In 1993, Simens founded the Hollywood Film Institute (HFI) as a direct alternative to traditional four-year film schools like USC, UCLA, or NYU. He noticed that university film programs often left students with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt but very little practical knowledge about how to finance and sell a movie.
| | April 12, 1955 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | | :--- | :--- | | Died | March 3, 2021 (aged 65) Los Angeles, California, U.S. | | Occupation | Film director, screenwriter, independent film producer, educator | | Years active | 1978–2021 | | Spouse | Miriam Simens (m. 1985) | | Children | 3 | dov simens wikipedia
Attended Dov’s class before making Reservoir Dogs . In 1993, Simens founded the Hollywood Film Institute
Simens married Miriam Katz, a former film editor, in 1985. They had three children, one of whom, Lena Simens, became an independent documentary filmmaker. Simens was known for his frugal habits—driving a 1998 Honda Civic until his death and wearing mismatched socks to his own seminars. | | :--- | :--- | | Died