Cinema Without Borders has announced its jury members to decide on the winner of 2026 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
Cinema Without Borders will present its Bridging the Borders Award for the sixth time at the LUCAS International Festival for Young Film Lovers.
Hamed Soleimanzadeh, a member of the Bridging the Borders Award jury and Cinema Without Borders’ European Cinema Editor, will attend the LUCAS Film Festival Awards Ceremony to announce the winner of the Bridging the Borders Award.
Susan Morgan Cooper
Susan Morgan Cooper is an accomplished Director, Producer, and Writer known for her impactful documentaries. Her notable works include “To the Moon and Back” (2016), “Mulberry Child” (2012), and “An Unlikely Weapon” (2008), receiving critical acclaim for their storytelling. She also directed “Heroes And Sheroes” (2000) and “Mirjana: One Girl’s Journey” (1997). Her narrative projects include the short film “Stringers” (1990) and the feature “Hadley’s Rebellion” (1989). With a career spanning over three decades, Cooper continues to create compelling content that resonates with audiences.
Vladek Juszkiewicz
Vladek Juszkiewicz was born in Glogow, Poland, and graduated from Szczecin Technical University with a degree in Engineering. He managed The Szczecin Technical University Choir and traveled to 18 countries, including the U.S. After managing Polish singer Maryla Rodowicz in Warsaw, he moved to the U.S. and worked on 11 films with Paul Leder. In 1999, he founded the Polish Film Festival Los Angeles and served as director till 2019, now acting as the Festival’s Programmer. Honored with the Cavalier & Officer Cross and Gloria Artis for promoting Polish culture.
Chale Nafus
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.
Hamed Soleimanzadeh
Hamed Soleimanzadeh is a film critic, filmmaker, and university lecturer whose work focuses on film studies in Germany and Italy. He holds a postdoctoral degree in Film and Philosophy from the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK Berlin).
Soleimanzadeh has served as a jury member at more than fifty prestigious international film festivals and award events, including the Golden Globe Awards, the Cannes Film Festival, the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), and the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
He has also directed several short films and published several books as well as hundreds of articles on cinema, philosophy, theatre, culture, and media. In addition, he serves as the director of the Koker International Short Film Festival and is a member of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI).
Nellie Tehrani-Ryce
Nellie Tehrani-Ryce is an editor, festival reporter, and animation industry executive with more than two decades of experience in film and animation. As Associate Editor of Cinema Without Borders, she has covered major international film festivals, conducted interviews with filmmakers and animation artists, and contributed to the publication’s editorial development. She also serves as the Programming Director of International Animation Day in Los Angeles, helping curate programs that celebrate global animation and emerging talent. Her distinguished career includes leadership positions at Paramount Animation, Psyop, Technicolor, and Animation Magazine, where she championed creative excellence and talent development within the animation industry.
Abbas Yari
Abbas Yari is an Iranian journalist and film critic born in Arak in 1951. He graduated from the School of Television and Cinema in 1975. Yari began his journalism career at Sobh e Emrouz, Tehran Mosavvar, and Kayhan, before co-founding Film magazine, which he directed until 2021. He launched Film Emrooz in 2021 after Massoud Mehrabi’s passing. Mr. Yari currently is Editor in Chief of Cinemaye Bedoon Marz a new Iranian online film publication. Yari also helped establish the Iranian cinema museum in Tehran and the foundation of art critics and writers about Iranian cinema. He is also notable for organizing cultural events in Arak.
Nominees for the Bridging the Borders Award are: TO FETCH A PAIL OF WATER (India) By Abhay Punjabi – IRON BOY (France/Belgium) By Louis Clichy – BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY (New Zealand) By Paloma Schneideman – RUN AMOK (USA) By NB Mager – THE ALTAR BOYS (Poland) By Piotr Domalewski – HIJRA (Egypt/Iraq/Saudi Arabia/UK) By Shahad Ameen – ILUMINADA (Belgium) By Nicolás Rincón Gille – MY FIRST LOVE (Norway) By Mari Storstein – CONGO BOY (Central African Republic) By Rafiki Fariala
TO FETCH A PAIL OF WATER (India)
Director: Abhay Punjabi
Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Santoo dreams of building an aqua-blue swimming pool in his neighborhood. While aspiring filmmaker Chintoo hopes to secure an internship in the United States, and Fiza dreams of playing cricket for the Indian national team, fate brings the three friends together. Their summer becomes a journey of friendship, mischief, resilience, and hope as they pursue their dreams despite difficult circumstances.
IRON BOY (France/Belgium)
Director: Louis Clichy
Synopsis: In rural France, eleven-year-old Christophe struggles to meet the expectations of his strict father while working on the family farm. When he develops a mysterious condition that causes him to collapse repeatedly, doctors prescribe an iron corset to help him stand upright. Removed from the farm, Christophe discovers music, friendship, and a new outlook on life that gradually helps him regain his confidence.
BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY (New Zealand)
Director: Paloma Schneideman
Synopsis: Set in rural New Zealand in 2006, the film follows fourteen-year-old Sid Bookman during a transformative summer. As she navigates adolescence, first desires, questions of identity, and the emerging influence of the Internet, Sid imitates the people she believes she must become in order to be loved.
RUN AMOK (USA)
Director: NB Mager
Synopsis: Ten years after a tragic school shooting that claimed the lives of her mother, three classmates, and a teacher, Meg learns that a memorial service is being planned. Determined to contribute, she stages a musical reenactment of the tragedy with a group of unconventional friends. As they attempt to bring the project to life, adults try to stop them, forcing Meg to confront grief, memory, and artistic expression.
THE ALTAR BOYS (Poland)
Director: Piotr Domalewski
Synopsis: A group of teenage altar boys, inspired by youthful idealism and their own interpretation of the Bible, secretly listen to confessions in their parish. Acting like modern-day vigilantes in the spirit of Zorro and Robin Hood, they attempt to deliver justice in their community. However, their well-intentioned mission gradually becomes a dangerous game as the distinction between right and wrong begins to disappear.
HIJRA (Egypt/Iraq/Saudi Arabia/UK)
Director: Shahad Ameen
Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Janna travels with her grandmother and older sister on a pilgrimage to Mecca. When her rebellious sister disappears shortly before they reach their destination, Janna and her grandmother embark on a journey across Saudi Arabia in search of her. Along the way, they uncover long-buried family secrets while exploring themes of faith, identity, and belonging
ILUMINADA (Belgium)
Director: Nicolás Rincón Gille
Synopsis: Iluminada experiences mysterious visions that she records as poetry in her private diaries. Living on the outskirts of Bogotá, her difficult circumstances leave little room for imagination until she meets Juan, whose presence opens the possibility of a different future. Their relationship, however, is condemned by local community leaders, forcing Iluminada to choose between conformity and personal freedom.
MY FIRST LOVE (Norway)
Director: Mari Storstein
Synopsis: Nineteen-year-old Ella has spent her entire life in a wheelchair and dreams of living independently when she begins college. After her request for financial support is denied, she is forced into a residential care facility instead of her own apartment. Amid this disappointment, she experiences the excitement and uncertainty of falling in love for the first time.
CONGO BOY (Central African Republic)
Director: Rafiki Fariala
Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Robert is a Congolese refugee living in Bangui who dreams of becoming a musician. When his parents are arrested, he must care for his four younger siblings while juggling odd jobs, preparing for his graduation exams, and avoiding violent militias. Learning about a music competition, Robert sees it as his only chance to change the course of his life
