Table of Contents

2-3 4 5 6 7 8-9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32-33 34 35 36 Directors Welcome Wells Fargo Welcome Sponsors Special Events & Ticket Information Screening and Special Events Locations Screening Schedule Interview: Ham Tran, director of How to Fight in Six Inch Heels OPENING NIGHT Set 1: What If + How to Fight in Six Inch Heels Youth in Motion Set 2: Follow Your Heart Interview: Andinh Ha, director of Burn to Send Set 3: Making a Living, Making a Life Interview: Bao Tran Chi, Costume Designer of Once Upon a Time Set 4: Devils Timekeeper + Once Upon a Time in Vietnam Interview: Vi-Dan Tran, director of You Never Know Set 5: At the Turning Point Interview: Huong Nguyen, director of A Trip to the City Set 6: A Trip to the City + Thuy Interview: Norio Osada, director & Kenji Isomura, Producer of No. 10 Blues/ Goodbye Saigon SPOTLIGHT AWARD Set 7: No. 10 Blues/Goodbye Saigon Interview: Thien Do, director of Funny Money Set 8: Burn to Send + Funny Money Set 9: Cong Binh, The Lost Fighters of Vietnam Set 10: When Tomorrow Comes Interview: Nadine Truong, director of Someone I used to Know Set 11: Squared + Someone I Used to Know Interview: Charlie Nguyen, director of Little Teo Set 12: Little Teo Filmmakers Biographies Print & Tape Source Acknowledgements VFF 2014 Committee Members & Volunteers

Direc to rs We lcome
VIET FILM FEST 2014
TH CHO MNG CA NG GIM C VIET FILM FEST Mi nm trc y, khi chng ti ang chun b cho i Hi in nh Vit Nam Quc T Viet Film Fest (m tn c l Vietnamese International Film Festival), chng ti khng ngh l s c phim cho k i hi u tin, ch ng ni n ln i hi th nh. S in thoi ca c hai chng ti cng li ch c 11 o din. Chng ti dn lng l nu mnh ch chiu nm cun phim t garage ca Ysa, chng ti vn lm v y l mt d n quan trng. Chng ti quyt nh kt hp vi VietNamese Language & Culture (VNLC) thuc i hc UCLA, mt hi on tr nng ng, y nhit huyt, v dng i Hi in nh Chu Thi Bnh Dng Los Angeles (Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival) lm m hnh kiu mu cho i Hi in nh Vit Nam Quc T. Vi lng quyt tm v nim tin vng chc vo iu chng ti lm, chng ti nhn c 70 cun phim gi v tham d. Viet Film Fest u tin chiu 9 phim features v 39 phim ngn trong vng 8 ngy! Ch c mt vn nh. Chng ti khng bit s chiu phim u v cng khng c tin thu rp. Chng ti n gp i hc UC Irvine, v m ba la, h lm i hi in nh thng xuyn v quanh nm. H cho chng ti mn phng hc xy ging rp chiu phim, vi y my mc chiu phim, v chng ti ch cn chia tin v vi h. V iu hay nht l gn nh tt c cc o din u bay v tham d t nhiu ni trn th gii h tr nhng n lc ca chng ti nhm cho mng ting ni ca ngi Vit trong ngh thut in nh. Nhn c nhiu thnh cng ngoi mong i, nhng phi i mt vi vn kinh ph gii hn, chng ti quyt nh thc hin Viet Film Fest cch mi nm mt ln, v nh vy cng cho cc nh lm phim nhiu th gi sng to. V h sng to. Vi mi k Viet Film Fest, i hi ca chng ti ln dn, t s phim gi v tham d, mi lin kt vi cc hi on trong cng ng, s khn gi, s tham d quc t, v lng hnh din v ting ni chung. Cho n nm 2013, vi s phim chiu nhiu nht t trc n nay, 69 phim (k c 18 phim features!), vi lng khn gi ng nht t trc n nay (khong 6,000 ngi), v gn nh mi thng u c phim mi pht hnh, chng ti bit mnh cn phi tin thm mt bc. . n. Lc. Viet Film Fest 2014 ra i nh du mt s kin quan trng: i hi in nh ca chng ti by gi tr thnh mi nm mt ln, ch khng phi cch mi nm nh trc y. Chng ti cng bit nh vy ngha l khng c gi ngh gia hai k i hi nh trc y nhng c rt nhiu cng vic, tnh bng hu, mng li (networks), v c nhng cuc tnh lng mn xut pht t Viet Film Fest, chng ti khng th dng li. chc chn rng chng ti s trnh chiu nhng phim hay nht, Viet Film Fest c rt gn thnh bn ngy. Chng ti cng di chuyn v gn trung tm Little Saigon hn. V cng vi s thay i v tn gi, chng ti cng thit k mt logo mi ph hp vi hng i mi ca Viet Film Fest. Chng ti xin cm n i hc UC Irvine v UCLA ht lng h tr chng ti trong 10 nm qua. Khng c hai trng i hc ny, chng ti khng th c a im chiu phim v s h tr cn thit tri qua nhng ln th nghim t t ln dn. Chng ti cng xin cm n nhng nh ti tr v nhng hi on trong cng ng gip chng ti trong cng vic mang tnh cht tin phong; cm n gia nh chng ti, bn b v nhng ngi lun h tr bng cch tham d i hi; cm n nhng thin nguyn vin ti nng v nhng nh lm phim cho chng ti rt nhiu hng khi t nm ny qua nm khc, v cm n tt c qu v y nhng ngi cho php chng ti tm a qua mt ni chn khc.v c sn sng tr li tip tc nhng cuc hnh trnh mi vi chng ti. Hy n vi nhng cun phim, v li vi tnh yu!

Direc tors Welcom e

LOOK AT US NOW

VIET FILM FEST 2014

Ten years ago when we were planning for the first Viet Film Fest (which we initially named the Vietnamese International Film Festival), we didnt think we would have enough films for one festival, much less a second. Our combined rolodexes included a total of 11 filmmakers. We made peace with the fact that if we showed only five films out of Ysas garage, we would still do it because it was that important. We decided to partner with the energetic VietNamese Language & Culture (VNLC) from UCLA and use the outstanding Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival as our model. Through sheer determination, conviction, and stubbornness, we were able to solicit a surprising 70 film submissions. Our first Viet Film Fest highlighted 9 features and 39 shorts over 8 days! Only one problem. We had no idea where we were going to show them and no budget to rent a theater. We approached UC Irvine, and lo and behold, they do film festivals all the time. They offered us large theater-style classrooms with film projection capabilities as long as we shared our ticket sales with them. The best part was that nearly every filmmaker we accepted flew in from around the world to support our effort to celebrate Vietnamese voices in cinema. Bolstered by the unexpected success but faced with limited resources, we decided to offer Viet Film Fest every other year with the thought that this would give filmmakers more time to create. And create, they did. With each Viet Film Fest edition, we grew in every way - number of film submissions, community partnerships, audience attendance, international participation, and pride in our collective voice. By 2013, with the unprecedented screening of 69 films (including 18 features), the highest attendance ever (approximately 6000 attendees), and films being released every month, we knew we needed to step up our game. This. Was. The. Time. Viet Film Fest 2014 marks a historic moment - our festival will now be an annual event! Yes, this means EVERY YEAR. We know this also means no breaks in between festivals like before - but so many careers, friendships, networks, and even romantic relationships started at Viet Film Fest, we cant stop now. To make sure we have the best films, we have tightened the programming to a compact four days. Weve also moved the festival closer to the heart of the Vietnamese community in Southern California. Oh, and along with our name change, we also designed a new logo to go with our new direction. Wed like to thank UC Irvine and UCLA for being such gracious and generous hosts these past 10 years. Without them, we would not have had the space and support to experiment and grow. We also want to thank our sponsors and community partners for supporting innovative thinking, our families who sacrifice along with us, our friends and supporters who cheer us on and show up to make us look good, our amazing volunteers and filmmakers who inspire us year after year, and all of you here who allow us to transport you to another world... and keep coming back for more. Come for the films, stay for the love!

Ysa L & Trm L ng gim c Viet Film Fest 2

Ysa Le & Tram Le Viet Film Fest Co-Directors 3

We lco m e from P res iden t Ben A lva ra d o

Wells Fargo Orange County Regional Banking President
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 2014 Wells Fargo Viet Film Fest. From our Little Saigon branch in Westminster to our Vietnamese in-language branch signage and ATM features and our ExpressSend Remittance Services to Vietnam and our recruitment of Vietnamese team members, we are pleased to serve our Vietnamese and Vietnamese American customers. Orange County has the largest population of Vietnamese living outside of Vietnam and they are our partners in the thriving business community we call home. We have been a longtime supporter of VAALA and are honored to be the title sponsor of this years Viet Film Fest. For over 160 years, Wells Fargo has been a committed supporter of diverse customers and business owners. Through a full array of business products and services, including credit cards, loans and lines of credit, cash management, payroll, merchant payment solutions, retirement, and online banking, we are helping individuals and small business owners succeed financially. Wells Fargo loans more money to Americans small businesses than any other bank and is a leading lender to women-and diverse-owned businesses. Proper respect must be shown to alllet them be men, women, or children, rich or poor, white or blackit must not be forgotten that the Company is dependent on these same people for its business. This quote is from Wells Fargos first Instructions to Agents booklet in 1888. Diversity and respect for all people has been part of our company since its inception as one of Americans most trusted brands and oldest company. We are proud of the commitments we have made to our customers and communities as Americans #1 Philanthropic donor named by the Chronicle of Philanthropy in 2013, and the #1 charitable donor in Orange County last year as named by the Orange County Business Journal. We are partners with our Vietnamese community and are proud to support the preservation of the Vietnamese culture through our sponsorships of the University of Californias Vietnamese Oral History Project and the Viet Film Fest. We are also honored to help new Vietnamese immigrants here in Orange County through our support of the Horizon Cross Cultural Center, among many others. We are committed to helping Asian-American customers, communities and nonprofit organizations succeed financially. We seek to develop meaningful, long-lasting relationships to better understand how Wells Fargo can best support the community and its members financial needs. Along with my over 4,000 fellow team members in Orange County, welcome to the festival, and enjoy this culturally rich event which celebrates the Vietnamese culture. Ben Alvarado

Sponsors
Title Sponsor Official Venues

Super Star Sponsor

Official Restaurants

Red Carpet Sponsor

Academy

Viet Film Fest Fans

VIETNAM LIBRARY NETWORK

Thai Quoc Ha, M.D .

Media Sponsors

School of Humanities, Department of Asian American Studies, the Vietnamese American Oral History Project, Libraries Southeast Asian Archive

Special Effects

SA IGON DEN TAL

Special Events & Tickets

FESTIVAL TICKETS CAN BE PURCASED ONLINE www.VietFilmFest.com http://www.ultrastarmovies. com/filmfest.asp IN PERSON Tu Quynh Bookstore 9581 Bolsa Avenue Westminster, CA 92843 (714) 531-4284 BOWERS MUSEUM 2002 N Main Street Santa Ana, CA 92706 (714) 418-2499 at the door 30 minutes before the screening BOX OFFICE AT ULTRALUXE THEATER IN ANAHEIM 321 West Katella Avenue Anaheim, CA 92802 (714) 399-0300 TICKET PRICES $10 General screenings $8 Students with ID $8 Seniors (60+) OPENING NIGHT $20 screening $40 reception @ UltraLuxe Lounge Bar 321 W. Katella Avenue, Anaheim, CA 92802 CLOSING NIGHT $10 screening $25 reception @ Ralph Brennans Jazz Kitchen 1590 Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, CA 92802
ONCE UPON A TIME IN VIETNAM AFTER-PARTY

Screening & Special Events Locations

ULTRALUXE CINEMAS AT GARDENWALK 321 West Katella Avenue Anaheim, CA 92802 Parking: Cost is per hour. The theater will validate for 4 hours. BOWERS MUSEUM 2002 N Main Street Santa Ana, CA 92706 Parking: Street parking is free. Parking at the museum lot is $6 per day

$10 reception @ Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. 321 W. Katella Avenue, #101, Anaheim, CA 92802 TRONG DONG AFTER-PARTY $10 reception @ FiRE+iCE Grill+Bar 321 W. Katella Avenue, #315, Anaheim, CA 92802 ALL-FESTIVAL VIP PASS $200 (allows access to all events, including invitation-only parties) NOTE All programs are subject to change and/or cancellation without prior notice. For the most updated program, please visit www. VietFilmFest.com. All works presented at the festival are unrated. Please consult program descriptions for Viewer Advisory contained herein. Parental guidance is strongly recommended for adult-oriented films. PANEL DISCUSSION: From Script to Screen Saturday, April 12; 1:00pm - 2:15pm ULTRALUXE CINEMAS AT ANAHEIM GARDENWALK *Upstairs Lounge (Free admission) Panelists: Billy Vu Lam Character Animator, Sony Pictures Imageworks Khuong Ngoc Actor, Funny Money and Burn to Send Lam Le, Director Cong Binh: The Lost Fighters of Vietnam Tawny Nguyen Producer, Chanh Phuong Films Thien Do Director, Funny Money
Do you think you know what it takes to make the movie that you will be watching tonight? How do you start writing a script? How do you translate whats on that script onto a moving image? How long does it take to add special effects? How do you research and gather information when there are no documents or good record-keeping AND get 90-year-old men to participate to make a documentary? How do you pull money from investors to do all this? This panel will illuminate for you the reality of the process of making a film and unveil the magicians behind movie magic.

