Thanh Hang (L) and Johnny Tri Nguyen co-star in Hot Kiss 1

More than 80 films made by Vietnamese and overseas Vietnamese were screened at the 4th Vietnamese International Film Festival (VIFF) held in California from April 2-12.

National film festival award winners like Nu hon than chet (Hot Kiss 1) and Trang noi day gieng (The Moon at the Bottom of the Well) were prominent among the screenings.

The festival this year also honored Vietnamese American actor Dustin Nguyen – who starred in the 2007 Tet holiday blockbuster Dong mau anh hung (The Rebel) and Sai Gon nhat thuc 2007 (Saigon Eclipse) – with the Spotlight Award for the best movie artist.

The VIFF has been held biennially since 2003 by two non-profit organizations, the Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA) and Vietnamese Language & Culture (VNLC).

VIFF has featured films from all over the world, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Poland, the US, and Vietnam.

The festival’s mission is to support, celebrate, and project a diversity of visions and voices from filmmakers of Vietnamese descent and films by, for, and about the Vietnamese people and their culture.

VIFF is held mainly at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), with some screenings at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and Westminster, Southern California.

Each edition of the festival attracts around 4,000 people from all over the world.

Reported by Cat Khue