2:00 pm - Viet Film Fest 2016

Chronological Program Calendar
General Information
All programs are subject to change and/or cancellation without prior
notice. For the most updated program and general information,
please visit our website at www.vietfilmfest.com.
Festival tickets can
All works presented in the festival are unrated. Please consult
program descriptions contained herein. Parental guidance is strongly
recommended for films noted with “Viewer discretion is advised.”
www.VietFilmFest.com
be purchased at
or at the door 30 minutes before
screening time.
All films will be shown at:
AMC Orange 30 (The Outlets at Orange)
20 City Blvd., West Suite E
Orange,CA 92868
Ticket Information
ADMISSION
$12 – General
$10 – Students with ID and Seniors (60+)
All-Festival VIP Pass - $150 (allows access to all screenings and events)
Group discounts are available if arranged with Viet Film Fest prior to
the screening
COMMUNITY DAY
FREE for all students with ID and Seniors (60+)
“Set 2: I Will Survive” – Friday, April 15, 11:00 AM
“Set 3: Kung Fu Pho” – Friday, April 15, 2:00 PM
OPENING NIGHT
Thursday, April 14
$15 screening
$30 reception @ Cafe Tu Tu Tango
*Sponsored by Wells Fargo
Address: 20 City Blvd W, Orange, CA 92868
Phone: (714) 769-2222
AWARDS CEREMONY AND RECEPTION
Saturday, April 16
$12 screening
$40 reception @ Brodard Chateau
REFUND/EXCHANGE POLICY
All Sales Are Final. No refunds or exchanges will be given except for program
cancellations. Exchanges are available only when a program is oversold.
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F estival P anels and R eceptions
OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION @ CAFE TU TU TANGO
Thursday, April 14, 2016 | 10:15 PM – 12:30 AM (Ticketed Event, $30)
Not ready for the night to end after an exciting red carpet extravaganza and opening night screening of Bitcoin Heist? Join us at
Cafe Tu Tu Tango for an exciting after-party with hors d’oeuvres, DJ music, and the chance to mingle and pose for photographs with
industry VIPs. (No-host bar). This reception is sponsored by Wells Fargo.
INSTAFAME: HOW YOUTH ARE USING DIGITAL MEDIA TO CHANGE THE GAME (SPECIAL PANEL AND INDUSTRY RECEPTION)
Saturday, April 16, 2016 | 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Panel | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Reception (Free admission and open to the public)
The abundance of social media platforms has arguably made the world of multimedia art and communication more accessible than
ever. Anyone can create a film, song, or write a blog post and share it with communities on the other side of the globe within mere
seconds. It has especially been a powerful tool for young people to get their voices heard. But while the possibilities are endless,
they can also be overwhelming. With millions of Instagram posts, YouTube videos, and Tweets flooding the internet at any given
moment, how do we best leverage these tools to create work that is truly visible and impactful? How do we move from going viral
to producing art with real staying power? To answer these questions, we’ve assembled a special panel of successful members of the
music and film industries to share how they engage with modern day digital tools to communicate their art and message. Panelists
include: Suboi (Star of Bitcoin Heist, Vietnam’s Queen of Hip Hop), Bao Nguyen (Filmmaker, 2030/SNL/Saigon Electric), Christopher
Dinh (Actor, Crush the Skull, Youtube Star), Anderson Le (Producer, Bitcoin Heist, Contributor to YOMYOMF), Erica Cheung (UCI PhD
Student, Digital Media Scholar, and Organizer for Critical Visual Geographies Collective).
TRONG DONG AWARDS CEREMONY AND RECEPTION @ BRODARD CHATEAU
Saturday, April 16, 2016 | 10:00 PM - 12:30 AM (Ticketed Event $40)
We will announce and celebrate our Trong Dong Award Winners at a ritzy after party at Brodard Chateau. Come join us for delicious
appetizers, music, and a special awards presentations. This reception is sponsored by Brodard Chateau (No-host bar).