BOOK SIGNING Troubling Borders: An Anthology of Art and Literature by Southeast Asian Women in the Diaspora Sunday, April 13, 2014; 4:15pm - 5:00 pm ULTRALUXE CINEMAS AT ANAHEIM GARDENWALK *Upstairs Lounge (Free admission) Please join us for poetry readings and a book signing to celebrate the publication of the anthology, Troubling Borders: Art and Literature by Southeast Asian Women in the Diaspora (University of Washington Press, 2012). Readers include Davorn Sisavath and Chng-i V. Co-editors Lan Duong, Isabelle Thuy Pelaud and Mariam B. Lam will be present to answer any questions. Book signing to follow.

Moderated by Ysa Le & An Thu Vuong

Screening Schedule
T , A 10 O N
UltraLuxe Cinemas at Anaheim GardenWalk, Theaters 1 & 2 6:00pm - 7:00pm: Guests arrival 7:00pm - 7:30pm: Opening remarks + simultaneous showing of: W H AT IF (GI S ) Phoenix Vu / Vietnam / 2013 / 12 min 7:30pm - 9:05pm: SET 1 : H OW TO FIGH T IN SIX-IN CH H EELS ( M M U GIY G T NH N) Ham Tran / Vietnam & USA / 2013 / 95 min 9:05pm - 10:00pm: Q&A 10:00pm - 1:00am: Opening night reception @ UltraLuxe Lounge Bar (Ticketed event) Bowers Museum, Santa Ana (free for seniors 60+ years old and students with ID) 11:00am - 12:30pm: SET 2 : FOLLOW YOUR H EART TO F U MAN Andrew Robb / Australia / 2013 / 5 min E MPLOYED IDEN T IT Y Bao Nguyen / Vietnam, USA / 2014 / 24 min M Y FAT H ERS T RUCK (XE TI CA B) Mauricio Osaki / Brazil, Vietnam / 2013 / 16 min H ANO I F LY BOY Viet Phuong Dao / Vietnam / 2013 / 27 min YO UTH IN M OT ION : A WORKSH OP FOR EM ERGIN G FILM M AKERS Collaborative work / USA / 2014 / 20 min 12:30pm - 1:00pm: Q & A 2:00pm - 3:40pm: SET 3 : M AKIN G A LIVIN G, M AKIN G A LIF E CH Paul Le / Vietnam / 2013 / 4 Min XE M Nguyen ThiTham / Vietnam / 2011 / 25 Min BUR N TO SEND ( T V T RI) Andinh Ha / Vietnam, USA / 2012 / 22 Min C H ANG E OF OUR LIVES Maria Tran / Australia / 2013 / 58 Min 3:40pm - 4:10pm: Q & A UltraLuxe Cinemas at Anaheim GardenWalk, Theater 1 7:30pm - 9:30pm: SET 4 : ON CE UPON A T IM E IN VIET N AM ( LA PH T ) D E V IL ' S T IM EKEEPER Robert Mai / USA / 2013 / 5 min O NC E UPON A T IM E IN VIET N AM (LA PH T ) Dustin Nguyen / Vietnam / 2013 / 104 min 9:30pm - 10:00pm: Q&A 10:00pm - 1:00am: VACOC Reception @ Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. (By invitation only)

Screening Schedule
UltraLuxe Cinemas at Anaheim GardenWalk, Theater 1 4:00pm - 5:00pm: Spotlight Award Reception (Free admission) 5:00pm - 5:15pm: Spotlight Award Presentation 5:15pm - 7:00pm: SET 7: NO. 10 BLUES / GOODBYE SAIGON Norio Osada / Japan & Vietnam / 2012 / 100 min 7:00pm - 7:30pm: Q&A UltraLuxe Cinemas at Anaheim GardenWalk, Theater 1 8:00pm - 8:15pm: Grand Jury-Trng ng Award Presentation for Best Feature Film 8:15pm - 10:15pm: SET 8: FUNNY MONEY (TIN CHA) BURN TO SEND (T V TRI) Andinh Ha / Vietnam & USA / 2012 / 22 min FUNNY MONEY (TIN CHA) Thien Do / Vietnam / 2013 / 96 min 10:15pm - 10:45pm: Q & A 10:45pm - 1:00am: Reception @ FiRE+iCE - Grill+Bar, Anaheim GardenWalk (Ticketed event)

F , A 11 C D

S , A 1 3 C D N

UltraLuxe Cinemas at Anaheim GardenWalk, Theater 2 11:00am - 1:00pm: SET 9: CNG BINH, THE LOST FIGHTERS OF VIET NAM (CNG BINH, M DI NG DNG) Lam Le / France / 2013 / 116 min 1:00pm - 1:30pm: Q&A UltraLuxe Cinemas at Anaheim GardenWalk, Theater 2 2:00pm - 4:15pm: SET 10: WHEN TOMORROW COMES THE TRIP Prano Bailey-Bond / UK / 2013 / 10 min GRANDFATHER (NG NI) Phuong Thao Dong / Vietnam / 2012 / 11 min O-THE CIRCLE (VNG TRN O) LinhPhanGiaNhat / Vietnam / 2013 / 6 min A TRIP TO THE CITY Huong Nguyen / Vietnam / 2013 / 13 min A NEW MOURNING (APRS LA PEINE) Anh Minh Truong / Canada / 2013 / 61 min 4:15pm - 4:30pm: Q&A UltraLuxe Cinemas at Anaheim GardenWalk - Upstairs Lounge (Free admission) 4:15pm - 5:00pm: BOOK SIGNING: TROUBLING BORDERS Readers: Davorn Sisavathand Chng-iV Co-editors: Lan Duong, Isabelle Thuy Pelaud, and Mariam B. Lam UltraLuxe Cinemas at Anaheim GardenWalk, Theater 2 5:00pm - 6:45pm: SET 11: SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW SQUARED Hieu Tran / USA / 2013 / 15 min SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW Nadine Truong / USA / 2013 / 89 min 6:45pm - 7:15pm: Q&A UltraLuxe Cinemas at Anaheim GardenWalk, Theaters 2 7:30pm - 8:00pm: AWARDS CEREMONY (Free admission) UltraLuxe Cinemas at Anaheim GardenWalk, Theaters 1 & 2 8:00pm - 9:30pm: SET 12: LITTLE TEO (TO EM) Charlie Nguyen / Vietnam / 2013 / 90 min 9:30pm - 10:00pm: Q&A 10:00pm - 1:00am: Closing night reception @ Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen, Downtown Disney, Anaheim (Ticketed event)

S , A 12

UltraLuxe Cinemas at Anaheim GardenWalk, Theater 2 11:00am - 12:40pm: SET 5 : AT T H E T URN IN G POIN T LO NE LY WH EELS Vinh Nguyen / Australia / 2013 / 2 min W H AT IF (GI S ) Phoenix Vu / Vietnam / 2013 / 12 min H EA LTHY Gary Condes / UK / 2012 / 14 min M A I G ALLERY Amy Hartman / Vietnam & Singapore / 2013 / 13 min BUT TE R F LY (B M ) Tran TrungLinh / Vietnam / 2013 / 23 min YO U NEVER KN OW Vi-Dan Tran / Germany / 2013 / 32 min 12:40pm - 1:00pm: Q & A UltraLuxe Cinemas at Anaheim GardenWalk - Upstairs Lounge (Free admission) 1:00pm - 2:15pm: PAN EL DISCUSSION : "FROM SCRIPT TO SCREEN " (Panelists to be announced) UltraLuxe Cinemas at Anaheim GardenWalk, Theater 2 2:00pm - 4:05pm: SET 6 : T H UY A TR I P TO T H E CIT Y Huong Nguyen / Vietnam / 2013 / 13 min TH UY Kim Jae-Han / South Korea / 2013 / 108 min 4:05pm - 4:35pm: Q&A

Interview
by Lisa Le

Opening Night Set 1: How to Fight in Six Inch Heels

THURSDAY, APRIL 10 | 7 PM | ULTRALUXE
Director Ham Tran Producers Timothy Linh Bui, Irene Trinh, Lam Nguyen & Kathy Uyen Story by Kathy Uyen Screenwriter Tim Tori Cinematographer Guillermo Rosas Editor Ham Tran Music Christopher Wong Costume Designers Panuagai Charmroenpicksa, Nuchsuda Charmroenpucksa Cast Kathy Uyen Petey Majik Nguyen Don Nguyen Truc Diem Phuong Mai Yaya Truong Nhi Jayvee Mai The Hiep USA & Viet Nam, 2013 English & Vietnamese with English subtitles 96 min, color Narrative

Ham Tran Director of

HOW TO FIGHT IN SIX INCH HEELS

Ham Tran is a film writer, editor, and director. Hams feature debut,Journey from the Fall, premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and has garnered over ten awards, including the Grand Jury (Trong Dong) Award at the Vietnamese International Film Festival (2007). Was it difficult for you to transition from a more serious film (Journey from the Fall) to a romantic comedy? A lot of people dont know this, but my background was in theater, more specifically I was in a Vietnamese American comedy group called Club ONoodles. Thats why it was not difficult at all to transition from a dramatic film like Journey to a funny one like Six Inch. It felt great to be doing comedy again, and what made it more fun was our amazing cast. How was the filmmaking process influenced by the many strong creative voices in your cast and crew? As a filmmaker, the dream is to work with such strong creative voices. I welcome that opportunity with open arms, because great performances bring the script to another level. Mai The Hiep is a friend whom Ive known since Club ONoodles, and hes great to work with, making bold choices, and really committing to his character. I was amazed at what a natural Phuong Mai (she plays BaoTrang) is when it comes to acting. The same goes for Don Nguyen, whose choices were always on the dot. Yaya Truong Nhi always made me laugh. Her comic timing is impeccable. Truc Diem brought a sense of fragility that was exactly what the script called for. Last but not least, Kathy is a truly dedicated artist. I think out of everyone, she worked the hardest on this film, giving everything shes got. I really hope the audience enjoys her performance, because there are so many facets that she brings to Anne.

