Cinema Without Borders

No Good Man I made a great effort to attend the Opening Night screening of No Good Man directed by Shahrbanoo Sadat with my son. I wanted him to experience every dimension of a strong and meaningful film festival , one that supports young filmmakers and discovers new cinematic voices. Watching this film was profound and multilayered for me: a woman, a mother, a cinematographer, a government employee, a broken marriage , and a world of love.

No Good Man

I made a great effort to attend the Opening Night screening of No Good Man directed by Shahrbanoo Sadat with my son. I wanted him to experience every dimension of a strong and meaningful film festival , one that supports young filmmakers and discovers new cinematic voices. Watching…

Der Spiegel’s interview with Werner Herzog, fact-checked for names and titles The German magazine Der Spiegel interviewed Werner Herzog, the German filmmaker who, at 83, has lived for decades in the United States, primarily in Los Angeles. Herzog has directed more than 70 feature films and documentaries, and his working methods and fiercely idiosyncratic storytelling have consistently blurred the boundaries between genres. He has never shied away from confronting the world directly.

Der Spiegel’s interview with Werner Herzog, fact-checked for names and titles

The German magazine Der Spiegel interviewed Werner Herzog, the German filmmaker who, at 83, has lived for decades in the United States, primarily in Los Angeles. Herzog has directed more than 70 feature films and…

The cries of dissenting spectators that were lost in the corridors of history… It is recorded in the history of the Cannes Film Festival that on a night in May 1960, audiences booed L'Avventura (The Adventure), directed by Michelangelo Antonioni. The film’s unconventional narrative and its hypnotic visual language unsettled many viewers that evening. Yet during those same days it captivated members of the jury, including Georges Simenon, Grigori Kozintsev, and…

The cries of dissenting spectators that were lost in the corridors of history…

It is recorded in the history of the Cannes Film Festival that on a night in May 1960, audiences booed L'Avventura (The Adventure), directed by Michelangelo Antonioni. The film’s unconventional narrative and its…

The Secrets of Acting An Exclusive, Insightful Conversation with Shahab Hosseini My first encounter with Shahab Hosseini dates back to February four years ago, at the home of my dear friend Shirin Jahed, one of Iran’s most accomplished television directors—an artist to whom many well-known figures in Iranian cinema and media owe a great deal for her talent, mentorship, and refined taste.

The Secrets of Acting

An Exclusive, Insightful Conversation with Shahab Hosseini My first encounter with Shahab Hosseini dates back to February four years ago, at the home of my dear friend Shirin Jahed, one of Iran’s most accomplished television directors—an artist to whom many well-known figures…

2016 Oscar Nominations Sinners leads the 2026 Oscar nominations with a record-breaking 16 noms, including best picture, best director and best original screenplay. One Battle After Another also is a top nominee, with 13, followed by Frankenstein, Marty Supreme and Sentimental Value with nine apiece. All five of those films are up for best picture, along with Bugonia, F1, Hamnet, 

2016 Oscar Nominations

Sinners leads the 2026 Oscar nominations with a record-breaking 16 noms, including best picture, best director and best original screenplay. One Battle After Another also is a top nominee, with 13, followed by Frankenstein, Marty Supreme and Sentimental Value with nine…

Two Movies with one ticket Vertigo Doctors say the cause of my vertigo is a disorder of the inner ear. But I know perfectly well that the real culprits are Hitchcock, Parviz Davayi(1), Sepid o Siah magazine(2), and Kim Novak’s beautiful shoulders. They are the reasons I have watched Vertigo two hundred and sixty-five times. Hitchcock, with the magic of his images;

Two Movies with one ticket

Vertigo Doctors say the cause of my vertigo is a disorder of the inner ear. But I know perfectly well that the real culprits are Hitchcock, Parviz Davayi(1), Sepid o Siah magazine(2), and Kim Novak’s beautiful shoulders. They are the reasons I have watched Vertigo two…

Golden Globes 2026 Winners “One Battle After Another,” a blistering satire about radical politics, and “Hamnet,” a look at William Shakespeare’s complicated domestic life, took top prizes at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards. “The Studio,” a send-up of Hollywood, was named best TV series (musical or comedy) and “The Pitt,” which takes place in an over-stretched hospital, won best TV series (drama). Best limited or anthology series went to “Adolescence,” the story of a murder investigation that unfolds in one, continuous shot.

