Author: CWB News Department

2018 : Everyone is a Hero, India’s Oscar Entry, Directed by Jude Anthany Joseph, is about Anoop, a former military officer who withdrew from service due to the trauma of witnessing soldiers’ deaths in combat, is currently employed at a small store owned by the visually impaired Bhasi. Anoop’s affection is directed towards Manju, a teacher who recently joined the local government school. The two are contemplating marriage. Anoop aspires to travel to Dubai and enlists the help of his friend Rameshan to secure a visa. The story also follows the trajectory of Shaji, a government officer overseeing disaster management,…

BEHIND THE HAYSTACKS happens during the 2015 refugee crisis on the Greece-North Macedonia border and  seen through the eyes of three morally culpable family members with overlapping and contradicting versions. A middle-aged fisherman living on Greece’s northern border, who is drowning in debt, starts to smuggle migrants across the border lake, in exchange for a hefty fee. His wife, a housewife and devout churchgoer, is seeking the truth in God’s Word, while their daughter tries to define her own life within an oppressive environment. Until a tragic incident strikes the family, pushing the three heroes to face their own personal…

I grew up watching films in movie theaters, and never enjoyed those private screenings for critics, or watching films along the usual festival crowds. I loved to sit in a dark theater and witness the reaction of ordinary movie goers to the films. I loved movies that entertained the audiences, but at the same time their bug was biting them. letting them carry the film outside the theater and live with it for a while or for the rest of their lives. That was the reason I fell in love with Hawks’ RED RIVER, Ford’s THE SEARCHERS, Hitchcock’s VERTIGO, Georges…

Coming from two countries at odds with each other, Iranian-American Leila (Layla Mohammadi) strives to find balance and embrace her opposing cultures, while boldly challenging the labels society is so quick to project upon her. When her family reunites in New York City for her father’s heart transplant, Leila navigates her relationships at arm’s length in an effort to keep her “real” life separate from her family life. However, when her secret is unceremoniously revealed, so are the distinct parallels between her life and that of her mother Shireen (Niousha Noor). Punctuated by a bright color palette, snappy comedic relief,…

Neither a conventional biopic nor a traditional concert film, JOAN BAEZ I AM A NOISE is a raw and intimate portrait of the legendary folk singer and activist that shifts back and forth through time as it follows Joan on her final tour and delves into her extraordinary archive, including newly discovered home movies, diaries, artwork, therapy tapes, and audio recordings. Baez is remarkably revealing about her life on and off stage – from her lifelong emotional struggles to her civil rights work with MLK and a heartbreaking romance with a young Bob Dylan. A searingly honest look at a…

From Signe Baumane, director of Rocks in My Pockets, comes a new award-winning animated feature about a spirited young woman determined to find love in the bewildering world. My Love Affair With Marriage follows Zelma on her 23-year quest for perfect love and lasting marriage set against a backdrop of historic events in Eastern Europe. Told from a woman’s point of view, the film blends historical, biological, societal, and emotional arcs with a lively sense of humor and musical numbers. This animated film for adults tackles the issues of love, gender norms, domestic violence, fantasies and toxic relationships to propel…

The Ancient Trees , is a beautifully and masterfully written, produced, and ‏directed series by young and talented Iranian filmmaker Hamid Koreyli. The The Ancient Trees series is a successful effort to introduce and comprehensively and expertly review the exceptionally-old trees of Iran along with providing unseen pictures and detailed history and information. This collection is produced in the form of a documentary series in six approximately fifty-minute episodes, each episode is focused on the introduction of one of Iran’s tree species. https://vimeo.com/872420790?share=copy In order to introduce these trees, a trip was made to the habitat of each tree and–while…

Another week, another early Asghar Farhadi film gets restored and finally comes to North America. Following last week’s release of his 2003 drama Dancing in the Dust, Film Movement Classics will now release the Oscar-winning Iranian director’s second feature Beautiful City in a new 2K restoration approved by Farhadi. Led by Taraneh Alidoosti––who would go on to work with the director in Fireworks Wednesday, About Elly, and The Salesman––the 2004 drama will be released digitally on October 13 and we’re pleased to exclusively debut the new trailer. https://youtu.be/8hi2cirzz-U?si=yj7dx81oADY74pXp Here’s the full synopsis: “After spending two years in juvenile detention for killing his girlfriend…

An essential memoir of fashion pioneer Bethann Hardison, INVISIBLE BEAUTY shines a spotlight on the singular and unapologetic Hardison, one of the fashion industry’s most influential icons who, as a pioneering Black model, modeling agent and entrepreneur, has pushed the boundaries of fashion culture and has been at the forefront of progress throughout her career. In her lifetime, Hardison has seen the pendulum swing toward and away from the Black model. At every setback, she spoke up and rallied her colleagues and clients in the industry to advance change. https://vimeo.com/869448513?share=copy Now in her 70s, the Brooklyn native is writing her…

Cinema Without Borders has announced its jury members to decide on the winner of 2023 MOZAIK Bridging The Borders Award at the LUCAS International Festival for Young Film Lover in Germany. LUCAS programmers have also announced the nominees for the Cinema Without Borders’ Bridging The Borders Award sponsored by MOZAIK Philanthropy. A jury of six, formed by CWB will decide on the winning films at the closing night of the festival. Keely Badger, Executive Director of MOZAIK, the sponsor of the Bridging The Borders Award, will announce the winning film in a video message that will be played at the awards ceremony of the…