How to Fight in Six Inch Heels

m Mu Giy Gt Nhn
How to Fight in Six Inch Heels tells the story of Anne (Kathy Uyen), an ambitious and resourceful New York junior fashion designer who has her entire life sketched and planned out in detail--at least in her mind and on her neatly organized, cardboard checklists. All the major milestones in her life-her upcoming fairy-tale wedding, followed by an ideal nuclear family, and successful fashion career throughout--are intricately designed, just like her sartorial creations. But unlike her uncanny ability to improvise and patch up fashion emergencies on the runway, her personal life begins to unravel when her fianc, Kiet (Petey Majik Nguyen), surprises her with the news that he has to relocate to Vietnam for his jobbut only temporarily. Additional wrinkles slip into Annes delicately woven plans when she suspects Kiet of infidelity. With the help of Danny, a savvy make-up artist (a dynamic performance by actor Don Nguyen), she decides to spy on him by infiltrating Saigons high-fashion industry. Six Inch Heels is a clever take on the romantic comedy, told from the perspective of a strong female lead as a modern day woman. Uyen deftly portrays Anne with different layers and textures of charisma, independence, off-kilter wit, and vulnerability someone who believes she can craft the perfect life by stitching together every detail, only to realize that her vision of perfection is not quite what it is cut out to be. Viet Film Fest is honored and excited to present How to Fight in Six Inch Heels as the Opening Night Film for our 2014 film festival. Produced by Timothy Linh Bui (Green Dragon, Three Seasons, Blue Powder), directed by Ham Tran (The Anniversary, Journey from the Fall), starring Kathy Uyen (Spirits, Passport to Love, Fool for Love), and sporting a stellar supporting ensemble cast, this film features several Viet Film Fest veterans who have made--and will surely continue to make--significant strides in the global film community for years to come. Tu-Uyen N. Nguyen

Kathy Uyen Actress of

HOW TO FIGHT IN SIX INCH HEELS

Kathy Uyen is an actress and screenwriter. She has appeared in films and hit TV series such as How I Met Your Mother, Passport to Love by Victor Vu, and Fool for Love by Charlie Nguyen. You play Anne. Can you tell us a little more about her character and how you relate to her? Anne represents the modern day woman. The woman that wants it all. And she believes she can have it all, if she plans properly. I myself, like Anne, am a natural planner and scheduler. I love tables, charts, scheduling, planning, etc.... its a weird habit of mine. I think its my way of trying to maintain some control in my life to add stability to my somewhat rollercoaster career of being an actress and now freelance producer. What helped you prepare for this role? Did you spend time with many other fashion designers and models? As storywriter, I played an active role in researching and developing the character from scratch, so it was quite a fun process to create the character of Anne. I wanted to tell the story from a female lead perspective, as opposed to the traditional female playing a love interest of the male lead. I spent a lot of time with my close designer friends, I visited production factories where clothes are made, I took fashion design classes on design process such as illustration, fabrics, textiles, draping, sewing and fashion history. I read books on the fashion industry; I interviewed friends in the fashion industry such as models, make-up artists, and photographers to get different perspectives. I took some kickboxing classes to train for this one particular action sequence in the film. It was a very fun researching process through the last three years of developing the script.

Director: Phoenix Vu Viet Nam, 2013 12 min, color Narrative WHAT IF? Gi S Before her wedding, a girl meets with her ex-boyfriend and asks him, What if we had never broken up? That first question leads her to a series of second thoughts about the upcoming ceremony, her life, and the choices she made.

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Youth in Motion
VAALA presents Youth In Motion: A Workshop for Emerging Filmmakers. This program is being offered for the first time by VAALA to support young voices, stories, and perspectives in the Vietnamese community through the art of digital films. Workshop participants explore and learn basic skills and tools for digital filmmaking and work collaboratively to produce short films that will premiere at the 2014 Viet Film Fest in April. Participants have the opportunity to learn about the production process - from storytelling to camera work to editing - and put their skills to practice. The workshop is free and no previous experience in film is needed to participate. VAALA would like to thank facilitator Thuan Nguyen and the following guest speakers for the Youth in Motion workshop: - Duc Nguyen - Gena Hamamoto - Nadine Truong - Quoc Quan Le - Thien Do - Timothy Linh Bui - Vincent Tran TOFU MAN Director: Andrew Robb Australia, 2013 5 min, color Narrative An unexpectedly candid portrait of Duc, a man with a tofu making business in the Melbourne (Australia) suburb of Sunshine.

FRIDAY, APRIL 11 | 11 AM | BOWERS MUSEUM

Set 2: Follow Your Heart

EMPLOYED IDENTITY Director: Bao Nguyen Viet Nam, USA, 2014 24 min, color Narrative A series of short, non-fiction videos that explore the phenomenon of Vietnamese abroad returning to Viet Nam, the country of their parents birth, to find themselves and seek successful careers.

MY FATHERS TRUCK Director: Mauricio Osaki Brazil, Viet Nam, 2013 16 min, color Narrative A coming-of-age film about 10-yearold Mai Vy, who skips school to help her father with his passenger truck for hire. She is soon confronted with ethical questions and the harsh realities of life outside the classroom.

Viewer discretion is advised.

HANOI FLY BOY Director: Viet Phuong Dao Viet Nam, 2013 24 min, color Narrative Timid village Rap/R&B musician, Van, leaves everything behind to go to the big city, Hanoi, to pursue his longtime crush, Mai. She dates and models for famous foreign pop star David Bui.

SHORT FILM BY YOUTH IN MOTION Director: Collaborative Work USA, 2014 20 min, color Narrative Youth In Motion is a collaborative workshop sponsored by the Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA) to teach filmmaking to Vietnamese youth. They will screen the film they created in the workshop.

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The films will be followed by a Q & A with the filmmakers, cast and crew.

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Interview
by AnThu Vuong

Set 3: Making a Living, Making a Life

FRIDAY, APRIL 11 | 2 PM | BOWERS MUSEUM

Andinh Ha Director of

BURN TO SEND

Your films main subject is that of a son coming to terms with his fathers death. What was your inspiration for this topic? Sometime around 2001, my father started struggling with adegenerativebrain disorder. His condition went undiagnosed for years; all we knew was that he had an increasingly harder time walking, talking, and eating. As the disease worsened I started having dreams of my dad becoming healthy again. The beginnings of the script for Burn to Send/ t v triwere based on these dreams. I wasnt able to finish my film before my father passed away. But I feel like if he had been able to see the film, we wouldve had a good laugh about it. The main character in your film is a young motorbike racer. How did come to write this character? I showed a couple early drafts of my script to Spike Lee, who was one of my professors at NYU. Those drafts were pretty rough and he felt that if I wanted the story to take place in Saigon, then thats where I had to go to finish writing. He was very persuasive so I ended up going to Saigon and crashed with my friends for a couple weeks to write. While there I discovered underground motorcycle racing crews that staged races around the city. I became very interested in these racers, most of them disillusioned youth who felt that they had nothing to lose. I wanted my main character to be exactly that: reckless, disillusioned, feeling like he had nothing to lose. Then Id put him in a situation where he loses everything. Much of the story became about losing all the love that you take for granted and then trying to find a way to get a little bit of it back. Burn to Send was your thesis film for NYUs film program. What projects do you have lined up after this? What are some areas of interest youd like to pursue? Since I finished this film, Ive been doing fashion films, music videos, a couple documentaries. But at the wrap party for Burn to Send/t v tri,I promised the crew Id come back to shoot a feature so Ive been working on writing that. But to be honest, that script is in a holding pattern right nowbecause Ive been planning/organizing my wedding in May with myfiance, which oddly feels very similar to pre-production for a film shoot. What role does being Vietnamese American play in your filmmaking? There are three things about me that I associate with both being a filmmaker and being Vietnamese: 1. Reliance on hope/luck 2. Overuse of exaggeration in storytelling 3. Extreme grumpiness caused by hunger CHANGE OF OUR LIVES Director: Maria Tran Australia, 2013 58 min, color Narrative Hung, a car mechanic who lives with his mother and brother in Cabramatta (New South Wales), harbors a secret: he has chronic hepatitis B. Community tensions grow, and Hungs world falls apart, until he takes on his health challenge by calling upon the legend of Le Loi and the golden turtle.

CHE Director: Paul Le Viet Nam, 2013 4 min, color Narrative Everyone loves che. Follow a popular che seller as she preps, pushes, and pleases everyone with her chethe sweetly satisfying dessert snack she has spent her life making.

XE OM Director: Nguyen Thi Tham Viet Nam, 2013 25 min, color Narrative Holding a job typically given to men, Ms. Vo Thi Nguyet has been a xe om (motorbike taxi) driver at Mien Dong Station for over 20 years, driving her passengers to every corner of the city.

BURN TO SEND Director: Andinh Ha Viet Nam, USA, 2012 22 min, color Narrative Tin is lured into Saigons underground motorcycle racing scene, while Goldie looks for a way out of her life as a bar waitress. Together, they struggle to define their ambiguous romance, but then Goldie becomes pregnant.

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The films will be followed by a Q & A with the filmmakers, cast and crew.

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Interview
by Ivan V. Small

Set 4: Devils Timekeeper + Once Upon a Time in Vietnam

FRIDAY, APRIL 11 | 7 PM | ULTRALUXE
Director Dustin Nguyen Executive Producers Thi Bich Hien Ngo, Phan Quang Binh Producers Quang Minh Do Dustin Nguyen Ngoc Hiep Nguyen Screenwriter Dustin Nguyen Cinematographer Wych Kaosayananda Editor Vance Null Music Rajan Khanijaon Production Designer Ma Phi Hai Costume Designer Bao Tranchi Visual Effects Stoffel Gaetan Stunts Van Hai Bui, Roger Yuan Cast Dustin Nguyen Thanh Van Ngo Roger Yuan Thai Hoa Ngoc Diep Hieu Hien Phi Thanh Van Van Hai Bui Jason Ninh Cao Nguyen Hau Viet Nam, 2013 Vietnamese with English subtitles 104 min, color Narrative

Bao Tranchi Costume and Fashion Designer for

ONCE UPON A TIME IN VIETNAM

Once Upon a Time in Vietnam

La Pht
An old-fashioned Western set in Vietnam? Written, produced, and directed by action superstar Dustin Nguyen, Once Upon a Time in Vietnam (La Pht) blends the high-flying kicks of martial arts fantasy with the cool, retro style of spaghetti Westerns in this latest adventure flick. Nguyen brings youthful energy to his performance as MasterDao, a former member of an elite group of fighting monks sworn to protect the motherland from foreign invaders. Weary of killing, Dao leaves his clan of warriors to wander through the desert, beating up town bullies while examining his tormented past. He arrives at a remote village where he meets honest baker Hien (Thi Ha) and his wife Anh (a marvelous Ng Thanh Vn), with whom he shares a mysterious romantic past. Trying to find purpose in life again, Dao wonders if the couples young son is his child and whether the boy has some special gifts of his own. The powerful finale features a showdown between Anh and Dao with their former leader, General Long, played by Chinese martial arts master, Roger Yuan ( Shanghai Noon, Skyfall,andBulletproof Monk). With a fresh take on Vietnamese colonial history inspired by Buddhist lessons of spirituality and suffering, this magical film will take you back to a time when heroes could make you believe in the power of love to conquer any evil. Viewer discretion is advised. This film contains violence. Long T. Bui

Bao Tranchi has been an innovative designer in Hollywood and the emergent Vietnamese film industry for a number of years, designing costumes for films such as Journey from the Fall. Most recently she collaborated with Dustin Nguyen for his directorial debut film, Once Upon a Time in Vietnam.

