Festivals Archives - Cinema Without Borders

Africa’s Largest Film Festival Offers Hope in Burkina Faso

By CWB News Department on 02/26/2023 Festivals

Most film festivals can be counted on to provide entertainment, laced with some introspection. The weeklong FESPACO that opened Saturday in violence-torn Burkina Faso’s capital goes beyond that to also offer hope, and a symbol of endurance: In years of political strife and Islamic extremist attacks, which killed thousands and displaced nearly 2 million in the West African country, it’s never been canceled. “We only have FESPACO left to prevent us from thinking about what’s going on,” said Maimouna Ndiaye, a Burkinabe actress who has four submissions in this year’s competition. “This is the event that must not be canceled…

THE GAME wins MOZAIK Bridging The Borders Award at 2022 Hungarian Film Festival LA

By Bijan Tehrani on 10/31/2022 Festivals, Videos

The opening/award ceremony of 2022 Hungarian Film Festival of Los Angeles was held at Laemmle’s Monica Film Center. Bijan Tehrani and Arati Misro , jury members, announced the winner of MOZAIK Bridging the Borders Award for The Best Feature Film. CWB jury statement: At Cinema Without Borders, we have had the honor of offering our Bridging the Borders Award to the Best Feature Film at the Hungarian Film Festival of Los Angeles since 2014. MOZAIK Bridging The Borders Award is offered by Cinema Without Borders and sponsored by MOZAIK Philanthropy. For this year we had five amazing films to choose…

Out of Office wins MOZAIK Bridging The Borders Award at 2022 Polish FF LA

By Bijan Tehrani on 10/30/2022 Bridging The Borders Award, Festivals, Videos

At the award ceremony of 23rd edition of Polish Film Festival LA, MOZAIK Bridging The Borders Award jury member, Bijan Tehrani announced the recipients of the Honorary Mention and Best Polish Short Film. Bridging The Borders Award is presented by Cinema Without Borders and Sponsored by MOZAIK Philanthropy. Cinema Without Borders have been offering the Bridging The Borders Award at Polish Film Festival, Los Angeles in the fourteen years. This award is offered by Cinema Without Borders and Sponsored by MOZAIK Philanthropy. MOZAIK Bridging The Borders Award Honorary Mention goes to a beautiful and poetic film which depicts a Millennial…

Playground wins MOZAIK Bridging The Borders Award at 2022 Lucas FF

By CWB News Department on 10/17/2022 Bridging The Borders Award, Festivals, Videos

Last week at the 2022 Lucas International Festival for Young Film Lovers in Germany, the Cinema Without Borders jury announced the winners of the MOZAIK Bridging The Borders Award, as well as their Honorable Mention . PLAYGROUND from Belgium, directed by Laura Wandel, won MOZAIK Bridging The Borders Award and Honorary Mention was TORI AND LOKITA from Belgium, directed by Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne. MOZAIK Bridging the Borders Award is offered by Cinema Without Borders Foundation and sponsored by MOZAIK Philanthropy. Yeganeh Taheri, Cinema Without Borders’ representative in Germany, introduced CWB jury members for the MOZAIK Bridging the Borders…

2022 Sarajevo Film Festival

By CWB News Department on 07/24/2022 Festivals

Now reaching its 28th edition, the Sarajevo Film Festival (running 12-19 August) has announced its competition sections, where 51 films will vie for the Heart of Sarajevo awards. The individual competition sections — for feature, documentary, fiction short, and student work — will be composed of 21 world, seven international, one European, 21 regional, and one national premieres. The feature competition will number eight titles, down from 10 the previous year, and be split evenly between world and regional premieres as well as having a majority of female filmmakers. A Ballad by Aida Begić, the festival’s most notable Bosnian world premiere, is featured in this…

A conversation with Frances Underhill, Human Rights Watch Film Festival, New York

By CWB News Department on 05/19/2022 Festivals, Videos

Human Rights Watch Film Festival, New York opens tomorrow May 20th and runs to May 26th. Human Rights Watch Film Festival is presented by FilmLinc and IFC Center. The festival is back in person for the first time in two years and this year’s lineup includes great titles from Venice and Sundance film festivals. All 10 films participated in the festival will stream nationally in the U.S. and will also screen in-person at Film at Lincoln Center and IFC Center. Highlights of this year’s festival include the Venice Film Fest hit You Resemble Me, directed by Dina Amer and executive…

War Crimes, it’s not limited to Putin, what about the film festivals removing the Russian films?

By Bijan Tehrani on 03/03/2022 Festivals

Amid war in Ukraine and the whole world condemning Putin for his war crimes, a few film festivals including Glasgow Film Festival, remove Russian films from their line up!!! May I ask why Russian filmmakers should be punished for a dictator’s wrong decisions and crimes? During the height of communist era no country band films made by filmmakers working in Russia, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Hungry and other communist block countries and amazing work of art revealing life under dictatorship was created. My question is what is next boycotting Chekhov, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky? Shame on the organizers of these film festivals, as…

ON THE WATER, Estonia’s OSCAR Entry

By Bijan Tehrani on 11/20/2021 Festivals, Videos

Peeter Simm’s film ON THE WATER is the official international feature film Oscar entry from Estonia for the 94th Academy Awards. Estonian director Peeter Simm’s coming-of-age dramedy premiered in competition at The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. A veteran of Estonian cinema and an alumnus of the Moscow State Institute of Cinematography, the Kiviõli-born director, Peeter Simm, rose to fame with his 1980 directorial debut, “Ideal Landscape,” which, although was banned during the Soviet Union years, was subsequently anointed as one of the best Estonian films of all time. The story of “On the Water” is based on the book…

Sarah Harris talks about 2021 AFI FEST

By Bijan Tehrani on 11/03/2021 Festivals, Videos

AFI FEST 2021 takes place online and in theaters from November 10 to November 14. AFI FEST Premieres, Documentaries, World Cinema, Shorts and filmmaker conversations. Showcasing some of the best films from across the globe in a hybrid film festival: Documentaries. Shorts. World Premieres. Filmmaker Q&As. & Feature Films. To learn more about AFI FEST 2021 we had an interview with Sarah Harris, Director of Programming, AFI Festivals: https://vimeo.com/642123824 Sarah Harris has been a film festival programmer for over 14 years. She is currently the Director of Programming for AFI Festivals, curating films and events for AFI FEST, AFI DOCS…

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