Vietnamese Student wins online short film festival

“Thinking of You” by Vietnamese-American Vu Quang Huy has won the Golden Heart prize for best film at YxineFF, Vietnam's first online short film festival.

The chemical biology student from the University of California (UC) also received prizes for best director and best cinematography at a ceremony held at Ho Chi Minh City's BHD Cinema Star Sunday.

American student of the UC, Christy Yang won the prize for best actor.

Huy's film, produced in 2009, is a vignette about a quirky flower-shop girl and the elusive "object" of her desire.

He is polishing the script for a movie version of the film he hopes to make in the next two years.

The five-minute version also won the Audience Award at Hidden Genius, a short film competition sponsored by the Vietnamese-American Arts and Letters Association.

It has been screened at various festivals like the Vietnamese International Film Festival and San Diego Film Festival.

At the YxineFF, animated film The Journey Unknown by Do Dang Thuong of HCMC grabbed the best script and best film editing prizes.

The 4-minute-40-second film depicts the journey of an unnamed, faceless character that jumps out of a book's page through the book that takes it through heaven, destruction, urbanization, and war.

Thuong said he actually created the character and background from paper before resorting to stop motion, an animation technique.

The film is the 23-year-old's first production and was screened at the Future Shorts Festival, which is organized by the global short film community, held in Vietnam last year.

The organisers of YxineFF, the Sai Gon Media Company and local film aficionados, gave away the Red Heart prize for best film chosen by audiences to L.O.V.E by Vu Ngoc Phuong, an overseas Vietnamese from the Philippines.

Up in the Tree, directed by Bui Quoc Thang of Hanoi, won the New Heart prize for the film with creative and new ideas.

All the award-wining films can be watched at the festival's website at www.yxineff.com.

The festival, which was launched in May, aims to broaden the independent film-making community in Vietnam and offer local film-makers an opportunity to promote their works worldwide.

It showed 20 films in the Competition category for 10-minute films, 21 films in the Panorama category for 30-minute shorts made in the last three years, and 12 films made by young directors in the In Focus category.

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Monthly hip hop contest to be held

HA NOI -- A hip hop contest would be organised every month for dancers throughout the country in preparation for a final round at the end of next year, according to Nguyen Viet Thanh, head of the Southeast Asia hip hop champion crew 2010, Big Toe.

Thanh said that the move was aimed at creating opportunities for hip hop lovers throughout the country to practise, compete and enhance their dancing skills and develop the Vietnamese hip hop movement.

The first monthly contest was held on Sunday in Ha Noi, drawing 66 dancers from across the country who competed directly in a knock-out format. The judges included members of Ha Noi-based Big Toe including Nguyen Anh Duc, Bui Manh Thang and Nguyen Manh Nam.

Thanh hoped to invite foreign dancers to join the judges for the final round.

"We want to develop hip hop as a healthy way for Vietnamese youths to express their characters," he said, "The final winners will compete as Viet Nam's representatives at an international competition."

Big Toe, won the Battle of the Year (BOTY) Southeast Asia in Singapore in October this year to earn the 10 member dance team tickets to France to compete at the BOTY International Final 2010 in November.

Founded in 1992 when hip hop first arrived in Viet Nam with just seven members, the crew has grown to 60, and has won national and international acclaim.

BOTY is an international competition for break-dancers. Each region or country will have one representative at the BOTY International Final in France. - VNS

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Student wins online short film festival

Best cuts: Scenes from The Journey Unknown by Do Dang Thuong of HCM City grabbed the best script and best film editing prizes. — File Photo

HCM CITY — Thinking of You by Vietnamese-American Vu Quang Huy has won the Golden Heart prize for best film at YxineFF, Viet Nam's first online short film festival.

The chemical biology student from the University of California (UC) also received prizes for best director and best cinematography at a ceremony held at HCM City's BHD Cinema Star on Sunday.

