Palm Springs – June 22, 2014— Today, the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival and Market named FOAD (Norway), directed by Farzad Samsami as the winner of HP’s 2014 Bridging the Borders Award, presented by Cinema Without Borders. While Kush (India), directed by Shubhashish Bhutiani, took home the Cinema Without Borders’ Special Jury Award.
This year’s festival was held at Palm Springs’ Camelot Theatre. The Editor-in-Chief of CWB, Bijan Tehrani, presented the award for this year’s HP Bridging the Borders winner. Farzad Samsami received a gift certificate for an HP ZBook 15 Mobile Workstation with a DreamColor color critical display panel. An approximate $3000 value, awarded from our generous sponsors.
This year’s nominees for the award were: 5cm (China), Bahar In Wonderland (Germany), Children Of God (Iraq), Foad (Norway), Kush (India), Mirror Image (Israel) and Point Of Origin(India).
“At Cinema Without Borders, we are proud to be a part of the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival and Market’s celebration of the future of world cinema by bestowing our Bridging the Borders Award to a film that helps bring the people of our world closer together. FOAD (Norway), takes the audience on a tragic-but-eye-opening journey about a young African kid that lives in extreme poverty, but has a dream; a dream for a better life in a better place.” said Bijan Tehrani, Editor In Chief of Cinema Without Borders, addressing the audience. “Additionally, our staff awards the Special Jury Award to a second outstanding film. Kush (India) director Shubhashish Bhutiani shows us how love can overcome hatred, ignorance, and racism, to save the lives of innocent people. The Special Jury Award winner receives a certificate for an upcoming Method Acting Intensive provided by The Lee Strasberg Theater & Film Institute in West Hollywood, CA—valued at $2000.”
Foad (Norway)
A street smart Moroccan boy devises a business opportunity with the desperate refugees at his seaside town in this film about dreaming of a better life.
Director: Farzad Samsami
Producer: Njål Lambrechts, Trude Refsahl
Editor: Rolf Thomas Løvig – Music: Tom Roger Rogstad
Screenwriter: Farzad Samsami – Cinematographer: Philip Øgaard
Principal Cast: Oussama Zemmourri, Mly youssef Ezzahr, Trond Høvik, Youssef Derkaoui
Kush (India)
Following the 1984 assassination of Indira Gandhi, a school field trip becomes a harrowing ordeal for a teacher trying to protect a 10-year-old Sikh boy from the growing violence around them.
Director: Shubhashish Bhutiani – Producer: Sanjay Bhutiani
Editor: Shubhashish Bhutiani, Tom Knight – Music: Dharam & Sandeep – Screenwriter: Shubhashish Bhutiani – Cinematographer: Michael McSweeney
Principal Cast: Shayaan Sameer, Sonika Chopra, Anil Sharma
Photos by Maya Hooshivar (CWB)
