Viet Nam News Director Ken Ochiai of Japan has dreamed of making a film in Việt Nam after his first visit to the country on vacation years ago. His dream finally comes true with Vệ Sĩ Sài Gòn (Sài Gòn Bodyguard), an action-comedy film produced by CJ Entertainment of South Korea and TNA Entertainment of Việt Nam. Ochiai was born in 1983 and has made more than 30 short films, commercials and music videos, receiving many awards at international film festivals. Ochiai is now working as a professional writer/director and has a number of projects in development in Japan and the US. He talks with Minh Thu about his passion. When did you start making films? I made my first film at the age 12. It was a 75-minute-long action-comedy. It was an assignment that I had to do with my group. Since then, I have had a strong passion for making films. I find it a wonderful way in which I can express my ideas and thoughts, and turn my imagination into reality. I was inspired by Hollywood films so I … [Read more...] about Japanese director inspired by Việt Nam
Film director degree
‘Deer Hunter’ director Michael Cimino dies aged 77
Michael Cimino, whose roller-coaster career as a Hollywood film director included Oscar-winner "The Deer Hunter" and legendary box office flop "Heaven's Gate," has died. He was 77. The success of "The Deer Hunter", a 1978 film about the Vietnam War starring Robert De Niro, made Cimino one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood. The film won five Academy Awards, including best picture and best director. Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Fremaux tweeted the news on Saturday that Cimino died peacefully, "surrounded by his family and the two women who loved him. We loved him too." The cause of death was not immediately known. U.S. media reports said Cimino died at his home in Los Angeles, citing the Los Angeles County coroner's office. Officials at the coroner's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to Variety, friends phoned the police when they could not reach him and he was found dead on Saturday. Word of Cimino's death triggered tributes … [Read more...] about ‘Deer Hunter’ director Michael Cimino dies aged 77
Films on Vietnam’s island sovereignty to be screened in US
Several films on Vietnam's sea and island sovereignty will start being screened at many big universities in the U.S. on Friday, the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism announced Tuesday on its website. Facing to the Ocean: Selected Documentaries from Vietnam" event will show three films at 15 major universities in the northeast region of the U.S., including Yale University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the ministry said. The films, to be screened from October 3, are "Nhung Cau Chuyen Nho Tren Bien Lon" (Little Stories in the Big Sea), "Hai Thuong Viet Nam The Ky 17-18" (Vietnamese Sea Trade in the 17th-18th Centuries), and "Cham Toi Bien" (Into the Ocean). "Little Stories in the Big Sea," a 30-minute film directed by Phan Huyen Thu, is centered on a group of people who are on the way to visit their husbands, sons, and fathers living in and defending the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago of Vietnam, Yale University said on its website. It also … [Read more...] about Films on Vietnam’s island sovereignty to be screened in US
Path to fame is not easy, says director
Inner Sanctum (24-05-2009) Path to fame is not easy, says director Celebrated director and film star Dao Ba Son speaks to Cat Vu about his 35 years of success in the movie business and his more recent foray into documentary filmmaking. Actor, director Dao Ba Son won prizes for both Best Film and Best Director for the documentary film Dam May Khong Dung Lai (The Cloud Doesn't Stop) at the Canh Dieu Vang (Golden Kite) award ceremony in March. The film focuses on a Cham boy, who studies at the central Ninh Thuan Province's Ninh Son High School. After class, he goes home and leads cows to look for grass to graze on and places to drink water in dry weather. Inner Sanctum: Why did you decide to make a documentary film on this theme? I was very affected when I read a news article reporting that in central Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan provinces during 2005-2006, more than 2,000 buffaloes and cows died because they didn't have enough water and grass. It means that many people lost their property … [Read more...] about Path to fame is not easy, says director
Domestic film industry faces financial hurdles
Domestic film industry faces financial hurdles (14-11-2005) The modern film industry in Viet Nam is plagued with limited budgets that adversely impact the final product on the big screen, according to a local director. Film director Dao Ba Son made the statement, citing the industry's heyday in the 1960s and 1970s. Viet Nam's motion picture industry had a professional veneer then, featuring immortal epics likeCanh Dong Hoang (Deserted Field), Chung Mot Dong Song (Sharing the Same River), Vi Tuyen 17 Ngay Va Dem (The 17th Parallel, Days and Nights), Noi Gio (The Rising Wind). Director Le Cung Bac said Vietnamese filmmakers must withstand the pressures and reduce production expenditures. Producers film a soap opera volume (45 TV minutes) in just three days and a feature film in only a month. "How can filmmakers produce a good movie facing those kind of time limitations?" said Bac. "As well, filmmakers have limited funds to make use of the latest technology, hampering film quality. … [Read more...] about Domestic film industry faces financial hurdles