American student of the UC, Christy Yang won the prize for best actor.

Huy's film, produced in 2009, is a vignette about a quirky flower-shop girl and the elusive "object" of her desire.

He is polishing the script for a movie version of the film he hopes to make in the next two years.

The five-minute version also won the Audience Award at Hidden Genius, a short film competition sponsored by the Vietnamese-American Arts and Letters Association.

It has been screened at various festivals like the Vietnamese International Film Festival and San Diego Film Festival.

At the YxineFF, animated film The Journey Unknown by Do Dang Thuong of HCM City grabbed the best script and best film editing prizes.

The 4-minute-40-second film depicts the journey of an unnamed, faceless character that jumps out of a book's page through the book that takes it through heaven, destruction, urbanisation, and war.

Thuong said he actually created the character and background from paper before resorting to stop motion, an animation technique.

The film is the 23-year-old's first production and was screened at the Future Shorts Festival, which is organised by the global short film community, held in Viet Nam last year.

The organisers of YxineFF, the Sai Gon Media Company and local film aficionados, gave away the Red Heart prize for best film chosen by audiences to L.O.V.E by Vu Ngoc Phuong, an overseas Vietnamese from the Philippines.

Up in the Tree, directed by Bui Quoc Thang of Ha Noi, won the New Heart prize for the film with creative and new ideas.

All the award-wining films can be watched at the festival's website at www.yxineff.com.

The festival, which was launched in May, aims to broaden the independent film-making community in Viet Nam and offer local film-makers an opportunity to promote their works worldwide.

It showed 20 films in the Competition category for 10-minute films, 21 films in the Panorama category for 30-minute shorts made in the last three years, and 12 films made by young directors in the In Focus category. — VNS

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Singer returns with Latin twist

by Van Dat

Hot chocolate: Singer Doan Trang holds an irreplaceable position in audiences' hearts. — File Photo

HCM CITY — When she was a child, Cao Thi Doan Trang practiced diligently and won her audiences' hearts with her sweet voice.

Today, although she is not as popular as other top singers, she holds an irreplaceable position in audiences' hearts. It's all thanks to her creativity and hard work.

From her early years in singing, during her 20s, Vietnamese pop and Latin-influenced singer Doan Trang won listeners' acclaim with the song Khi Toi 20 (My 20s). Now in her 30s, Trang has sung the song again, but in English.

Trang is marking her decade of professional singing by creating something new and surprising for her audience. All of her hit songs have now been transcribed into English and performed with a Latin style.

Everyone says that Trang, the girl who loves to wear an ao dai (traditional long dress) with jeans and was given the name "Chocolate" because of the colour of her skin, wants to try her luck beyond the country's borders.

But Trang says that what she has done in her latest album, the Unmakeup, is a gift for local audiences.

When she participated in the Hattori Memorial Music Festival in Osaka in 2006, Trang won approval from foreign audiences there.

After the recent scandal in the media about Trang's miniskirt that she wore during a social outing, she wants more than ever to prove her real talent to the public.

Though there have been other singers with a Latin style, Trang, who graduated from the English Department of HCM City University of Foreign Languages and Technologies and the city's Music Conservatory, believes the new album and her renditions of songs will fire up audiences.

Several songs that have made her a well-known quantity composed by musicians Vo Thien Thanh, Quoc Bao and Luu Thien Huong are part of the album.

The slender singer started the project more than three years ago when she recorded her first English album in Germany with her team.

"It was the first time I had the pleasure to work with the all-German Band and with a talented sound engineer Sebastian in the famous city of Weimar," Trang recalled.

During the time in Germany, Trang had to get up at seven in the morning and work until 10pm every night.

Trang's manager, Cao Trung Hieu, her youngest brother, the person who always offers new ideas and consults on her singing style, named the album the Unmakeup.

"Don't misunderstand. This doesn't mean that I don't have my face made up or I am not well dressed while singing. What my youngest brother means is that we can find simplicity in each work of the album," she explained.