FINDING PHONG AND THE VIETNAMESE LGBTQ COMMUNITY (SPECIAL PANEL)
Sunday, April 17, 2016 | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (Free admission and open to the public)
After its 2015 release, Finding Phong propelled a landmark decision by the Vietnamese National Assembly to change its Civil Codes to
recognize the rights of transgender people. Combining personal diary and documentary footage, this remarkable narrative provides
intimate glimpses into subjects ranging from representation, healthcare, family, sexuality and gender in Vietnam. This panel invites
the public to join in a session with the documentary’s subject and narrator, Le Anh Phong, Producer Nicole Pham, Executive Producer
Gerald Herman, and Viet Film Fest’s community partner, the Viet Rainbow Coalition of Orange County (VROC) to discuss filmmaking,
transgender representation and rights, and LGBTQ mental health access and support in Orange County. Vietnamese and English
interpretation will be provided.
VIETNAMESE AMERICAN ARTS & LETTERS ASSOCIATION
Hội Văn Học Nghệ Thuật Việt Mỹ
www.vaala.org
OUR MISSION
is to connect and enrich communities through
Vietnamese art and culture.
Founded in 1991 by a group of Vietnamese American journalists,
artists and friends, Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association
(VAALA) organizes numerous cultural events such as art exhibitions,
book signings, music recitals, plays, and annual events such as the
Viet Film Fest and the Children’s Moon Festival. VAALA also offers
year-long art and music classes.
VIET FILM FEST
CHILDREN’S MOON FESTIVAL
ART CLASSES
POP UP NAIL SALON
Sunday, April 17, 2016 | 1:00PM – 2:00PM (Free and open to the public)
Get a fabulous manicure by the students of Advanced Beauty College and healthier, safer nail products from Polished Perfect by
Twila True.
THE NAIL INDUSTRY: A LEGACY AND CONTINUED ACTIVISM (SPECIAL PANEL)
Sunday, April 17, 2016 | 3:20PM-4:30PM (Free and open to the public)
There is no doubt that the tale of nails and the Asian immigrant experience are inextricably linked. It is an estimated 40% of all nail
salon workers in the U.S. are Vietnamese women, while the highest density of Vietnamese nail technicians are in California (80%).
But have you ever wondered why that is? Come join us as we explore the rise of the nail salon as the symbol of the American Dream
and what it means to the Vietnamese community. Along with filmmakers, activists, and pioneers in the nail industry, we will discuss
the nail salon as an important site for empowerment and cross-cultural bonds, but also the health and safety consequences of its
workers. Featured panelists include: Dianne Griffin and Erica Jordan (Directors, Painted Nails), Adele Pham (Director, #NailedIt),
Maegan Houang (Director, I Can’t Be Your Superman), Dusty Coots Butera (Manicurist Instructor), Kim-Dung Nguyen and Thuan Le
(Vietnamese American manicurist pioneers), Van Hoang (main subject, Painted Nails), Lisa Fu (Program and Outreach Director, CA
Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative), and Tuan Nguyen (Industrial hygienist; CA Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative.)
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VISUAL ARTS
PERFORMING ARTS
smART PROGRAM
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S ponsors
THE STAR
RED CARPET
ON THE SET
Chaulinh C. Mai, DDS
www.allchildrensdental.com
STAR STRUCK
FANS
Lan Cao
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COMMUNITY SPONSORS
Advance Beauty College
AMC Independent
Brodard Chateau
Café Tu Tu Tango
Corner Bakery (The Outlets at Orange)
DTN Tech
Hoa Nguyen and Quan Hy Restaurants
Hong Hai Restaurant
Market Broiler
Matcha Delights
Moble Ad 4.biz
Polished Perfect
Saigon City Marketplace
Select Printing
Starbucks (The Outlets at Orange)
VietnamAdvisors.com
CA Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative
Common Ground
Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander
Community Alliance (OCAPICA)
Orange County & Southeast Asian
Archives, UCI Libraries
Project MotiVATe
South Coast Repertory
UC Irvine Illuminations
UVSA
Vietnamese American Chamber of
Commerce (VACOC)
Vietnamese American Oral History
Project (VAOHP)
Viet Rainbow of Orange County (VROC)
Visual Communications and the LA Asian
Pacific Film Festival
Westminster High School
Tiyya Foundation
MEDIA SUPPORTERS
School of Humanities, Department of Asian
American Studies, and UCI Illuminations: The
Chancellor’s Initiative for Arts & Culture
Nguyễn Hoàng Dũng, Esq.
