A set of short movies that star Vietnamese leading actresses has won the “Best Cinematography” and “Best Music” at the California Independent Film Festival (CIFF) in the USA.

The two prizes for "Pearls of The Far East".

Participating in the CIFF 2012 in San Francisco from February 10 to 16, “Pearls of The Far East” by Cuong Ngo won two awards.

“Pearls of The Far East” is a set of seven love stories by seven women of different ages, who have different lifestyles and different dreams. These are stories about love and being loved, expectation and disappointment, the pureness of love and sexual passion, the childhood and the growth of each character. The movie was shot in 2010 but it has not been screened in Vietnam.

All seven short films are named with the words that start with “T” and they combine a complete movie. 

The production stars Vietnamese leading actresses, including People’s Artist Nhu Quynh, Ngo Thanh Van, Truong Ngoc Anh, Hong Anh, Diem My, Kieu Trinh and Kieu Chinh. Writer Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc, co-screenwriter, also played in a film entitled “Thuc.”

Writer Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc (second from the left) and director Cuong Ngo at the film studio of “Thuc.” 

Most of actors in the films are overseas Vietnamese: Richie Kul, Le Thai Hoa, Leon Quang Le, Kris Duangphung, etc. The movies were filmed in Sapa, Da Lat, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne, Hoi An, HCM City and Canada.

Director Cuong Ngo was born in 1978. He graduated from the HCM City Drama and Movie Colleague. He has studied at the Screenplay and Directing Faculty of the York University in Canada since 2005. 

Cuong Ngo’s “The Hitchhiker Project” shot film won the Best Screenplay prize at the Accolade Competition in California, USA. 

Another short movie by Cuong Ngo, “Gold Brooch”, won the Best Short Film of films on gays at the Toronto Film Festival 2009 and the second prize for the best Asian films of the Canadian Cinema Agency.

“Pearls of The Far East” will be screened in Vietnam this March.

Source: VNN