Burbank, CA – May 29th, 2018: Today, Cinema Without Borders announced jury members for GoE Bridging The Borders Award at the 2018 Palm Springs International ShortFest Film Festival and Market.
The Bridging The Borders Award at the 2018 Palm ShortFest will be given to the most successful film in bringing the people of our world closer together. GoE Bridging The Borders Award is presented by Cinema Borders and award sponsored and prize provided by GoEnergistics. The winner of Bridging the Borders Award will receive a cash prize of $2500.
Palm Springs ShortFest award ceremony will be held on June 24th at Camelot Theatres.
Cinema Without Borders’ jury members to decide the 2018 winner of the GoE Bridging The Borders Award are:
Jan Cvitkovič
Jan Cvitkovič was born in 1966 in Slovenia. Jan is an archaeologist, writer, actor, and director. In 1995 and 1996 he wrote the script for Robbery of the Century (Rop stoletja), a short film, and Switch off (Odklop), a TV series.
Jan played the wrote and played the lead role in Idle Running (V Leru) and earned the film 20 awards.
In 2001, Jan wrote and direct 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. In 2002 Jan worked on another TV series called Death is Far Away… (DaleÄ je smrt…) and then in 2003 he made Heart is a Piece of Meat (Srce je kos mesa), a short film that brought him 3 awards.
His 2005 film, Gravehopping (Odgrobadogroba) has won numerous awards in international film festivals including the Altadis Award for Best new director, San Sebastian, 2005. Gravehopping, was Slovenian candidate for 2007 Oscars. This film won Cinema Without Borders Critics Award for the Best Film at 2007 Southeast European Film Festival.
Jan Cvitkovič has several amazing and interesting films on his list of credits: Future Reloaded (Documentary) (segment “I Was a Child“) (2013), Šiška Deluxe (2015), and Druzinica (2016). Jan Cvitkovič films have been nominated 40 times in different major film festival and have won 25 awards at festivals such as Montréal World Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Bratislava International Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, Cottbus Film Festival of Young East European Cinema and Ljubljana International Film Festival.
Elizabeth Kanski
Elizabeth Kanski has been involved in promoting Polish culture mainly through films since she arrived in Los Angeles in 1985. She is the President of the Polish American Film Society which is the organizer of the annual Polish Film Festival with its 19th edition this year. She serves as a correspondent for Polish film-related magazines and as media is attending the majority of film festivals held in Los Angeles. Associate Producer of several documentaries. Former Board member and President of the Helena Modjeska Culture Club. She serves as a consultant for the Polish New York Film Festival and lends her assistance to other film related events. For her merits in promoting Polish culture abroad she was awarded the Gold Cross of Merit by the President of Poland and an award by the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage. Her interests also include reading and following the art scene.
Sandra Seeling Lipski
Born in Berlin and raised in Mallorca Spain, is the founder and director of the Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival (EMIFF), located in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. She is an accomplished actress with notable credits such as CSI NY, Bruno (Sasha Baron Cohen) and Jane the Virgin (CW). Sandra splits her time between Mallorca and Los Angeles.
After producing, directing and acting in several award winning short films, Sandra is currently preparing the 2018, 7th edition of EMIFF. Sandra holds an AA in dramatic arts from the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in New York City (2004) and graduated from the Los Angeles Film School with a degree in Filmmaking (2011). Sandra has recently been invited to speak on a panel organized by the SCL (Society of Composers and Lyricists) together with the AFI (American Film Institute) and enjoyed being a jury member on the 2017 Mammoth Lakes Film Festival, the 2017 Los Angeles Music Video Festival and the 2018 SEEFest Feature Film Jury. Sandra speaks fluent English, German and Spanish and holds dual US and EU citizenship.
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
Bijan Tehrani
Bijan Tehrani a film director, film critic and writer, works as Editor in Chief of Cinema Without Borders while teaching Language & History of film workshops and organizes film screening events and festivals. Bijan has won several awards in international film festivals and book fairs for his short films and children’s books.
For the tenth anniversary of Cinema Without Borders, Bijan has received Ambassador of International Cinema Award from South east European Film Festival, Friend of the Festival Award from Polish Film Festival, LA and Gateway to International Cinema Award from Hungarian Film festival.
Bijan Tehrani is recently working on a book of his memoir from Cinema in Iran and a docufiction based on 19th century photographs by Sevruguin, the Russian photographer.