Author: Bijan Tehrani

Duane Sider, director of learning for Rosetta Stone Ltd., is passionate about changing the way the world views language-learning. In his role, Duane has introduced Rosetta Stone solutions and the joy of the language-learning journey to a variety of audiences through numerous speaking engagements nationwide. Additionally, Duane has authored a number of articles and theory papers on immersion methodology in second-language acquisition. Duane joined Rosetta Stone’s international operations in 1997, became director of learning in 2003, directing domestic and international training programs, and assumed his current responsibilities in 2008. Prior to joining Rosetta Stone, he taught literature, religion and aesthetics…

Filmed over nearly three years, Wasteland follows renowned artist Vik Muniz as he journeys from his home base in Brooklyn to his native Brazil and the world’s largest garbage dump, Jardim Gramacho, located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. There he photographs an eclectic band of “catadores”—self-designated pickers of recyclable materials. Muniz’s initial objective was to “paint” the catadores with garbage. However, his collaboration with these inspiring characters as they recreate photographic images of themselves out of garbage reveals both the dignity and despair of the catadores as they begin to re-imagine their lives. Director Lucy Walker (Devil’s Playground,…

Last week, CWB interviewed Jacqueline Lyanga, the Director of the American Film Institute’s annual film festival, to find out more information for our readers on the 2010 AFI FEST.Bijan Tehrani: Please tell us about your involvement at the festival and what we should expect to see this year at the event. Jacqueline Lyanga: This year at AFI fest presented by Audi, we have a really fantastic line-up! There will be a lot of similarities to the program in the past, namely because both myself and the executive of programming have been here for the past five years, so there isn’t…

Last week, we had an opportunity to interview David Naranjo, Director of Product Development for Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc. (MDEA) about 3D DLP technology.David Naranjo brings more than 15 years of experience in the consumer and commercial electronics industry to Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc. He is solely responsible for leading the product development teams for Mitsubishi’s Premium Line of 3D Ready Home Theater TVs, Premium LCD Flat panels and LaserVue products. He has also been leading Mitsubishi’s efforts and discussions with studios, content developers, and technology providers on the 3D front.Naranjo’s professional background includes a wide range of…

Budrus follows Palestinian community organizer Ayed Morrar as he unites local Fatah and Hamas members along with Israeli supporters in an unarmed movement to save his village of Budrus from destruction by Israel’s Separation Barrier. “Budrus” chronicles this movement from its infancy and shines a light on people who choose nonviolence. This film has received some great political press.Here is CWB’s interview with Julia Bacha, director of BudrusBijan Tehrani: How did you come up with the idea of making Budrus?Julia Bacha: I have been working with an organization called Just Vision for seven years now, and we’ve been researching and…

Autumn Gold tells the life-affirming stories of five senior athletes who all have one goal: to take part in the track and field section of the World Masters Championships 2009 in Finland. The biggest challenge they face is their age: all five athletes are between 82 and 100 years old. Jan Tenhaven is a freelance writer and director for German public television and a lecturer at the Electronic Media School in Potsdam-Babelsberg. He started his journalistic career as a reporter and free-lance writer for the daily newspaper WAZ and the weekly paper DIE ZEIT, as well as on the editorial…

Reconciliation: Mandela’s Miracle is an 88 minute HD documentary by Michael Henry Wilson. Once considered a “terrorist,” Nelson Mandela saved his country from bloody civil war and dismantled the system of apartheid through the spirit of reconciliation.In this 88 minute documentary, witnesses give dramatic testimonials along with potent archival footage. Clint Eastwood, one of the film’s interviewees, sums it up simply: “The world needs people like him.”www.reconciliation-mandelasmiracle.comBijan Tehrani: What inspired you to make Reconciliation: Mandela’s Miracle? There are quite a few interesting figures and celebrities appearing in your film, please tell us about them and the value they add to…

When We Leave, Germany’s Oscar Selection for 2011, is the story of German-born Umay who flees from her oppressive marriage in Istanbul, taking her young son Cem with her. She hopes to find a better life with her family in Berlin, but her unexpected arrival creates intense conflict. Her family is trapped in their conventions. They are torn between their love for her and the traditional values of their community. Ultimately, they decide to return Cem to his father in Turkey. To keep her son, Umay is forced to move again. She finds the inner strength to build a new…

Stu Plus Who? is the story of a young filmmaker crashed Emmy and Globes parties with borrowed Emmy in hand providing entry to find a lady to join him in trip to Jamaica won on TV game show. Stuart Acher, director of Stu Plus Who?, directs commercials for clients such as Phillips, UGO, and his most notable spot “Super Absorbant,” starring supermodel Shalom Harlow. Stuart has also helmed music videos for the band “Powder” that was recently picked up on MTV, marking the first spec music video in history to air on the network. The video was also recently voted…

The 16th edition of Recent Spanish Cinema series will run at the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles from October, 14th to October 17th. To learn more about this interesting screening series we talked to Elvi Cano, the Communications Director EGEDA US and Soledad González, Marketing Director EGEDA US. EGEDA is a non-profit association and collecting society that provides services to producers and the audiovisual industry as a whole. EGEDA US was set up in Los Angeles in 2007 with the idea of having a permanent office on the US West Coast. Elvi Cano moved from Spain to Los Angeles almost…