OFFICIALMEDIAKITVietFilmFestApril14-17,2016AMC30Orange

20CityBlvd.West,SuiteEOrange,CA92868-3130

PresentedbyVietnameseAmericanArts&LettersAssociation(VAALA)Address:1600N.Broadway,Suite210SantaAna,CA92706

Email:info@vaala.orgWebsite:www.vaala.org

MediaContactThuy-VanNguyenMediaRelations

thuyvannguyen@vaala.org

YvonneTranCo-director

yvonnetran@vaala.org

VietFilmFest2016HighlightsHighlightsofVietFilmFest2016

• Totalof25films(12featuresand13shorts)fromcountriessuchasVietnam,Australia,Canada,France,Norway,andtheUnitedStates.

• Thisyear’slineupisnotableforitsdiversityingenre:action,romanticcomedy,drama,experimental,documentary,andanimation.Wehavearangeofarthouse,criticallyacclaimed,andboxofficehits.

• Wewillspotlight2issuesimportantintheVietnamesecommunity:AttitudestowardsLGBTQandthehealthandsafetyofnailsalonworkers

• Youth-In-Motion,VAALA’sfilmworkshopthatinspiresyouthtofindtheirvoicesthroughthecameralens,willdebuttheirfilmsthatfocusonasocialjusticeissueinthecommunity

• Communityengagementthroughfreescreeningsforhighschoolandseniorcitizensandpartnershipswithcommunityorganizations

Date&Location• The4-dayfestivalwilltakeplacefromApril14-17,2016atAMC30Orangein

Orange,CAVietFilmFestBackground

• Vision:VietFilmFestpromisestoshowcasethehighestcaliberandmostdiversefilmsbyandaboutdiasporicandnationalVietnamesefilmmakersaroundtheworld

• Mission:VietFilmFest’smissionistocelebrateVietnamesevoicesincinemafromaroundtheworld.

• FilmsareshownintheiroriginallanguageandEnglishsubtitles• Audiencegrowthupwardsofover30,000peoplesince2003fromSouthern

Californiaandthroughouttheworld• Drawsanaveragecrowdof6,000film-loverseveryyear• VietFilmFest,formerlyknownastheVietnameseInternationalFilmFestival(ViFF),

ispresentedbytheVietnameseAmericanArts&LettersAssociation(VAALA).• VAALAisanonprofitfoundedin1991whosemissionistoconnectandenrich

communitiesthroughVietnameseartandculture

FestivalPressReleaseFORIMMEDIATERELEASEMarch 6, 2016 Viet Film Fest 2016 Celebrates New Venue and Renews Commitment to Cultivating the Next Generation of Storytellers ORANGE, CA-The Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association (VAALA) is proud to announce that Viet Film Fest 2016 will have a new home, at AMC Orange 30 (The Outlets at Orange) from April 14-17. Viet Film Fest’s new larger and more central location is emblematic of its trajectory from a Little Saigon dream to an internationally renowned platform for Vietnamese voices. With a total of 25 films (12 features and 13 shorts), from countries such as Vietnam, Australia, Norway, France, and the United States, Viet Film Fest’s 2016 lineup showcases many “firsts” in Vietnamese cinema.

The festival will open April 14 with Bitcoin Heist (Siêu Trộm), a technologically groundbreaking heist-action film from Ham Tran (Journey from the Fall). The film marks the first leading role for Suboi, Vietnam’s “Queen of Hip Hop,” who will be in attendance along with the film’s producer, Anderson Le.

Prepare to laugh and scream at Viet Nguyen’s Crush the Skull, which stars Youtube-darling, Christopher Dinh in this robber caper, romantic comedy, and torture horror film. Crush the Skull originally debuted as a short film at Viet Film Fest years ago, but is now returning as a full-length feature. It recently won the Best Narrative Feature at the San Diego Asian Film Festival.

