queenfromvirginia's Xanga

New Blog for Other Double Oh Three Productions Stuff

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 04:56:31 GMT

Hi everyone!

If you haven't gotten a chance to buy our humble DVD, they're still for sale at www.doubleohthree.com. It's the perfect summer treat!

We've been working on new material since The Queen from Virginia. Hence, our new blog for our new stuff and other random thoughts....
http://bonusjams.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

Yes, our film officially endorses voting.

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:15:53 GMT

One of Jackie Bong Wright's (aka The Queen from Virginia herself) biggest social platforms is voter turnout. In particular, Jackie has spent countless hours working tirelessly on increasing voter turnout, specifically with the Asian American community.

And in the spirit of Jackie's work, The Queen from Virginia encourages you to get out there and vote on November 4th. Have your voice be heard! And it does matter!

*Queen from Virginia DVDs available at www.doubleohthree.com.

The Queen from Virginia Summer Sale!!

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 07:20:29 GMT

Hi friends,

Summer is fast approaching, and you know what that means...Summer sale!

The award-winning The Queen from Virginia DVD - FREE SHIPPING!!
I can't really afford to do this, but because I care about you, FREE SHIPPING on all DVD purchases all Summer long! Get the feel-good independent documentary of the decade!

The Queen from Virginia apparel NOW ON SALE!!
Now available for only $7 each, with FREE SHIPPING on all clothing purchases all summer long. (That's right!) These tanks and tees are perfect for the summer and will make you feel like a queen! Be the envy of all your friends!

Get your The Queen from Virginia DVDs and Apparel exclusively here:

www.doubleohthree.com

With gas prices so high, you're going to need a good movie to watch while you stay-in, so get yourself The Queen from Virginia on DVD!

-The Queen from Virginia!

BN Magazine - May Issue now online!

Fri, 02 May 2008 18:01:09 GMT

The May issue of BN Magazine, a Vietnamese American lifestyle magazine, is now available to view online at www.bnmagazine.com. Guest edited by The Queen from Virginia director David Ngo (me, yay!), the issue features a great cover story of "the artivist" Jenni Trang Le, one of the leading filmmakers in the Vietnamese American scene. Also in the issue, are great profiles on Chef Dee Nguyen, rock band Seriously, and a great non-profit called Project Vietnam. There are also tales of working in Peru, office etiquette, how to not get caught ditching work, and a Caucasian kid in Vietnam that speaks perfect Vietnamese, how to date and have a career, and a perspective on eating disorders. The articles and layout are great! Check it out! You have to sign-in to view the issue, but it's all free!

Cinema Symposium 4 - Sunday, April 13 @ 2:30pm @ UCLA

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:08:55 GMT

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

Pageant Tales: Vol. I

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 09:22:35 GMT

Now that The Queen from Virginia: The Jackie Bong Wright Story is out and available for sale (www.doubleohthree.com in case you haven't picked up your copy yet. hint, hint), I thought that I would use this blog in 2008 to give a more behind-the-scenes look at independent documentary filmmaking. So, I'm going to write more entries on the actual filmmaking process this. You know, to pass along some of the things that I have learned or done to the future documentary filmmakers of America. (I probably did a bunch of things totally wrong, so the young kids can learn from my mistakes too.)

Pageant Tales: Vol. I - PRE-PRODUCTION aka I have no clue how to direct a documentary
When I first started The Queen from Virginia, I had no idea how to make a documentary, let alone a feature-length one. I had directed two short films prior, but they were only okay. (They would've been awesome if there was a different director.) Anyhow, I had no idea what a documentary should look like, so one of the first things I did as the director of The Queen from Virginia was to immerse myself in the documentary genre. In my mind, the only way to know what a documentary should look like was to watch as many documentaries as possible during our Pre-Production period. So, I got myself a Netflix subscription, bought a lot of popcorn, and watched the following feature documentaries:

1. American Movie, 2. Spellbound, 3. Daughter from Danang, 4. Capturing the Friedmans, 5. Sherman's March, 6. Buenta Vista Social Club, 7. The Fog of War, 8. Step Into Liquid, 9. Scratch, 10. Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision, 11. Pumping Iron, 12. Dysfunctional Family, 13. Roger & Me, 14. Unzipped, 15. Dogtown and Z-Boys, 16. Comedian, 17. Searching for Debra Winger, 18. An Evening with Kevin Smith 1, 19. An Evening with Kevin Smith 2, 20. Hearts and Minds, Mr. Death, 21. Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control, 22. Standing in the Shadows of Motown, 23. Be Good, Smile Pretty, 24. When We Were Kings, 25. Nanook of the North, 26. Super Size Me

Must See Films: I'm still disturbed to this day after seeing Capturing the Friedmans only one time. The Fog of War - Errol Morris is a great documentary filmmaker. All his films are good, but this is one of his most famous films (don't quote me on that). Pumping Iron - stars the Terminator himself, Gov. Arnold of CA. Just watch for that really.

Summary: If you're planning to make your own feature documentary, and have never done anything like it before, go rent a ton of documentaries first and watch them. It's like doing LSAT prep, but way more enjoyable.

Wait for it....Here's to a great 2008!

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 09:14:46 GMT

Was that cheesy? Yes. Did I know that ahead of time? Yes.

I'm not sure what's going to happen with The Queen from Virginia this year, but here's an except from my horoscope for the year that might give me some clues:

"Travel and the exploration of your utopian ideals help to bring your vision and work to the world. You have a great passion for using your dreams to reflect truths about reality and a natural ability to teach and share with others. This year will be about learning the best ways to direct this energy to help others. Your insight is grounded in reality and you create harmony in your work, mainly because of having the same purpose and visions as those you collaborate with."

Hmm...am I going to be traveling for the movie this year? Or does the horoscope mean traveling in a metaphorical sense? Will people in the randomest parts of America see The Queen from Virginia?

Obligatory plug: The film is available for purchase at www.doubleohthree.com. Satisfaction guaranteed!

Happy Holidays!

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 08:25:15 GMT

Happy Holidays everyone! The Queen from Virginia had a great 2007, and we're very thankful for that. The little independent documentary that could did it! Hooray! Well, I hope that there will be more great news to share in 2008 about the film. (Shameless plug: The film is available at www.doubleothhree.com. Support true independent filmmaking!)

Have a great holiday season everyone. And to start you off right, I share with you one of my favorite Christmas songs of all time!!! Enjoy the show!

DVD Release Party Photo Blog

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 02:41:25 GMT

The DVD release party was awesome last Saturday! Great turnout, great friends, and great memories. And a who's who of Asian American independent filmmaking was out in full-force! Check it out!

Jackie Bong Wright and I get ready for an interview before the party starts...I had to speak in Vietnamese for the interview. Not easy.

Jackie Bong Wright signing autographs for her adoring fans. And being filmed while doing so.

Check out the merchandise! You can buy your DVD now at www.doubleohthree.com.

Me and Buffalo Boy director Minh Nguyen-Vo. Us Vietnamese directors gotta stick together...

Jackie Bong Wright poses with actress Wai-Ying Tseng and the official Queen from Virginia apparel photographer!

Me, some dope filmmakers, N*gga W*tback Ch*nk actor Allan Axibal.

Me and director Ham Tran (Journey from the Fall). See, us Vietnamese directors stick together.

freshoffthebox.com interview

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:22:20 GMT

Bobby from freshoffthebox.com invited me onto his online show to talk about The Queen from Virginia. It was a pretty cool experience, and for the interview, I tried to dress more "director-like". Did I pull it off? You decide.

More BTS on the interview: I have this HUGE zit on my forehead which I couldn't get rid off before the interview, which is now forever immortalized online. I'm pretty bummed about that.

There are some pretty good interviews on Fresh Off the Box of other artists and projects too, such my homie actor Allan Axibal (N*gga W*tback Ch*nk), performance artist Kristina Wong, and actor/comedian Randall Park.