Author: Bijan Tehrani

Betroit, written and directed by Adel Serhan, is a portrayal of three couples as their lives become intertwined with one another. An act of violence disturbs the lives of the group and they come to realize how precious love and family can be. Leila (Darine Hamze) tries to escape from her abusive husband (Hassan Farhat) in hopes of fleeing to Detroit, where her sister Rola (Christine Solomon) lives. Lisa is desperately seeking a divorce from her husband Sam (Derek Kelly) in order to pursue a Hollywood career. She claims her husband physically abuses her in order to get Sam deported…

Last night, Sunday September 9/12 and at the residence of Czech Republic General Consul, I had the pleasure of listening to beautiful pieces of music played by Tereza Stanislav, Czech-Canadian violinist assistant concertmaster of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra since 2003. “Stanislav is a remarkably fine violinist. Her tuning was spot-on and there was a sense of ease in her performance that was completely captivating” writes Calgary Herald. During this memorable evening Janáček sonata for violin and piano & “Pohádka” for cello and piano & A. Dvořák´s Dumky piano trio were performed by Tereza Stanislav, Accompanied by Robert Thies on…

Recipient of the esteemed Teddy Award at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, Keep the Lights On, directed by Ira Sachs, chronicles an emotionally and sexually charged journey of two men in New York City through love, friendship, and addiction. Documentary filmmaker Erik (acclaimed Danish actor Thure Lindhardt in his first leading role in a U.S. film) and closeted lawyer Paul (Zachary Booth, Damages) meet through a casual encounter, but soon find a deeper connection and become a couple. Individually and together, they are risk takers—compulsive, and fueled by drugs and sex. In an almost decade-long relationship defined by highs,…

The Ambassador is a darkly comic, genre-bending documentary that exposes the corrupt business of selling diplomatic titles to exploit the lucrative and limited resources of war torn, third world nations. Filmmaker/journalist/provocateur Mads Brügger (Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner for Red Chapel) uses humor in his jaw-dropping descent into one of the most dangerous places on the planet: Central African Republic. Bijan Tehrani: How did you come up with the idea of making The Ambassador?Mads Brügger: I had this ambition to make a very different documentary about Africa, a film that would deviate as much as possible from the typical documentary…

Chicken With Plums takes place in Teheran, 1958. Since his beloved violin was broken, Nasser Ali Khan, one of the most renowned musicians of his day, has lost all taste for life. Finding no instrument worthy of replacing it, he decides to confine himself to bed to await death. As he hopes for its arrival, he plunges into deep reveries, with dreams as melancholic as they are joyous, taking him back to his youth and even to a conversation with Azraël, the Angel of Death, who reveals the future of his children… As pieces of the puzzle gradually fit together,…

In the field of animation for the last eighteen years, Cinzia Angelini has worked as an animator in productions involving traditional as well as computer animation. Her work on features ranges from films “Balto” (Amblimation), “Prince of Egypt”, “Eldorado”, “Spirit” and “Sinbad” (Dreamworks), to “Spider-man 2” (“Best Visual Effects” Oscar Winner, 2004) and “Open Season” (Sony Imageworks), “Meet the Robinsons” and “Bolt” (Walt Disney Animation Studios).Her work also includes the DVD specials “How to Train your Dragon” and “Kung Fu Panda2”, as well as the “Despicable Me” Universal Theme Park project for Duncan Studio.Cinzia is currently a story artist at…

Inspired by a chilling true story, Compliance explores just how far one might go to obey a figure of authority. On a particularly busy day at the local ChickWich, the fast food joint’s high-strung manager Sandra receives a phone call from a police officer saying her employee Becky has stolen money from a customer. Convinced she’s only doing what’s right, Sandra commences the investigation, following step-by-step instructions from the officer at the other end of the line, no matter how invasive they become.Compliance, One of the most controversial and talked-about films at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, is the second…

Jacob Rosenberg, a filmmaker, author, and digital technology expert, he developed his passion for video and film as a skateboarder in the early 1990’s, making two of the most acclaimed skateboard videos for the company Plan B. Upon graduating from Emerson College, his thesis film “Silent Rain in the Ninth,” was released on DVD; Rosenberg promptly began directing music videos, commercials and short films.Rosenberg connected with fellow directors and Bandito Brothers principals Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh when he served as the Online Editor and Digital Intermediate Supervisor for “Dust to Glory.” That feature utilized an all-digital workflow designed by…

Starring Catherine Deneuve and (her real-life daughter) Chiara Mastroianni, Beloved, this sly and exquisitely romantic musical drama from Christophe Honoré (LOVE SONGS, DANS PARIS) spans over three decades as it follows a mother and daughter’s misadventures in love. In the ‘60s, Madeleine (Ludivine Sagnier) leaves Paris to re-join her Czech husband Jaromil (Rasha Bukvic) in Prague, but his infidelities and the arrival of Russian tanks in the city lead her back to France. Thirty years later we follow the romance of Madeleine’s daughter, Vera, who falls in love with a musician (Paul Scneider) in London who is incapable of devoting…

The Hollywood Museum is a labor of love for Founder and President, Donelle Dadigan. Dadigan has documented, preserved and now exhibits the largest collection ever assembled of authentic costumes and personal effects of hundreds of motion picture and television studios, as well as the stars themselves including Marilyn Monroe, Russell Crowe, Elvis Presley, Lucille Ball, Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkin, and Michael Jackson. Today, Dadigan is the chairperson of the Hollywood Historic Trust which controls the sidewalks where the ‘Walk of Fame’ stars are located. She took over this duty from the late Johnny Grant, the honorary…