Ovid and the Art of Love

Directed By Esmé von Hoffman

In this fresh retelling of the famed Ancient Roman poet's life set in contemporary Detroit, the young Ovid finds his life in danger when he clashes with the emperor by writing a guide to love and seduction.

  • ABOUT
  • BIO
In OVID AND THE ART OF LOVE, a young poet’s life is at risk when his verses enrage the brutal Emperor Augustus. Set in Ancient Rome and modern Detroit, this relevant mash-up pits love against tyranny.

ESMÉ VON HOFFMAN is an award-winning filmmaker and writer who draws on her experience in journalism, theater, and the visual arts to bring a fresh aesthetic to film and television. She wrote and directed the widely released feature film Ovid and the Art of Love starring Corbin Bleu (High School Musical), John Savage (The Deer Hunter), Tara Summers (Mercy Street, Boston Legal), Tamara Feldman (Gossip Girl, Hatchet), Joseph McKenna (Shutter Island, Twelve Monkeys) and Lailani Ledesma (Comedy Central's Detroiters).


At the Food Network, she produced two short animated series, Wurst Day Ever and Club Fridge, and oversaw an initiative targeting millennial and Gen Z audiences. She has written and directed several short films including Oblivion starring Anthony Carrigan (HBO’s Barry) and a series of short documentaries, including one profiling three editors at the New York Times. Press about her work has appeared in Entertainment Weekly, Forbes, Buzzfeed, Hollywood Times, Variety, ABC, Fox, RogerEbert.com, NPR, IndieWire, Refinery29, Good Housekeeping, Broadway World, FilmPulse, Yahoo Entertainment, and more. Her journalistic writing has appeared in publications such as the Harvard Kennedy School Review, MSN Money, The Lever, the IndyStar, and New York Resident Magazine.


Esmé was president of the Yale Film Society, where she was responsible for the visits of industry leaders including David Lynch, Allan Heinberg, Alexander Payne, and Doug Wick and has served as Director of the Filmmaking Program at The Edit Center. She is currently a board member of the Hollywood Radio Television Society, Associates New York. Born and raised in the United States, Esmé is a dual German-American citizen.