IN-KIND SPONSORS
Thai Ha, M.D.
Enclave LA
Hồn Việt TV
Little Saigon TV
Mẹ Việt Nam Radio
Nguoi Viet Daily News
OC Register
OC Weekly
Saigon Broadcasting Television Network
(SBTN)
Saigon TV
Sống Magazine
Vien Dong Daily News
Viet Bao Daily News
Viet Tide Magazine
VietFace TV
VOCR
A big thank you also goes to
those who donated to our
#voiceslikemine campaign!
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FRIDAY, APRIL 15 - SET 2:
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM I WILL SURVIVE
THURSDAY, APRIL 14 - SET 1:
BITCOIN HEIST 8:00 PM - 10:10 PM
BI TCOIN HE IST (SIÊ U T RỘ M )
Ham Tran / Vietnam / 2016 / 115 min
In order to catch Interpol’s most wanted hacker who calls himself “The Ghost,” special agent DaDa (Kate Nhung)
assembles a team of expert criminals to carry out the ultimate heist. The lineup includes: Jack Magique (Petey
Majik Nguyen), a street magician and master pickpocket; Luhan (Jayvee Mai The Hiep) and Linh (Lam Thanh
My), a father and daughter grifter duo; Vi (Suboi), a League of Legends champion, manga fan, and expert
hacker; and Phuc (Thanh Pham), a skinny accountant who works for The Ghost. Phuc has agreed to work
with the police in exchange for protection against his notorious employer, a Korean-German tech industrialist
playboy (with ties to the mafia) named Thomas Nam (Teo Yoo).
There is more than meets the eye, however, in the world of The Ghost, since any smart criminal knows that
“there is no honor among thieves.” Award winning director Ham Tran’s (Journey from the Fall) new flick
from Vietnam is groundbreaking, in that it is filled with great special effects and advanced technology. With
a mixture of Mission Impossible and Ocean’s 11, Ham Tran’s Bitcoin Heist is packed with daring stunts and
unpredictable plot twists that transform this heist-film into a high-stakes rollercoaster enterprise.
By David Goetz
**FREE FOR STUDENTS AND SENIORS WITH ID
Factory (Nhà Máy)
Duong Nguyen / Vietnam / 2015 / 4 min
A delightful animation that muses on childhood, imagination, and the
demands of society.
The Heart’s Scar
Thuy Le Do / Vietnam / 2016 / 35 min
After heart surgery, 12-year old Tình sells lottery tickets to support herfamily
in rural South Vietnam. Interspersed with haunting animation sequences, this
stunning documentary explores loss, love, and responsibility.
My Home (Chez moi)
Phuong Mai Nguyen / France / 2014 / 12 min
The day after Hugo’s mother comes home, he wakes up to find black feathers all
over his house.
Who’s Still Alive, Hands Up!
(Ai còn sống, giơ tay lên!)
Nguyen Hoang Diep / Vietnam, USA / 2015 / 13 min
In a near-future, humanity finds itself devouring the world and themselves
into extinction.
Honoring Life: The Work of Trinh Mai
Chris Fessenden / USA / 2015 / 25 min
Vietnamese American artist Trinh Mai discusses the inspirations behind her
expansive body of work that tells stories of heritage, nature, and honoring life.
