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    May 8th 2024 – Cinema Without Borders announced Bridging The Borders Awatd winners at SEEfest 2024. Non-Aligned: Scenes from the Labudovic Reels (Mila Turajlić, Serbia/France, 2022) won Cinema Without Borders’ Bridging the Borders Award for the Best Documentary Film.
    In her impressive documentary, Non-Aligned: Scenes from the Labudovic Reels, Mila Turajlić explores the treasure trove of 35mm films preserved in Belgrade’s Filmske novosti. That Serbian archive of countless newsreels made for President Tito and the Yugoslavian cinema audiences from 1954 until 1980 not only idealizes the accomplishments of that independent leader but also reveals the story of the creation of the Non-Aligned Movement, those countries sneeringly referred to as The Third World, who sought a middle path between the power and domination of the Capitalist USA and Communist Soviet Union. As she eventually began understanding what the reels of film contained, Turajlić found helpful guides in diligent archivists and Stevan Labudović, Tito’s favorite cameraman for 26 years.

    Watching all the hopeful scenes of anti-imperialist struggles and convocations of new leaders from former colonies makes this not just a documentary of historical interest but a possible outcry for a 21st century movement of non-aligned countries searching for socio-political pathways somehow independent of American, Russian, and Chinese influence.

    Clara (Sabin Dorohoi, Romania/Germany, 2023) won Cinema Without Borders’ Bridging The Borders award for the Best Narrative Film.
    By crossing several borders to go work as a nanny to an adorable little girl in Germany, former schoolteacher Clara erects an almost impregnable border wall between her young son Ionut and herself. Although the Danube River connects the city of her new workplace with her Romanian hometown, the boy feels no such connection with his absent mother. Unable to understand the economic necessity of her choice, Ionut tries to give himself to the Danube and darkness. Clara must now search for a feasible way to revive the mother-son bond while still providing shelter and food. In Clara, his first narrative feature film, Sabin Dorohoi has provided a heart-rending example of the domestic repercussions on one of the 5,000,000 Romanians working outside their homeland.

    Jury members for MOZAIK Bridging the Borders Award were:

    KEELY BADGER
    Keely Badger is the Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of 360 MEDIA Consulting; a woman-owned, woman-led digital marketing agency for storytellers, changemakers, and brands working on the frontlines of social impact and innovation. Her high-performance multimedia campaigns have attracted influential clients such as The Sundance Institute, The Redford Center, Human Rights Watch, KPJR Films, and over 50 award-winning indie films.
    Developing a love for the transformative potential of documentary film to bridge communities and awaken critical consciousness, Keely has worked in the public and private sector over the past 15 years, using social impact cinema as a tool to inspire audiences to meaningful action. With a background in helping produce, brand and market films by providing strategic audience engagement models, impactful multimedia campaigns and community partnership-building, Keely has successfully helped independent filmmakers galvanize social change in both grassroots and international arenas.
    360 MEDIA is proud to serve as a presenting sponsor of the 2024 Bridging The Borders Award.

    Susan Morgan Cooper
    Susan Morgan Cooper is a Director/Producer/ Writer and her credits include:
    To the Moon and Back, Documentary, Director/Producer/Writer 2016 (A cinematic act of love and courage’ … Broadway World) – Hopper [In his own words] Documentary, Producer/Writer 2013 (“I was moved to tears” Mike Medavoy) – Mulberry Child, Documentary, Director/Producer/Writer 2012 (‘A powerful and touching film’… 31/2 stars. Roger Ebert) – An Unlikely Weapon [The Eddie Adams Story]..Documentary, Director/Producer/Writer 2008 ( ‘A terrific documentary’ The Hollywood Reporter) – Making Of Shadows in The Sun, Documentary, Director/Producer/Writer 2005 – Heroes And Sheroes. Television Series, Director/Producer/Writer 2000
    Mirjana: One Girl’s Journey, Documentary, Director/Producer/Writer 1997 – Stringers, Narrative Short Director/Producer/Writer 1990 – Hadley’s Rebellion, Narrative Feature Associate Producer 1989

    Vazrik Der Sahakian
    Vazrik Der Sahakian was born 1948 in Tehran, Iran, and graduated from the Film and TV School in 1972, worked as assistant cameraman and cameraman till 1978, later switched to translation since 1980 with 26 books in various categories: movies, theater, history, novels and short stories.