The entire album was made unplugged: no wires, strings, no electrical connections. It is simple and plain yet pleasurable and intricate once its core structure is dissected and explored.

Trang wrote one of the 10 songs, Cinderella, and performed with foreign musicians Roland Buettgen, Rainer Peter, Thomas Lieven and Vincent Nguyen. Though Trang sings of a fairy tale in her song, she gives it fire with a Latino music and singing style.

"I feel that my music and foreign language is mature when I work with a team of professional musicians," she said.

The fan of pop singers Shakira and Jennifer Lopez has released several albums, including Bon Mua Tinh Yeu (All Season Love), Chocolate, Socodance, Am Ban (The Negative) and Da Khuc (Serenade)

Trang is currently recording an album with songs combining modern and traditional styles, which will be issued in a few months.

Chocolate was born during a time when she was taking part in several musical competitions as a girl, which gave her more confidence to perform on the stage.

During her time in primary, secondary and high school as well as university, she was a key amateur singer at the schools.

At the age of 23, in 2001, she began her professional career after getting a second prize from HCM City Television's singing contest.

Friends say it's Trang's creativity and character that have brought her success and a stable position in Vietnamese show business.

Trang says she's happy with what she has achieved. Though she has never been listed among the top singers of the country, she is distinguished from others by her unique style. — VNS

Japanese cartoon festival to be held in Ha Noi

HA NOI — An array of eight famous Japanese animated films will be screened at the National Cinema Centre on January 12-16.

The event is being jointly held by the Japanese Culture Department, the Japanese Cultural Exchange Centre in Viet Nam, the Cinematographic Department and the National Cinema Centre.

The festival will especially feature Spirit away directed by Miyazaki Hayao in 2001, which won the Golden Bear award in 2002 and was among the Oscar competitors for best animated feature film at the 75th annual Academy Awards ceremony.

Spirit away tells about the adventures of a 10-year-old girl, Chihiro, who is accidentally thrown into a "spirit" world. While working at a bathhouse catering to spirits and gods, she tries to rescue her parents from a spell that transformed them into pigs.

Prior to the event, popular voice actress Mitsuki Saiga, guitarist Kazuya Nishikawa and several film makers will engage in an exchange with Vietnamese audience.

Cartoon pilgrims may get free tickets at the Japanese Cultural Exchange Centre at 27 Quang Trung Street, Hoan Kiem District, Ha Noi, as from 2pm on January 5.

Opera House to count down to New Year's Eve

HA NOI — A special New Year's Eve countdown party will be held outside the Ha Noi Opera House at 9pm on Friday to usher in the new year with entertainment and countdown clocks facing in four directions.

The programme, sponsored by Heineken, will feature performances by singers My Linh and Nguyen Duc Cuong and music by DJs Jonathan Glaser from Sweden, Tempo from the US and Tuan Kruise of Viet Nam.

TV festival celebrates individual contributions

CAÁN THO — Individual contributions were recognised for the first time at the 30th annual television festival that ended on Sunday in the southern city of Can Tho.

The Best Director award went to Bui Quoc Viet for Dam Laây Bac (Marsh), produced by VTV's Television Film Production Centre.

Best Actor was awarded to Huynh Cong for his role as Huynh Van Nghe in Vo Ngua Troi Nam (The South's Heroes), produced by HTV's Television Film Company.

Actress Ho Thanh Ngoc won Best Actress for her role as Lua in Me Chong Nang Dau (Mother and Daughter-in-Law) by Vinh Long Television.

Best Cameraman went to Nguyen Thanh Phuc for his work on Vo Ngua Troi Nam.

There were more than 750 entries at the festival, including documentaries, reports, TV series, theatre and musicals.