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FRIDAY, APRIL 15 - SET 3:
KUNG FU PHO 2:00 PM – 4:20 PM
Kung Fu Pho (Kung Fu Phở)
Nguyen Quoc Duy / Vietnam / 2015 / 95 min
**FREE FOR STUDENTS AND SENIORS WITH ID
Doan is a good-for-nothing man whose only skill is being a delivery boy for the Co Family Pho Restaurant.
Orphaned at birth with no knowledge of his past, he was raised only to serve Master Co and his son, Trong,
and knows no other way of life.
In his youth, Master Co was one of the only two disciples of Van Cu, the Grand Master of Kung Fu Pho, an art
form that mixes the fierceness of fighting with the elegance of cooking in order to create the most renowned
noodle dish in all of the land. In their final training task, Co and his rival, Vu, compete to inherit the secret pho
recipe and win the title of Kung Fu Pho Master. Vu ultimately prevails.
Twenty-five years later, with the Co Pho restaurant on the brink of bankruptcy and Master Co near death,
Doan is tasked with infiltrating the Vu family dojo to steal the secret pho recipe in order to save his master’s
business. On his journey he finds an unlikely friend in Jennipho, a potbellied sumo fighter, who helps him
become a student of Master Vu. Loyalties are tested when Doan falls for Master Vu’s daughter, Chau Nhi. Will
Doan choose between saving the family that raised him or risk everything for a chance at true love? Kung Fu
Pho is an action-packed family comedy that will have one laughing and craving for pho simultaneously.
FRIDAY, APRIL 15 - SET 4:
7:30 PM - 9:40 PM CRUSH THE SKULL
Crush the Skull
Viet Nguyen / USA / 2015 / 83 min
What happens when you bring burglars and serial killers together? Viet Nguyen’s award-winning movie
cleverly mashes different genres like the robber caper, romantic comedy, and torture horror in an unlikely
and unforgettable combination. Ollie (Christopher Dinh) and Blair (Katie Savoy) are your typical attractive
interracial couple who enjoy spending their time as a couple, breaking into the high class residences of rich
people. Trying to put a major mistake from their last run behind them, the young lovers decide to pull off one
last heist to avoid slipping into further debt.
Working with their accomplices Connor (Chris Riedell) and Riley (Tim Chiou), they locate an easy target in
an isolated vacation home in the mountains. Instead of finding an unsecured den of riches, the thieves
stumble upon the home of a disturbed serial killer, which he uses as a place to torture and imprison his
female victims. Their plans to escape go even more awry when they decide to save a young woman named
Vivian. As the killer tries to separate the members of the group from one another, while tracking their every
move, the jokes and arguments begin to fly. With the genius mind of a master killer pitted against the skills of
professional robbers, who will be outwitted? Prepare to be scared and laugh as things go unplanned in this
madhouse where anything can happen. By Long Bui
By Ethan Nguyen
Preceded by the short film
“Hoi An”
(Giang Hoang / Vietnam / 2015 / 15 min)
A woman wanders through the heart of Hoi An,
engrossed by mysterious spirit in this poetic half
narrative, half documentary.
Viewer discretion is advised: sexual content
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Preceded by the short film:
“The Grim Reaper’s Daughter”
Robert Mai / USA / 2015 / 13 min
An overworked Grim Reaper is forced to
take his murderous daughter to
the office.
Viewer discretion is advised:
strong language
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SATURDAY, APRIL 16- SET 5
THAO’S LIBRARY 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
SATURDAY, APRIL 16 - SET 6:
2:00 PM – 4:35 PM NEVER FORGET
NEVER FORGET
T H AO ’S LIBRA RY
Elizabeth Van Meter / Vietnam, USA / 2015 / 88 min
Jon Bling / Australia / 2016 / 95 min
A profound and heart-warming documentary, Thao’s Library, tells the extraordinary story of two young women
who come together from across the globe. Thao, a disabled woman from South Vietnam, and Elizabeth, from
New York, discover friendship, solace, and purpose in each other. Elizabeth desperately seeks meaning in her
life after the death of her sister. By chance, she sees a black and white photo of Thao in a wheelchair, and
becomes obsessed with meeting her. Yearning for escape from the void left by her sister’s death, Elizabeth
decides to travel to Vietnam.
