Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival

2025 OSCAR CONTENDER: ANUJA – A powerful celebration of resilience and a moving testament to hope amidst adversity

November 4, 2024

As a writer and retired DP, I approach Adam J. Graves’ Anuja with an appreciation for the visual storytelling that beautifully unfolds in this poignant short film. Centered on the lives of nine-year-old Anuja and her sister Palak, the film offers an intimate glimpse into their existence within a garment factory’s unforgiving confines. The contrast…
Read More: 2025 OSCAR CONTENDER: ANUJA – A powerful celebration of resilience and a moving testament to hope amidst adversity
2025 OSCAR CONTENDER : FIRELINE stands out for its artistry and depth

November 4, 2024

As a retired DP, I find myself drawn to films that excel in visual storytelling, and “Fireline” is a commendable example of this art form. This short film directed by Robin Takao D’Oench effectively immerses its audience in the harrowing experience of a wildfire, utilizing striking imagery and thoughtful cinematography that elevate its narrative. This…
Read More: 2025 OSCAR CONTENDER : FIRELINE stands out for its artistry and depth
2025 OSCAR CONTENDER – MOTHERLAND: A reminder of the resilience required to navigate cultural identity

November 1, 2024

Set against the fraught backdrop of the 1979 Iran Hostage Crisis, Jasmin Mozaffari’s Motherland is a poignant exploration of identity and belonging. The film follows Babak (Behtash Fazlali), a young Iranian immigrant, as he embarks on a fateful trip to meet his fiancée Katie’s (Oriana Leman) parents in rural Iowa. What unfolds is a revealing…
Read More: 2025 OSCAR CONTENDER – MOTHERLAND: A reminder of the resilience required to navigate cultural identity
2025 OSCAR CONTENDER – Through the Lens: A Tense Dance Between Desire and Duty – DECK 5B

November 1, 2024

As a writer and retired DP, I find inspiration in the interplay of light, shadow, and emotion that can elevate a film’s narrative. Malin Ingrid Johansson’s short film DECK 5B beautifully embodies this synergy, capturing the profound struggle of a mother navigating the choppy waters between her desires and her responsibilities. The film centers on Mia (Alma…
Read More: 2025 OSCAR CONTENDER – Through the Lens: A Tense Dance Between Desire and Duty – DECK 5B
2025 OSCAR CONTENDER – Through the Lens: A DP’s Perspective on IN THE GARDEN OF TULIPS

October 31, 2024

In the Garden of Tulips, directed by Julia Elihu, the audience is drawn into a narrative that beautifully weaves the complexities of a father-daughter relationship against the backdrop of the Iran-Iraq war. From the very first frame, I felt the weight of Caroline’s (Ava Lalezarzadeh) journey alongside her father (Iman Nazemzadeh). Their travels across the…
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2025 OSCAR CONTENDER – Through the Lens: A Cameraman’s Reflection on DOVECOTE

October 31, 2024

“Dovecote,” directed by Marco Perego, is a haunting exploration of prison life and personal transformation, beautifully captured through a lens that reflects both vulnerability and strength. Filmed in the unique setting of Giudecca’s working women’s prison, the visual storytelling elevates the emotional weight of the narrative, especially as we follow Zoe Saldaña’s character during her…
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2025 OSCAR CONTENDER – HIS MOTHER is not just a thriller; it’s a poignant commentary on the struggles of parenting in a violent society

October 31, 2024

Maia Scalia’s His Mother is a striking and emotionally charged short film that delves into the harrowing experience of a mother grappling with the unimaginable: her son’s violent intentions. Inspired by true events, this compelling narrative unfolds with urgency, as Julie (Bethany Anne Lind) races against time to intervene before tragedy strikes. Scalia’s direction captures…
Read More: 2025 OSCAR CONTENDER – HIS MOTHER is not just a thriller; it’s a poignant commentary on the struggles of parenting in a violent society
ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES ANNOUNCES NEW ACQUISITIONS TO THE ACADEMY COLLECTION,NOW COMPRISING MORE THAN 52 MILLION ITEMS

October 31, 2024

New acquisitions to the largest film-related collection in the world include the Studio Ghibli animation collection, featuring drawings by Hayao Miyazaki; Quentin Tarantino’s original handwritten script draft for Pulp Fiction (1994); objects from Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022); costumes worn by Jamie Lee Curtis, Kurt Russell, Meryl Streep, and Joanne Woodward; personal collections of Curtis Hanson, Barbara Kopple,…
Read More: ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES ANNOUNCES NEW ACQUISITIONS TO THE ACADEMY COLLECTION,NOW COMPRISING MORE THAN 52 MILLION ITEMS
ACADEMY ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF GOLD FELLOWSHIP FOR WOMEN

October 31, 2024

Raha Amirfazli and Shadi Karamroudi have been selected as the recipients of the 2024 Academy Gold Fellowship for Women. Part of the Academy’s global talent development and inclusion work, the Gold Fellowship for Women is a one-year program that combines support, personalized mentorship and access to once-in-a-lifetime networking opportunities for emerging women filmmakers to further their pursuits…
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2025 OSCAR CONTENDER – Through the Lens: A Cameraman’s Reflection on Dive

October 30, 2024

As a writer and retired DP, I felt deeply immersed in the act of storytelling through images when watching Aldo Iuliano’s Dive, which presented a unique canvas to paint with light and shadow. This short film resonates with a haunting beauty, capturing the fleeting moments of youth against the backdrop of an encroaching war—a theme…
Read More: 2025 OSCAR CONTENDER – Through the Lens: A Cameraman’s Reflection on Dive