Antony Nguyen, a Vietnamese American director, and his S45 team pocketed double prizes of VND3.06 billion (over US$137,000) for their sci-fi movie Rin at EVO8 – Hack The TV, a TV drama making contest to search for talent in the film industry.

Antony Nguyen is a co-founder of Bad-Clay studio. He used to join visual-effect making teams of some Hollywood blockbusters like X-men: Days of Future Past, Godzilla, and Mad Max. S45 team’s members include popular model/actor Vinh Thuy and overseas singer/actor Lam Vissay.

The team received VND3 billion for the production of their winning project, VND50 million in cash from the judging panel’s vote and another VND10 million for first prize of audiences’ choice.

People are impressed by their professional making style and advanced visual effects.

It tells a story about a girl named Rin who keeps top secrets about the destruction of post World War Three.

Currently, S45 is also looking for investors to fund their eight-episode sci-fi drama with international standards.

Local veteran Phan Gia Nhat Linh (a.k.a Phan Xi-ne), a jury member, said S45 is a collaboration of professional names that he has had a chance to work with before.

These people are passionate with what they do and know.

“Sci-fi is a tough and challenging genre to do but I believe in S45’s talent to create a striking movie in near future,” he added.

Second and third prizes which were worth VND20 million and VND10 million respectively went to MegoMedia for their project of Vet ran (snake mark) and Khoa Loi Nhoi team for Nhac kich cuoc doi (a musical of life) movie.

Two teams of Khoa Loi Nhoi and A Bowl of Rice (with the project of Battle of the stars) received second prizes worth VND5 million in the category of audiences’ vote.

EVO8-Hack the TV was an eight-episode TV drama making contest hosted by HCMC-based View TV and Vindie foundation to search for talent in the film industry. EVO8 is an abbreviation of “Let’s make an evolution by your own 8-episodes miniseries.”

The contest was open to amateur and professional filmmakers nationwide.