Director Jon Bling’s transnational film puts the spotlight on a young woman’s journey of the heart as she
deals with intergenerational and intercultural gaps. When Kim, a young Vietnamese Australian woman, hears
about her estranged father’s death, she returns to Vietnam for the first time in 10 years to begin the process
of reconciliation and healing. Caught between two worlds, Kim must decide what she wants to learn and take
from her homeland. In Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), she gets reacquainted with an old extended family friend,
Bao, who gives her a local view of the city. As she explores the dynamics of the place she had left behind,
the tension between wanting to forget the past and always remembering begins to fade. With its completely
bilingual dialog, the film shows the language limitations of a Westernized generation and the emotional
confusion that comes with navigating what it means to be Vietnamese in today’s hybridized world.
Once in Vietnam, Elizabeth learns that Thao is among many other Vietnamese children who were born with
deformities due to the toxic defoliant and herbicide known as Agent Orange. The chemical was employed
throughout the Vietnamese countryside by the American military during the Vietnam War. Elizabeth grows
close to Thao as she explores the beautiful local scenery and learns about the lives of the villagers. Thao wants
nothing more than to build a library for the children of the village. Although she has little money and is still
overcome with personal grief, Elizabeth becomes determined to help her “angel Thao.” Drawn together by
purpose, resilience, and love, the two embark on a life-changing journey.
As she plays childhood card games and recalls old romantic love songs—Kim’s cold demeanor begins to melt
and the audience sees the beginnings of joy for someone who is finally discovering who she is and what she
wants. Yet will she stay in Vietnam with Bao or return to her other life with her white boyfriend in Australia
who had just proposed marriage? Despite one’s lack of linguistic fluency, Never Forget reminds us that the
language of love is always powerfully and clearly understood, no matter where you are.
By Long Bui
By Catherine Ai
Preceded by the short film: “Simple Things”
Uong Ngoc Tien / Vietnam / 2015 / 26 min
In a situation she could never have imagined herself,
Lanh finds hope and community with other women living
in the same detention center.
Viewer discretion is advised: strong language and violence
Preceded by the short film:
“Fresh Snow”
Danh Minh Dao / Norway / 2015 / 30 min
A young, Vietnamese couple are expecting
and in search for a better life in Norway.
As undocumented immigrants, they end
up relying on the wife’s relatives who get
them involved in criminal activities.
Viewer discretion is advised: strong
language and violence
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SATURDAY, APRIL 16 - SET 7
YOUTH IN MOTION 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
YOUTH IN MOTION
**FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
A Workshop for Emerging Filmmakers is a program offered 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 Viet Film Fest.
Con Là Con Gái by Danthi Tran (10 min)
Young girls are often expected to follow gender stereotypes and to act and behave a certain way. In this short film, a
girl faces the burden of stereotypes and learns to live outside the box.
Silent Beat by Tony Quach (10 min)
A dancer who wants to become famous but gets held back by his parents. With his parents wanting him to become a
doctor, he gets overwhelmed and stops listening. He struggles to dance but ends up to where he is today.
Different Kinds of Birds by Thaolinh Tran (5 min)
A girl who is in the midst of applying for college must sacrifice her time to take care of her younger brother and
experience the social constraints and micro-aggressions of today’s society or risk falling into what society creates her
to be in the future.
Tết (New Year) by Peterson Pham (15 min)
A gay Vietnamese American celebrates Tết with a different outlook from years before.
