Santa Ana, CA – October 31, 2024 — After two weeks of celebrating Vietnamese storytelling, Viet Film Fest 2024 (VFF) proudly announces the successful conclusion of its largest edition to date, drawing record-breaking attendance and ticket sales! Presented by The Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association (VAALA), Viet Film Fest features a wide selection of Vietnamese and Vietnamese diasporic films, having nearly 39 shorts and 11 feature films. With over 4,000 attendees, the success of the festival could not have been possible without the support of our dedicated audience and incredible team.
Viet Film Fest, held virtually from October 5 to 20 and in-person at The Frida Cinema in Downtown Santa Ana from October 11 to 13, featured a diverse lineup of films by both local and international filmmakers. The program spanned stories from Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam to those rooted in Orange County, reflecting the vibrancy of the Vietnamese culture and diasporic community. Highlights from this year’s festival included a special twenty-fifth anniversary retrospective screening and West Coast premiere of Tony Bui’s Three Seasons in a 4K restoration, with the inspirational filmmaker himself present for an-in person Q&A. Additionally, in keeping with Viet Film Fest tradition, our High School Students’ Day screening kicked off the festival, where locally partnered Orange County high schools brought over 600 students to experience Viet Film Fest in-person. Finally, we are proud to announce that our virtual portion, Viet Film Fest At Home, has seen its best performance in Viet Film Fest’s history.
The festival featured the highly anticipated Trống Đồng Awards Reception at Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, recognizing outstanding contributions to Vietnamese cinema. The following awards were presented:
Grand-Jury Trống Đồng Award for Best Feature
New Wave, directed by Elizabeth Ai
Grand Jury Trống Đồng Award for Best Short
Technicians, directed by Kelly Luu and Kevin Luu
Best Actor Award
J. Alphonse Nicholson, Technicians
This marks the first time the award has been presented to a non-Vietnamese recipient in the festival’s history.
Best Actress Award
Chantal Thuy, Ru
Spotlight Award
Hao Are You, directed by Dieu Hao Do
Inspiration Award
Tony Bui
Tony’s work in Three Seasons brought the complexities of Vietnam to the world stage in a way that was deeply intimate and honest. It was our great pleasure to screen Three Seasons at Viet Film Fest this year, marking its 25th anniversary. The film held a special place in the history of Vietnamese American cinema, capturing the beauty, resilience, and kindness of the Vietnamese people. It is an inspiring story that continues to resonate with audiences today, and we were excited to share it with a new generation of viewers.
Audience Choice for Best Feature
Taking Root: Southeast Asian Stories of Resettlement in Philadelphia, directed by Oanh-Nhi Nguyen
Audience Choice for Best Short
One Summer Night, directed by Long Lê
As we bid farewell to Viet Film Fest 2024, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made this event possible:
- Filmmakers: Viet Film Fest thrives because of the passion and ingenuity of our filmmakers. Your dedication to crafting stories that inspire and connect with our audiences is at the heart of everything we do.
- Sponsors: We are profoundly grateful to our sponsors, whose generosity has been essential in bringing this festival to life. Your support empowers us to continue celebrating and elevating Vietnamese cinema.
- Community and Media Partners: Thank you to our media and community partners for amplifying our mission and sharing the art and culture of the Vietnamese community far and wide. Your partnership helps bridge connections between artists and audiences.
- Audience: To our cherished attendees, thank you for embracing Vietnamese cinema with open hearts. Your enthusiasm and unwavering support over the past two decades keep us motivated to build this platform for storytelling.
- Our Amazing Team: Finally, a heartfelt thanks to the devoted team of volunteers and staff who work tirelessly behind the scenes. Your passion and dedication make this festival an unforgettable experience year after year.
“This year’s festival has undoubtedly been our most special and memorable to date. The outpouring of support from the community has been profoundly moving, reminding us of the power of storytelling to unite and inspire. Every film, every conversation, and every moment shared has reinforced our commitment to celebrating Vietnamese cinema. We are deeply grateful to everyone who participated and made this experience unforgettable.” says Executive Director, Ysa Le.
For more information and updates about Viet Film Fest, please visit our website at vietfilmfest.com or follow us on social media @vietfilmfest.
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About Viet Film Fest: As the largest international Vietnamese film festival in the diaspora, Viet Film Fest showcases the best creative work by and about Vietnamese people. Our award-winning films have been screened in numerous cities and countries. Viet Film Fest was created in 2003 by the Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA) to celebrate the many stories about Vietnamese people. Now running successfully for over a decade, the festival has attracted thousands of national and international attention for its stunning showcase of shorts and features submitted from many corners of the world, including Australia, Cambodia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Norway, the Philippines, Poland, United Kingdom, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam.
About Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association: VAALA was founded in 1991 by a group of Vietnamese American journalists, artists, and friends to fill a void in the community and provide a space for newly resettled immigrant artists to express themselves. VAALA’s mission is to connect and enrich communities through Vietnamese art and culture. Historically run entirely by volunteers, VAALA is a community-based non-profit organization. Over the years, VAALA has collaborated with diverse community partners to organize numerous cultural and artistic events. VAALA’s four core programs include the annual Viet Film Fest and Viet Book Fest, the Gallery Beyond Walls program featuring art exhibitions, and free art and film workshops for youth, such as Youth in Motion: A Filmmaking Workshop for Emerging Filmmakers.
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