Santa Ana, California — October 2, 2024 — The Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association (VAALA) will kick off Viet Film Fest (VFF) this weekend, bringing together filmmakers and community members to celebrate the largest Vietnamese film festival in the diaspora. Starting October 5 to 20, the festival will commence Viet Film Fest Home, a virtual festival available right on your home screen! This year’s in-person festival will take place over three exciting days, from October 11, 12 & 13 at The Frida Cinema in Downtown Santa Ana. Set against a backdrop of Southern California’s scenic beauty, the in-person event will feature exclusive screenings, Q&A sessions, and opportunities to network within the Vietnamese and Vietnamese diasporic filmmaking community.
“As we celebrate over 20 years of Viet Film Fest, we continue to expand the festival’s reach through both our in-person and virtual screenings,” says Ysa Le, Executive Director of VAALA and Viet Film Fest. “This year’s festival is not only a celebration of Vietnamese storytelling but also a testament to the incredible creativity within our community. We invite everyone to join us in honoring these stories, whether in person or from the comfort of home.”
Updated highlights of Viet Film Fest 2024 will include:
- Red Carpet Opening, Ru, by Charles-Olivier Michaud: 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. Friday, October 11 at 7 pm with a filmmakers’ Q&A afterward, including lead actress Chantal Thuy.
- Opening Reception Gala: Trống Đồng Awards Ceremony: Join us for a night at Bowers Museum for Viet Film Fest’s Opening Reception Gala: Trống Đồng Awards Ceremony, where we celebrate the achievements from Viet Film Fest 2024. 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. Friday, October 11 at 9:30 pm.
- Free Screening Event Exclusive for Santa Ana Residents: An event to extend our gratitude to the community hosting the festival, residents of Santa Ana will be able to see the curated short film sets “But Not for Me” and “Love, Actualized” at no cost. Valid proof of residency is required. Friday, October 11 at 4 pm, with a filmmakers’ Q&A post-screening.
- Centerpiece Screening: West Coast premiere of New Wave by 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 with a filmmaker Q&A with Elizabeth Ai afterward.
- Book Launch Event for Elizabeth Ai’s New Wave: Rebellion and Reinvention in the Vietnamese Diaspora: 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. 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. This event will be free to all in attendance of the Centerpiece Screening at the Frida Cinema. Saturday, October 12 at 9:20pm.
- Special 25th Anniversary Presentation: Three Seasons directed by Tony Bui with a Q&A Session (Screening in 4K): Viet Film Fest 2024 is honored to provide a twenty-fifth anniversary retrospective screening of Tony Bui’s Three Seasons. This was Bui’s first feature film, and it appears in VFF 2024 with a new 4K restoration. As the filmmaker who made the first Vietnamese American movie with a largely Vietnamese cast and crew, Tony Bui opened the doors for many others to follow. At Viet Film Fest 2024, we are pleased to present the Inspiration Award to Tony Bui for being a trailblazer to the Vietnamese filmmaking community. Sunday, October 13th at 2 pm.
- Industry Networking Event: 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’ with Tony Bui, Timothy Linh Bui, Elyse Dinh, Maegan Houang, and Jenni Trang Le as moderator. Following the panel, there will be opportunities to mingle, network, and enjoy photo ops with special guests from the film industry! Sunday, October 13th at 4:30 pm at Coffee Factory, 15582 Brookhurst St, Westminster, CA.
- VAALA x UCI OC & SEA Archives Pop Up Exhibition: “The Power of Art in the Vietnamese Diaspora.” The Power of Art in the Vietnamese Diaspora highlights the creativity of the Vietnamese community over the past 50 years through painting, music, poetry, and more! The exhibition features archival materials from the Southeast Asian Archive in collaboration with the Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA). Curated by Julia Huỳnh, Curator for the Southeast Asian Archive, this pop-up exhibition will be on display at the Frida Cinema from October 11th –13th, 2024
Ticket Information:
| Type | Discounted for Seniors + Students (with a valid ID) | Regular |
| General Admission Ticket | $14 | $16 |
| Virtual Screening Ticket | $14 | $16 |
| Special Screenings Ticket:- Red Carpet Opening: Ru – Centerpiece Screening: New Wave | $16 | $18 |
| 5-Pack (excludes Special Screenings) | $70 | |
| Xinêphille Badge | $150 | |
| Industry Networking Event | $25 | |
| Opening Night Gala: Trống Đồng Awards Ceremony | $90 |
Ticket Purchasing Link: https://vietfilmfest2024.eventive.org/passes/buy
Geo-location restrictions (“geofences”) for some film sets may apply.
For the latest information on festival lineup and special events, please visit our website at vietfilmfest.com and follow us at @vietfilmfest on Facebook and Instagram.
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Viet Film Fest 2024
Online: October 5 to 20
In-person: October 11, 12, and 13
Follow @vietfilmfest on Facebook and Instagram
Viet Film Fest 2024 Contact:
Minh Pham
Public Relations Manager
press@vaala.org
Corey Linh
Communication Specialist
coreylinh@vaala.org
About VAALA
Founded in 1991 by Vietnamese American journalists, artists and community members to fill a void and provide a space for artists to express themselves as a newly resettled immigrant community, the mission of the Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA) is to connect and enrich communities through Vietnamese arts and culture. Celebrating its 33rd year of service, VAALA collaborates with diverse community partners to organize community-centered artistic cultural events, including art exhibitions, book signings, music recitals, plays and its annual Viet Film Fest, and Viet Book Fest, Gallery Beyond Walls,and free art workshops for youth. Check out Information about VAALA on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