How did you get involved in costume design and what aspects of the work excite you the most? I got involved in costume design over 14 years ago. I had just graduated Otis College of Art & Design with a major in Fashion. While we were in school, we had a design mentor who owned a store on Sunset Plaza in Los Angeles. Arianne Phillips1 walked into his store, saw my fashion illustrations, and then called me up and hired me on the spot to work with her on the original concept designs for Queen of the Damned, starring the late Aaliyah. From there, I got into the Costume Designers Guild and went on to work with Arianne on the first Charlies Angels with Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz, Hedwig & the Angry Inch, and the Madonna Drowned World Tour. The aspect of costume design I love the most is the psychological revealing of who this person is. Everything we wear is a badge of who we are on the inside or who we would like the world to think we are, or who we would aspire to be.When I design, the script and character come before anything else. What was the characters childhood like? Were their parents good to them? What haunts them? This all affects how somebody will dress. From the fabrics they choose, to the colors, the fit, to how their pants hit the shoes, it all tells a story of who this character is. Once Upon a Time in Vietnam is considered the first martial arts/fantasy film produced in Viet Nam. What exactly does this genre mean and how do you anticipate Vietnamese audiences responding to the visual and technical effects and themes in the film? I knew I had to costume-design this movie from the moment that Dustin gave me the script for it 6 years ago because it was such a unique world that we were creating. Most Vietnamese films are either period pieces or contemporary. It is cheaper to buy ready-made clothes and less risky to draw upon clothes that people have already seen and recognize. It takes a bold passion and vision to make a movie that suspends time and place, pulls you into its imaginary settings, and makes you believe in it. Dustin loved the feelings evoked from Sergio Leones Once Upon a Time in the West and Wong Kar-Wais Ashes of Time...while making sure to maintain a Vietnamese feeling injected with Steampunk aesthetic. This has been one of my favorite challenges: marrying different times and moods to create something truly unique for the fantasy landscape we are bringing to life. We are drawing upon inspirations that the Vietnamese have never even heard or known of.Im proud to say that aweek after the premiere of Lua Phat, our movie has been sold for distribution to over twenty countries throughout the world, including to North America with Lionsgate, so we are really excited for not just Viet Nam but the world to see Lua Phat. What elements in the film sets and costume designs are particularly Vietnamesethat might differentiate them from other films in a similar genre? It was extremely important to me that the costumes for Lua Phat paid homage to Viet Nam. Yes, the original inspirations were classic westerns such as Once Upon a Time in the West and Steampunk, so how do you make sure to infuse Viet Nam into it?For one, for the desert townspeople, I studied the western frontier time period and steampunk, and it was easy to see that they both happened during the Victorian era.The Victorian era is very well known for its collars, which are actually Asian based. The ao dai collar is completely dead on with Victorian collars. I took classic western styles and would change necklines and add binding to feel more Vietnamese.I was also adamant about using all Vietnamese fabrics and materials.And it had to be fabrics and materials that would have been available to our actual townspeople characters.I also took existing indigenous Vietnamese plants, flowers, bark and wood to make new cloth that was distinctly Vietnamese.For me, the armor of our superheroes could only be made from bronzein homage to the Steampunk era and Vietnamese history. To this day, Vietnamese bronze is a prized art form. What I wanted was that when you see all the costumes play out on screen together, the world is without question a Lua Phat world, standing uniquely on its own. Please visit www.VietFilmFest.com for the entire interview with Bao Tranchi.

DEVILS TIMEKEEPER Director: Robert Mai USA, 2013 5 min, color Narrative A clockmaker who collects souls for Lucifer decides to ask a favor from a store owner whose son is close to death.

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Interview
by erin K Ninh

Set 5: At the Turning Point

SATURDAY, APRIL 12 | 11AM | ULTRALUXE

Vi-Dan Tran

Director of YOU NEVER KNOW

Vi-Dan Trans first career achievements relied not on a cinematic eye but on his physical daring. Beginning with wushu and moving onto skateboarding, Inline skating, and eventually XMA and martial arts Tricking, his teens and early twenties were devoted to advancing these masteries. Since studying film at the University of Aachen, however, he has expanded his scope of work in the industry, to include dramatic work behind the camera. His short, You Never Know, is a moody and visually intriguing foray in this new direction.

Tell us a little about working in the film industry in Germany as a Vietnamese filmmaker.Would you say you have more opportunities to work as a director, an actor, or about the same? As a filmmaker or director, I think they dont mind if I am Asian or Caucasian in Germany. More important are good filmmaking knowledge and connections to the right peoplealthough I guess this is the same everywhere. But as an actor, sometimes its hard to get a role. Usually they are searching for German or Caucasian actors. Ive been fortunate in the past, though, to work on some TV shows and feature films. You have an impressive background in martial arts and stunts.Do you envision yourself making a martial arts film someday? Haha! Actually most of my filmmaking career,I have worked for action and martial arts films. For the last five months I worked for the film production company China Star in Hong Kong, doing some fight coordination and pre-action design jobs for upcoming Hong Kong action movies. I love martial arts and fights, but on the other hand I am getting a little bit bored, because action is the same thing all the time. Especially martial arts fights. Since my studies in Germany, I became more interested in drama and storytelling. This is the reason why I made You Never Know. Was You Never Know inspired by anything or anyone in particular? I was inspired by the movies Blue Valentine, 500 Days of Summer, and The Wrestler. I love their realistic touch and moments, so that is what I wanted to do: that moment when two people meet each other for the first time and everything is new and exciting. I also tried to keep the situations real as much as possible: talking about nonsense, flowing dialogues, and everyday language.

LONELY WHEELS Director: Vinh Nguyen Australia, 2013 2 min, color Narrative A bicycle yearns for attention and love from its too-busy owner, and looks for companionship and freedom in a world dominated by cars.

WHAT IF? Gi S Director: Phoenix Vu Viet Nam, 2013 12 min, color Narrative Before her wedding, a woman meets up with her ex-boyfriend and asks him, What if we had never broken up? Up next: trouble.

HEALTHY Director: Gary Condes UK, 2012 14 min, color Narrative Mai, a 30-year-old Vietnamese British woman, finds herself stuck in a complicated situation at a family dinner. She sees a way out in the form of Hung, a handsome young suitor whose company is thrust upon her by her persistent mother.

MAI GALLERY Director: Amy Hartman Viet Nam, Singapore, 2013 13 min, color Narrative A Vietnamese art gallery owner feels trapped in her marriage. When an American artist takes her by surprise, she must make a sudden choice, whether to take back her gallery, and her life.

BUTTERFLY Bm Director: Tran Trung Linh Viet Nam, 2013 23 min, color Narrative Despite being treated horribly by those around her, a call girl decides to make a transformation her fate as fragile as butterfly wings. Viewer discretion is advised. This film contains Graphic Depictions, Language and Sexual Content.

YOU NEVER KNOW Director: Vi-Dan Tran Germany, 2013 32 min, color Narrative Successful womanizer Terry gets into trouble when he falls for the cute and chaotic Lara, unaware that he himself is about to get played.

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The films will be followed by a Q & A with the filmmakers, cast and crew.

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Interview
Director of A TRIP TO THE CITY by erin Khue Ninh (answers translated from Vietnamese by AnThu Vuong)

SATURDAY, APRIL 12 | 2 PM | ULTRALUXE

Director Kim Jae-han Executive Producer Seol Mi-jeong

Set 6: Thuy

Huong Nguyen

Tell us a little about how you came into filmmaking. How did you start? Did you go to film school? In 2010, after I graduated from college, I was accepted into a script writing class (The Film Studies Program -supported by the Ford Foundation) of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. In the beginning I just thought that I would do it for fun, but in the end, I fell in love with cinema and cant let it go. What was the most difficult aspect of making A Trip to the City? There were many difficulties. For example, in finding the actors: it is never easy to find a 12 or 13 year old girl who would agree to participate in the movie and have the capability to portray that character in that particular situation. I began casting one month prior to shooting but I couldnt find a face that really embodied the character. It wasnt until 5 days before the scheduled shoot that I found Phung Hoa Hoai Linh, and the family only officially agreed for her to be in the film 3 days before the shoot. Then the main actor left the role two days before the shoot. I almost had to postpone the shoot even though I already had rented all the equipment and scenery. The night before the shoot, I met Tran Xuan Nguyen (who portrays the father), an amateur actor who had a lot of experience and who was especially enthusiastic; he particularly loves the cinema. Now that I look back, I think that those difficulties were some kind of strange luck because without them I wouldnt have met these two wonderful actors. When the shooting was done, there were many things I wasnt happy with because of my inexperience. Every time I see it, I wish that there is something I can change. But the one thing I am sure I would never change even if I remake the film 100 times, is the two main actors. Also, the financing for the film is always a headache when making an independent film. Maybe no one will believe me, but this 13 minute film took almost three years to complete. The $1000 funding I got from the Ford Foundation completely ran out by the time I officially completed shooting (at the end of 2011). It wasnt until 2012 that I could find enough additional funding to shoot one more scene, and then it wasnt until 2013 that I could save enough money to complete the post editing and redo the sound of the film. Did you intend any social commentary with this film? I actually didnt think of this as a social issue when I wrote the script and began making the film. I only wanted to tell a simple story that would show a slice of life. Clearly these stories happen around us even if we dont directly see or hear them. Whether it is right or wrong is not for us to judge, nor is it exactly black or white. The only thing that is clear, that cannot be argued, and will forever be, is love, particularly here the love between father and daughter. Sometimes it is hard to open our mouth and speak loving words with your flesh and blood. However, love is definitely something we can feel, especially in times of hardship in our lives. Theres very little dialogue in A Trip to the City. Is this consistent with your style in general, or is it specific to this film? My personal belief is that dialogue is very important in films; every word a character speaks must have value, must serve a particular purpose. Thats why I try very hard to only use dialogue when absolutely necessary. Other than that, the use of minimal dialogue also is very appropriate for this short film because: 1) the father and daughter do not live together so they will definitely have some kind of distance, a certain apprehension with one another; 2) the situation they are in is very sensitive; if they said any more, explained any more through words, it would be superfluous. What are you working on right now? Is it of similarly serious subject matter? Im in the process of completing a script for the next short film. I hope that I will be able to make it this year. The subject is quite different from A Trip to the City but also very similar because it revolves around love.

Producer Kim Jae-han Script Adaptation Kim Seong-tae

Thuy
In South Korean society, so-called mail-order marriages have beencommonplaceespecially between Korean men and young Vietnamese women. Actress Ninh Duong Lan Ngoc gives a poignant, powerful yet gentle performance as Thuy.In telling the story ofthis young bride, who lives in a small fishing town with her husband and his parents, Kim Jae-Han also provides a prism into this rural society. Times are hard here.Villagers leave for brighter futures,and throughout town, the police and urban-protection units collaborate to impose their sense of law-and-order.Times are also hard for Thuy, whose everyday activities include meal preparation, laundry chores, and caring for her elderlyin-laws, all in cultural isolation.She carries it all out dutifully without any apparentpressure from her husband (who is barely present in the film). As days go by, crises come,big and small: whether toassist another Vietnamese bride who is being abused, whether to wash off Mas bottomand whether to question the mysterious circumstances around her husbands sudden death. Viewer discretion is advised. This film contains graphic depictions and violence. Marie (Tuyet-Lan) Rose Tran

Photography Kim Seong-tae Editor Park Seon-ju, Kim Sol Music Bang Jun-seok, Park Seong-do Sound Lee Seong-cheol, Steve Seo Cast Ninh Duong Lan Ngoc Myeong Gye-nam Cha Seung-ho Song Ju-yeong Kim Mi-gyeong Lee Ji-won Gang Sang-seok Park Jin-su Lee Gyu-seong Lee Joeng-yu Heo Seung Jeon Yeong-hum Cha Yeong-u Nguyen Thi Binh Hong Seung-o Le Cam Truc Lee Se-in Park Seung-gyu Yang Eun-ju Jang Du-yeong Choi Hyeon-il Ye Su-jeong South Korea, 2013 Korean & Vietnamese with English subtitles 108 min, color Narrative

A TRIP TO THE CITY Director: Huong Nguyen Viet Nam, 2013 13 min, color Narrative A father and daughter make a strangely sad journey to the city. Is this a routine trip or is there another purpose?

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Interview
by Long Bui

Spotlight Award Set 7: No. 10 Blues/Goodbye Saigon

SATURDAY, APRIL 12 | 5 PM | ULTRALUXE
Director Norio Osada Producer Kenji Isomura Screenwriters Norio Osada Cinematographer Shiizuka Akira Editor Ohashi Nobuyo Music Tsuhima Toshiaki Cast Yusuke Kawazu Thanh Lan Kenji Isomura Elichi Kikuchi Japan & Viet Nam, 2012 Vietnamese with English subtitles 100 min, color Narrative

Isamu Osada

Director of NO.10 BLUES/ GOODBYE SAIGON

What inspired you to release this film now? On March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake took place on the east coast of Japan, followed by a tsunami. That caused an explosion in the nuclear power plants in Fukushima, and the death toll rose to nearly 20,000, including ones who are missing. This series of disasters has led most Japanese to contemplate the meaning of existence, including the past, current and future of Japan. Is wealth worth pursuing? Where are we trying to go from here? That is the very thing my film, NO.10 Blues/ Goodbye Saigon. What were the main motivations for making the film? (artistically, economically and politically) The Viet Nam war was the biggest event of the twentieth century. This film, however, is neither a war movie nor anti-war movie. It is an entertainment movie set in wartime Viet Nam. What I wanted to depict in this film was the Japanese. I was not comfortable with how Japanese people were back then. I tried to reflect my sense of discomfort toward the Japanese people at that time. Another protagonist in the story is Viet Nam. I wanted to capture exactly how things were in Viet Nam back them.