The Photograph by Tommy Duong (10 min)
Being driven from the old memories of Trang, Minh realizes that all the interesting experiences he has had in the U.S.
are all meaningless without her by his side. The desire of being reunited with Trang has led Minh’s arrival to Saigon
on her birthday.
Love Stinks by Quyên Nguyen-Le (5 min)
Set in a world where people are romantically paired according to the fruit they’re born with, Love Stinks is a comedy
about a young woman who struggles to find love despite being born with a durian.
SATURDAY, APRIL 16 - SET 8:
5:00 PM– 7:30 PM
ZODIAC 12: 5 STEPS OF LOVE
ZODIAC 12: 5 STEPS OF LOVE (12 CHÒM SAO: VẼ ĐƯỜNG CHO YÊU CHẠY)
Vu Ngoc Phuong / Vietnam / 2015 / 98 min
A perfectly light, warmly funny, and captivating romantic comedy from Vu Ngoc Phuong, London Film School
graduate and renowned director of several highly acclaimed music videos and short films in Vietnam. In his
debut feature film, Vu tells a story about love and friendship among young people with different zodiac signs
and personalities. Huy is a Sagittarius playboy, fun-loving and always surrounded by short-term girlfriends,
one of whom is Chi, an aggressive Leo who always tries her best to get what she wants. Then My, an innocent
and gentle Pisces, comes into his life, taking his breath away despite their opposing fire/water zodiac sign
combination. As a die-hard and passionate lover, Huy devises five steps to capturing My’s heart. Will he ever
succeed in his quest for love?
Coupling smart storytelling with voice-over narration, clever inserts of the zodiac signs, and a young and
beautiful cast, Zodiac 12: Five Steps of Love will lead its audience from one surprise to another
as it uncovers Huy, My, and Chi’s love triangle and their fight for love and friendship. The film
demonstrates that the incompatibility between zodiac signs can become a minor obstacle during a
couple’s first encounter and that true love and honesty will always remain the determining factors
in any romantic relationship. This film will no doubt amuse audiences, and blows a new breeze into
Vietnamese romantic movies.
By Kory Ngo
Preceded by the short film:
“The Kiss”
Stephane Gauger / France / 2015 / 13 min
A young drug dealer in Paris falls in love with
an art student.
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SATURDAY, APRIL 16 - SET 9:
SUNDAY, APRIL 17 - SET 10:
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM FINDING PHONG
YELLOW FLOWERS ON THE GREEN GRASS 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM
YELLOW FLOWERS ON THE GREEN GRASS
(TÔI THẤY HOA VÀNG TRÊN CỎ XANH)
Victor Vu / Vietnam / 2015 / 111 min
Tuong (Trong Khang), may look like your typical eight year old adorable country bumpkin, but he has a secret:
he actually is friends with a princess. Although everyone in his family and village may not believe him; Tuong
knows that the princess exists and she will make him her prince. His pureness of the heart and beliefs give
him the confident nature to not back down from any challenge or obstacle that he faces.
In contrast, Thieu (Thinh Vinh), Tuong’s slightly older brother, is very studious but also very timid in nature. His
shy personality makes him an easy target for Son (Cong Huan), the school bully. Son not only humiliates Thieu
in front of his classmates regularly, but is also a rival for the affections of Moon (Thanh My), Thieu’s first love.
Set in Vietnam in 1989, this coming of age story explores the relationship between these two brothers as they
seek to uncover the truth about the myth of the princess of the enchanted forest and the man-eating white
tiger that guards her. Victor Vu, a seasoned filmmaker who started his filmmaking career at Viet Film Fest, has
made a cinematic marvel in Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass. He has created a glimpse into the beauty and
serene environment of Vietnam through this film that not only captures the audience’s hearts right away, but
also leaves them with warm feeling of joy at the end.
