Actress joins jury of New York Asian film fest 2019

Updated: 17:59, 28/06/2019

Actress and producer Ngo Thanh Van has been selected to be a judge at the New York Asian Film Festival 2019 (NYAFF), which takes place in New York from June 28 to July 14.

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Two films produced by Van – “Hai Phuong” (Furie) and “Song Lang” (The Tap Box) – will represent Vietnam at the annual event among entries from the Republic of Korea, Japan, and China, among others.

Actress and producer Ngo Thanh Van.

Directed by Le Van Kiet, Furie, starring Van, tells the story of a woman from the Mekong Delta whose daughter has been kidnapped. She embarks on a journey to find her against all odds. With box office intake from Vietnam, the US and Canada worth nearly 8.6 million USD, it smashed Vietnamese box office records to become the local highest-grossing movie of all time in March.

Directed by Vietnamese-American Leon Le, “The Tap Box” highlights the 100-year history and development of cai luong (reformed opera), a traditional theatre genre in the south. It features a group of cai luong artists in Ho Chi Minh City in the 1980s, focusing on the challenges they faced to preserve the art. The film has been honoured with 20 cinema awards at home and abroad.

Apart from her jury-member role, Van will join talk shows with audiences as the producer of both films.

The New York Asian Film Foundation Inc. is an America’s nonprofit organisation dedicated to the exhibition and appreciation of Asian film culture, with year-round festivals and programmes, and a view to building bridges between Asia and America.

The foundation’s flagship event is the annual NYAFF, which has been presented in collaboration with the Film Society of Lincoln Center since 2010. Now entering its 18th year, the NYAFF is North America’s leading festival of Asian cinema.