Author: Bijan Tehrani

“9:06” is the story of a police inspector in Ljubljana who investigates an unusual case. His investigation turns into an obsession as he secretly moves into the apartment of the deceased, delving deeper into the man’s life and gradually assuming his identity. 9.06 will be screened at South East European Film Festival, Los Angeles.Igor Sterk, director of “9:06,” was born in 1968 and graduated at Ljubljana Film Academy. In 1989 he crossed the Atlantic Ocean with his father in a sail-boat just over 6 meters long. He directed his first feature film Express, express in 1997. The film received 15…

Modern technology and globalization have made the world a much smaller place and caused us to be more interconnected as people, yet cultural misconceptions persist. Through a celebration of culture and comedy, Just Like Us uproots the widely held misconception that Arabs have no sense of humor – when in fact they laugh, and are, just like us.This documentary features Egyptian-American comedian Ahmed Ahmed, in his directorial debut, along with a host of critically acclaimed international stand-up comedians. Presented by Cross Cultural Entertainment and Cross Cultural Productions, Just Like Us exemplifies their goal of reintroducing socially relevant issues to the…

No one Knows About Persian Cats is the story of two young musicians that have recently been released from prison and decide to form a band. Together they search the underworld of contemporary Tehran for other players. Forbidden by the authorities to play in Iran, they plan to escape from their clandestine existence, and dream of performing in Europe. But with no money and no passports, it won’t be easy…Bahman Ghobadi, director of No One Knows About Persian Cats, was born on February 1st, 1969, in Baneh, a city near the Iran-Iraq border, in the province of Kurdistan, Iran. After…

In My Sleep, Marcus struggles with parasomnia, a rare sleepwalking disorder. After Marcus wakes up with blood on his hands and a knife at his side, he is startled to hear that a close friend has been found stabbed to death. Marcus frantically tries to put the pieces together – could he have murdered his friend in his sleep to hide a dark secret between them?The police close in as Marcus investigates his own nocturnal activities, desperate to figure out what happens after he goes to sleep. His journey to uncover the truth leads him to a shocking revelation. Allen…

Christina Marouda, Executive Director of Indian Film Festival, LA and President of IFFLA Board of Directors prior to launching IFFLA in 2002 worked in various capacities. She worked at Lions Gate Entertainment, the American Film Institute (AFI) Film Festival, and the Los Angeles Film Festival (LAFF). Ms. Marouda also produced the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival in 2008. She participated in the prestigious IFP Producers Lab where she honed her producing skills and is now producing the short film TRANCE directed by Andrew Scoles. Born and raised on the island of Crete in Greece, Ms. Marouda’s went on to earn…

The 2010 Dallas International Film Festival started on April 8 and I had a chance to speak to Michael Cain, the Chairman of Dallas IFF about 2010 festival.A graduate of the American Film Institute, Michael was previously the Founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit organization Deep Ellum Film, Music, Arts and Noise (DEFMAN), which produced the Deep Ellum Film Festival and various outdoor screening events including the Lone Star Drive-In in Addison and Dallas; Pasadena Cinema in the Park; and the Santa Monica Drive-In at the Pier. Michael is also a producer with more than 50 commercials and music…

I could never understand the logic of film distributors; avoiding picking up films that are considered “old” by their standards–sometimes even a single year can make a film “old” to them. I have a long list of great films that have lost their chance to be seen by any audiences because of such attitudes. Have we ever stopped watching Chaplin, Hitchcock, Truffaut or Bunuel films because they are old? Among the wonderful movies of the last four years, we had the Slovenian film entitled Gravehopping, which was directed by Jan Cvitkovic and selected for the Best Foreign Language Film Award…

With THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES, Argentinean writer-director-editor Juan Jose Campanella has created a multi-layered and poignant thriller interweaving the personal lives of a state prosecution investigator and a judge, with a manhunt spanning twenty-five years. Recently retired criminal court investigator Benjamin (Ricardo Darin), decides to write a novel based on a twenty-five year old unresolved rape and murder case, which still haunts him. Sharing his plans with Irene (Soledad Villamil), the beautiful judge and former colleague he has secretly been in love with for years, Benjamin’s initial involvement with the case is shown through flashbacks, as he sets out…

Cynthia Wade, director of Born Sweet, is an Oscar-winning documentary director. Her directing credits include the Sundance Special Jury Prize winning, Academy Award winning “Freeheld” (2007), IFC Channel’s “Living the Legacy” (2009), HBO’s five-time award winning “Shelter Dogs” (2004) and the Cinemax documentary “Grist for the Mill” (1999). As a cinematographer, Wade has shot and produced documentaries for Discovery, A&E;, PBS, Bravo, AMC, The History Channel and MTV. She holds a Masters Degree in Documentary Filmmaking from Stanford University.Bijan Tehrani: How did you first encounter the subject of Born Sweet? Cynthia Wade: I was actively looking for a new film,…

An Education happens in the post-war, pre-Beatles London suburbs. A bright schoolgirl is torn between studying for a place at Oxford and the more exciting alternative offered to her by a charismatic older man.Lone Scherfig director of An Education , was born in Copenhagen and studied film at the University of Copenhagen and the National Film School of Denmark. She has written and directed short films, radio dramas and television series. Lone has collected 22 awards and 11 nominations for her work. Italian for Beginners (the fifth Danish Dogma Film) received a FIPRESCI award and a Silver Bear Jury Prize…