No. 10 Blues/Goodbye Saigon

This years Viet Film Fest Spotlight presents a blast from the past with a rediscovered, Japanese-produced film from 1975, Goodbye Saigon, starring Japanese actor Kawazu Yusuke and Vietnamese legend Thanh Lan. Set in Saigon, 1975, during the Viet Nam War, Goodbye Saigon tells of a love story surrounded by loss and violence. After accidentally killing a Vietnamese former employee, a Japanese businessman Sugimoto (Kawazu Yusuke) decides to flee Viet Nam by heading north on a military road under battle conditions with his lover, Lan (Thanh Lan), and Taro (Kenji Isomura), the son of an ex-Japanese soldier and a Vietnamese woman. On their journey, the characters wrestle with love, jealousy, loyalty, and betrayalall set against a real and metaphorical backdrop of gunfire and war. Japanese screenwriter/director Norio Osada chose a Vietnamese production company for his feature debut. Between December 1974 and April 1975, the film was shot on location all over Viet Nam under real combat conditions during the final stages of the Viet Nam War. He intended it to be an action B movie, but the bankruptcy of the production company prevented it from being finished and shown to the public. Many years later, the film was rediscovered at the National Film Center of Japan. Viet Film Fest is proud to present this lost treasure from a bygone era. Viewer discretion is advised. This film contains violence and sexual content. Stephane Gauger

Your film criticizes rich Japanese businessmen and tourists in Viet Nam during the war. Has your view changed now? That still remains the same. Economic-and efficiency-oriented prosperity is still deeply rooted in Japan. I strongly believe Japan needs to change as a country. How did you come to cast Thanh Lan for the role of diva of Viet Nam? I had interviewed so many actresses and singers. It was purely my gut feeling to go with her. She had a child-like innocence, yet at the same time a brooding and maternal tenderness. She did an incredible job.

Kenji Isomura

Producer and Actor of NO.10 BLUES/ GOODBYE SAIGON

How was it like working with the director, Mr. Osada? We were both young, so we communicated a lot. How did you prepare for the role? Did you have to take language lessons or further acting practices? I tried to immerse myself in of the city of Saigon, because my character is half Vietnamese. Those efforts worked out quite well in terms of learning the language. For the scenes in which I needed to speak Vietnamese, Thanh Lan taught me patiently every day. But I have to admit I was quite a bad student. How hard was it for you to play the role of a mixed-race child of war? What did you enjoy most about the performance? The experience of being abandoned by ones own father would have certainly affected ones personality. It was a challenging role, but I was able to carry it out, thanks mainly to my youth.

Can you briefly describe your working relationship with Thanh Lan and Yusuke Kawazu? We were together all the time. They accepted that form of pseudo family intimacy. What were your impressions of Saigon during the filming? Have you gone back? Has your view changed about the city? I didnt feel the tension despite the war, since it had become part of the daily lives of the local Vietnamese people. Watching the sunset over the Saigon River became a particularly favorite sight. I visited Viet Nam again in 1991, then several times after 2000. I dont see much difference, despite the number of buildings constructed since then. In your view, why is the film so important to understanding the history of the war? This is not a war movie. But it certainly captured the lives of ordinary people who would survive under any conditions back in 1975 during the wars turning point at such a crucial time in the last century. Under any ideological circumstances, in any era, victims of a political war are always ordinary people.

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Interview
by Long Bui

Grand Jury Award Set 8: Funny Money

SATURDAY, APRIL 12 | 8 PM | ULTRALUXE
Director Thien Do Executive Producers Phil Tran, Thien Do Producers Jenni Trang Le, Thien Do Screenwriter Thien Do

Thien Do

Director of FUNNY MONEY

Soon to be released is Funny Money or Tin Cha, a new comedy starring Vn Trang and Khng Ngc (who appeared together before in movies like Saigon Electric) providing a wacky take on the supernatural. The movie tells of people trying to survive an increasingly materialistic world involving the story of Lucky Loc who makes a living producing high-end fake ghost money but who eventually encounters some bad luck. Believing his misfortunate came from giving a torn bill to a young girl who had ransomed it, Loc must now go on a dangerous search to get back his luck with disastrous results.

What inspired you to write this story? My wife and I were at a restaurant and a waitress returned the bill because it was torn. I thought it would be cool to tell a story about this because every Vietnamese has encountered this problem. There is a lot of inherent comedy in the movie, the satirical kind based on comedic situations. Why did you focus on themes of materialism and wealth? This is how our lives are becoming, not just in Vietnam but everywhere. In Vietnam, you see it more clearly because there is a drastic shift in the lifestyle and people flaunting their wealth. You see it more in drastic terms. How was it working with main leads, Van Trang and Khuong Ngoc? Van Trang has that unique comedic sense among other Vietnamese actresses and picks up the humor easily. A lot of the people who came in for casting read the scenes like a tragedy, a sad story but she has a good sense of comedic timing and picked up on it. The character is psychologically and emotionally complex, more subtle. For Khuong Ngoc, we originally meant the character to be older and to have been around the block. I thought he was too young and kinda a hot boy. He convinced me to pick him for the role so I asked him to gain weight so he was game. How does this project relate to your next project? I want to make a movie that I would want to see and hopefully what audiences want to see. I have a few things in the works. A lot of these things take time and havent reached their potential yet. Everything is collaborative. Every major producer or contributor in the film has a cameo in the film. Long: Why is Viet Film Fest important to you? Thien: Im pretty amazed with the organizers for pulling this off. Its become something where Vietnamese or overseas Vietnamese can meet each other or showcase your work and build this kind of community. It gives filmmakers a sense of legitimacy and community. Oftentimes, we work in very isolated circles. Explain the increased exchange between Vietnamese and Vietnamese American filmmakers. Theres definitely going to be more Vietnamese filmmakers. Here, its tough to get a job. In Vietnam, theres a wider audience and theres more opportunity. It is hard to make a film and get it distributed in a large scale. In Vietnam, there are young filmmakers who are exciting because theyre not bound by rules taught in school and can get their hands on cameras very cheaply now. How is working and living in the U.S. and Vietnam for you? Being a Viet Kieu in Vietnam, youre never Vietnamese enough or even American. It can be an advantage. Im of the last generation that I was old enough to develop the sensibilities of what it means to be Vietnamese but young enough to assimilate into American society. So its a unique perspective we have. What filmmaker influenced you growing up? I admire all of them. I try not to emulate them. All the major names but definitely Martin Scorsese. Even his bad films are more interesting than a lot of good films. BURN TO SEND t V Tri Director: Andinh Ha Viet Nam, USA, 2012 22 min, color Narrative Tin is being lured into Saigons underground motorcycle racing scene while Goldie looks for a way out of her life as a bar waitress. Together, they struggle to define their ambiguous romance when Goldie becomes pregnant.

Funny Money
Tin Cha
Funny Money is director Thien Dos first mainstream film, featuring a star Vietnamese cast and released in Viet Nam in November 2013. A slapstick comedy with biting humor, Funny Money adeptly addresses some old and new themes facing contemporary Vietnamese in the changing economic and social worlds in which they (sometimes haplessly) navigate their lives. The main character, Lucky Loc (Khng Ngc), a busy, stressed-out manager of a company in Saigon that manufactures ghost money for funerals, finds himself in possession of a torn 100,000 dong note that he cannot get rid of, because in Viet Nam accepting or exchanging worn, torn bills raises old superstitions. After passing the bill off to an unsuspecting young woman, Quyen (Vn Trang) seeking good fortune at a temple, a series of mishaps befall them both, entangling the two characters in a series of hilarious encounters as they attempt to escape their bad karma. Meanwhile, the symbolism of the real but cursed note is contrasted with the ghost money business, which has managed to produce such authentic-looking bills. Indeed, the company takes such pride in manufacturing copycat products that even smell like the real thing, that it attracts the interest of a criminal counterfeiting ring. In the search for--and escape from-the real and counterfeit in business, love and life ensue, sure to keep audiences laughing (but also reflecting) throughout this smart comedic journey about the complexities of life in Viet Nams new economy. Ivan V. Small

Cinematographer Jeff Powers Editors Thien Do, Paul Le Music Timo Chen Cast Khuong Ngoc Van Trang Leu Phuong Anh Le Binh Xuan Trang Nguyen Hau Viet Nam, 2013 Vietnamese with English subtitles 96 min, color Narrative

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Set 9: Cong Binh: The Lost Fighters of Vietnam

SUNDAY, APRIL 13 | 11 AM | ULTRALUXE

Set 10: When Tomorrow Comes

SUNDAY, APRIL 13 | 2 PM | ULTRALUXE

Cong Binh: The Lost Fighters of Vietnam

CNG BINH, M DI NG DNG
Think of France during World War II, and one might recall images of Paris denizens, suffering under German occupation. But even Vietnamese are unlikely to know of the 20,000 countrymen trafficked to France in 1939, to work under conditions of near slavery in the factories. A documentary by director Lam Le, Cong Binhtells a forgotten history, of laborers recruited from then-French Indochina to man assembly lines for the French war effort. They were exploited by the government and capitalists both before and after France fell under Nazi Germanys control. When France was liberated by the Allies, these worker soldiers were returned in small batches from 1946-1952. Approximately 1,000 remained and settled in France. The film follows two dozen of the surviving Cong Binh, the youngest of whom is eighty-five years old. Much credit is due to the director for having rediscovered these worker soldiers, who had been leading difficult and forgotten lives in both France and Viet Nam. Sadder still are those who had barely been interviewed and recorded on film, whose stories Le had only begun to capture, before they slipped silently away forever. Phi-Long Mai

Director Lam Le Producers Lam Le, Pascal Verroust Screenwriters Lam Le, Pierre Daum Cinematographers Lam Le, Hoang Duc Ngo Tich Editor Lam Le Music Le Cat Trong Ly Sound Mathieu Descamps, Philippe Grivel, Julien Ngo-Trong France, 2013 French with English subtitles 116 min, color Documentary

THE TRIP Director: Prano Bailey-Bond UK, 2013 10 min, color Narrative The Trip tells the true story of Hung, a young Vietnamese man trafficked abroad on the promise of a job and a new life. The film was made as part of the Unchosen Film Campaign Against Human Trafficking and is based on a real life case study from ECPAT UK. Viewer discretion is advised.This film contains drug use.

GRANDFATHER ng Ni Director: Phuong Thao Dong Viet Nam, 2012 11 min, color Narrative The traditional bond between grownup children and their elderly parents is quickly fading in the fast pace of modern, industrial life in Asia. Simple and rough, the film makes hearts ache with the vulnerable realities of an ordinary father-and-son relation.

O-THE CIRCLE Vng Trn O Director: Linh Phan Gia Nhat Viet Nam, 2013 6 min, color Narrative A young man is enjoying music while driving on a quiet eld. Suddenly, he hits someone on the road, and is astonished to learn the identity of the victim. But thats only the first of several accidents about to take place

A TRIP TO THE CITY Director: Huong Nguyen Viet Nam, 2013 6 min, color Narrative A father and daughter make a strangely sad journey to the city. Is this a routine trip or is there another purpose?

A NEW MOURNING Aprs la Peine Director: Anh Minh Truong Canada, 2013 61 min, color Narrative A young man awakens in complete amnesia with a strange old woman at his bedside. The woman nurses him back to health as they prepare for guests arrival at a mysterious event. Viewer discretion is advised. This film contains graphic depictions and violence.

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Film screenings will be followed by a Q & A with filmmakers, cast and crew.