Golden Globes 2026 Winners

“One Battle After Another,” a blistering satire about radical politics, and “Hamnet,” a look at William Shakespeare’s complicated domestic life, took top prizes at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards. “The Studio,” a send-up of Hollywood, was named best TV series (musical or…

The Full List of the 2026 Golden Globe Nominations Awards season is in full swing, and the nominations for the 83rd Annual Golden Globes are here. Actors Marlon Wayans and Skye P. Marshall presented the nominations across 28 categories this morning, with one new category this year: Best Podcast. Most categories will include six nominees, while the cinematic and box office achievement category will feature eight. In the TV categories, 

The Full List of the 2026 Golden Globe Nominations

Awards season is in full swing, and the nominations for the 83rd Annual Golden Globes are here. Actors Marlon Wayans and Skye P. Marshall presented the nominations across 28 categories this morning, with one new category this year: Best Podcast.…

Iranian Cinema in the Grip of a Great Yawn… With the direction of two short films and several music videos behind him, this is a respectable and thought-provoking debut feature by Aliyar Rasti, benefiting from Soroush Alizadeh’s cinematography, whose visually striking frames elevate the film. The Great Yawn of History! is a film of stark contrasts: desert and forest, halal and haram, old and young, realism and superstition, belief and disbelief, salvation and emptiness.

Iranian Cinema in the Grip of a Great Yawn…

With the direction of two short films and several music videos behind him, this is a respectable and thought-provoking debut feature by Aliyar Rasti, benefiting from Soroush Alizadeh’s cinematography, whose visually striking frames elevate the film. The…

Kabul, “Afghanistan, After the Fall… In 2021, as the Taliban gradually seized Afghan cities one after another, they ultimately took control of Kabul and, after twenty-one years, regained power in the country. While Afghanistan’s political and social order was collapsing, some Afghans resisted selflessly and, amid the widespread chaos and turmoil, refused to abandon their homeland until the very last moments. Nevertheless, the people of Afghanistan—especially women—knew all too well what bitter fate awaited them.

Kabul, “Afghanistan, After the Fall…

In 2021, as the Taliban gradually seized Afghan cities one after another, they ultimately took control of Kabul and, after twenty-one years, regained power in the country. While Afghanistan’s political and social order was collapsing, some Afghans resisted…

11th anniversary of the annual ELAC International Animation Day On Saturday May 16th 2026, East Los Angeles College & Cinema and Without Borders will held the 11th anniversary of the annual ELAC International Animation Day Festival, dedicated to Belgian Animation. This event was held at East Los Angeles College The goal of the ELAC International Animation Festival is to give an in-depth and entertaining introduction to contemporary international animation. Screenings of short, animated films from around the world, analyses, and Q&As with a panel of well-known animation experts, and a tribute to an international animation artist working in the U.S.

11th anniversary of the annual ELAC International Animation Day

On Saturday May 16th 2026, East Los Angeles College & Cinema and Without Borders will held the 11th anniversary of the annual ELAC International Animation Day Festival, dedicated to Belgian Animation. This event was held at East Los…

A Thinker–Filmmaker Who Was a Stranger in His Own Land The late Bahram Beyzaie is a part of all of us. We have lived with his stories, plays, and films—from Uncle Moustache (Amu Sabilo) to When We Are All Asleep (Vaghti Hame Khabim). For any filmmaker anywhere in this galaxy, a single masterpiece like Bashu, the Little Stranger (Bashu, Gharibeh-ye Koochak) would be enough to take pride in a lifetime of cinema.

