Filmmaking With Heart

by Jill Duff-Hoppes

Growing up in the 1980’s, Robin Hoffmann was the kid with the clunky camcorder – cajoling her family, friends, and neighbors to star in her homemade to Deltona when the budding filmmaker was 10 years old.

Although Robin delighted in bringing her creative vision to life, she was told making movies wasn’t a serious career – especially for a woman. So, instead of studying the art of filmmaking in college, she earned a psychology degree at the University of Central Florida.

Robin became a certified behavior analyst, working with people with disabilities for 27 years. And although she loved that experience, Robin chose to leave it behind at age 47 for the very thing she had set aside years before: making films.

Now 53 years old, Robin is an award-winning writer, director, and producer of independent films and CEO of Hoffy’s Heart Productions, which gives a voice to those with disabilities and advocates for social justice.

movies that matter

“I’ll always say, ‘I’m not just trying to make a movie. I’m trying to make a difference’,” says Robin, a Winter Park resident. “That’s always been my goal – in my career, in my family, in my life. I want to make an impact, a positive impact.”

As a behavior analyst, Robin first worked with students in kindergarten through 12th grade before switching to students with disabilities at Full Sail University. During her stint at Full Sail, Robin was surrounded by professors and students working on film, television, and other arts-related projects.

A scene from I Win, Robin’s first feature-length film, which is now streaming on multiple platforms

The environment inspired Robin, who decided to create and host a baking show to teach people people how to make delicious, gluten-free food. Robin was diagnosed with celiac disease 17 years ago and has spent much of that time perfecting her own delicious, gluten-free recipes.

For every episode of her Bake With Me show, Robin invited a guest with a disability to bake alongside her and talk about their disability. The YouTube Web series was filmed at Full Sail and found a receptive audience, drawing thousands of views per episode.

Unfortunately, the show came to an end in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the campus.

After the world began opening back up, Robin immersed herself in filmmaking by volunteering on nearly 100 indie films, so she could learn about the process. Then she began making her own short films, winning many awards along the way and building a solid production team. During that time, she also made an informational commercial about Shalom Orlando’s RAISE, a work and social skills training program for adults with disabilities.

on a winning streak

In 2023, Robin took a big leap and made her first feature-length film, a family drama called I Win. The heartwarming movie tells the story of a grieving teen named Jax who meets Charlie, a young man with Down syndrome, while doing community service hours. Jax also meets teens Bailey and Juliette, and the foursome build friendships that each them about love, life, and forgiveness. The film is streaming on multiple platforms, including Tubi and Plex, which are free to watch.

“With I Win, the main goal was really to have representation and to show how capable people with disabilities are,” says Robin. the film’s director and co-writer. “I could not be happier that so many people have access to the movie now.”

For Robin, who is married with five children ranging from 20 to 31, giving a voice to those with disabilities is deeply personal. One of her children is on the autism spectrum and has celiac disease, and two have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a connective tissue disorder.

Currently, Robin is juggling multiple feature-length projects, including filming a documentary titled Gluten Is a Joke [see sidebar]. In addition to making her own movies, she is a writer and director for hire.

Through Hoffy’s Heart Productions, Robin will continue to foster awareness, understanding, and acceptance with films that entertain and inspire. When Robin talks about making movies, it is clear that she still possesses the wide-eyed wonder about filmmaking that she had as a kid with a camcorder.

“I don’t ever want to get over that feeling,” says Robin. “It’s such a beautiful process when you have so many people come together creatively. I think it’s the most amazing thing.”