Vietnamese International Film Festival 2011 - Where is Outstanding Asian-American Cinema?
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Coverage from the 2011 ViFF Kick-Off Party celebrating the festival's 5th year showcasing Vietnamese Cinema throughout the world.
As a cineaste, when I think "Asian Cinema" Japanese, Korean and Chinese race to mind. Such auteurs as Takeshi Kitano, Bong Joon-Ho, Chan-Wook Park, Wong Kar-Wai and Hsiao-Hsien Hou and the like are some of the greatest doing it today.
When I think "Asian-American Cinema" I draw a near blank. Crickets. Justin Lin (Better Luck Tomorrow, Fast and the Furious franchise), a serviceable if unspectacular genre director, and, more recently, Cary Fukunaga (Sin Nombre, Jane Eyre) headline a forgettable list. Who else? Comments please.
Moving into Vietnamese Cinema, it's even slimmer pickings. But, researching for the upcoming Vietnamese International Film Festival, I found that despite not having the substantial cinematic history as the above countries, the English and overseas Vietnamese diaspora have a few hidden gems. And if you've slept on Vietnamese Cinema, you're about to wake up with visions.
Here are a few I find intriguing:
Tran Anh Hung - the director of films like CYCLO and the adaptation of Murakami's NORWEGIAN WOOD, he's the most acclaimed Vietnamese film director today. He's legit dope.
Chuyen Bui Thac (Adrift) and Phan Di Dang (Don't Be Afraid, Bi) - don't know much about these dudes, but they have worked together in the past and both inflect that same perverse undertow found in the most delicious Japanese and Korean cinema.
Minh Duc Nguyen - graduated from USC Film and his feature debut TOUCH looks like the dude has a little Almodovar in him.
Adele Pham - Brookyln-based documentarian. I think she's emblematic of young Vietnamese-American filmmakers. Finding a way to make ends meat working commercially while pursuing personal projects with an eye for identity in 21st-century multiculturalism.
As a cineaste, when I think "Asian Cinema" Japanese, Korean and Chinese race to mind. Such auteurs as Takeshi Kitano, Bong Joon-Ho, Chan-Wook Park, Wong Kar-Wai and Hsiao-Hsien Hou and the like are some of the greatest doing it today.
When I think "Asian-American Cinema" I draw a near blank. Crickets. Justin Lin (Better Luck Tomorrow, Fast and the Furious franchise), a serviceable if unspectacular genre director, and, more recently, Cary Fukunaga (Sin Nombre, Jane Eyre) headline a forgettable list. Who else? Comments please.
Moving into Vietnamese Cinema, it's even slimmer pickings. But, researching for the upcoming Vietnamese International Film Festival, I found that despite not having the substantial cinematic history as the above countries, the English and overseas Vietnamese diaspora have a few hidden gems. And if you've slept on Vietnamese Cinema, you're about to wake up with visions.
Here are a few I find intriguing:
Tran Anh Hung - the director of films like CYCLO and the adaptation of Murakami's NORWEGIAN WOOD, he's the most acclaimed Vietnamese film director today. He's legit dope.
Chuyen Bui Thac (Adrift) and Phan Di Dang (Don't Be Afraid, Bi) - don't know much about these dudes, but they have worked together in the past and both inflect that same perverse undertow found in the most delicious Japanese and Korean cinema.
Minh Duc Nguyen - graduated from USC Film and his feature debut TOUCH looks like the dude has a little Almodovar in him.
Adele Pham - Brookyln-based documentarian. I think she's emblematic of young Vietnamese-American filmmakers. Finding a way to make ends meat working commercially while pursuing personal projects with an eye for identity in 21st-century multiculturalism.
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- groups:
- Indie Film
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- tags:
- Film Festival, Film Festivals, Vietnamese, ViFF, 3 more