A Thinker–Filmmaker Who Was a Stranger in His Own Land

The late Bahram Beyzaie is a part of all of us. We have lived with his stories, plays, and films—from Uncle Moustache (Amu Sabilo) to When We Are All Asleep (Vaghti Hame Khabim). For any filmmaker anywhere in this galaxy, a single masterpiece…

Cause of Oscar Elimination: Unkown Today it was announced that the Oscars’ selection committee has removed the strong Iranian film Cause of Death: Unknown from the shortlist for Best International Feature Film—for known and unknown reasons alike. A film that had itself waited for several years in Iran just to receive a screening permit has now been excluded once again. Experience has shown that winning awards at ceremonies that increasingly resemble one another has little real impact on raising the artistic quality of cinema.

Cause of Oscar Elimination: Unkown

Today it was announced that the Oscars’ selection committee has removed the strong Iranian film Cause of Death: Unknown from the shortlist for Best International Feature Film—for known and unknown reasons alike. A film that had itself waited for several years in…

Young Mothers, A Simple, Realist Film Young Mothers, directed by the celebrated French filmmakers Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne, is one of the most notable works of contemporary social cinema. The film premiered this year at the Cannes Film Festival, where it not only received strong critical acclaim but also won the Best Screenplay Award. Shot in an almost documentary-like manner, Young Mothers directly addresses the problems and challenges faced by teenage mothers in modern societies.

Young Mothers, A Simple, Realist Film

Young Mothers, directed by the celebrated French filmmakers Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne, is one of the most notable works of contemporary social cinema. The film premiered this year at the Cannes Film Festival, where it not only received strong…

Inspiration or an Instrument of Deception and Power? The documentary Riefenstahl (2024), directed by Andres Veiel, examines the life of Leni Riefenstahl through a critical lens. She is a filmmaker whose name has remained suspended in the history of cinema between artistic admiration and moral condemnation. The film traces her career from celebrated works such as Triumph of the Will and Olympia to the final years of her life, and for the first time makes use of her personal archive, including home movies, letters, notes, and private conversations.

Inspiration or an Instrument of Deception and Power?

The documentary Riefenstahl (2024), directed by Andres Veiel, examines the life of Leni Riefenstahl through a critical lens. She is a filmmaker whose name has remained suspended in the history of cinema between artistic admiration and moral…

The Third Voice: Ardeshir Farah and the Art of Musical Identity Ardeshir Farah’s music has always felt to me like a lived truth rather than a manufactured fusion. When we talk about artists who genuinely embody more than one culture, Farah stands among the rare few whose sound is not the result of strategy or trend, but of biography, memory, and instinct. His guitar speaks a language shaped by deep Iranian roots, years of displacement, and an intimate, organic dialogue with Latin music that never feels borrowed or superficial.

The Third Voice: Ardeshir Farah and the Art of Musical Identity

Ardeshir Farah’s music has always felt to me like a lived truth rather than a manufactured fusion. When we talk about artists who genuinely embody more than one culture, Farah stands among the rare few whose sound is not the result of…

“Frankenstein: The Spark That Ignited Artificial Intelligence” At first glance, it may seem unlikely that the publication of a novel in the early nineteenth century could play a significant role in shaping ideas about artificial intelligence or technologies such as ChatGPT. Yet Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, Mary Shelley’s enduring masterpiece, is not merely a literary work but a foundational text in the history of human thought about artificial intelligence.

“Frankenstein: The Spark That Ignited Artificial Intelligence”

At first glance, it may seem unlikely that the publication of a novel in the early nineteenth century could play a significant role in shaping ideas about artificial intelligence or technologies such as ChatGPT. Yet Frankenstein; or,…

Is Panahi’s Cinema Closer to the Iranian People, or Roustaee’s? Why do international film festivals prefer to view Iran through Jafar Panahi’s lens rather than Saeed Roustaee’s? The choice between these two cinematic visions is not merely aesthetic; it reveals deeper cultural, political, and ideological expectations placed on Iranian cinema by global institutions. Yet the consequences of this preference are often overlooked. Roustaee emerges from the bruised, exhausted margins of Iranian society, where poverty, humiliation, and unspoken trauma shape daily existence.

Is Panahi’s Cinema Closer to the Iranian People, or Roustaee’s?