    Ali Murat Erkorkmaz
    Ali Murat Erkorkmaz , born in 1948 in Istanbul, Turkey, studied architecture at Istanbul Technical University. Besides his career as an architect, he worked on various subjects both on art and technology. He released a daily newspaper, several books and produced 63 animated TV series of 52 half hours till 2023. Besides animation he also produced several documentaries and 3 feature films. He produced more than 4300 TV commercial films internationally. In the past 20 years he’s been working on artificial intelligence programming and robotics. www.alimurat.com

    Vladek Juszkiewicz – Born in Glasgow, Poland. He graduated from the Szczecin Technical University with a degree in Engineering. While attending the University he became a member of The Szczecin Technical University Choir, serving as a President and manager of the group. His travels with the choir to 18 counties including United States where he visited the White House.
    When he moved to Warsaw, he became the manager of the Polish international star singer Maryla Rodowicz.
    After immigrating to the United States, he worked on 11 films with the late Paul Leder.
    In 1999 he founded the Polish Film Festival Los Angeles and served as a director till 2019. Now is serving as the Festival’s Programmer.
    Served on the juries of the Los Angeles Hungarian Film Festival, the Los Angeles South East European Film Festival, New York Polish Film Festival and Palm Springs International Film Festival.
    Awarded by Polish Government with the Cavalier & Officer Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland and Gloria Artis for promoting Polish culture abroad.

    Houshang Golmakani
    Houshang Golmakani is an Iranian journalist, film critic and director. He was born in Gorgan on March 23, 1954. Houshang Golmakani started his professional career in 1972 as a journalist and film critic for Tehran Economist. He graduated in cinema and television from the College of Dramatic Arts of Tehran in 1982.

    He is one of the three founders of Film (Iranian magazine), the oldest post-revolutionary film magazine in Iran (founded in 1982 with Massoud Mehrabi and Abbas Yari). In 1993, Film (Iranian magazine) began to print an English version of the magazine for its international readers, FILM International, the only English magazine solely about Iranian cinema. Houshang Golmakani is also a writer and a director. He directed a documentary about the life and works of Mohsen Makhmalbaf, STARDUST-STRICKEN; Mohsen Makhmalbaf: A Portrait (1996). He writes books about cinema and translate screenplays. In 2021 Houshang Golmakani and Abbas Yari stablished Film-e-Emrooz (Film Today) monthly. In 2023 Golmakani made his first feature film Gazelle (Ahoo)

    Arati Misro
    Arati just wrapped a feature film as a Producer called Designed by Preeti and was a consulting Producer for the TV show Meet the Drapers. Arati is developing and producing several other IPs and Properties in Feature films and TV.
    Arati Brings 20 years of experience in the Entertainment, Tech, Education & lifestyle business from a global perspective. Her expertise includes Feature films, TV, product sales & startups. She thrives on recognizing & prioritizing short and long-term goals to greenlight a show or scale a business from a holistic approach. Worked with Sony Pictures Fox, Netflix, Paramount and Apple to name a few. She has also worked in Operations for theatrical distribution for several studios including Sony, Fox, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Universal Pictures & celebrities, brands such as Lady Gaga, NFL, Kevin Hart, Jamie Fox and others. Her experience chairing Women in Film International has allowed her to home in on her passion for mentoring and giving voice to countless women worldwide who strive to pursue their goals. Chairing is one of her most meaningful accomplishments. She has programmed and produced multiple events for the Los Angeles film community and was recognized by President Obama. Partnerships and Brands include Universal Pictures , MAC , NewFilmmakers LA, BMW, MAX MARA, CAA, Kodak. She holds an MBA and holds an MFA in Producing from the prestigious American Film Institute. . To learn more about Arati, check out her work here. https://linktr.ee/aratim

    Chale Nafus was born in Dallas during World War II, he attended public schools, spent summers on his sister’s ranch in Comanche County in the 1950s, learned Spanish from schoolmates, and dreamed of getting out of Dallas. After getting through freshman year at SMU, he worked at Texas Instruments before realizing he really needed a college education. After attending the University of Texas at Arlington (B.A., English), La Universidad Autónoma de México, and UT Austin (M.A., English/RTF), he began a long college teaching career at Texas Southmost College (Brownsville), La Universidad de Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, Borough of Manhattan Community College, Kingsborough Community College (Brooklyn), and finally Austin Community College (1973-1998). At the latter, he founded the Department of Radio-TV-Film, taught classes in film studies, and for seven years served as Chair of Humanities (Northridge Campus). Retiring in 1998, Chale spent 4 years traveling and writing before joining the staff of Austin Film Society as Director of Programming (2002-2015). He is now totally retired and happily serving on the boards of Austin Film Society and OUTsider Fest as well as the advisory committees of IndieMeme (South Asian film organization) and Cine Las Americas.