Author: Bijan Tehrani

Born and raised in the United States, Ramin Bahrani studied film at Columbia University in New York City before moving to his parents’ homeland of Iran, where he lived for three years. After spending time in Paris, he eventually returned to the United States to begin work on his first feature film, MAN PUSH CART (2005). The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival (2005) and was selected for the Sundance Film Festival (2006) before being released theatrically to critical acclaim. His second feature film, CHOP SHOP (2007) premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Bahrani is currently finishing his third…

Cynthia Wade is a NYC-based documentary filmmaker. Her short documentary “Freeheld” won a Special Jury Prize at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, and seven other film awards in major cities such as New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Seattle and Denver. Wade’s five-time award winning HBO documentary “Shelter Dogs” was broadcast in seven countries. Wade directed the 1999 Cinemax Reel Life documentary “Grist For The Mill”, which The Hollywood Reporter called “a delight…full of quirky moments and clever humor” and Variety called “a jewel … extremely comical.” She was co-producer and principal verite cinematographer for the 1998 PBS documentary “Taken In:…

Written by Drew Pillsbury and Directed by Alan White, the film also has performances from Linda Hamilton, Tess Harper and Jake Busey. BROKEN, produced by Jerry Wayne and Brian Etting and financed by Jerry Wayne’s Walk on the Beach Productions, reveals an episode in the life of Hope, a young transplant to Los Angeles from the Midwest. We learn that after a steady stream of rejection and the sinking realization that her singing career is fast going nowhere, Hope finds solace in the arms of Will; a handsome, charming bad boy. They fall madly in love and quickly become each…

Mikel Olaciregui, Director of San Sebastian International Film Festival is Born in Pasaia (Gipuzkoa) in 1956. A film enthusiast by vocation, Mikel Olaciregui has been professionally related to the audio-visual medium since 1986 when he started working as a producer with the Basque ETB channel. While with the ETB he held different positions within the Production Department, until, in 1988, he was appointed Delegate Director at the newly opened Miramón Production Centre. He was the ETB Programme Manager from 1990. During this time he increased his relationship with the film world, joining the Commission for the granting of Basque Government…

Javad is dead. He passionately loved Hitchcock, Mango and strawberry ice cream. Javad lived his abridged life through other people. This should explain his unending appetite for watching movies and counting other people’s money. He was a bank clerk, an Iranian communist wannabe that ended up as a Bank of America employee! I am sure Lenin would not have called him a “comrade”. Javad was a shadow. He will not be remembered by anybody. He never suffered from what others call disaster or pain. When he discovered his wife’s farewell letter, in which she explained that she was dumping him…

Michaela Kezele was born in Munich. Her Mother is Serbian, her father Croatian. She was raised by her grandparents in Dubrovnik. As a result of the war, she came back to Munich in 1991. After graduating from high-school, she studied for two years at the music academy and graduated in 1997 with a diploma in acting.. After graduation, she worked in Germany and Croatia as an actress. Now, she is a student at the film & television academy in Munich. Milan is Michaela’s third short film made during her film school years. Milan takes place during the 1999 Nato air-raids…

The film begins by introducing Ben Wade, a notorious outlaw and Dan Evans a rancher who after a drought is struggling to sustain his family. In order to make some money Dan offers to help take Wade to Yuma, where he will be imprisoned and hanged. At first glance there is no reason why these two should have anything in common and far less get along. As the film develops the bond between the two men transforms from one of adversaries to one of camaraderie. James Mangold’s 3:10 to Yuma is a remake of the 1957 film of the same…

Jan Cvitkovia, director of Gravehopping, was born in 1966 in Slovenia. Jan is an archaeologist, writer, actor, and director. In 2001, Jan wrote and directed his first feature film, Bread and Milk (Kruh in mleko). Bread and Milk won the Lion of the Future, Luigi de Laurentis Award for Best First Film, La Mostra at Venice Film Festival 2001. His latest feature film, Gravehopping (Odgrobadogroba) has won numerous awards in international film festivals including the Altadis Award for Best new director, San Sebastian, 2005. The latest award won by Gravehopping is the Cinema Without Borders Critics Award for the Best…

Born and brought up in Iran, Katayoun Afrooz undertook her formal education and training in Cinema in the United State. She has been working as a professional filmmaker and artist. She holds a Degree both in Cinema and TV production.<br>Abyaneh, red village is Katayoun’s first short documentary. <i>Abyaneh, red village</i> premiered in 2007 at the Los Angeles international shorts film festival.<br>Katayoun’s next documentary short film <i>”Bistoon & its secrets”</i> was shot entirely in Iran. Katayoun is an U.S. citizen living in Los Angeles, CAAbyaneh is an ancient village in Iran, situated 40 kilometers from the Iranian Nuclear Power Plants in…

This is an interview with Darryl Macdonald, Executive Director of the Palm Springs International Film Society about Palm Springs ShortFest 2007. Darryl produces both the Palm Springs International Film Festival and the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films. Bijan Tehrani: Congratulations for the great ShortFest 2007. How successful festival was for you? Do you think you have achieved the goals you had in mind? Darryl Macdonald: This year’s Festival was hugely gratifying. Attendance took a major jump across the board – audiences, filmmakers and industry came to the Festival in record numbers and the Film Market hit new highs…