VietNamNet Bridge - A graduate of the Ha Noi Theatre and Cinematography College won first prize at the National Short Film Competition held in HCM City last Friday.

Nguyen Thi Thuy Giang (photo) received the Golden Kite for her short film Bong Roi (The Shadow of Puppets), a 25-minute silent film depicting a young man who is daily haunted by puppets in his dreams.

“Although Giang’s film is a silent work, the special language is its beautiful and meaningful scenes,” director Quoc Hung, a jury member, said.

The Silver Kite was shared by Phan Hong Thanh for Di Ve Noi Hoang Da (Going to the Wild Country), Huynh Trung Hieu for Anh Ao (Illusion), and Nguyen My Dung for Khe Ho (Slit).

Promising Hue city-based director Nguyen My Dung won her first big-screen award with the 17-minute-long Khe Ho, which analyses the various social aspects of sex transformation.

“Mood is everything for a short film,” Dung, who studied literature, said.

Silver Kite winner Huynh Trung Hieu said, “I invested a large amount of money in making Anh Ao’s sound and imagery perfect.”

“For me, making short films is a serious affair.”

Pham Nhue Giang, veteran director and head of the jury, urged film companies to make more short films to attract both young and older audiences.

This year’s competition held at Tan Son Nhat Cinema attracted 55 entries, including 44 films, 10 documentaries, and a cartoon.

Most of the films’ directors were young, with many now studying in cinematography schools in Ha Noi and HCM City.

(Source: VNS)