Why do international film festivals prefer to view Iran through Jafar Panahi’s lens rather than Saeed Roustaee’s? The choice between these two cinematic visions is not merely aesthetic; it reveals deeper cultural, political, and…

Yen Tan and All That We Love Austin-based writer/director/graphic designer Yen Tan’s fifth feature film, All That We Love, begins poetically with the sound of bird songs over the opening credits on a dark screen followed by shots of a tiny bell ringing in a breeze, framed photos of people and a dog, and shots of a dog’s bed, food bowl, and water bowl. After we are shown a small ball on the floor, we hear the voice of a woman singing “Go get your ball,” and finally see that woman cradling a large dog and telling him, “You can go.

Yen Tan and All That We Love

Austin-based writer/director/graphic designer Yen Tan’s fifth feature film, All That We Love, begins poetically with the sound of bird songs over the opening credits on a dark screen followed by shots of a tiny bell ringing in a breeze, framed photos of people and a…

CWB & Berlinale 2026 Reports by Nargess SamadiThe good news is that Ms. Nargess Samadi, Festival Reporter and Reviwer of Cinema Without Borders, will cover the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival — taking place from February 12 to March 3 — with daily reports. he festival’s professional and industry activities, European Film Market / EFM (Feb. 12–18, 2026 – with the kickoff on the afternoon of February 11), the Berlinale Co-Production Market(Feb.

CWB & Berlinale 2026

Reports by Nargess SamadiThe good news is that Ms. Nargess Samadi, Festival Reporter and Reviwer of Cinema Without Borders, will cover the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival — taking place from February 12 to March 3 — with daily reports. he festival’s professional and…

Trifole Trifole establishes its world from the earliest moments as a story about the slow disappearance of a way of life, one rooted in the Langhe region of Italy, where the tradition of truffle hunting has been passed down for generations and now stands on the verge of extinction. The narrative centers on Igor, an aging truffle hunter whose knowledge of the land runs deep, and his granddaughter Dalia, a teenager who returns to the family home not with her mother, now a busy surgeon who left the village years ago, but in her place to assist her grandfather.

Trifole

Trifole establishes its world from the earliest moments as a story about the slow disappearance of a way of life, one rooted in the Langhe region of Italy, where the tradition of truffle hunting has been passed down for generations and now stands on the verge of extinction. The narrative…

The Follies, one of the best movies of our time Most film critics keep a “sacred list” of their favorite filmmakers and films — a small circle that rarely changes. These lists usually include the same handful of names, and newcomers are seldom welcomed into this elite group. Yet, every once in a while, a film or filmmaker emerges with such undeniable power and charm that it breaks through the rigid walls of cinematic tradition and earns a place among the untouchables.

The Follies, one of the best movies of our time

Most film critics keep a “sacred list” of their favorite filmmakers and films — a small circle that rarely changes. These lists usually include the same handful of names, and newcomers are seldom welcomed into this elite group. Yet, every once in a…

Characters and Symbols, Sadistic Narcissism The Old Bachelor, a landmark film in Iranian cinema, draws its distinctive strength from the way it uses the language of psychology to expose power structures and the wider social order. The film operates on two main levels: on one, it invites a psychological reading that could be the subject of specialist analysis; on another, it develops into a socio-political critique rooted in the family relationships at its core.

Characters and Symbols, Sadistic Narcissism

The Old Bachelor, a landmark film in Iranian cinema, draws its distinctive strength from the way it uses the language of psychology to expose power structures and the wider social order. The film operates on two main levels: on one, it invites a…

Majini Wins BTBA Award at 2025 Mallorca FF Last week, Sandra Lipski is the founder and director of the Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival, announced the winner of Cinema Without Borders' Bridging the Borders Award at the closing ceremony of 14th Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival. Sandra Lipski read CWB's jury statement in fron of over 600 people at the Mallorca's Opera house: "The jury of the Cinema Without Borders’ Bridging the Borders Award…

Majini Wins BTBA Award at 2025 Mallorca FF

Last week, Sandra Lipski is the founder and director of the Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival, announced the winner of Cinema Without Borders' Bridging the Borders Award at the closing ceremony of 14th Evolution Mallorca International Film…

Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk in LA Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk offers an intimate, firsthand perspective on life under siege in Gaza, captured through video calls between director Sepideh Farsi and 25-year-old Palestinian photojournalist and poet Fatma Hassona. Combining raw immediacy with deep humanity, the film captures daily life during the conflict through the eyes and unwaveringly optimistic presence of Fatma, a talented photographer whose generation is trapped in an endless cycle of war, famine, and resistance.

Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk in LA

Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk offers an intimate, firsthand perspective on life under siege in Gaza, captured through video calls between director Sepideh Farsi and 25-year-old Palestinian photojournalist and poet Fatma Hassona. Combining raw…

Silence, Body, Faith, and Desire Little Trouble Girls (2025) The film begins with a sensory confrontation of hearing; a chain of whispered, prayer-like murmurs creates a mysterious, almost sacred atmosphere. A voice emerging from the inner world of a young girl transforms, under the cold light of the rehearsal hall, into an image: a painting on a simple ceramic tile showing red lips. At first glance, it seems to depict the beauty of femininity, yet beneath the surface lies the symbolic mouth of sexual awakening.

Silence, Body, Faith, and Desire

Little Trouble Girls (2025) The film begins with a sensory confrontation of hearing; a chain of whispered, prayer-like murmurs creates a mysterious, almost sacred atmosphere. A voice emerging from the inner world of a young girl transforms, under the cold light of…

GIRLS DON’T CRY wins Bridging the Borders Award at 2025 Lucas International Film Festival Cinema Without Borders jury announced the winners of the Bridging The Borders Award for 2025 Lucas International Film Festival for Young Film Lovers in Germany. GIRLS DON’T CRY a documentary film by Sigrid Klausmann and Lina Luzyte wins 2025 Bridging The Borders Award and our Honorary Mention goes to the OLIVIA AND THE INVISIBLE EARTHQUAKE Directed by Irene Iborra Rizo. Bridging the Borders Award is offered by Cinema Without Borders Foundation and sponsored by 360 MEDIA Consulting…

GIRLS DON’T CRY wins Bridging the Borders Award at 2025 Lucas International Film Festival

Cinema Without Borders jury announced the winners of the Bridging The Borders Award for 2025 Lucas International Film Festival for Young Film Lovers in Germany. GIRLS DON’T CRY a documentary film by Sigrid…

The Soft Skin: The Rhythm of Desire

François Truffaut’s The Soft Skin (1964) at first glance seems to tell a story of infidelity, yet it is, in truth, an exquisite study of form, time, and the act of seeing. Unlike the vibrant energy of the French New Wave, Truffaut turns here toward silence,…

Rodrigo Garcia received CWB’s Bridging the Borders Award On Tuesday, October 21, at 7:00 PM, the Cinema Without Borders Foundation honored acclaimed filmmaker Rodrigo García with its prestigious Bridging the Borders Award, recognizing his lifetime achievements and contributions to global cinema, at the beautiful Laemmle Royal Theatre in Santa Monica. The Bridging the Borders Award—previously bestowed on legendary filmmakers such as Andrzej Wajda and Asghar Farhadi—places García in distinguished company.

Rodrigo Garcia received CWB’s Bridging the Borders Award

On Tuesday, October 21, at 7:00 PM, the Cinema Without Borders Foundation honored acclaimed filmmaker Rodrigo García with its prestigious Bridging the Borders Award, recognizing his lifetime achievements and contributions to global cinema,…

Raymond & Ray, Digging Toward Grace Raymond & Ray Rodrigo García’s intimate comedy-drama about two half-brothers drafted into the strangest possible last act of filial duty, is the rare film that breathes with lived-in feeling from its very first frame and keeps deepening as it goes. Ewan McGregor (as Raymond) and Ethan Hawke (as Ray) arrive like two sides of a single wounded coin—one taut with manners and denial, the other loose with charm and habit—but what García pulls off is a duet in which both men gradually find the same rhythm, a rhythm that only grief, memory, and shared humiliation can teach.

Raymond & Ray, Digging Toward Grace

Raymond & Ray Rodrigo García’s intimate comedy-drama about two half-brothers drafted into the strangest possible last act of filial duty, is the rare film that breathes with lived-in feeling from its very first frame and keeps deepening as it goes. Ewan McGregor…