Filmmaker Cuong Ngo's latest movie Ngoc Vien Dong (Pearls of the FarEast) has won two awards at the 14th Annual California Independent FilmFestival (CIFF).
The Vietnamese film beat two others, includingBritish film The Stand-In and Tilt from Bulgarian, to win the award forBest Cinematography. In the Best Music category, Ngoc Vien Dong beatwith Tilt and American film Applebox for the award.
French movie Monsieur Lazhar won the Best Picture at the festival this year, which ended on Fe. 16.
Sinceits inception in 1997, the CIFF has become one of the most successfuland fastest growing film festivals in California. Thirty-nineindie-movies from all over the world attended the annual festival.
Featuringsix short stories, Ngoc Vien Dong explores the inner lives andforbidden loves of several Vietnamese women in what is director Cuong'sfeature film debut. Born in HCM City in 1978, Cuong graduated from theHCM Cinema and Theatre
College and the Film Production Department at York University in Canada.
Cuongsaid he was inspired to make movies at a young age, after watchingGiuseppe Tornatore's Nuovo Cinema Paradiso. Due to his background in theperforming arts, Cuong has found his passion in directing. He directedtwo award-winning short comedies in 2003 and 2004 while at theInternational Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University.
Hisfilm Cay Tram Vang (The Golden Pin) won the Best Canadian Short Awardat Toronto's Inside Out Festival in 2009 and took second place in the2009 National Film Board Best Canadian Short Award.
Produced in2010, Cuong's film features many A-list Vietnamese actresses, includingveteran Nhu Quynh, along with Ngo Thanh Van and Truong Ngoc Anh, who arecoupled with overseas Vietnamese actors.
The film script wasadapted from the short stories of Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc, who also acts inthe film. The film captures some of the most beautiful images ofVietnam's landscapes, such as panoramas from Sa Pa, Da La, Mui Ne andHoi An.
Ngoc Vien Dong will be released in Vietnam next month./.
The Vietnamese film beat two others, includingBritish film The Stand-In and Tilt from Bulgarian, to win the award forBest Cinematography. In the Best Music category, Ngoc Vien Dong beatwith Tilt and American film Applebox for the award.
French movie Monsieur Lazhar won the Best Picture at the festival this year, which ended on Fe. 16.
Sinceits inception in 1997, the CIFF has become one of the most successfuland fastest growing film festivals in California. Thirty-nineindie-movies from all over the world attended the annual festival.
Featuringsix short stories, Ngoc Vien Dong explores the inner lives andforbidden loves of several Vietnamese women in what is director Cuong'sfeature film debut. Born in HCM City in 1978, Cuong graduated from theHCM Cinema and Theatre
College and the Film Production Department at York University in Canada.
Cuongsaid he was inspired to make movies at a young age, after watchingGiuseppe Tornatore's Nuovo Cinema Paradiso. Due to his background in theperforming arts, Cuong has found his passion in directing. He directedtwo award-winning short comedies in 2003 and 2004 while at theInternational Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University.
Hisfilm Cay Tram Vang (The Golden Pin) won the Best Canadian Short Awardat Toronto's Inside Out Festival in 2009 and took second place in the2009 National Film Board Best Canadian Short Award.
Produced in2010, Cuong's film features many A-list Vietnamese actresses, includingveteran Nhu Quynh, along with Ngo Thanh Van and Truong Ngoc Anh, who arecoupled with overseas Vietnamese actors.
The film script wasadapted from the short stories of Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc, who also acts inthe film. The film captures some of the most beautiful images ofVietnam's landscapes, such as panoramas from Sa Pa, Da La, Mui Ne andHoi An.
Ngoc Vien Dong will be released in Vietnam next month./.