By Ethan Nguyen
FINDING PHONG
Tran Phuong Thao, Swann Dubus / Vietnam / 2015 / 92 min
Finding Phong is an uplifting documentary that follows Phong, a Vietnamese transwoman, for more than a
year as she prepares to undergo gender confirmation surgery. Part intimate video diary and part traditional
documentary, directors Tran Phuong Thao and Swann Dubus provide the audience with a profound glimpse
into the physical and psychological voyage that Phong must make to fulfil her dream in becoming a woman.
The film comprises excerpts from Phong’s own intimate video journal, interspersed with scenes from her
encounters with family, friends, work colleagues, and doctors. As the youngest of four children, Phong is
from a small, traditional town in central Vietnam. While her older siblings are supportive, her elderly parents
need a little more convincing. Her 72-year-old mother and 87-year-old father do want what is best for their
child, despite their difficulty in understanding her choice.
Refreshingly frank, the film highlights the emotional depth and supreme relief involved in the transformational
process, observing a complex yet ultimately inspiring journey of the self. The documentary became a major
influence in Vietnam. After it was screened for the National Assembly, in November 2015 its members voted
to change the country’s Civil Codes to recognize the rights of transgender people in Vietnam. The law will
take effect in 2017.
By David Goetz
Preceded by the short film:
“We are Coming Home (Nhà Đối Diện)”
Le My Cuong / Vietnam / 2015 / 19 min
Centered around the love story of Phat and Khang, a gay
couple living and working together in present-day Vietnam,
this documentary shows the changing views of Vietnamese
society towards LGBTQ relationships and people.
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SUNDAY, APRIL 17 - SET 12:
BIG FATHER, SMALL FATHER, AND OTHER STORIES
SUNDAY, APRIL 17 - SET 11:
PAINTED NAILS 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
PAINTED NAILS
BIG FATHER, SMALL FATHER, AND OTHER STORIES
Phan Dang Di / Vietnam, France, Germany, Netherlands / 2015 /102 min
Dianne Griffin, Erica Jordan / USA / 2015 / 57 min
The California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative estimates that
there are 97,100 manicurists in California, 80% of whom are
Vietnamese immigrants. Painted Nails brings us unprecedented
insight into the personal nature of the political movement to
regulate one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S. The
documentary follows Van Nguyen, a nail salon owner and
worker in the Mission District of San Francisco, who serves an
ethnically diverse group of working class women with acrylic
nails and intricate airbrush designs. However, lack of oversight
has allowed the cosmetics industry to pour unregulated
amounts of toxic chemicals into nail products, some of which
are known to cause reproductive harm, cancer, and respiratory
illness. After learning that her near-daily exposure to these
chemicals has caused her life-threatening health problems, Van
becomes a resolute activist in the fight to regulate chemicals in
personal care products, advocating for the safety of nail salon
workers and their clientele.
Preceded by the short film
“I Can’t Be Your Superman”
(Maegan Houang / USA / 2016 / 4 min)
A manicurist is forced to resort to
unconventional methods to fight off
gangsters in this short film/music video
hybrid.
In modern-day Saigon, almost everything comes with a high price tag. Director Phan Dang Di recognizes
human bodies have commercial value, and his second film reveals just how costly it is to sell or use them.
With lush cinematography that zooms in on the personal exchanges of daily life, the film takes place during
the 1990’s, when overpopulation leads the government to encourage and pay men to become sterilized.
Vu, a humble photography student, struggles with his father’s wish for him to marry the family’s adopted
daughter, Huong. The need to satisfy these social pressures is made harder when his father buys him a
smuggled foreign camera as a gift.
The young man’s artistic eye for beauty is complicated by the gaze of his own desires. Vu’s budding attraction
to a male friend, Thang, is complicated by Van, a nightclub dancer who works with Thang and tries to seduce
the shy Vu. During a wild night of partying, the lines of attraction blur as everyone comes together in an
explosive steamy meeting. Intentions and motives become as entangled as bodies. With an attractive cast
that is not afraid to bare emotions and skin, Big Father, Small Father and Other Stories stands out as the
future of Vietnamese arthouse cinema. The film oozes with slow burning erotic appeal, showing audiences
the narrow gap between longing and lust.
