We are thrilled to have Quyen Ngo serve as the evening’s MC, and the legendary OC-based DJ BPM will be spinning throughout the event. Additionally, attendees will have the first opportunity to purchase exclusive festival merchandise, including stickers, water bottles, t-shirts, tote bags, and lapel pins. A live raffle of VFF 2024 merchandise and festival passes will be held to raise funds for future VAALA events and programming.
The event will also include exclusive presentations of the award nominees for Best Actor, Best Actress, the Grand Jury Trống Đồng Award for Best Feature and Best Short. Attendees will be treated to the unveiling of the official Viet Film Fest 2024 trailer, providing a sneak peek into the exciting lineup of films that will be showcased during the festival.
Admissions is free. This event is open to the public.
Red Carpet Opening featuring the acclaimed film, Ru, by Charles-Olivier Michaud.
Friday, October 11th at 7 pm
There will be a post-screening filmmaker’s Q&A
Based on the novel of the same name by Kim Thúy (who co-wrote the screenplay), Charles-Olivier Michaud’s Ru is the story of a formerly wealthy Vietnamese family settling into life in a quaint Québec town after fleeing their homeland as boat people.
Opening Reception Gala: Trống Đồng Awards Ceremony
Friday, October 11th at 9:30 pm
After the screening of Ru, the event will be hosted at Bowers Museum.
Pricing: $80 earlybird and $90 regular and at the door.
This event serves as a grand kickoff for the Viet Film Fest 2024 and as a platform to promote VAALA’s mission of fostering a vibrant Vietnamese cultural presence in the community. We will present awards for Best Actor, Best Actress, Spotlight Award, Inspiration Award, and the Grand Jury: Trống Đồng Award for Best Short and Best Feature. Prior to the award ceremony, please join us for our reception featuring a dinner spread catered by Brodard Chateau and cash bar provided by Cir Lounge.
Emigration to Vietnam panel following The Empathizer
Saturday, October 12th at 3 pm (screening of White Butterfly and The Empathizer); Saturday, October 12th at 5 pm (special Emigration to Vietnam panel)
The short film, White Butterfly, will precede the screening of The Empathizer. The special panel following will be inclusive of any tickets purchased for this screening.
There will be a post-screening special panel on the topic of Vietnamese people from the West emigrating to Vietnam (anyone who purchases a ticket.
Both White Butterfly and The Empathizer touch upon themes of people of Vietnamese descent returning to or emigrating to Vietnam. Increasingly, younger Vietnamese people living outside Vietnam have been moving to Vietnam in search of socioeconomic opportunities and personal growth. However, there sometimes exists a tension between emigrants and their elders (and between emigrants and native Vietnamese) about their motivations to move there. What has driven these trends? How have the various waves of emigration to Vietnam differed from the other? Are there ways to reconcile generational differences when addressing this topic?
Centerpiece Screening: West Coast premiere ofNew Wave by Elizabeth Ai.
Saturday, October 12th at 7 pm
This short film, No More Sad Songs, will precede the screening of New Wave.
There will be a post-screening Q&A with director Elizabeth Ai.
New Wave tells the story of youthful rebellion, joy, and trauma among Vietnamese American teenagers in the 1980s who found an outlet with Eurodisco music, which influenced Vietnamese American “New Wave” music. Filmmaker Elizabeth Ai delves into the lives affected by this era and this musical movement – including New Wave icon Lynda Trang Dai and Ian “DJ BPM” Nguyen. New Wave had its world premiere at Tribeca 2024 and was a Special Jury Mention for Best New Documentary Director (by jurors: W. Kamau Bell, Nisha Pahuja, Archie Gips) and was critics’ picks by New York Times, Vogue, IndieWire, among other publications. Saturday, October 12 at 7 pm.
Book Launch Event for New Wave: Rebellion and Reinvention in the Vietnamese Diaspora by Elizabeth Ai
Saturday, October 12th at 9:20, after premiere of New Wave
Join us post screening to meet the contributors to director Elizabeth Ai’s compilation of essays and stories that provide the narrative of the 1.5 Vietnamese generation. As Vietnamese refugees began new lives in the West in the wake of the US/Vietnam war, a generation of youth struggled to adjust on foreign soil. Many of these young people found a community and a new identity in New Wave music, a type of synth-pop called Euro Disco, that became enormously popular throughout the community. New Wave: Rebellion and Reinvention in the Vietnamese Diaspora by Elizabeth Ai celebrates the rebellion, reinvention, and rebirth of joy in this young generation in cultural limbo. Featuring essays from prominent Vietnamese scholars, critics, and stars, New Wave is a love letter to the first generation of Vietnamese punks and rebels who came of age in the 1980s. As the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon approaches in April 2025, it is more important than ever to highlight the voices of Vietnamese people.This event will be free to all in attendance of the Centerpiece Screening at the Frida Cinema with light refreshments.
Industry Networking Event
Sunday, October 13th at 5:30 pm
Location: Coffee Factory, 15582 Brookhurst St, Westminster, CA
Admission: $25
As the wrap-up of Viet Film Fest 2024, we’re thrilled to host an exclusive industry reception and mixer for our talented filmmakers from around the world. Join us in celebrating two weeks of vibrant storytelling in Vietnamese and Vietnamese diaspora cinema as we connect, collaborate, and toast to the future of our industry. The event will feature a panel discussion on “Vietnamese Representation in American Filmmaking” followed by opportunities to mingle, network, and enjoy photo ops with special guests from the film industry