A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of Shakespeare͛s most beloved creations. The frolicking tale of lovesick young aristocrats, energetic but inept rustics, and mischievous woodland spirits is a staple of stage and screen. In the past, filmed adaptations have emphasized the play͛s traditional, Elizabethan qualities. This production however is a fresh and stylish reinvention that takes an entirely different approach. The story takes place in present day Hollywood – a place where glamorous stars, commanding moguls, starving artists and vaulting pretenders all vie to get ahead. Hollywood is sometimes called ͞The Dream Factory,͟ and like the world of Shakespeare͛s Dream,…
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.
Opening on Friday July 13th in LA, Custody, a film by Xavier Legrand, is about a separated couple and their young child. Miriam and Antoine Besson have divorced, and Miriam is seeking sole custody of their son Julien to protect him from a father she claims is violent. Antoine pleads his case as a scorned dad and the appointed judge rules in favor of joint custody. A hostage to the escalating conflict between his parents, Julien is pushed to the edge to prevent the worst from happening. Custody was screened at 2018 COLCOA and Austin Film Society’s French Cinema Week …
The Promise, a powerful and beautiful film by Terry George is now available to watch on DirectTV NOW (Showtime on demand). This is a MUST SEE! At Cinema Without Borders we had the opportunity of talking to the Academy Award winner director of The Promise, Terry George about the process of making it. The Promise happens in 1914. As the Great War looms, the mighty Ottoman Empire is crumbling. Constantinople, the once vibrant, multicultural capital on the shores of the Bosporus, is about to be consumed by chaos. https://youtu.be/vHaxt_FpPvY Michael Boghosian (Oscar Isaac), arrives in the cosmopolitan hub as a…
MON AMOR, MON AMI(France/Italy ), directed by Adriano Valerio, as the winner of GoE’s 2018 Bridging the Borders Award, presented by Cinema Without Borders at the Palm Springs International ShortFest. This year’s award ceremony festival was held at Grand Ballroom of Riviera Hotel in Palm Springs. The Editor-in-Chief of CWB, Bijan Tehrani, filmmaker, jury member Susan Morgan Cooper and Adam Shepherd from GoEnergistics (Award and prize sponsor) presented the award for this year’s GoE Bridging the Borders awardwinner. The winner received a cash award of $2500 from our generous sponsors. The 16 nominees for the 2018 GoE Bridging The Borders Award…
THE SQUARE captures the immediacy and intensity of the revolution from the nexus of Cairo’s Tahrir Square, catapulting us into the action from the 2011 overthrow of Hosni Mubarak, through military rule, and culminating with the ousting of Mohamed Morsi in the summer of 2013. The film provides a kaleidoscopic, visceral portrait of the events as they unfold through the eyes of several passionate activists—including one member of the Muslim Brotherhood and a young liberal, Khalid Abdalla, who has acted in films like THE KITE RUNNER. Armed with nothing more than cameras, social media, videos posted to YouTube, and a…
THE UNAFRAID is a feature length documentary that follows the personal lives of three DACA students in Georgia, a state that has banned them from attending its top state universities and disqualifies them from receiving in-state tuition at any other public college. Shot in an observational style over a period of four years, this film takes an intimate look at the lives of Alejandro, Silvia and Aldo as they navigate activism, pursuing their right to education, their personal struggles and triumphs, and fighting for their families and communities. THE UNAFRAID shows us what it means to grow up both American and undocumented in today’s…
Today the legendary Iranian/American actress Vida Ghahremani passed away after battling cancer for many years. She was born on May 27, 1937 in Tehran, Iran. Miss Ghahramani began acting in films as a teenager. She has a long list of credits as an actress and producer. She is known for films such as “Love and Vengeance” (1965), “Storm in Our Town” (1958) and “The Midnight Terror” (1961). She went beyond taboos of her time to have the very on-screen kiss in Iranian film history. After leaving Iran, Miss Ghahramani moved to California, became a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) member, and…
Burbank, CA – May 29th, 2018: Today, Cinema Without Borders announced jury members for GoE Bridging The Borders Award at the 2018 Palm Springs International ShortFest Film Festival and Market. The Bridging The Borders Award at the 2018 Palm ShortFest will be given to the most successful film in bringing the people of our world closer together. GoE Bridging The Borders Award is presented by Cinema Borders and award sponsored and prize provided by GoEnergistics. The winner of Bridging the Borders Award will receive a cash prize of $2500. Palm Springs ShortFest award ceremony will be held on June 24th at Camelot…
The Honest Struggle tells the story of a Muslim convert that after 25 years of incarceration, re-enters society in the South-side of Chicago to face the same streets that ruined his life. The film is a raw portrait of a man struggling with his past as a gang chief while trying to survive an honest life and redefine himself in a world in which he feels no belonging. To learn more about this film we had a text and video interview with Justin Mashouf, director of The Honest Struggle. Justin Mashouf is a filmmaker and artist based in Los Angeles.Justin’s work…
In the last three years, since online live TV services started to have a serious presence in broadcasting market, we have tried to cover them for our visitors that have proved to be pioneers in the field of cord cutting. For a new series of live online TV coverage, we first conducted a survey among 165 visitors of Cinema Without Borders, we asked them about what they expect most from an online live tv provider. 32% of those that participated in our survey, picked streaming and picture quality, 28% the offering of a reliable cloud DVR, 18% a comprehensive and…