A Film In A Minute

1 min / color video
USA 2008
Director: Roland Nguyen
Tension between brothers.

Skate Free

3 min / color video
USA 2007
Directorirectorirector: Tony Toka
A spoken word poetry piece that explores the ideas of being successful, having a job, and the American Dream, versus tuning out and being an artist. Shot guerilla style, this short is composed of one take by Andy Vu in the parking structure of the Santa Ana Police Department.

Tieng Cho Tru

Tiếng Chó Tru

7 min / color video
Vietnam 2008
DirectorirectorirectorS: K3FSP, Charlie Nguyen
A man in Hanoi tries to get rid of his noisy dog.

Oh Mommy

Mẹ Ơi!

5 min / color video
USA 2007
Director: Jenni Trang Le
A baby quail emerges from his egg to find himself in a lonely world. He encounters an Elephant, Tiger, and Rhino family, but in his heart, something is still missing. This is a journey to find courage, warmth and… his mommy.

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April 12 - Closing

Download The Official Program Schedule (PDF)

SUNDAY, April 12th CLOSING DAY @ UC Irvine

12:00pm - 2:00pm - Set 22: The Moon At the Bottom of the Well (Room HIB 100)

Feature: The Moon At the Bottom of the Well (TRĂNG NƠI ĐÁY GIẾNG) - Nguyen Vinh Son / Vietnam / 2008 / 84 min

2:00pm - 2:30pm - Q&A

12:00pm - 1:30pm - Set 23: The Art Beats in Vietnam (repeat) (Room HIB 110)

The Art Beats in Vietnam (repeat)

• A Child Has Seen a Fire (Đứa Bé Nhìn Thấy Lửa) - Tran Ly Tri Tan / Vietnam / 2008 / 17 min
• Saigon Heat - Danny Do & Andy Vu / Vietnam / 2007 / 18 min
• Vietnam Overtures - Stephane Gauger / Vietnam/ 2008 / 60 min

1:30pm - 2:00pm - Q&A

3:00pm - 5:00pm - Panel Discussion: Reel to Real: International Networks (Room HIB 100) - Panelists to be announced

CLOSING NIGHT

6:00pm - 7:00pm - Awards Ceremony

7:00pm - 8:20pm - ALL ABOUT DAD - Mark Tran / USA / 2008 / 80 min

8:20pm - 9:00pm - Q&A

9:00pm - 12:30pm - Closing Night Gala @ Cross Cultural Center (UC Irvine)

Click on a date below to view the program for that day!

April 2 | April 3 | April 4 | April 5 | April 9 | April 10 | April 11 | April 12

April 11

Download The Official Program Schedule (PDF)

Attention: Films with * contain mature contents. Viewer discretion advised.

SATURDAY, April 11th SPOTLIGHT AWARD NIGHT @ UC Irvine

12:00pm - 1:45pm - Set 17: Odd Coupling (Room HIB 100)

Odd Coupling

• Noah & Amy - Kel-Ann Hsieh, Kevin Cao / USA / 2008 / 3 min
• You’ve Got Male - Christopher Nguyen, Nadine Truong, Ryan Kim / USA / 2007 / 5 min
• R & R - Vu Trung Hoa / USA / 2009 / 18 min
• Four Letter Word - Bobby Vu / USA / 2008 / 35 min
• Anniversary - Huy Quang Vu / USA / 2008 / 16 min
• Vincent* - Elodie Ly Tri / France / 2007 / 16 min
• Dragon of Love - Doan La / USA / 2003 / 10 min

1:45pm - 2:00pm - Q&A

12:00pm - 1:30pm - Set 18: Redemption (repeat) (Room HIB 110)

Redemption

• In The Dark - Nadine Truong / USA / 2008 / 24 min
• Fortunate Son - Sydney Quashie , Rollin Herold / USA / 2004 / 15 min
• Down in Number 5 - Kim Spurlock / USA / 2005 / 18 min
• 7500 Miles to Redemption - Emiko Omori / USA / 2007 / 30 min

1:30pm - 2:00pm - Q&A

3:00pm - 4:15pm - Set 19: A Village Called Versailles (Room HIB 100)

Feature: A Village Called Versailles - S. Leo Chiang / USA / 2009 / 75 min - Sneak Preview (Room HIB 100)

4:15pm - 5:30pm - Panel Discussion: Rebuilding the Community Post-Katrina (Panelists to be announced)

3:00pm - 4:35pm - Set 20: Life Goes On (Room HIB 110)

Life Goes On

• Prelude, Hereafter - Kevin Ta / USA / 2008 / 6 min
• Life Out of a Stone (Đội Đá Vá Đời) - Ho Thanh Tuan / Vietnam / 2008 / 19 min
• Rims of Wheels (Những Vòng Xe) - Le Hoai Vu / Vietnam / 2008 / 29 min
• Green Meadow (Thảo Nguyên Xanh Tươi) - Phan Y Ly / Vietnam / 2007 / 40 min

4:35pm - 5:00pm - Q&A

6:00pm - 10:00pm - Set 21: SPOTLIGHT ON DUSTIN NGUYEN (Room HIB 100)

6:00pm - 7:00pm - Wine reception hosted by Wells Fargo

7:00pm - 7:30pm - Spotlight Award Presentation

7:30pm - 9:25pm - Spotlight Film - LITTLE FISH*- Rowan Woods / 114 min / 2006 / Australia

9:25pm - 9:45pm - Q&A

Click on a date below to view the program for that day!

