Author: Bijan Tehrani

Bijan H Tehrani a film director, writer and a film critic, his first article appeared in a weekly film publication in Iran 45 years ago. Bijan founded Cinema Without Borders, an online publication dedicated to promotion of international cinema in the US and around the globe, eighteen years ago and still works as its editor in chief. Bijan is has also been a columinst and film critic for the Iranian mountly film related media for 45 years and during the past 5 years he has been a permenent columnist and film reviewer for Film Emrooz (Film Today), a popular inranian mountly print film magazine. Bijan has won several awards in international film festivals and book fairs for his short films and children's books as well as for his services to the international cinema

Love for Share deals with the polygamy in Indonesia today. Three woman from three different social classes and backgrounds face polygamy and share a husband’s love and with several other women. Director of Love for Share, Nia Dinata was born on March 4, 1970 in Jakarta, Indonesia. She graduated from a Mass Communication major at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania.Nia then took special programs on film production at New York University. After returning from the USA in 1995, Nia works in various projects, mostly for television. In 1998 she won an award in The Indonesian Film for TV Festival for Best Picture and…

Read More

Kontakt a film by Sergej Stanojkovski participated at 2006 South East European Film Festival, held at Los Angeles. Kontakt is the story of two Macedonians, rejected by the rest of the society: Janko, an aggressive ex-convict and Zena, a girl from a psychiatry ward. Janko violent temper has made him a pain in the neck for everybody. Prison warden wants him to disappear, even his half-brother Novak wants to get rid of him. Therefore Novak comes up with the idea of asking Janko to look after Zana. Zena is in process of being released from psychiatry ward as the mental home…

Read More

Over the past twenty-three years, I have had the opportunity to get to know and work with Phil Mendez, known as the enigma of the animation world. This is a man who has as many stories told about him as he tells about himself and the industry with which he has had a love hate relationship. Phil would say that that’s too strongly said and what he has is a general dislike for the unkind things the industry has done to this art form and its creators. Phil is a very positive up beat person; so if you believe these…

Read More

American Visa is the second movie directed by Bolivian film director Juan Carlos Valdivia. American Visa is the story of Mario Alvarez, a man that in In post-9/11 Bolivia harsh new laws plans on traveling to Miami to reunite with his son and start a new life in the US. But it is almost impossible to get a US visa and what complicate his situation even more,is Blanca, a beautiful young woman who is looking for change in her life. Mario facing deadends goes wild. Cinema Without Borders: What inspired you to make “American Visa”? Juan Carlos Valdivia: Three reasons.…

Read More

This year ARRI brings two major lighting tools to industry professionals: the ARRIMAX 18/12 and MaxMover automated stirrup. ARRIMAX is being deemed as a perfect choice for productions requiring maximum light output. It combines the variable beam spread of a Fresnel and the light output of a PAR. The ARRIMAX uses a unique reflector concept for beam control that eliminates the need for spread lenses. The optical system with its 580mm (22.8”) diameter specular, flatted reflector is adjustable and provides continuous focus from 15° to¬ 50°. Because the ARRIMAX does not require a set of spread lenses, the shadow quality…

Read More

Milena Andonova is the elder daughter of the late stage and film director Metodi Andonov, one of the legendary figures in Bulgarian culture. “Monkeys in Winter” is a film based on three short stories by writer Maria Stankova, whose heroines are always driven by extreme passions.In her feature film debut, Milena Andonova tells the separate and tragic stories of three women. The story of Dona, a Roma woman with three children to different fathers, is set in the 60s. In order to protect her children and their future she moves in with a disabled man; a move with unforeseeable consequences.…

Read More

Eva Kacerova is the Festival Director for Days of European Film in Czech Republic. After graduation at the Charles University Prague (Faculty of Arts) in 1971, Eva Kacerova worked in Czechoslovak Filmexport, then in the Czechoslovak Film Institute – Film Archive and since 1994 organizing the DAYS OF EUROPEAN FILM festival as a free lance. Bijan Tehrani: Please tell us about the purpose of the Days of European Film? Eva Kacerova: The main purpose is to enrich the offer of European films in CR at least for the 3 weeks of the Festival – we are trying to bring a…

Read More

The US vs. John Lennon is a great documentary that has a deep look into political activities of John Lennon and his part in the anti-war movement. “The U.S. vs. John Lennon” is also a compelling reminder of why we love/loved John Lennon and why, 26 years after his death, he is still so sorely missed. Now after a successful theatrical release the DVD of The US vs. John Lennon is released.Cinema Without Borders: John, how did you encounter this story and what inspired you to make The US vs John Lennon? John Scheinfeld: David Leaf and I are gigantic Beatles…

Read More

A native New Yorker, John Kochman lived in Paris for 25 years before becoming Executive Direcor of Unifrance USA. John was Head of International Sales at MK2 Productions from 1990-1995, and Deputy Head of International Sales at StudioCanal from1995-2006. He has had extensive experience selling European and American film rights to distributors in the US and around the world. Bijan Tehrani: John, please tell me briefly about the background of the French Film Office. John Kochman: Unifrance USA has been in existence for about 40 years. Unifrance is headquartered in Paris, it’s an association of about 600 film professionals, producers,…

Read More

Rare Bird is true story of a boy who helped find a bird believed extinct for over 300 years. This against all odds story about a struggle for survival takes a dramatic turn, when the bird faces a greater threat. Ravaged by a hurricane what will they do to save the species once again from oblivion? Bermudian filmmaker, Lucinda Spurling has spent the last several years in her home country pursuing her first feature documentary, Rare Bird. After graduating with a degree in Communications from Tulane University, she worked as a journalist before attending Bristol University (Bristol, UK) where she…

Read More