I am honored for the opportunity to embarrass myself at Cinema Symposium 4, where I will share with an audience of interested UCLA students, aspiring filmmakers, random peeps, etc. on how The Queen from Virginia: The Jackie Bong Wright Story was made and what's going on with it now (DVD still available on www.doubleohthree.com).

There are some great panelists this year who have made outstanding contributions to the Vietnamese American film scene in the last two-three years.  I've gotten a chance to meet a few of them (who are cool) and am excited to meet the other panelists. 

The official details:               

FOURTH BIENNIEL CINEMA SYMPOSIUM CELEBRATES VIETNAMESE AMERICAN FILMMAKING on UCLA CAMPUS

Los Angeles, Calif. – UCLA’s Vietnamese Language and Culture (VNLC) and the Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association (VAALA) partner up to present the fourth biennial Cinema Symposium titled “Filmmaking: the Good, the Bad, the Ugly,” featuring nine distinguished guest panelists who have contributed in raising the recent Viet Film Wave.  Cinema Symposium 4 will be held on Sunday, April 13, 2008 at Northwest Auditorium on the UCLA campus.  Admission is free and open to the public.

The distinguished guest panelists include: Timothy Linh Bui (Writer/Director/Producer, “Powder Blue”, “Green Dragon”), Elyse Dinh (Actress, “Green Dragon”, “Running in Tall Grasses”), Abraham Ferrer (Exhibitions Director, Visual Communications), Stephane Gauger (Writer/Director/Producer, “Owl and the Sparrow”), Elisabeth Huynh (Fox Film Acquisitions), David Ngo (Director, “The Queen from Virginia: The Jackie Bong Wright Story”), Ham Tran (Writer/Director/Producer, “Journey from the Fall”), Bao Tranchi (Costume Designer, “Journey from the Fall”, “America's Next Top Model” Cycle 7, “Charlie’s Angels”), and Christopher Wong (Composer, “Journey from the Fall”, “The Rebel”).

This multi-dimensional panel will offer different angles on both artistic as well as business aspects of filmmaking.  Cinema Symposium 4 sets on the theme “Filmmaking: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” to focus on the conflicts that artists encounter and eventually resolve them creating valuable contents for the cinema industry and Vietnamese American community. Each panelist will share with the audience his/her own challenges as well as achievements through his/her career pathway.  The panel discussion will open up for audience members to dialogue with the panelists.  Clips from some of the newest works will be shown at the event.

Cinema Symposium was created in 2002 by VAALA and VNLC and held every other year at UCLA to create a network between Vietnamese American professionals working in the film industry and students with an interest in film and the Vietnamese culture. The Cinema Symposium is held alternating between the bi-annual Vietnamese International Film Festival (ViFF).  It seeks to promote works that are by or about Vietnamese Americans.  The event also highlights the achievements of professionals in front of and behind the camera. Their accomplishments in this highly competitive industry help pave the way for other Vietnamese Americans and are an inspiration to many in the community at large.

The program of the event is as the following:

2:30 – 3:00 p.m.

LIGHT REFRESHMENTS

INTRODUCTION - Ysa Le & Mai Le Hong

3:00 – 5:30 p.m.

PANEL DISCUSSION with showcase of film clips: 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

The panel discussion is moderated by Helena Hue Tran and Hong Van Nguyen.

5:30 – 5:45 p.m. Break

5:45 – 6:15 p.m.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS of short films followed by Q&A

“Break-up Therapy” by David Ngo

A documentary that tells one amazing break-up story through the combination of several true stories from real-life people (MY MOST RECENT SHORT-FIRM VENTURE.  I REALLY ENJOYED DIRECTING THIS ONE BECAUSE A FEW OF MY FRIENDS ARE IN IT.)

“Oh, Mommy!” (“Mẹ Ơi!”) by Jenni Trang Le

This is a journey of a Baby Quail to find courage, warmth and… his mommy. THIS ONE IS REALLY CUTE.  I'VE SEEN IT!

“Spray It, Don’t Say It” (“Nhu Cầu Vẽ Bậy”) by Tuan Andrew Nguyen in collaboration with Ha Thuc Phu Nam

A documentary that explores the underground graffiti scene and the main characters that make up this first generation of graffiti artists in Viet Nam.

For more information please contact

vnlc@uclacsc.org or events@vaala.org