Charlatan directed by Agnieszka Holland, is Czech Republic Oscar entry for International Film Award that is now in the Oscar’s shortlist. Few true stories tread the thin line between good and evil as precariously as that of Jan Mikolášek, a 20th century Czech herbal healer whose great success masked the grimmest of secrets. Mikolášek won fame and fortune treating celebrities of the interwar, Nazi, and Communist eras with his uncanny knack for “urinary diagnosis”. But his passion for healing welled up from the same source as a lust for cruelty, sadism, and an incapacity for love that only one person…
Author: Bijan Tehrani
Bijan Tehrani
Bijan (Hassan) Tehrani Founder and Editor in Chief of Cinema Without Borders, is 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 columnist and film critic for the Iranian monthly film related medias for 45 years and during the past 5 years he has been a permanent columnist and film reviewer for Film Emrooz (Film Today), a popular Iranian monthly 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. Bijan is a member of Iranian Film Writers Critics Society and International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI). He is also an 82nd Golden Globe Awards voter.
In 2021 Golden Globe Awards a few international artists won major awards of this prestigious event. Chinese born Chloe Zhao and her film “Nomadland” and the British artist, Sacha Baron Cohen and his film “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” each won two top movie honors. Chloe Zhao won Best Director Motion Picture for “Nomadland” and her film won Best Picture Drama. Sasha Baron Cohen received Best Actor – Motion Picture, Best Picture – Musical/Comedy awards for “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” https://vimeo.com/518310967 Lee Isaac Chung, an American filmmaker born in a South Korean immigrant family received Best Foreign Language Award for his film Minari.…
Adam B. Shepherd, Go Energistics President & CEO, GoE Bridging the Borders Award sponsor and head of the CWB’s jury team announced Another Round as the winner of the GoE Bridging the Borders Award at 2021 Scandinavian Film Festival LA in a statement: “It is important to note that we had many exceptional nominees for the GoE Bridging the Borders Award at the 2021 Scandinavian Film Festival – making it difficult to choose a winner. Thank you to all the wonderful filmmakers who submitted as you all deserve a round of applause. Our Honorary Mention goes to a film about…
Scandinavian Film Festival LA, enters its final weekend and the following are the films that you can watch o-line between January 21th to 24th. MY FAVORITE WAR (Oscar submission – animated feature) (Norway/Latvia), 2020, 80 minutes, Ilze Burkovska – Jacobsen This is the personal story of the director, Ilze, growing up in Cold-War Latvia, USSR. It’s a coming of age story, a personal escape route from the mighty authoritarian regime’s brainwashing. An antiwar film, emphasizing the importance of an individual’s freedom being a democratic society’s fundamental right. https://youtu.be/8BDB55OLUnM Life After Death (Oscar submission – feature) Livet efter döden’ (Finland), 2020,…
Tove directed by Zaida Bergroth , is Finland’s 2021 Oscar entry. Tove is also screened online this weekend at the Scandinavian Film Festival LA. In the midst of her artistic struggles and unconventional personal life, Tove Jansson found worldwide success from an unexpected side project: the creation of the beloved world of the Moomins. Helsinki, 1945. The end of the war brings a new sense of artistic and social freedom for painter Tove Jansson. Tove’s desire for liberty is put to the test when she meets theatre director Vivica Bandler. Her love for Vivica is electric and all-consuming. As she…
The 22nd Scandinavian Film Festival L.A. (SFFLA) due to pandemics will be held online. On January 7-10 and January 14-17 and January 21-24 SFFLA and Scandinavia House New York will bring you “TOP FILMS FROM THE TOP OF EUROPE.” from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia Features (mostly Oscar contenders) and shorts that you can watch them online. To learn more about the festival we had an interview with festival’s director and founder James Koenig: Bijan Tehrani: Please tell us about the 2021 Scandinavian Film Festival LA during the pandemic James Koenig: Facing the 22nd year of Scandinavian Film…
Canberra, Australia – December 24th 2020 – Today Veteran Film Festival announced Trust Frank, an Australian short film directed by Penny Moore as the winner of Cinema Without Borders’ GoE Bridging The Borders Award sponsored by Go Energistics. 2020 Veteran Film Festival due to the pandemic was held online. Here is our GoE Bridging The Borders Award jury statement: “We had many exceptional nominees for the GoE Bridging the Borders Award at the 2020 Veteran Film Festival. These films offered rich and powerful stories, all centered on Veteran experiences around the world, and choosing a winner was a challenge of its…
The fourth NY Kurdish Film And Cultural Festival is only four days away! This year’s festival will feature films from four parts of Kurdistan, music, dance, poetry, live events, and talks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjnLNJ5j2gA Please remember that ticket proceedings will go to the Kurdish Red Crescent, Heyva Sor a Kurdistane as they are providing shelter and food and mending wounds for hundreds and thousands of people in refugee camps. In 2019, during the three days festival, $3000 we raised over to donate to Heyva Sor. Finally, festival will send secure links to those who purchase tickets, To learn more about 2020 NY…
Winner of 2020 Bridging The Borders Award for 21th edition of Polish Film Festival, LA has been announced today. 2020 Polish Film Festival, LA was held online due to the pandemic. Cinema Without Borders jury picked Ondine (Odyna) directed by Tomasz Śliwiński for the Honorary Mention and The Dress (Sukienka) directed by Tadeusz Łysiak as the winner of the GoE Bridging The Borders Award. GoE Bridging The Borders Award Jury Statement: “We had twelve nominees for the GoE Bridging the Borders Award for Best Polish Short Film at the 2020 Polish Film Festival, LA. Each film was unique and told…
Hossein Ghafari, an Iranian sound engineer, is also a photographer. Whenever he is part of a crew, shooting a film in location, Hossein uses any opportunity to takes pictures of not only behind the scene, but also the location itself. Lately Hossein Ghafari was on a set of a television series in the south western state of Lorestan. Lorestan’s nature offers spectacular panoramas made of famous Zagros mountains, hundreds of water falls and springs and silk green vast plains. Hossein Ghafari has managed to record the beauty of Lorestan in his pictures. https://vimeo.com/474226515 Hossein Ghafari was born in Tehran, Iran…