FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE: March 5, 2007 Download PDF version Contacts: Festival Co-Directors: Ysa Le 714.914.2260 & To-Phuong Tran 310.689.8947 PR/Media Relations: Jenni Trang Le 310.873.7333 & Mai-Phuong Nguyen 714.323.8078 ViFF 2007 Hosts Two Press Conferences to Announce Its Official Selections The third biennial Vietnamese International Film Festival (ViFF) welcomes a record number of films this year: a total of fifty one (51) films, including 13 features submitted by filmmakers of Vietnamese descent from around the world. These films project a wide range of themes and genres reflecting experiences and issues important to diasporic as well as national Vietnamese filmmakers. ViFF 2007 will open with the world premiere of the visually stunning martial arts drama, The Rebel, directed by Charlie Nguyen on April 12th and close with the warm-hearted feature debut, Owl and the Sparrow, directed by Stephane Gauger on April 22nd. The Spotlight Program on April 14th will showcase screenwriter, Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc, whose work is featured in the film Living in Fear directed by Bui Thac Chuyen. ViFF will host two press conferences, one in Orange County and the other in Los Angeles, to announce its official selections. The first press conference will take place on Wednesday, March 7th from 3:00pm-4:30pm at Nguoi Viet Community Room , 14772 Moran Street, Westminster, California 92683. In attendance will be actors Kieu Chinh, Dustin Nguyen, and Cat Ly; and filmmakers Charlie Nguyen, Ham Tran, Stephane Gauger, and Le-Van Kiet. The ViFF press conference will be immediately followed by a press conference of Journey from the Fall. Actors Kieu Chinh, Long Nguyen, Diem Lien, Cat Ly, and Jayvee Mai The Hiep will join director Ham Tran and producer Lam Nguyen in this press conference. Journey from the Fall will be released on March 23th by ImaginAsian to Regal Garden Grove 16, 9741 Chapman Avenue, Garden Grove, CA 92841. ViFF's second press conference will be held at the Visual Communication Office on Thursday, Marth 8th from 5:00pm-6:30pm at 120 Judge John Aiso Street Basement Level, Los Angeles, California 90012. Present will be actors: Dustin Nguyen and Cat Ly; and filmmakers: Charlie Nguyen, Ham Tran, Stephane Gauger, Le-van Kiet, Tuan Tran, and David Ngo. Movie clips of selected works will be shown at both press conferences. ViFF is organized by the non-profit 501 (c) (3) Vietnamese-American Arts and Letters Association (VAALA) and the VietNamese Language and Culture (VNLC) at University of California, Los Angeles. Screenings will be held mainly at University of California, Irvine (UCI)'s Film & Video Center with selected screening panel discussions at UCLA and in Westminster, California on two consecutive weekends from April 12-15 & 19-22. Opening Night will be held at the Edwards University Cinema 6, Irvine. ViFF was established in October 2003 to support and promote cinema by filmmakers of Vietnamese descent. ViFF's mission is to inspire future filmmakers and recognize existing ones as well as to provide a forum for the filmmakers to share their experiences with colleagues and audiences. This year's festival theme is Sharing Visions, echoing the need for Vietnamese cinema to extend its reach beyond the Vietnamese diasporic communities to the larger, global audience. Download PDF version