Author: Bijan Tehrani

Set in the strange and oppressive emotional landscape of the year 1983, Beyond the Black Rainbow is a Reagan-era fever dream inspired by hazy childhood memories of midnight movies and Saturday morning cartoons. From the producer of Machotaildrop, Rainbow is the outlandish feature film debut of writer and director Panos Cosmatos. Featuring a hypnotic analog synthesizer score by Jeremy Schmidt of Sinoia Cave and Black Mountain, Rainbow is a film experience for the senses.Panos Cosmatos, the writer & director of Beyond the Black Rainbow was born in Rome in 1974 to a Greek movie director father and a Swedish experimental…

Based on real events, KILLING BONO tells the story of young Irish rocker Neil McCormick (Ben Barnes) and his younger brother, Ivan (Robert Sheehan), who attempt to become rock stars but can only look on as their school friends form U2 and become the biggest band in the world. The film is based on Neil McCormick’s memoir “Killing Bono: I am Bono’s Doppelganger.”Following is Cinema Without Borders’ interview with Nick Hamm, director of Killing Bono.Bijan Tehrani: What interested you in making Neil’s Killing Bono book into a film?Nick Hamm: I read Neil McCormick’s book, and became fascinated by the story…

AFIFEST is around the corner and to learn more about what international film fans should expect at 2011 festival we had an interview with Jacqueline Lyanga, director of AFIFEST. Bijan Tehrani: Please tell us about AFIFEST 2011 and what we can expect to see this year.Jacqueline Lyanga: This year at AFI FEST you can expect to see some of the most highly anticipated films from the festival circuit; films that have won awards at Berlin, Cannes, and Venice, a number of Foreign-Language Oscar submissions, Hollywood awards season contenders and innovative works from emerging international filmmakers.BT: Can you tell us about…

25 years ago, ethnomusicologist Louis Sarno traveled from New Jersey to the forests of Central Africa to record the music of the Bayaka Pygmies. Falling in love with a Bayaka girl and her forest lifestyle, he decided to stay. “OKA!” tells the adventure of his life in Africa with his adopted family. The Bayaka pygmies maintain a tenuous balance between their traditional forest existence and their increasing dependence on the Bantu villagers. Through the eyes of Larry, the tall, ungainly white man from New Jersey, who in spite of his failing liver accompanies the Bayaka on a journey into the…

I met Alberto Di Mauro, director of the Italian Cultural Institute, LA, in his office in Westwood Village. Italian Cultural Institute, LA, has a mood of Italy in its architecture and has also been beautifully and tastefully decorated. Mr. Di Mauro, a knowledgeable, cultural and humble man is very Italian in every manner (from his nice Italian accent to the dance of his hands when he talks and his deep love for Italy) and has a great sense of humor. But most importantly, he shares our love to cinema. The second time I met Mr. Mauro was at the opening night…

German Current screenings run by The Goethe-Institut Los Angeles is an annual event, where you can watch the latest movies from Germany. To provide you with more information about this exceptionally great event, we interviewed Annette Rupp, Director of The Goethe-Institut Los Angeles.Bijan Tehrani. Please tell us about German Currents 2011 program.Annette Rupp: The Goethe-Institut Los Angeles, German Films and The American Cinematheque are pleased to announce an exciting slate of films set for their 5th annual German Currents Showcase, a film series being held from October 26-30, 2011 and featuring many of the best German films of 2011 and…

“Calypso Rose – The Lioness of the Jungle” is as much an intimate portrait about the “Grande Dame” of Calypso as it is a road movie. Travelling from Trinidad and Tobago to New York, Paris, all the way to Africa. Along the way, Calypso Rose reveals her personal story, her groundbreaking musical achievements, her commitment to defend women´s rights, her faith, her worries and fears and above all her strong love of life and people. For the past 16 years, Jean Michel Gibert has been working in Trinidad and Tobago as an executive producer and producer for films such as “Calypso…

2011 marks the 12th year of Polish Film Festival, LA, a great and amazing film festival carried on Vladek uszkiewicz shoulders. Polish Film Festival from the first year has turned to be a very important event in calendar of film fans and film critics. Without any doubts, Polish Film Festival, LA, shows more film than any otherlocal film festival dedicated to cinema of a country. It has an award ceremony and runs for nine days, matching length of major international film festivals. Vladek director of the Polish film Festival, LA was born in Glogow, Poland. He graduated from the Szczecin…

5 Days of War is inspired by the real events of the swift-but-devastating, five-day war between Russia and Georgia in 2008. An American journalist (Rupert Friend) and his cameraman (Richard Coyle), have been caught in the combat zone during the first Russian airstrikes against Georgia. Rescuing Tatia (Emmanuelle Chriqui), a young Georgian schoolteacher from the attack, the two reporters agree to help reunite her with her family in exchange for her services as their interpreter. As the three attempt to escape to safety, they witness—and document—the devastation from the full-scale crossfire to the cold-blooded murder of innocent civilians. They desperately…

The Family Tree is the story of the dysfunctional Burnett family – Bunnie (Hope Davis), Jack (Dermot Mulroney) and their twin 17-year-olds, Eric (Max Thieriot) and Kelly (Britt Robertson). When a freak accident leaves Bunnie with a case of amnesia, the Burnetts get an unexpected second chance at happiness. Meanwhile, next door neighbor Simon (Chi McBride) is relieved that his tryst gone wrong with Bunnie remains undetected, at least for the moment. Before long, a slew of past relationships, kids with guns, a suicidal teacher, a very zealous religious club, misinterpreted advances, corporate down-sizing, and one fateful squirrel combine to…