By Long Bui
Viewer discretion is advised: sexual content, nudity, and violence
By Jessica Conte
“#NailedIt: Vietnamese and the Nail
Industry, long story short”
(Adele Pham / USA / 2016 / 15 min)
A thought-provoking documentary that
charts the rise, struggle, stereotypes,
and steady hold Vietnamese Americans
have on today’s eight billion dollar nail
industry.
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SUNDAY, APRIL 17 - SET 13:
SWEET TWENTY 7:20 PM – 10:00 PM
SWEET TWENTY (EM LÀ BÀ NỘI CỦA ANH)
Phan Gia Nhat Linh / Vietnam / 2015 / 127 min
A blockbuster hit in Viet Nam, Sweet Twenty charmingly remakes a South Korean romantic comedy in which
a widow in her seventies miraculously finds herself young again. Bà Đại is a doting, devoted mother and
grandmother, but a harsh and unpleasant mother-in-law. When her daughter-in-law has a heart attack, and
her only son thinks to send her away for his wife’s recovery, Bà Đại wanders through town in a fog of hurt.
She stumbles upon a photography studio, and after sitting for her own funeral altar photo, leaves the shop
inexplicably transformed. But look for this Freaky Friday to have a distinctly Confucian cast, as what follows
is both an opportunity for a woman to re-live a youth she lost to the war, and an opportunity for the viewing
audience (as well as, eventually, her son) to appreciate the strengths, the sacrifices, and indeed the charms
of an older generation.
Lead actress Miu Lê is a revelation, for her delightfully awkward rendering of old-lady mannerisms and
liberties. Also expect that sight gag to be surprisingly tempered, with large doses of nostalgia as the film
delivers a number of lovely pre-75 tunes; and some welcome spritzes of feminism, as it validates the kind of
spirited outspokenness and physical crassness that beautiful young women are not usually allowed.
By erin Khue Ninh
VIET FILM FEST 2016 STAFF
FESTIVAL CO-DIRECTORS
Ysa Le
Yvonne Tran
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Phi Duong
Jane Le
TECHNICAL
Quoc Quan Le
SCREENING GUIDE
Jessica Conte
David Goetz, PhD
YOUTH-IN-MOTION
Thuan Nguyen
Uyen Hoang
Danthi Tran
Tony Quach
Tommy Duong
Quyen Nguyen-Le
BOX OFFICE
Darlena Tran
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Thuy-Van Nguyen
VIDEO EDITOR
Doantuong (Studio One)
Duc Nguyen
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DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Thuy Vo Dang, Ph.D.
GRAPHICS
Alex Jackson
Yen Phan
Carmela Ocampo
Michi Doan
MARKETING
Clayton Wong
Madalyn Le
Jane Le
Kim Chu
Jessy Needham
Nhieu Do
Aaron Kelly
SUBMISSIONS COORDINATOR
Mai Tran
OPERATIONS
Vannak Kang
Charlie Van Le
Kent Lee
SCREENING COMMITTEE
Catherine Thuy Ai
David Goetz, Ph.D.
Kory Ngo
Ethan Nguyen
Erin Khue Ninh, Ph.D.
MC’S
Derrick Nguyen
Lee Tuyet Le
Jimmy Huynh
Ann Phong
Trish Le
Duc Nguyen
Uyen Hoang
Cecilia Tran
Jessica Conte
Kory Ngo
Thanh Tam
Phi-Long Mai
Kim Pham
Anh Tran
Anhdao Le Do
GUEST RELATIONS
Roxanne Tran
Minh Khoan
Brian Nguyen
Cat Ly
SPECIAL EVENTS
Michelle Do
WEBMASTER
Jennifer Pham
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22
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23
Thank You
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