In Her Voice
Tues 19 Oct 2021, 02 pm – 03:30 pm
Zoom Webinar
Registration link
From Unesco:
UNESCO in collaboration with Embassy of Canada, Embassy of Switzerland in Vietnam, and the companionship of Hanoi Grapevine, O Kia Ha Noi Cultural and Creative Space, will organize the online film event IN HER VOICE.
IN HER VOICE will be held to analyze and discuss the opportunities and challenges of female filmmakers in the film industry, share stories about the journeys to attend international film festivals, access to cinema support funds, priority prizes for female filmmakers, at the same time create and open space for conversation and exchange among speakers and participants.
The event draws the participation of guest speakers, Vietnamese and international filmmakers: Director Thanh Van and Director Nhue Giang, Director/Producer Nguyen Hoang Diep, Ms. Yoonhyung Jeon – film expert at the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), Filmmaker Anne Koizumi, and Director/Screenwriter Petra Volpe.
We will have a special gift for those who register early for the event, before Tues 12 Oct 2021. The event will close registration on Fri 15 Oct 2021.
IN HER VOICE is an event organized within the framework of “E-MOTIONS project: Mobilizing film professionals for regional cooperation” which is being conducted by UNESCO and cooperative partners, with the support from the Trust Fund of Japan. The project aims to enhance the capacity and empowerment of filmmakers, as well as organize activities to connect domestic filmmakers with their peers in the region.
Thanh Van & Nhue Giang
Director
Nguyen Thanh Van and Pham Nhue Giang are a famous Vietnamese filmmaking couple. Both were awarded the Title of People’s Artist.
There are very few director couples like Thanh Van and Nhue Giang. Both of them were born into families with filmmaking tradition. Each person has own career and always accompanies and supports each other on the career path. When Thanh Van is the director, Nhue Giang is the deputy director, and vice versa. Thanh Van also acted as an executive producer of Nhue Giang’s films.
Nguyen Thanh Van is one of the veteran directors of contemporary Vietnamese cinema. He made his first film “Love story in a narrow alley” (Chuyện tình trong ngõ hẹp) in 1992. The film is said to be his most successful work and associated with his name is “Sandy lives” (Đời cát), 1996. This film won major awards at many international film festivals such as the Amiens International Film Festival (France) in 2000, the 45th Asia – Pacific Film Festival in 2000.
In addition to “Sandy lives”, Nguyen Thanh Van also made many other successful feature films such as “The sleepwalking woman” (Người đàn bà mộng du – 2004), “Little heart” (Trái tim bé bỏng – 2007). In the field of television series, the 23-episode film “Lều chõng” adapted by Nguyen Thanh Van from the work of writer Ngo Tat To, was also highly appreciated by experts.
Nguyen Thanh Van is former Deputy Director of the Vietnam Film Studio.
For her part, Pham Nhue Giang also has many excellent feature films. Her first short film – “Coolie boy” (Cậu bé cu-li – 1992) was sold to the French channel Canal+. In 1996, her first feature film “Escape” (Bỏ trốn), adapted from a short story by Phan Thi Thanh Nhan, won the B prize of the Vietnam Cinema Association (1996) and the jury prize of the 12th National Film Festival (1999).
In 2002, the film “The deserted valley” (Thung lũng hoang vắng) marked a turning point in Pham Nhue Giang’s directorial career. The film won the Silver Lotus prize at the 13th National Film Festival (2002) and the Fipresci Award for Young Asian Directors at the 51st Melbourne International Film Festival (2002).
Later, the film “Mother’s soul” (Tâm hồn mẹ – 2011) was also a success of Pham Nhue Giang. The film won the Best Actress award at the Dubai Film Festival (2011), the Best Film award at the Vietnam Film Festival in France (2014),…
Besides the work of filmmaking, Pham Nhue Giang also studies and teaches cinematic art.
Nguyen Hoang Diep
Director / Producer
In 2003 – 2008, she worked for the private television channel with documentaries series that reflected hot and sensitive topics in society during this period. She was the director of two ofthe best-selling TV series in the golden hour of national TV channel for children: Chit and Pi, The Quartet 10A8.
In 2008, Nguyen Hoang Diep founded VBLOCK Media, an independent film studio that focuses onart and creative experiment projects. In 2009, she successfully produced the movie “Bi, Don’t be afraid” (director Phan Dang Di). The work won two awards at the “Critics week” in the Cannes Film Festival.
In 2014, Nguyen Hoang Diep wrote the script, directed, produced, and released her debut movie “Flapping in the middle of nowhere” (filmed by Pham Quang Minh). The film was world premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, shortly thereafter won the Best Film award in theimportant category “Settimana internazionale della critica”. Up to now, the film has been contested,received nominations and won many major awards at many International Film Festivals. “Flapping in the middle of nowhere” was become the rare indie film released commercially and achieved success at the Vietnamese box office.