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Interview
by Jennifer Huynh

Set 11: Someone I Used to Know

SUNDAY, APRIL 13 | 5 PM | ULTRALUXE
Director Nadine Truong Executive Producers Roger Kang, Andrew Yang, Steve Yang Producers: Frances E. Chang, Kevin Leung, West Liang, Eddie Mui, Brian Yang Screenwriter West Liang Cinematographer Tal Lazar

Nadine Truong

Director of SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW

The New York Times reported that the percentage of female directors on the list of 250 topgrossing films of 2012 jumped to 9 percent from 5 percent in 2011- what explains the gender gap in directing? What are specific challenges that women face? I think women encounter challenges at the workplace in general, and film is no different. Filmmaking, especially in Hollywood, is a very male oriented industry. Running a set is like running a huge company. It takes a lot of finesse, leadership skills and thick skin. Women have all of the above, but expectations for women leaders are different than for their male counterparts. When I went to film school (American Film Institute Conservatory, one of the leading film schools in the world), I was one of three female directors in a class of 28. Intimidating odds, but at the same time it only encouraged me to walk my path and to be part of a movement that will help push women filmmakers to the forefront.Content in films is very male driven, and yet the audience is comprised equally of women and men. I think what needs to happen is for the female audience to not only support, but demand that female voices are heard. That a womans interpretation of a subject matter is equally compelling and interesting to watch as a males. Its all happening right now, albeit slowly. We have to continue to nurture this environment for women and open up opportunities for gender equality at all workplaces. The movie describes friendships from the past. Who is someone that you used to know that you wouldnt mind meeting again, and why? Most people important to me, I have kept in touch with, and those that I didnt get to follow over the years at close proximity, Ive gotten to track down via social media sites. With that said, Id love to meet my uncle again. He passed away when I was just 12 years old, but his love for his family, including his extended family, left a lasting impression on me to this day. He was a fun and warm man, and Id love to hear what he thinks of us kids now all grown up. What is your favorite scene from the movie, and why? I absolutely love the shroom scene. It was one of the few unscripted moments of the film, that came out feeling like gold. Our movie set became a playground where all characters were supposed to be intoxicated and hallucinating, which was a lot of fun. Working with the actors to get authentic performances out of them, as well as using the tools available to me as a director in terms of cinematography and editing... it all just came together beautifully. I had a lot of fun with that scene, and of all scenes I love watching that one the most. Aside from directing films, what are your passions offset? Im very invested in the writing process as well as yoga. I discovered yoga a few years back when I was going through a rough time in my personal life, and found yoga to be such a positive life force. It literally kept me away from reaching for the selfdestructive things we like to do, and restored my inner balance. Writing and yoga is daily therapy to me. I love it so much, that I became a certified yoga teacher this year.Teaching yoga is much like directing a film. One has to be very in touch with ones own inner life, and my perspective has always been that as a director, I only guide and facilitate. The artist (cinematographer, actor, editor, production designer, etc....) still has to bring his or her own creative talent to the table. Teaching yoga is very similar. I can guide and point you toward the right direction and give you tools and teach you some alignments, but ultimately you will have to do the work and walk your own path. Yoga informs my life. My life informs my art. Youre originally from Germany- would you consider making films in German? How would you characterize the industry in Germany compared to the US? I would love to make films in Germany! I was born and raised there, but spent most of my adulthood here in the states. I feel very Asian American in that sense, but part of me has never shaken my European-ness. I consider German films to be some of the best, and there are a few that I really admire, and some that even crossed over into Hollywood (e.g. Werner Herzog). Unfortunately, I dont know too much about the industry over there, as I have mostly concentrated my efforts here in the indie world in the states, but thats not to say that I wouldnt welcome any doors that might open in the future. Someone I Used to Know actually screened at an Asian festival in Berlin this year, and it was a huge honor and a tremendous learning experience to see how Asian filmmakers are doing in Germany in comparison to the US. We still have a lot of work to do over here to get Asian American representation in the mainstream landscape, but Germany has even more steps to take. All in due time.

Someone I Used to Know

Do you remember your junior high or middle school years? Did you know that you would be a success, even though you had no clue how you would do it? Or perhaps you knew exactly what/ who you would be. Were you so filled with passion and talent that you couldnt fail? Perhaps you and the friends you would live and die for had a plan to conquer the world. Maybe you dont remember. Maybe life has trapped this memory in a distant haze. Maybe the person you see in the mirror has journeyed too far from the child of long ago. How do you get back? If you attempt that trip--if you reconnect with those friends--what will you find? These are the questions that Nadine Truongs Someone I Used to Knowexplores through the backdrop of a Hollywood night out as old and new friends (re)(dis)connect. Charlie Woo (played by West Liang of Invincible Scripture, Love Sick Diaries, and Love, Gloria )goes on a road trip to give away his cat and unexpectedly ends up hanging out with old middle school best friends, Luke Chen (Brian Yang of television series Hawaii Five-0) and Danny D.J. Jung (Eddie Mui of Gone in Sixty Seconds, Dark Blue and Buddha Heads). That evening they encounter a set of characters (played by Emily Chang, Kara Crane, Sara Sanderson, Melody Zara, and a standout performance by Rex Lee ofEntourage) who force them to face their past, present, and future. AnThu Vuong

Editor Todd Zelin Sound Dean Andre, Rich Gavin Cast West Liang Brian Yang Eddie Mui Emily Chang Kara Crane Rex Lee Sara Sanderson Melody Zara Diana Lee Inosanto Jimmy Deschler Jeremy Shranko Justin Huen Nadine Truong Halie Foust Keith Nagel Justice Hayashida Caleb Fleming Beth Alspaugh Shireen Mui Teruko Nakajima Leon Walker John Fukuda Melissa Goldberg Karen Chau USA, 2013 English 89 min, color Narrative

SQUARED Director: Hieu Tran USA, 2013 15 min, color Narrative A one night stand turns competitive when two guys find out they are both tops. Viewer discretion is advised. This film contains sexual content.

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Interview
by Tram Le

SUNDAY, APRIL 13 | 8 PM | ULTRALUXE

Director Charlie Nguyen Executive Producer Thanh Truc Tawny Nguyen Producers Jenni Trang Le Jimmy Pham Screenwriters Duong Tu An Charlie Nguyen Cinematographers Tal Lazar James Ngo

Set 12: Little Teo

Charlie Nguyen

Director of LITTLE TEO

Your two leading male actors (Johnny Minh Tri Nguyen and Thai Hoa) were stuck with each other for weeks while filming. Did playing the roles of brothers affect their relationship in real life? Absolutely, Ive seen them grow closer and closer as friends as we shot the movie. During breaks and lunches, they usually ran into Johnnys trailer and played video games against each other. How was it working (and wrestling) with a real live alligator in your film? It was daunting and exciting at the same time, but it cost production too much time to get the shot. That scene took us 7 days to film. You have made a very successful career of directing both martial arts action films along with hit comedy features. Do the skills needed to direct each genre complement each other and how do you switch back and forth? In comedy, I usually ask myself what makes me laugh and why? This question acts like a guide as I work through the beats in a scene. When we make action, I ask myself if the action choreography is an integral part of the story and whats the best way to design and shoot it creatively. After directing a string (four in a row!) of box-office record-breaking comedy flicks, do you have any thoughts about returning to your martial arts action roots or even directing a drama feature? No doubt about that. We are developing a martial arts action with Johnny to be shot at the end of this year. Were also looking forward to make The Rebel 2 within the next 2 years. I also want to make a thriller at some point and a war film. How has your success in Vietnam translated to opportunities in the larger film industry? Im co-producing and 2nd-unit directing the sequel of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon this June in China and New Zealand. I just action-directed a film for The Weinstein Company (TWC) in London this January.

Litle Teo
Teo Em
T (Johnny Minh Tri Nguyen) is a smart, handsome, rich and career-driven man. Whenever hes forced to choose between his work and his lover, Ming Ming (Ninh Dng Lan Ngc), she loses. He puts his career first even after learning that Ming Ming is expecting their baby. Heartbroken and hoping to hide her pregnancy, she leaves him and returns to her hometown in Sa c to marry another man. Finally realizing his loss, Tat the last minutechases after her. During his pursuit, T reunites with his adopted younger brother, To (Thi Ha), but they share no emotional connection. To is a kind, silly, and childish man, the opposite of T. During their trip to Sa c, the two brothers find themselves in numerous ridiculous and hilarious situations, including driving to the edge of a broken bridge and wrestling in a muddy river with a writhing alligator. They end up learning more about their differences and values, as well as the enduring bonds that connect them both. Little Teo/ To Em is sure to provide audiences with laughter, heartfelt moments, and the lessons we learn in our journey through life. Kim Tho Nguyen

Editor Charlie Nguyen Music Christopher Wong Garrett Crosby Production Designer Tran Trung Linh Visual Effects Stoffel Gaetan Cast Thai Hoa Johnny Tri Nguyen Ngoc Diep Jayvee Mai The Hiep Ning Duong Lan Ngoc Yaya Truong Nhi Viet Nam, 2013 Vietnamese with English subtitles 90 min, color Narrative

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Filmmakers Biographies
AMY HARTMAN
Hartman received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Media and Theatre Arts with a focus on cinematography and lighting design from Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana and a Master of Fine Arts degree in directing from New York Universitys Tisch School of the Arts Asia, Singapore. She has worked in the theatre with the Denver Center Theatre Companys world premiere of When Tang Met Laika and The Arden Theatre in Philadelphia on the critically acclaimed Sundays in the Park with George . She now lives and works in Los Angeles for the feature film production company, Night & Day Pictures. Springs Shorts Fest, Special Jury Prize at DOCNYC, and was nominated for an IDA Award (International Documentary Association). He recently produced and shot the feature, Nuoc (2030), a Vietnamese sci-fi film that was awarded the 2013 Tribeca Sloan Filmmaker Award and was the opening night film (Panorama section) at the Berlin International Film Festival. he won the Asian Excellence Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Little Fish. In 2009, Dustin was awarded the Vietnamese Golden Lotus Award (Vietnams highest film award) for Best Actor in the film, The Legend Is Alive, as well as the Golden Kite Award (Vietnams Cinema Association) and the Golden Rooster (Chinas most prestigious film award) for Favorite International Actor. In April 2010, his production company, Early Risers Media Group, released its first feature film, De Mai Tinh (Fool For Love) , which broke Vietnams box-office record for an April release. Tran graduated from UC San Diego with a double major in Visual Arts Media and Human Development. Tran aspires to become a Director of Photography, and he focuses on creating videos that represent the queer and Asian/Pacific Islander communities. Honorable Mention in the Its All True International Film Festival. Osaki was also selected by the Mayor of So Paulo to direct the 26-minute documentary Liberdade. He is currently completing his Master of Fine Arts degree in Filmmaking at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts Asia, Singapore.

Filmmakers Biographies
Southern Californias School of Cinematic Arts. His thesis film, Dog Day, was screened at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences New Voices from Vietnam program in 2010. To support the young filmmaker community in Viet Nam, he has been annually co-producing the first Vietnamese online short film festival, Yxineff (http://www. yxineff.com/en). In 2013 he won the British Councils Young Creative Entrepreneur Award.

ROBERT MAI

HUONG NGUYEN

Mai is currently majoring in screenwriting at Chapman University in Orange, California. He translates his passion for cinema into making darkly comic short films that span all genres and media.

was the production designer for House in the Alley (2012), Cuoi Ngay Keo Lo (2012), Bui Doi Cho Lon (2013) and Teo Em (2013) . Butterfly is the second short film he made in 2013.

VI-DAN TRAN

CHARLIE NGUYEN

ANDINH HA

Ha attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied Sociology and Ethnic Studies. In late 2010, he returned to Saigon to shoot his New York University graduate thesis film, Burn to Send.

ANDREW ROBB

Robb, director of Tofu Man, makes short films and is based in Melbourne, Australia.

ANH MINH TRUONG

Nguyen is a Vietnamese American film director, screenwriter and producer who has worked in feature films, television series, sitcoms, live concerts, television commercials and documentaries. In 1992, he started his own production company, Cinema Pictures, which in 2004 became Chanh Phuong Films. Some of his film credits include Chances Are/ Vt i Sao Di (2002, writer/ director), Fool For Love/ Mai Tnh (2009, director), the awardwinning hit released by The Weinstein Company, The Rebel/ Dng Mu AnhHng (2006, cowriter/co-producer/director), and the recent Viet Nam-banned, martial arts gangster film, Cho Lon/Bi i Ch Ln (2013, writer/director).

