies at Hedgebrook, a funded retreat for women writers. Her writing has been published in Joyland, SheRa, ByLine, Ms In the Biz and Sundress, winning the Best of the Net Award for Short Fiction.

Link to short Death, Taxes and Apple Juice
http://www.snagfilms.com/search/?q=tamar%20halpern

Variety review Shelf Life
http://variety.com/2005/film/markets-festivals/shelf-life-4-1200525361/

Variety review Llyn Foulkes One Man Band
http://variety.com/2013/film/markets-festivals/film-review-llyn-foulkes-one-man-band-1200561200/