Tass attended The Actors Studio and H.B Studio in New York, which has given her performance as a director a fine and unique style. Tass' experience as a director of theatre is extensive and diverse, ranging from improvised theatre to conventional classical and contemporary pieces at La Mama, the Pram Factory, Playbox, the Open Stage and MTC.

Tass directed her first feature film, "Malcolm", in 1986. Her classical training both here and in her home country helped her bring a fine mix of comedy and tragedy to "Malcolm", the story of a socially inept man who uses his considerable mechanical skills to rob banks. The film received critical acclaim throughout the world. In Australia it won eight Australian Film Institute Awards including Best Director and Best Film. That same year Nadia Tass and David Parker won the prestigious Byron Kennedy Award for the pursuit of excellence.

Tass then directed and co-produced her second feature "Rikky and Pete" backed by United Artists (U.S.) - a comedy about a brother and sister and their journey into the Australia outback.

This film was praised in America and Europe for its in-depth portrayal of the characters' sibling relationship and for its excellent execution. "Rikky and Pete" enjoyed a successful release in Australia.

In 1989 Tass directed and produced the comedy feature "The Big Steal" - the story of a teenage boy who buys a car to impress a girl but all he gets is trouble.

"The Big Steal" was released in Australia in September 1990, and was the box office success story for the Australian industry that year. "The Big Steal" was nominated for nine Australian Film Institute awards in 1990 and sold strongly on the international market.

In 1990 Nadia Tass directed her first film in the United States, "Pure Luck", produced for Universal Studios, starring Danny Glover, Martin Short and Sam Wanamaker. The film opened on 1600 screens in August 1991.

Tass then directed "Stark", the television mini-series based on Ben Elton's best-selling comic novel. "Stark" was broadcast on BBC2 in late 1993, and was repeated on BBC1 in May 1995.

Tass has directed three Louis Nowra plays for the Melbourne Theatre Company: "Summer of the Aliens", "Cosi", and "Miss Bosnia" which premiered in April 1996.

In 1996, Tass directed the feature "Mr Reliable" for PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (U.K.). The film premiered at the 1996 Edinburgh Film Festival before being released in Britain and Australia. "Mr Reliable" was nominated for the 1996 Australian Film Institute Awards, including Best Film.

In 1998 Tass directed "Amy", starring Rachel Griffiths, Ben Mendelsohn and Alana de Roma. Amy has enjoyed international critical and box office success especially in Japan and France, and has also been a hit on the festival circuit. Amy has won many international awards including the 1998 People’s Choice Award and Best Film, Grand Prix Cannes Junior and the Le Prix Education Nationale at the Cannes Film Festival in 1999, the Le Prix du Public at the Festival du Film de Paris in 2000, Grand Jury Award for Best Film for Outstanding Contribution to Humanity at the Asia Pacific Film Festival Hong Kong 1999, Best Feature Film, Grand Public, Best Actress (Alana de Roma), Best Actor (Ben Mendelsohn) at Carrousel International du Film de Rimouski, Quebec, Canada 2000.

She recently completed a new version of "The Miracle Worker" (the Helen Keller story) and "Childstar" (story of Shirley Temple) for The Wonderful World of Disney. The "Miracle Worker" starred Alison Elliott and Hallie Kate Eisenberg. The actors in "Childstar" included Ashley Rose Orr, Connie Britton and Hinton Battle who are all stars on Broadway.