GARY CONDES

Truong is a fiction filmmaker, director, and video designer working in commercials, music, videos, television, live shows, theater, and the web. For the past 10 years, he has directed 16 shortand medium-length films, over 25 commercials and music videos, and has accumulated more than 30 awards and distinctions for his work, including Cannes Short Film Corner, Worldfest Houston, Promax/BDA Awards, Videaste recherch, Court en web, etc. His newest work, A New Mourning (Aprs la peine), took four years to complete. He is currently developing feature-length film projects.

DEBBIE NGUYEN

BAO NGUYEN

Nguyen is an emerging filmmaker whose work has been seen in the New York Times, on Al Jazeera, HBO, and PBS, among many others. His graduate thesis film, Julian, won a CINE Golden Eagle Award, the Best Student Documentary Short at the Palm

The B+ Agents of Change project produced the feature film, Change of Our Lives, which was commissioned by Cancer Council NSW (New South Wales). Shot as a soap opera, it uses comedy drama to demystify taboos about hepatitis B, its treatment, symptoms and modes of transmission. Cancer Council NSW decided to tackle the high prevalence of hepatitis B among Vietnamese Australians with storytelling through the accessible medium of film. After four months of scripting, community consultation, filmmaking workshops, and production under the guidance of local Western Sydney filmmaker Maria Tran, local youth saw their film launch on the big screen.

Condes originally trained as an actor and has worked for 20 years extensively in film, television, and theater. In 2012 he wrote, produced, and starred in his own short film, A Bit Older and a Little Bit Taller, which won awards for Original Comedy at World Fest Houston International Film Festival, and Excellence in Filmmaking at the Barcelona International Film Festival. Healthy is Condes directorial debut. He is honored to have been asked by Tuyen Do to help her realize her personal, humorous account of life as a 30-something Vietnamese woman making her way in London.

Nguyen received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Linguistics from the Vietnam National University, Hanoi. She also studied screenwriting as part of the Film Study Program (Ford Foundation) at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Hanoi, Viet Nam). The first short film she directed was Sweeten (2011). A Trip to the City is her second short. Her articles have appeared in phunutoday.vn, Dang Yeu, Phat Luat, and Couc Song newspaper.

NADINE TRUONG

THAM NGUYEN THI

KIM JAE-HAN

Jae-Han graduated from Busan Arts College and worked for play theater for ten years. In 2001, he established a visual arts school for youth and taught performance and visual arts. He started making a biographical film, A Silent Man (2011), with a very low budget. Thuy (2013) is his second feature.

Truong was born and raised in Aachen, Germany. In 1997, at age 16, Truong moved to San Jose, California. She received her BA degree in Anthropology from UCLA in 2003. She was awarded the Mary Pickford Scholarship for Excellence in Directing and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Directing from the American Film Institute in 2009. Her directorial debut, Chopsticks, premiered at the 2007 Vietnamese International Film Festival (ViFF). In 2010 she received the San Diego International Asian Film Festivals George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award. Someone I Used to Know is her first feature film.

PHOENIX VU

NORIO OSADA

LAM LE

HAM TRAN

DUSTIN NGUYEN

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Nguyen is one of Hollywoods premiere Asian-American actors, starring in such hit television shows as 21 Jump Street. In 2007,

Tran graduated from UCLA with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Film and Television. He earned National Finalist for the Student Academy Awards for two years in a row for his short films, The Prescription and Pomegranate. Trans thesis film, The Anniversary, won over 30 international awards and was a semi-finalist for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short. Trans first feature debut, Journey from the Fall , world-premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and has garnered over 10 awards in film festivals worldwide, including the Trong Dong Award at the 2007 Vietnamese International Film Festival (ViFF).

Le was born in Vietnam, but has been living in France since 1968, where he graduated in Math and Fine Arts. After theatrical activities, he worked as assistant director in cinema, and he directed his first film in 1980. He has completed four long features, many television films and an eight-hour fiction television series for Channel 1 Moscow. He won multiple awards in Cannes advertising its film festival. He is a teacher of directing and script writing in La Femis (National French Film School).

Osada was born 1942 in Beijing, China. After graduating Waseda University (Tokyo), he had a contract with Toei Film Company as a script writer. His numerous scripts for feature films and TV dramas include Under the Flag of the Rising Sun (1972), Lady Snow Blood (1974), Midnight Train (1989), and The Inugami Clan (2007). No. 10 Blues/ Goodbye Saigon is his first feature film.

Vu started out as a well-known television host and producer for reality shows and talk shows for young audiences in Hanoi, Viet Nam. After working in the industry for four years, he switched to television dramas and sitcom production. He then set his television career aside to live in the Philippines and study filmmaking. From there, he returned to Viet Nam and spent two years directing music videos for well-known singers and bands. He also made some short films that won local awards. In 20122013, he studied screenwriting at the London Film School.

Born in 1984 in Hanoi, Viet Nam, Tham graduated with honors from the Ho Chi Minh City Theater and Film School, majoring in film directing. In 2005 she attended a documentary workshop held in Southeast Asia by AteliersVaran. Her documentary films include Hello My Child, Hello My Baby (2005), Grandfather and Grandson (2006), and Xe Om (2011), which won the Jury Prize in the Vietnam Film Festival. Her first feature documentary, The Last Journey of Madam Phung (Chuyen Di Cuoi Cung Cua Chi Phung) , was selected for the First Films International competition of the 2014 Cinma Du Rel Festival.

Tran was born in Cologne, Germany. In 2006, Vi-Dan began his studies in Media Design, focusing on film at the University of Aachen (Germany). There he discovered a new passion: making movies. At Aachen he studied directing, camera, editing, VFX and sound design. He also pursued photography and illustration. In addition to working behind the scenes, he performed as a show artist on stage and as an actor, stuntman and a choreographer of stunts in movies and television shows.

VIET PHUONG DAO

THIEN DO

PHUONG THAO DONG

PAUL LE

MAURICIO OSAKI

HIEU TRAN

Born in Da Nang, Viet Nam and raised in San Diego, California,

Osaki earned his bachelors degree in Audiovisual Arts at the University of So Paulo, Brazil. His early short films, Life in an Anthill and Reminder, won the Best Director award at the Brasilia Festival of Brazilian Cinema. His London-based documentary, Karl Max Way, in collaboration with director Flavia Guerra, received

Le is the director of Che, a film about a lady who sells che, a Vietnamese dessert that can be eaten as a snack or a treat to satisfy our sweet tooth. Le enjoys shooting and cutting films and hopes to touch others with his filmmaking.

Dong was born in 1988, and in 2010 she graduated with a degree in Literature from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam). In 2011, she studied Screenwriting in the 6th course of the Cinema Project, and in 2012, she studied Independent Documentary Filmmaking at Hanoi Doclab (Hanoi Center for the Moving Image). Her other films include Maudlin Room and Window Open Window (both 2013).

PRANO BAILY-BOND

PHAN XI NE LINH

When he was 19, Phan cofounded two of the first and biggest Vietnamese movie fanbased websites, Moviesboom. com and Yxine.com. In 2006, with a Ford Foundation fellowship, he became the first Vietnamese student in the University of

Baily-Bond has worked as a director and editor since graduating from The London College of Printing (University of the Arts London) in 2005. With a background in art and theatre, Welsh-born Baily-Bonds creative stamp is both technically polished and visually distinctive. Her films have won numerous awards, including a UK Music Video Award last year, Best Music Short at the London Short Film Festival, and the British Horror Award in 2010.

Born in Viet Nam, Do came to the United States in 1975. At age 40, he quit his job as a creative director at an advertising agency and moved to Viet Nam to pursue a lifelong dream of making films. His short, The Fading Light (Theo Huong Den Ma Di), has been widely screened at international festivals, including the Tampere International Short Film Festival (Finland) and the Bilbao International Festival of Short Films (Spain). It received the Best Cinematography Award at the Sapporo International Short Fest (Japan), and the Audience Choice Award at the Vietnamese International Film Festival (California). Funny Money is his first feature-length film.

Dao was born in Hanoi, Viet Nam, but spent most of his life in Germany. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree in Film Production at Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles) in 2013. A self-described rap musician/fanatic, Dao has been creating many music videos for Vietnamese hip hop artists and music-driven short films since 2011.

VINH NGUYEN

TRAN TRUNG LINH

Tran was born in 1977 in Hoi An, Viet Nam. He graduated from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts in 2001. In 2007 he began his film career as a storyboard artist on several films, first with Charlie Nguyen on Dong Mau Anh Hung ( The Rebel , in which he also acted), then with Le Thanh Son on Bay Rong . He

Nguyen is a freelance videographer with a Bachelors degree in Design in Visual Communications. His work has earned him Best Film at 48 Green Hours 2011 and Shortcuts 2012. His films have been screened at Cannes (France) and in Australia. Lonely Wheels was created as part of Fairfield Bike Shorts (FBS), a Community Cultural Development project. FBS was a series of workshops and events in which culturally diverse local residents explored cycling cultures and heritage through art, storytelling and film.

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Print & Tape Source

A NEW MOURNING Aprs La Peine Videographe David Chouinard 4550 rue Garnier Montreal Quebec, Canada H2J3S7 dchouinard@videographe.qc.ca A TRIP TO THE CITY Huong Nguyen 508-Y3-135 Nui Truc Ba Dinh Hanoi, Viet Nam huongnguyen1118@gmail.com BURN TO SEND t v tri Andinh Ha anhdinh@gmail.com BUTTERFLY Bm 13 Production Tran Trung Linh trantrunglinh@gmail.com HANOI FLY BOY Infinite World Entertainment Viet Phuong Dao 8655 Belford Ave., Apt 275 Los Angeles, CA 90045 fawngdaw@gmail.com HEALTHY Hades Productions Tuyen Do 77 Nutbourne St. London, Westminster United Kingdom do_tuyen@hotmail.com HOW TO FIGHT IN 6-INCH HEELS m Mu Giy Gt Nhn Happy Canvas, LLC Timothy Linh Bui t12monkeys@gmail.com Happycanvas.net LITTLE TEO To Em Chanh Phuong Films 69/1/15 D2 Street Ward 25, BinhThanh District Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam Tel: (84-8) 6291-2179 http://www.chanhphuongfilms.vn LONELY WHEELS Fairfield Bike Shorts Phuong Le Fairfield Bike Shorts PO Box 165W Fairfield West, NSW Australia bikeshortsau@gmail.com http://fairfieldbikeshorts.wordpress.com MAI GALLERY Amy Hartman 1333 Bates Ave., Apt. 2 Los Angeles, CA 90027 amyhartman@me.com MY FATHERS TRUCK Xe ti ca b Lupi Films Mauricio Osaki maubros@gmail.com www.lupifilms.com NO. 10 BLUES/GOODBYE SAIGON Presario Corp. Kenji Isomura 391 Sendagaya, Sibuya-Ku Tokyo, Japan 151-0051 Tel: +81-3-5413-5077 isomura@presario.jp O-THE CIRCLE Vng trn O Blue Productions Yen Tran Thi Hai 25/14 Nguyen Binh Khiem Street Ben Nghe Ward Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam info@bluevietnam.vn http://www.bluevietnam.com ONCE UPON A TIME IN VIETNAM La Pht Vietnam Media Corp.-BHD Co. Ltd. Nguyen Bao Mai 11th Floor, Hong Ha Centre 25 Ly Thuong Kiet Street Hoan Kim Ha Noi, Viet Nam Email: baomai@bhdvn.com www.vietnammediacorp.com SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW Nadine Truong grenadine54@gmail.com http://www.facebook.com/ someoneiusedtoknow SQUARED Hieu Tran hieuydtran@gmail.com www.facebook.com/squared2013 THE DEVILS TIMEKEEPER Robert Mai mai107@mail.chapman.edu THE TRIP Soul Rebel Films 48a Fonthill Road London, United Kingdom N4 3HU intern@soulrebelfilms.com www.soulrebelfilms.com THUY M-Line Distribution Tel: 822-796-2427 www.mline-distribution.com TOFU MAN Algernon Productions Andrew Robb 20 Ardoyne Street Sunshine Victoria, Australia 3020 andrewrobb62@gmail.com www.facebook.com/tofumanshortfilm/ WHAT IF Gi S Phoenix Vu 303-304, 53 Nguyen Khoai street Hai Ba Trung District Hanoi, Viet Nam phuongvn5885@gmail.com www.phoenixvnp.com XE OM Blue Productions Yen Tran Thi Hai 25/14 Nguyen Binh Khiem Street Ben Nghe Ward, District 1 Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam info@bluevietnam.vn http://www.bluevietnam.com YOU NEVER KNOW Vi-Dan Tran Vi-Dan@t7-production.com

