A high speed roadtrip through modern creativity, STATION TO STATION is a revolutionary feature comprised of 62 one-minute films highlighting an exciting and eclectic mix of artists, musicians, writers, places, and perspectives. In the summer of 2013, a train designed as a kinetic light sculpture by artist Doug Aitken traveled from New York City to San Francisco over 24 days. Rolling into ten stations on the route, the train set in motion a series of happenings, each unique to its location and mix of creative participants. The film includes profiles, intimate moments on the train, conversations, and performances at the…
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.
Aviva Kempner’s Rosenwald is the incredible story of Julius Rosenwald, who never finished high school, but rose to become the President of Sears. Influenced by the writings of the educator Booker T. Washington, this Jewish philanthropist joined forces with African American communities during the Jim Crow South to build over 5,300 schools during the early part of the 20th century. Inspired by the Jewish ideals of tzedakah, (charity), and tikkunolam, (repairing the world), and a deep concern over racial inequality in America, Julius Rosenwald used his wealth to become one of America’s most effective philanthropists. Because of his modesty, Rosenwald’s…
Last week we had the opportunity to interview Barry Ward and Simone Kirby, the main cast of a beautiful and entertaining film, JIMMY’S HALL, directed by Ken Loach.In 1921 Jimmy Gralton’s sin was to build a dance hall on a rural crossroads in an Ireland on the brink of Civil War. The Pearse-Connolly Hall was a place where young people could come to learn, to argue, to dream… but above all to dance and have fun. As the hall grew in popularity its socialist and free-spirited reputation brought it to the attention of the church and politicians who forced Jimmy…
2015 PALM SPRINGS INT’L SHORTFEST has started today and continues until Monday June 22. The following is an interview with Darryl Macdonald director of the Palm Springs Film Society and film festivals about 2015 SHORTFEST. Bijan Tehrani: It’s time again for another exciting Palm Springs ShortFest International Film Festival. Cinema Without Borders is proud of having a part in this amazing festival since 2007. How things have grown for ShortFest during this nine years?Darryl Macdonald: Well, for one thing we’ve doubled the number of filmmakers attending ShortFest from all over the world. At the 2005 event we hosted roughly 250 filmmakers,…
Gbenga Akinnagbe (“The Following,” “The Wire”) stars with Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Alfre Woodard (“State of Affairs,” “12 Years a Slave”) in “Knucklehead,” a hard-hitting gritty urban drama, peppered with levity and humor, and the feature debut of writer-director Ben Bowman. The closing night selection at the TCL Chinese “Dances with Films” Saturday, June 6th at Gbenga Akinnagbe head shot small.jpg8pm, the long-in-the-making passion project for the principles is a perfect story for your outlet. Featured in Newsweek and the New York Times, we are coming to you to set an time for you to interview the film’s impressive…
GRACE MCPHILLIPS is a leader in Chicago’s voiceover and screen acting community. Her production company, Sterling Rock Productions, creates feature films, shorts, television series, and the Producers Patio Podcast. As an actress, Grace has danced with the Lyric Opera of Chicago in Salome with Deborah Voight, sung with the famous Stanley Paul Orchestra, other bands, and recently completed her 6th album with her band Mysteriam (available on itunes), produced/starred/directed award-winning independent films, and has lent her voice to numerous commercials and radio ads nationwide. In 2014 her recently produced feature THE OTHER ONE toured to many festivals, winning awards, and…
In Reality Jason, a quiet cameraman, dreams of directing his first horror movie. Bob Marshal, a wealthy producer, accepts to finance his movie on one condition: Jason has 48 hours to find the perfect scream in the history of film. During his search, Jason gradually gets lost in a nightmare. Quentin Dupieux director and writer of Reality is also known for his other films, Rubber (2010), Wrong (2012) and Wrong Cops (2013). Bijan Tehrani: How did you originally come up with the idea of this film, and what motivated you to make “Reality”?Quentin Dupieux: It is always hard to describe,…
Director Erin Lee Carr’s impressive feature debut Thought Crimes: The Case of the Cannibal Cop is the first-hand account of the NYPD’s “Cannibal Cop.” Carr takes on the well-known tabloid story of Gilberto Valle, the man charged with conspiracy to kidnap and eat women, and elevates it into a terrific documentary and debate on guilt vs. innocence in the tech era.Dubbed “The Cannibal Cop,” Valle was convicted in March 2013 of conspiring to kidnap and eat young women. Valle argued it was all a fantasy; the prosecution’s narrative convinced jurors otherwise. Valle was facing a possible life sentence when filmmaker…
Every June Cinema Without Borders offers its HP Bridging The Borders Award at Palm Springs ShortFest International Short Film Festival and market. HP Bridging The Borders Award goes to a film that helps bringing people of our world closer together. HP Bridging The Borders Award is sponsored and its award provided by HP Workstation department. Several young filmmakers from around the world has won this award in previous years. We are planning to run five articles about HP Bridging The Borders Award and HP’s presence in film industry. For our first article we interviewed Rick Champagne is Worldwide Media &…
On May 7th 2015 and during Polish Animation Night organized by East Los Angeles College, Cinema Without Borders and Polish Film Festival, Los Angeles, Polish animator Greg Jonkajtys will receive 2015 Outstanding Achievements in Animation Award. Greg Jonkajtys is a filmmaker, animator and visual effects artist. He was born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1972, graduated from Academy of Fine Arts and has worked in the advertisement, animation and feature film industry for over fifteen years.Greg directed his first animated short Mantis in 2000, and won several international awards including the BAF and Imagina Independent Talent Award. While working in Poland…