Seminars were also held at the festival on digital television and children's programming. — VNS

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A rural taste for international tourists

Finland President Tarja Halonen (R) laughed a lot as she tried to practice rowing coracle in Hoi An ancient town

Photo: Tuoi Tre

The “Farmer – fisherman” tour offering tourists a chance to catch fish and collect rubbish like real farmers on the Thu Bon River in Hoi An ancient town has attracted many international tourists.

The tour is not to discover and sightsee the landscape, but is aimed at turning tourists into true fishermen who would live in the countryside and collect rubbish on Thu Bon River, Bay Mau Coconut Village, and the Hoi An’s Cua Dai sea.

Finland President Tarja Halonen selected this tour several years ago.

She also tried to practice rowing coracle and to be a fisherwoman during a week in Vietnam. Before returning to her country, she thanked the tour operator for offering her a meaningful and interesting holiday.

She said she was happy to be a fisherwoman, and to enjoy the life of the rural people and shared happiness with gentle and optimistic fishermen.

“Especially, I can taste the local traditional culture. Those are my unforgettable moments in Vietnam.”

The tour founder Tran Van Khoa hailing from Hoi An said that he formed this tour because 80 pct of the Vietnamese population earns a living from agriculture like fish catching and breeding.

“Vietnam has exported millions of tons of rice and seafood each year”.

This green tour not only helps promote Vietnamese culture to the world, but also contributes to protecting the environment.

On average, 4,000 international tourists book the tour every year, said Khoa.

Here are some photos of the tour “Farmer – Fisherman”: 

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I am your dad, not the monkey: Chinese actor

Chinese actor Liu Xiao Ling Tong, famous for starring as Sun Wukong or Monkey King in a popular 1980s Chinese TV series, raises numerous monkeys to the point his daughter thought one monkey was her father.

The 51-year-old internationally-acclaimed star in the epic ‘Journey to the West’ gave an exclusive interview Saturday with Tuoi Tre during his five-day tour in Vietnam starting December 25.

Can you communicate with monkeys in real life?

The number of monkeys I keep in my house are even more numerous than my family’s offspring.

But it’s not always an advantage if you keep close contact with the monkey. My daughter grows up thinking that she is a daughter of the monkey.

Even my wife sometimes becomes shocked at seeing our house like a hideout for monkeys. Also she is sometimes panicked seeing me in anger with my eyes opening wide [in imitation of the Monkey King].

I know a photographer who won an international award with a photo he took of me and a monkey. At the time, I was costumed as Sun Wukong and the real monkey looked like it was trying to shake my hand.

It’s in the animal’s instinct to raise its hand upon seeing me. The picture undergoes no modifications like Photoshop or whatsoever.

The monkey shares similar feelings with humans being, has happiness, anger, love and hatred. It may become sulky if you tease it with fruits but then take them back.

If you treat a monkey well, it will return the favor to you.

You announced that you will not teach anyone how to act the Monkey King the way you did

 

A minor crisis has taken place with the role of Sun Wukong in China. Those who act differently from me will not be accepted by the audience. But doing it similarly to me is called mimicking.

Many learners who train themselves to become actor of the Monkey King admitted that the more they tried to mimic, the more impossible the task would be.

So I don’t want to teach anyone because I want to let them study themselves from what I did and develop it into their own, not to mimic it.

Besides, I now find it interesting with the other job: writing and taking care of the Hall of Fame of Wu Cheng’en [who is credited with authoring the novel] and an exhibition hall for me [in the eastern province of Jiangsu].

What do you think about new variations of Sun Wukong, the main character of the novel?

In some films adapted from the novel, they let Sun Wukong having sex with monsters, or marrying an adopted daughter of the Bodhisattva of Mercy.

I always give the advice when I come to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and others that ‘you should develop it not to distort it’.

One of the main characteristics of Sun Wukong is honesty.

I know children in Vietnam enjoy watching Sun Wukong on television every summer and I want to tell them that Sun Wukong always keeps his eyes over children’s development.

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