In 2016, Nguyen Hoang Diep has been honored as a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters bythe French Ministry of Culture for her efforts and contributions to cultural development. Less than10 Vietnamese artists have received this order and medal. Diep is the first female director of the country to receive this honor. In the same year, she was involved in the production of films by independent directors in Vietnam: Siu Pham with “The Road in the Mountain” and “The Open Heaven”, Le Binh Giang with “Kfc”, Tran Dung Thanh Huy with “Rom”. Until now, Nguyen Hoang Diep was the producer of young directors – impressive art house cinema projects at international film festivals. Besides, she is also a member of the Central Council on Film Evaluation and Selection.
In 2017, O Kia Ha Noi cultural and creative space in Hanoi was established by Diep and her husband, – architect Nghiem Quoc Cuong, followed by Okia Cinema, Youth Workshop and O Kia Library. Along with the opening of O Kia Ha Noi, a series of artistic and cultural events was taken to connect artists to the public – art and life have been working effectively. Many courses, art talks, literary and film projects, music, conservation, art… have been continued to take place that was warmly received by the public and highly appreciated by the media. Especially, attracting the public has been the participation of women in all activities.
Yoonhyung Jeon
Film expert at the Korean Film Council (KOFIC)
Yoonhyung Jeon is an internal auditor at the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), a South Korean government institution responsible for film policy development, funding, promotion and education, nationally and internationally.
She oversees technical assistance, funds assessment and management. She was previously the Head of Distribution, working on KOFIC’s international strategy for Korean cinema and inter-cultural exchanges in the audio-visual sector.
Her experience includes policy implementation and distribution support programmes, film festival funding and evaluation, marketing/branding integration, new policies and funding campaigns and research.
Throughout her 18-year career at cultural and creative industry, she has worked with major film festivals, including the Busan International Film Festival, independent filmmakers, producers, curators, distributors, and government institutions in South Korea and abroad. She has worked closely with artists and industry professionals to transform their ideas and strategies to be made into productions and circulated internationally. She has worked extensively to facilitate co-production initiatives between the Republic of Korea, France and China, also jointly working with CNC and EU MEDIA between 2010 and 2012. She is a former lecturer in media literacy, has provided policy consultations to the Royal Government of Bhutan and has helped to promote Vietnamese cinema in the Republic of Korea.
Yoonhyung Jeon is currently an Expert Facility Member for UNESCO 2005 Convention and a senior manager at Korean Film Council, the government institution to support film production, distribution, education and audience development. She is also a part-time lecturer at film studies department at Kyung Hee University since 2020. Currently she is working as an international expert for EU-funded UNESCO project on the governance of culture in developing countries for strengthening film industry in Uganda and Ethiopia.
She received BA in film studies from Kyung Hee University and MA from Goldsmiths, University of London in Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship for media studies.
Anne Koizumi
Film Maker
Anne Koizumi completed her undergraduate studies in Film Production at the University of British Columbia in 2004, and was actively involved with the UBC Film Society.
Her student film, Patricia Grey, won the Outstanding 4th year film award and screened at Slamdance Film Festival, Montreal World Film Festival and various film festivals throughout North America.
In early 2006, Anne was invited by the National Film Board of Canada to participate in Hothouse 3, an animation intensive for emerging animators, where she completed her first professional film A Prairie Story, which went to screen at Annecy International Animation Festival, Animation Nation in Singapore and the Calgary International Film Festival.
Shortly after her return she became involved with Quickdraw Animation Society’s Youth Animation Project where she is currently employed as the Project Producer. The Youth Animation Project is a community action project supporting Youth with barriers in the development of animation and life skills. Through this project, Anne has produced over 30 short animated films and uses her experience as a filmmaker and animator to mentor the participants through the process of creating their own animations.
In May 2008 she was awarded the Alberta Media Arts Alliance film commission for her screenplay adaptation of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story The Yellow Wallpaper, which is currently in production. It is a long-term goal for Anne to establish her filmmaking and animation career in Calgary, Alberta through the production of animation and live-action films.
Petra Volpe
Director / Script writer
The Swiss-Italian-screenplay writer and director Petra Volpe studied at the Film Academy Konrad Wolf in Potsdam Babelsberg. During her studies, she wrote and directed several short films. Since graduating in 2003, she has been working as an independent screenwriter and director.
Petra Volpe wrote script and directed the film “Dreamland” (2013).
Petra’s screen debut Traumland was released in Swiss cinemas in the spring of 2014, after a successful festival tour, and was nominated for four Swiss film awards.
Her latest feature “The Divine Order” was selected as the Swiss entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards. The film had its international premiere at the Tribeca Film festival 2017 and won three awards: The Nora Ephron Prize, Prize for best actress in an International Film and the Audience Award. “The Divine Order” was a box office hit in Switzerland and was nominated for seven Swiss Film Awards and won three.
Furthermore, she wrote and directed several award-winning television movies. Volpe also wrote the screenplay for “Heidi” (2015) the internationally most successful Swiss film of all time.