Acknowledgements
THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS Alex Thai Nguyen Alex Van Anderson Le BHD Co., LTD Chanh Phuong Films Chau Haller Chaulinh Mai, D.D.S. Christina Pham Davina Samuel Dinh Xuan Thai Do Dzung Do Tai Thang Duy Anh Ton Dzung T. Bach Fawng Daw Georges Van Den Abbeele, Ph.D. Gia Ly Hien Chau Hoa-Binh (Nina) Le Hon Viet TV HuongTho Jack Toan Jennifer Nguyen (Lexor) Kelly Doan Ken Dat Duong, Esq. Koboei KVLA TV Linh Nguyen Luan Tran, Esq. Me Vietnam Radio &Nhu Hao Minh Duc Nguyen Nancy Warzer-Brady Ngoc An Nhu-Ngoc Ong, Ph.D. Nhuan Nguyen-Tong, M.D. Pham Phu Nhan Pham Phu Thien Giao Pho Bolsa TV Serena Nguyen Stefan Nguyen Stephane Gauger Thanasi Papoulias Thanh Lan Thanh Tam Thanh Thao Thao-Ly Nguyen Thien An Thu-Huong Nguyen-Vo, Ph.D. Thuy Trinh Tony T. Nguyen Tran Anh Hung Triet Tran Truc Lam Truc Linh Trung Ta Victoria To-Uyen Vinh Hoang Vinh Loc VNCR & Duc Nguyen Winnie Vu Special thanks to all our sponsors, the press, and especially the artists, staff, and volunteers of Viet Film Fest 2014! THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING COMMUNITY PARTNERS Arts Orange County Asian American Studies Program, CSU Fullerton Asian American Studies, UC Irvine Bowers Museum Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) Cambodia Town Film Festival Circle Painting Common Ground Department of Radio-TV-Film, CSU Fullerton Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) Horizon Cross Cultural Center La Quinta High School National Asian Pacific American Womens Forum - OC Chapter Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA) Project MotiVATe Shakespeare of Orange County South Coast Repertory UC Irvine Libraries Southeast Asian Archive UCLA Asian American Studies Center UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies Union of Vietnamese Student Associations (UVSA) Viet-C.A.R.E Vietnamese American Cancer Foundation (VACF) Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce (VACOC) Vietnamese American Oral History Project at UC Irvine Viet Rainbow of Orange County (VROC) Vietnamese Student Association, CSU Fullerton VietNamese Language and Culture (VNLC) Visual Communications Westminster High School

http://www.facebook.com/13production.vn?red=hl

CHANGE OF OUR LIVES Thay i Cuc Sng Cancer Council NSW Debbie Nguyen 153 Dowling St. Woolloomooloo, New South Wales Australia debbieng@nswcc.org.au CHE Paul Le Paulle37@yahoo.com CONG BINH: THE LOST FIGHTERS OF VIETNAM Cng Binh, m Di ng Dn ADR Productions Sandrine Valageas 53 rue des 2 communes Montreuil, Seine St-Denis France Sandrine@adr-productions.fr www.adr-productions.fr EMPLOYED IDENTITY Bao Nguyen 10644 Weymouth St. Bethesda, MD bao.minh.nguyen@gmail.com www.Baominhnguyen.com FUNNY MONEY Tin Cha Chuong Gio Films Thien Do thiendo63@yahoo.com GRANDFATHER ng Ni Hanoi Doclab, A Center for the Moving Images 56/58 Nguyen Thai Hoc Hanoi, Viet Nam hanoidoclab@gmail.com www.hanoidoclab.org

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VFF 2014 Committee Members & Volunteers

FESTIVAL CO-DIRECTORS Ysa Le Tram Le ASSISTANTS TO FESTIVAL CO-DIRECTORS Lisa Le Phi Duong Yvonne Tran BOX OFFICE An Thu Vuong (co-Chair) Wolfgang Shane, D.C. (coChair) Sandy Ninh Tyler Plaut CATALOG Tu Uyen Nguyen, PhD (Editorin-Chief) An Thu Vuong Christina Woo Erin K. Ninh, PhD Long Bui, PhD Yvonne Tran COMMUNITY RELATIONS Julie Vo (Chair) Danthu Pham Thuy Vo Dang, PhD DEVELOPMENT Ann Phong (co-Chair) Linda Vo, PhD (co-Chair) Darlena Tran Ethan Nguyen Lisa Le Manh Nguyen TiTiMary Tran Yvonne Tran GRAPHICS James Dinh Nhan Nguyen Lisa Le Yen Phan GUEST RELATIONS Anh Nguyen (Chair) Joe Reinsvold Mai Tran Nuen Khanh Nguyen Tam Le TiTi Mary Tran Wayne Phan HUMAN RESOURCES Darlena Tran (Chair) MASTERS OF CEREMONIES Thuy Vo-Dang, PhD Tran Tuong Huy MARKETING & PR Thuy Vo Dang, PhD (co-Chair) Tran Tuong Huy (co-Chair) Ann Phong Danthu Pham Jason Tran Lisa Le Marie Tran Phi Duong Sandy Ninh Tri Duong OPERATIONS Ethan Nguyen (Chair) Jane Le Joe Reinsvold Mai Tran Nhan Nguyen Tyler Plaut Wayne Dye PHOTOGRAPHERS Andy Trung Brian Dang Charlie Lee Michael Burr SCREENING Tu Uyen Nguyen, PhD (Chair) Kim-Tho Nguyen Marie Tran Phi Long Mai Stephane Gauger SPECIAL EVENTS Giana Nguyen (Chair) Mary Pham, D.C. (Hospitality Specialist) Phi Duong Sandy Ninh TECHNICAL Alex Van Quoc Quan Le Yvonne Tran TRAILER/TEASER Doantuong Nguyen (Viet Film Fest 2014 official trailers & awards announcement) Stephane Gauger (Indiegogo campaign video) TRANSLATIONS An Thu Vuong Tran Tuong Huy Ysa Le WEBSITE Quyen Lam (Webmaster) Ivan Small, PhD (co-Chair) Lilly Nguyen, PhD (co-Chair) Christina Woo VIET FILM FEST CHANNEL Ysa Le(Chair) Lilly Nguyen, PhD Quoc Quan Le Ryan Chittick Tram Le Tran Tuong Huy Wes Nguyen Wolfgang Shane, D.C. Yvonne Tran VOLUNTEER NAMES: Aaron Kelly An Vu Anh Nguyen Ben Nguyen Brian Swasdibutra Christa Ky Christina Phan Danh C. Tran Daniel Nguyen Henry Phan Holly Ha Nguyen Hung Pham Julie Hoang Kadie Hoang Khoa Tran Kristina Anderson Long Nguyen Mai Tran Mary Dang Nhan Nguyen Peterson Pham Phuc Doan Phuong Nguyen Sang Tran Teresa Tran Thuha Tran Tien Duong Tri Duong Trinh Mai Tulinh Duong Uyen Nguyen Wes Nguyen Yvonne Tran

Proudly supports Viet Film Fest!

The Boiling Crab Brookhurst (714) 636-4885 13892 Brookhurst St Garden Grove, CA 92843 The Boiling Crab South Coast (714) 979-2722 1500 W Macarthur Blvd Santa Ana, CA 92704 The Boiling Crab Euclid (714) 265-2722 14241 Euclid St Garden Grove, CA 92842

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www.t heboiling c r ab.c om

THE DEPARTMENT OF ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES AND THE VIETNAMESE AMERICAN ORAL HISTORY PROJECT (VAOHP) IN THE SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE ARE PROUD TO SPONSOR VIET FILM FEST.

Created in 2011, VAOHP assembles, preserves, and disseminates the diverse life stories of Vietnamese American refugees and immigrants that contribute to our understanding of American history and of Vietnamese in the diaspora. The collection is permanently housed at the Southeast Asian Archive at UC Irvine Libraries as well as digitized for online access.

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SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES

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congratulates the Viet Film Fest 2014!

Daily News 14841 Moran Street Westminster, CA 92683 Tel: 714-894-2500 Fax: 714-766-6171 Vietbao.com

from

Lexors Exclusive Technology:

2014 Viet Film Fest

Proud Sponsor

14800 Goldenwest St. Westminster, CA 92683 866-Pedi-Spa (733-4772) 10 Showrooms nationwide www.lexor.com

Congratulates the Viet Film Fest 2014!

9705 Bolsa Avenue Westminster, CA 92687

1714-722-5769 1877-784-8987 www.trekhoedepusa.com

The Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce (VACOC) is proud to sponsor the Viet Film Fest 2014!

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Its an Adventure, Not a Visit

Trung Tm Nha Khoa Nhi ong Bc si Nha Khoa Chu Linh C. Mai www.allchildrensdental.com
15266 Goldenwest Street Westminster, CA 92683 (714) 379-3100 1307 S. Euclid Street Anaheim, CA 92802 (714) 808-0228

Coco Paris, LLC congratulates Viet Film Fest on celebrating Vietnamese voices in cinema for the past 10 years!

LTL ATTORNEYS PROUDLY SPONSORS VIET FILM FEST

333 City Blvd. West Suite 1235 Orange, California 92868

Tel: 714-634-0112 Fax: 213-612-3773 w w w.l t l a t t o r n eys . c o m

TDL International Law Firm, APLC and its entertainment attorney - Mr. Chuong T. Bui, Esq. - would like to wish Viet Film Fest another wonderful and successful year and also thank you for coming out and supporting the work of many of our clients.

w w w. t dl l awfi r m . co m

16511 Brookhurst St, Fountain Valley, CA 92708 | (714) 775-6050

Little Saigon TV 9191 Bolsa Avenue, Suite 225 Westminster, CA 92683

Tel: 714-979-9562 Fax: 714-979-9582 www.LittleSaigonTV.com

DTNTech is a proud sponsor of Viet Film Fest. www.dtntech.com

Proudly supports the Viet Film Fest 2014!
11568 Trask Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92843 | (714) 868-6386

Thai Quoc Ha, M.D .

is a proud sponsor of Viet Film Fest. Congratulates the Viet Film Fest 2014!
23451 Madison St, Torrance, CA 90505 | (310) 375-1246 Vien ng Daily News 14891 Moran Street Westminster, CA 92683 Tel: 714-379-28t51 Fax: 714-379-2853 www.viendongdaily.com

www.ra d i oV N C R . com Viet Nam California Radio 14861 Moran Street Westminster, CA 92683 Tel: 714-891-8142 Fax: 714-891-8190 Email: info@radiovncr.com

is proud to support the Viet Film Fest 2014!

(714) 262-7028 VNCR 106.3 FM proudly supports the Viet Film Fest 2014!

It feels good to give back.

And together with our generous customers and employees, Macys averages more than $1 million a week to initiatives important to you and your community arts, education, the environment, HIV/AIDS, and womens health and wellness.

Dao Aesthetics Institute is a proud sponsor of the 2014 Viet Film Fest. www . d a o a e s t h et i csi n st i t u t e.com

9191 Westminster Blvd. Suite 203 / Garden Grove, CA 92844 (714) 583-6310 (877) 377-4383

SA IGON DEN TAL

Saigon Dental is proud to support the Viet Film Fest 2014!
9094 Bolsa Avenue Westminster, CA 92683 | Tel: 714-895-6644

It adds up to $70 million* a year. Its a good feeling we can all share, and to us, thats the magic of giving.

* Includes grants from Macys Foundation

Achieving great things for our community

When a group of people comes along who have the courage and vision to turn dreams into reality, they make the future bright for everyone. VAALA, we celebrate your achievements.

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