VietNamNet Bridge – In 2013, the Vietnamese Film Industry has celebrated the 60th anniversary of a decree signed by Uncle Ho to establish the Vietnamese revolutionary cinema sector. Last year, the national Golden Kite Awards and the 18th Vietnam Film Festival were also organised. The highlight of the events was honouring a number of young directors who are considered hopes for the future of Vietnamese Cinema.

Victor Vu

Honouring young directors

Young director Victor Vu, with his two feature films, dominated the most important categories at the 2013 Golden Kite Awards, which has been held annually by the Vietnam Cinematography Association since 2003.

The Vietnamese-American director took the Golden Kite for Best Director, while his film, Thien Menh Anh Hung (Blood Letter), won Best Feature Film. Before being nominated for the Golden Kite Awards, Thien Menh Anh Hung received the Jury Prize at the second Hanoi International Film Festival – HANIFF 2012. Bi Mat Tham Do (Scandal), also directed by Vu, was presented the press award for best feature film.

The release of films by well-known directors such as Lac Loi (Lost) by director Pham Nhue Giang, Cat Nong (Hot sand) by Le Hoang, Lay Chong Nguoi Ta (In the name of love) by Luu Huynh, and Dam Me (Passion) by Phi Tien Son, which only received the silver prizes or jury’s certificates, was the highlight of the 2013 Golden Kite Awards.

At the 18th Vietnam Film Festival (VFF), the Golden Lotus for Best Feature Film also went to Bi Mat Tham Do and Nhung Nguoi Viet Huyen Thoai (Legend Writers) by young director Bui Tuan Dung.

The VFF’s jury also praised two other works, Va Anh Se Tro Lai (So I'll Be Back) and Danh Cho Thang Sau (For June), the debut films of young directors Dinh Tuan Vu and Nguyen Huu Tuan.

Two other first works by young directors, Khong Co Gi Quy (Even Just for One Day) by Nguyen Trong Khoi and Trang Zen’s Ky Uc Mua Xuan, were awarded the Pink Heart prize for Best International Film and Best Local Film at the Vietnam International YxineFF 2013 online short film contest. The young filmmakers in this competition were all born in the 1980s.

Success for industrious people

The older generation of well-known directors has started to make their first films with State funding, while young directors have met with more difficulties when starting up their path of cinema.

Young filmmakers have routinely received more professional training than has the previous generation. Many of the filmmakers have pursued cinema from early on, and have grown from contests like the ‘Chung Ta Lam Phim’ (Let's make movies) project organised by the Centre for Assistance and Development of Movie Talents (TPD), the YxineFF contest and the 48 Hour Film Project. For this reason, the Vietnamese cinema market offers positive competition but also rising pressures.

Pressure from colleagues forces directors to create incessantly, especially when the measure of the film’s success is based on box office turnover. Pressure from investors requires the next film to earn more money than previous ones. And pressure from within demands success on the artistic and financial fronts.

Well-known directors such as Nguyen Quang Dung, Vu Ngoc Dang, Victor Vu and Le Bao Trung have overcome many difficulties to bring in such large revenues.

The directors contesting the art film category – such as Nguyen Hoang Diep, Phan Dang Di and Luong Dinh Dung – also started their cinematic careers as independent filmmakers, forced to persuade cinema development support funds to invest in their films. When their first film was presented to audiences, they continued struggling to convince investors to back their next film project.

Lucky directors have achieved success with their first films, such as Nguyen Khac Huy with Duong Dua (The Race), Ham Tran with Am Muu Giay Got Nhon (How to fight in six inch heels) , Nguyen Duc Minh with Cham and Quang Huy with Than Tuong (The Talent).

Optimistic signs

Experiencing great success at the moment, Victor Vu has affirmed himself over the last decade. He has progressed from the films Oan Hon (Spirits) in 2004, Chuyen Tinh Xa Xu (Untitled Love Story) in 2009, and Giao Lo Dinh Menh (Crossroads of Fate) in 2010 to last year’s Bi Mat Tham Do and Thien Menh Anh Hung.

The film Mua Thu Nam (The Fifth Season) by Nguyen Hoang Diep won the first prize at the 2005 National Short Film Festival before openomg the Rio de Janeiro Short Film Festival in Brazil. Her films, Chit va Pi (Chit and Pi) and Bo Tu 10A8 (The Foursome of 10A8), are known as outstanding films for teenagers. After the successes, her screenplay beat out 95 others from around the world to win a grant of US$500,000 from the World Cinema Fund.

An independent film project by director Nguyen Duc Minh entitled Cham (Touch), which cost US$200,000 to make and won prizes at the Santa Rosa and Boston International Film Festivals, the Vietnamese International Film Festival and the Atlanta Asian Film Festival, earned Minh name recognition both in Vietnam and in the US.

The participation of young director Tran Dung Thanh Huy, with his film 16:30, at The Short Film Corner of the 66th Cannes Film Festival last year is considered another optimistic sign for Vietnamese cinema.

The young directors have not only made their names known, but have also offered new and interesting works to cinema lovers.

Source: Nhan Dan