The Trống Đồng Award for Best Feature at Viet Film Fest 2016 goes to Victor Vu for his coming-of-age masterpiece, Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass (Tôi Thấy Hoa Vàng Trên Cỏ Xanh). Set in Vietnam in 1980s, the film’s countryside imagery depicts a simpler time and explores the relationship between two young brothers. Victor Vu will attend to present his film, which screened at the 68th Cannes Film Festival and won best film at the Silk Road International Film Festival in China.

Documentary screenings, followed by Q&A sessions with filmmakers and expert panelists will spotlight imporant social issues in the Vietnamese community. Painted Nails follows a Vietnamese nail slaon worker’s fight again health-threatening chemicals in nail products. Meanwhile, Finding Phong provides the audience with a profound glimpse into the physical and psychological voyage of a transwoman as she prepares to undergo gender confirmation surgery. In 2015, Vietnam’s National Assembly voted to recognize the rights of transgender people after the film’s release.

Closing the festival will be the directorial feature debut from Phan Gia Nhat Linh, Sweet Twenty (Em Là Bà Nội Của Anh). The director and breakthrough actress, Miu Le, will be in Orange County to promote this charming remake of a South Korean romantic comedy that recently became the highest-grossing film in Vietnam.

Viet Film Fest will continue its tradition of connecting the community through partnerships with nonprofit organizations and free screenings for students and seniors. Youth in Motion, VAALA’s film program that inspires youth to find their voices through the camera lens, will also have their films screened during the festival. Viet Film Fest 2016 is proudly sponsored by Wells Fargo, Macy’s, Union Bank, Brodard Chateau, Mobile Ad 4.Biz, DTNTech, Southern California Edison, Café Tu Tu Tango and UVSA.

Tickets are now available at the Viet Film Fest website. For more information about the festival, please visit www.vietfilmfest.com.

VIET FILM FEST 2016 When: April 14-17, 2016 Where: AMC 30 Orange 20 City Blvd. West, Suite E Orange, CA 92868 Website: www.vietfilmfest.com [Attached Photos: Official Viet Film Fest Poster, Film Still from Victor Vu’s Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass] CONTACT Email: VietFilmFest@vaala.org Phone: (714) 893-6145 www.VietFilmFest.com

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ProgramsandEventhighlights April14(THURSDAY)OpeningNightFilm:Bitcoin Heist (Siêu Trộm) at8:00pm ProducerAndersonLe&LeadActressSuboitoattendOpeningNightReceptionat10:30pmCaféTuTuTango(Ticketedevent)April15(FRIDAY)CommunityDays(FREEforseniors60+yearsoldandstudentsw/ID)HighSchoolScreening“IWillSurvive”Setat11:00amSeniorScreening“KungFuPho”Setat2:00pmFridayFrightfestFilm:CrushtheSkullat7:30pmDirectorVietNguyen&LeadActorChrisDinhtoattendApril16(SATURDAY)Instafame:HowYouthareUsingDigitalMediatoChangetheGame(SpecialPanel)(FREE)at1:00pmIndustryReception(FREEandopentothepublic)at2:00pmYouthinMotionscreening(FREE)at3:00pmTrongDongAwardWinningFilm:YellowFlowersontheGreenGrassat7:30pmDirectorVictorVutoattendTrongDongAwardCeremonyandReceptionat10:00pmBrodardChateau(Ticketedevent)April17(SUNDAY)SpotlightFilm:FindingPhongat11:00amLGBTQPanelontheChangingViewsofVietnamesetowardLGBTQcommunityGuestincludePopUpNailSalon(FREE)at1:00pmPaintedNailsSetat2:00pmPanelontheHealthandSafetyofNailSalonWorkersFilmmakersAdelePham,DianneGriffin,andEricaJordantoattendClosingNightFilm:SweetTwentyat7:00pmDirectorPhanGiaNhatLinhandActressMiuLetoattend

MediaDuringtheFestival

MediaAccreditationPleasefilloutform:http://www.vietfilmfest.com/media-accreditation-form.htmlDuetothedemandforpresstickets,wekindlyaskyoutoobservethefollowingguidelines:

• Journalists,photographers,TVcrews,andmediarepresentativesmustbeaccreditedbyVietFilmFesttobeadmittedtofilmscreenings,interviews,and/orworkshops

• YoucanaccredityourorganizationbyfillingoutthefollowingformnolaterthanApril8,2016.Whenyoufillouttheform,pleaseindicatewhicheventsyouwouldliketoattend

• Pleasearrive20minutesbeforethestarttimeoftheeventyouareattending.Thiswillallowampletimeforyoutovisitthepresstable,verifyyourID,receiveapressIDbadge,andticketfortheevent

• Weunabletopermitanypresstoenterpublicscreeningsunlesstheyareontheofficialpresslist

• OpeningNight,ClosingNight,andspecialeventsareexpectedtosellout

RemindersCheckinatmediatableNoreservedseatsformediaandpressatscreeningsSuggestarrivingearlyParkingvalidationintheaterMediaCenterVietFilmFest’smediacenterhttp://www.vietfilmfest.com/press.htmlInterviewsToscheduleinterviewsorfilmreviews,contactMediaRelationsCoordinator,ThuyVanNguyen(thuyvannguyen@vaala.org).Thetrailersarealsoavailablefordownload.

MediaSponsorship Major Media Sponsor

($5,000+) General Media Sponsor (Under $5,000)

Placement of logo on website and social media

x x

Placement of logo on catalog and print materials

x x

Placement of logo in sponsor pre-roll in theater

x x

3 Press Badges x 6 Press Badges x 2016FilmmakersandGuestsFilm/Type Name Role ScreeningBitcoinHeist AndersonLe Producer April14@8pm Suboi Actress HonoringLife:TheWorkofTrinhMai

TrinhMai Artist(SubjectofDocumentary)

April15@11am

KungFuPho HangTrinh Producer April15@2pmTheGrimReaper’sDaughter RobertMai Director April15@8pmCrushTheSkull VietNguyen Director April15@7:30pm ChrisDinh Actor FreshSnow DanhMinhDao Director April16@2pmTheKiss StephaneGauger Director April16@5pmZodiac12:5StepsofLove HangTrinh Producer April16@5pmYellowFlowersontheGreenGrass

VictorVu Director April16@7:30pm

#NailedIt AdelePham Director April17@2pmPaintedNails DianneGriffin Director April17@2pm EricaJordan Director SweetTwenty PhanGiaNhatLnih Director April17@7pm MiuLe Actress

ExecutiveDirectorsProfile

Ysa Le

Ysa began her involvement with art activism when she volunteered for VAALA in 2000. Since then, she has been involved with producing artistic events, including the biennial Vietnamese International Film Festival (ViFF), art exhibitions, book signings, recitals, plays, and the smART Program, which provides free art workshops to community youth organizations in Southern California. Ysa served as VAALA's Board President from 2004-2008 before taking on the Executive Director position. In 2005, Ysa was chosen by the Orange County Register as one of the "30 Vietnamese Americans to Watch" in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Vietnamese American community in the United States. She received the Arts and Culture (In-Language) Award from New California Media in 2003 for her article on Mimi News, reporting the revival of the traditional performance art,CaiLuong, in the Vietnamese community. She was awarded with the "Service Award" from the USC (University of Southern California) Asian Pacific Alumni Association in 2012. Ysa currently works as a pharmacist at St. Joseph Home Care Pharmacy in Orange County. YvonneTran

Yvonne has been a media geek her whole life. Watching marathon sessions of "Saved by the Bell" and the Lord of the Rings trilogy during her adolescent years were formative experiences in leading her to a passion for the intersections between new technology, education, art, community, and empowerment. She received her undergraduate degree in Communication from UC San Diego and Master's degree in Applied Research at Boston University's College of Communication. She is always on the lookout for good stories to tell through film and opportunities that utilize her skill set to advance issues she cares about. Yvonne has been volunteering with VAALA since 2013 and with Viet Film Fest since 2014. She is currently board secretary for VAALA and this will be her very first Viet Film Fest co-directing.