April 2 | April 3 | April 4 | April 5 | April 9 | April 10 | April 11 | April 12

All About Dad

Mark Tran’s poignant feature debut All About Dad begins with a deceptively simpkie image—that of a
Vietnamese father trying to straighten a leaning tree on his immaculate front lawn with his bare hands, but
with no success. Instead of giving up and allowing the tree to bend naturally, the father becomes more
stubborn and frustrated as he repeatedly tries to fight and undo nature.
And so we are introduced to Mr. Do, the patriarch of the Do family. There is no doubt that Mr. Do loves his
wife and four children—Ty, Xuan, Binh, and Linh. It is also painfully apparent that his love constitutes strict
roles, responsibilities, and expectations of what each child should act, think, and feel. In Mr. Do’s eyes, the
only correct path to success and happiness in life is complete devotion to the Catholic faith, higher education, and the goal of having a stable job. Any digression from these three tenants is a recipe for compromise and  failure in the world.

Much to his dismay and disappointment, Mr. Do quickly realizes that every one of his children may not
subscribe to his philosophy. Ty, the youngest of the Do clan, is on the verge of dropping his Biology major to devote full-time to being a filmmaker; Xuan, fresh from passing her medical board exam, is most at peace playing her guitar and singing; Binh, the straight A student, is completely enraptured by his secret girlfriend; Linh, already engaged, is afraid to tell her father that her fiancé is not Catholic. These potentially explosive revelations do not stay in the dark for long…And as a result, hilarity, poignancy, and redemption ensue when light is finally shed on them.
Much like a painter working with a vast canvas but still giving each color and shade its due, director Tran
gives each character equal screen time, their struggles and triumphs conveyed through small yet poetic
moments—a heartbreaking look in a mother’s eyes; an eye-opening reconciliation between two stubborn
neighbors; a rooftop connection between sister and brother, aided by a song and the shimmering lights of
the city at dusk. All these moments blend seamlessly into a broad portrayal of a very modern Vietnamese
American family. Tran’s deft and original handling of a seemingly familiar theme of old world (immigrant
parents) versus new world (kids born and raised in America) is what gives All About Dad a healthy and
humanistic dose of poignancy and pathos.
By the time of its closing credits, director Tran comes full circle with that seemingly simple opening image
of Mr. Do trying to physically straighten that ever-bending tree; it is an image that belies its multi-layered
nuances and meanings. To give away any more of “All About Dad” would surely spoil this truly tender and
unforgettable tale of getting out of the way and letting “nature” takes its course.
- Alex Luu

USA / 2008 / 80 mins / color video
English and Vietnamese with English subtitles
PRODUCER:  Barnaby Dallas
DIRECTOR / WRITER:  Mark Tran
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Todd Banhazl
Sound:  John Larosa
Editor :   Jeremy Castillo
Main Cast:   David Huynh, Chi Pham, Yen Ly, Minh Do, Yvonne Truong, Nanrisa Lee, Hunter Vo, Eric Callero, Steven Cloyes

Vietnam Overtures

Vietnam Overtures is a documentary about a rescue; but unlike most rescue stories from that
embattled country, this one is about the recovery of a centuries-old classical music tradition,
another casualty of the long war there. Through a program called Transposition, initiated in
Norway in 2005 and launched in 2007, and in association with four Vietnamese institutions –
the Hanoi Conservatory of Music, the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra, the HCM City’s
Conservatory of Music, and the HCM City Opera and Symphony Orchestra – the classical music
scene in Vietnam is getting a much-needed helping hand. Director Stephane Gauger chronicles
the musical dialogue between these Vietnamese and Norwegian conservatories, as they work
together to prove again that music is, indeed, a universal language.

Vietnam / USA / 2008 / 60 mins / color video
Vietnamese with English subtitles
Producer:  Stephane Gauger
Director :  Stephane Gauger
Cinematographer :  Stephane Gauger
Associate Producer:  Ham Tran
Cinematographer :  Quyen Tran

A Child Has Seen A Fire

(Đứa Bé Nhìn Thấy Lửa)

17 min / color video
Vietnam 2008
Director : Tran Ly Tri
The film is about Nguyen Kim Hoang’s love for arts. With
only 17 minutes, we hope the audience will feel the same
artistic fire that has always burned in this artist’s soul.

Saigon Heat

18 min / color video
Vietnam 2007
Director S: Andy Vu, Danny Do
Saigon Heat brings you a generation of people living in
Vietnam today. It looks at how Vietnam is adopting western
styles and philosophy through Dance, Art, and Sport.

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