Every year at the Palm Springs International ShortFest Film Festival and Market, HP’s Bridging The Borders Award, presented by Cinema Without Borders and sponsored by HP, goes to a short film that helps to bring people of the world and different cultures closer together. In 2015 the winner of HP’s Bridging The Borders Award will receive received an HP ZBook Mobile Workstation with an approximate $3000 value. The prize was provided by HP, who sponsors the award. Cinema Without Borders also awards its Special Jury Award to one of the other nominees that uses language of filmmaking in its excellance. The winner of Cinema Without Borders Special Jury Award will receive a certificate for an upcoming Method Acting Intensive with a value of $2000 from Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute.
The nine nominees for the 2015 HP’s Bridging The Borders Award are Ave Maria (Palestine/France, Germany), Exit Right (Austria), Foreign Bodies (Belgium/France), Listen (Finland/Denmark), Patriot (United Kingdom), Rangan 99 (Iran), San Cristóbal (Chile),and The Good Life – Over There (Norway)
The winner of the Best International Short Film Award will be announced in the closing ceremony of the Palm Springs International ShortFest Film Festival and Market on Sunday June 21, 2015.
Ave Maria
Palestinian, 2015, 14 Minute Running Time
Additional Countries: France, Germany
North American Premiere
A Jewish family’s car breaks down outside a nunnery during Shabat, inadvertently knocking off the head of the Virgin Mary. The driver’s mother and wife are eager to return home. After exhausting all options they turn to the nuns for help.
DIRECTOR: Basil Khalil
Producer: Eric Dupont
Editor: Basil Khalil
Screenwriter: Daniel Yáñez Khalil, Basil Khalil
Cinematographer: Eric Mizrahi
Music: Jamie Serafi
Principal Cast: Maria Zreik, Maya Koren, Huda Al-Imam, Shady Srour, Ruth Farhi
https://www.facebook.com/avemariafilm
Exit Right
Ausstieg Rechts
Austria, 2015, 7 Minute Running Time
North American Premiere
Language: German English Sub-Titles
Awards: You Filmaker 2015 (INT-L Youth Short Film Festival), first prize (14th Reggio Film Festival)
When a misanthrope hurls verbal abuse at a minority bus rider, what’s the appropriate response for passengers?
DIRECTOR: Rupert Höller, Bernhard Wenger
Producer: Bernhard Wenger
Editor: Rupert Höller
Screenwriter: Rupert Höller, Bernhard Wenger
Cinematographer: Andreas Alvarez
Principal Cast: Cornelius Obonya, Thomas Maurer, David Wurawa
Print Source: aug&ohr medien
https://www.facebook.com/ausstiegrechtskurzfilm
Foreign Bodies
Les corps étrangers
Belgium, 2014, 15 Minute Running Time
Additional Countries: France
Language: French English Sub-Titles
Intimate and haunting POV film of a war photographer adjusting to his new handicap at a swimming pool.
DIRECTOR: Laura Wandel
Producer: Stephane Lhoest
Editor: Nicolas Rumpl
Screenwriter: Laura Wandel
Cinematographer: Frédéric Noirhomme
Principal Cast: Alain Eloy, Michaël Abiteboul
Listen
Finland, 2014, 13 Minute Running Time
Additional Countries: Denmark
Language: Arabic/Danish/English English Sub-Titles
Awards: Best Short Film Award, given at the Finnish Jussi-gala (Finnish Film Awards), El Corto Del Ano, Prom
A Muslim woman pleads for help in a Dutch police station, but miscommunication, knowing or otherwise, will put her and her son at risk.
Winner: International Competition, Aspen Shortsfest; Best Short, Hong Kong International Film Festival; Best European Short Film, Tampere International Short Film Festival; Best Narrative Short, Tribeca Film Festival
DIRECTOR: Rungano Nyoni, Hamy Ramezan
Producer: Valeria Richter, Helene Granqvist
Editor: Rikke Selin Lorentzen
Screenwriter: Hamy Ramezan, Rungano Nyoni
Cinematographer: Lars Vestergaard
Music: Kristian Selin Eidnes Andersen
Principal Cast: Yusuf Kamal El-Ali,Zeinab Rahal, Amira Helene Larsen, Nanna Bøttcher, Alexandre Willaume
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nordic-Factory/1459424737611994?fref=ts
Patriot
United Kingdom, 2015, 15 Minute Running Time
North American Premiere
Topics: Coming of Age, Family Relations
Language: English
Eleven-year-old Hannah goes through a life-altering change when the racial tensions in her rural English town bring her into conflict with a boy from a mysterious and forbidden world.
DIRECTOR: Eva Riley
Producer: Michelangelo Fano
Editor: Abolfazl Talooni
Screenwriter: Eva Riley
Cinematographer: David Pimm
Music: Antonio Nardi
Principal Cast: Halle Kidd, Rafael Constantin, Michael Elkin, Ray James
http://www.patriotshortfilm.com/
Rangan 99
Iran, 2014, 14 Minute Running Time
North American Premiere
Language: no dialogue English Sub-Titles
Awards: Religion Today Film Festival, Best Film; Grand Prize, Arvand Film Festival
During the Iran-Iraq War, two soldiers from opposite sides of the conflict find themselves sharing a common humanity for a brief moment in time.
DIRECTOR: Tiyam Yabandeh
Producer: Masoud Azimi
Editor: Mohammad Mehdi Zarrin pour
Screenwriter: Tiyam Yabandeh
Cinematographer: Aean Irani
Principal Cast: Pedram Samadi, Mostafa Malek Makan, Parmis Hasan Zadeh, Hossein Ershadi
San Cristóbal
Chile, 2015, 29 Minute Running Time
Language: Spanish English Sub-Titles
Awards: Teddy Award for the Best Short Film, Berlin International Film Festival
While visiting his sister on a remote island in Chile before moving abroad, Lucas meets a handsome
young fisherman, Antonio and a passionate courtship ensues. But will the uptight mores of the local community get in the way of true love?
DIRECTOR: Omar Zúñiga Hidalgo
Producer: Amparo Aguirre, Ana Perera
Editor: Omar Zúñiga Hidalgo
Screenwriter: Omar Zúñiga Hidalgo
Cinematographer: Nicolás Ibieta
Principal Cast: Samuel González, Antonio Altamirano, Marcia Paredes, Alicia Vera
http://sancristobalfilm.com/en#intro
The Good Life – Over There
Det gode livet, der borte
Norway, 2014, 29 Minute Running Time
North American Premiere
Language: Norwegian English Sub-Titles
Awards: Best Short Film, The Writers Guild of Norway’s Award for Best Screenplay at the Norwegian Film Fest
Sami, an Albanian immigrant to Norway, spends the day babysitting his boss’ spoiled adolescent son who teaches him a surprising lesson about the sacrifices he’s made for his family back home.
DIRECTOR: Izer Aliu
Producer: Yngve Sæther
Editor: Izer Aliu
Screenwriter: Izer Aliu
Cinematographer: John-Erling Holmenes Fredriksen
Principal Cast: Ridvan Mustafa, Arben Alim, Jonuz Emini