Tommy Clohessy is an award-winning film maker, writer and actor.  In consecutive years at the New York International Film Festival, he was awarded BEST SHORT FILM and BEST SCREENPLAY (long- or short-form) for A LITTLE TENDERNESS (1997) and the AUDIENCE AWARD for AMERICA's WAKE-UP CALL (1998), a documentary on Drugs, Guns, and Kids narrated by Academy Award-Winner F. Murray Abraham.  

In 2011, TO BE KING, a feature he produced, and in which he played one of the leads,  won several major festival awards, including Best Feature, Best Director (for partner Steve Rahaman), the Mario Puzo Screenplay award, and Best Supporting Actor for Clohessy.   A NIGHT OF JAZZ, written and produced by Mr. Clohessy, won BEST MUSICAL PROGRAM OF THE YEAR while AND NOW ANOTHER, produced by Clohessy and narrated by Ted Danson, won both BEST DOCUMENTARY and the HUMANITARIAN AWARD for its contribution to the End World Hunger organization at the WORLD PEACE AWARDS in Efatnatu, Ethiopia in 1990. Mr. Clohessy was also awarded over 20 SILVER and GOLD MEDALS for SHORT-FORM VIDEOS, corporate and musical, for several different companies over the past 30 years.

As writer, Thomas has scripted 23 feature-length screenplays, all of which have been produced or are under option.  He has done dialogue re-writes and script doctoring on over 35 feature films and television pilots while scripting over a hundred 30- and 60-second television commercials world-wide. Additionally, he authored an animated children's book, THE MAGIC SNOWMAN, the accompanying audio cassette of which is narrated by Sean Connery.  He is currently writing his second novel, THE ISLE OF IF, the story of a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn, and a king  -- all the same man.

His latest feature screenplay, A STRONG, COLLECTED SPIRIT, based on the book of the same name chronicling the incredible life of boxer-turner-teacher-turned-millionaire Ed Gersh, is currently in production with The Spirited Movie Co.  Clohessy is directing.

An NYU Film School Alumnus, Mr. Clohessy has acted as Producer, Production Manager, 1st AD, Location Manager and Post-Production Supervisor on more than 30 films, television pilots, and series.

As Director, he's helmed 17 MTV/VH-1 Music Videos, 2 feature-length Documentaries, 55 Industry Videos and 11 T.V. Commercials (including the award-winning LEFTY'S RETURN). His Emmy-nominated Public Service spot for M.A.D.D., which he also wrote and which featured Phylicia Rashad and Keisha Knight Pullium of THE COSBY SHOW, launched the nationwide “PLEASE” campaign to drunk drivers in 1987, and continues to save lives each year.

In 2010 he produced and played one of the leads in the award winning Rahaman-directed feature film BLOOD LINE (Netflix). He also directed seasoned Anchorman Edwin Newman on the weekly, nationally-syndicated news program EXECUTIVE FORUM.


Currently in production: feature biopic  "A Strong, Collected Spirit".
Writer/Director, Tommy Clohessy. Trailer below.