 Press Release VAALA Collaborates with the Bowers Museum to Present SANTA ANA, CA - The Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA) and Bowers Museum present THE VIET FILM WAVE, a compelling three-film series and symposium with the filmmakers. The series dates are Sundays, April 6th, April 20th, and May 4th at 3:30pm with a symposium on May 9th at 8pm (reception at 7:30). Admission for screenings is $10 general and $8 for Bowers Museum’s members; $5 for film symposium. The screenings and the symposium will be held in the gorgeous Norma Kershaw Auditorium at Bowers Museum, 2002 N. Main St, Santa Ana, CA 92706, Telephone: 714-567-3695. Tickets will be available at the door. Filmmakers’ biographies
Stephane Gauger Born in Saigon, raised in Orange County, California, Gauger received a bachelor arts degree in theatre and French literature. He subsequently worked in the camera and lighting departments on independent films in the U.S. and Southeast Asia, including Sundance winner “Three Seasons”, all the while honing his writing and directing craft on short narrative and documentary films. “Owl and the Sparrow”, his feature debut received nine awards at film festivals in 2007, including the audience award at the Los Angeles Film Festival and best narrative feature at the Asian Film Festivals of San Francisco, San Diego, and Dallas. Gauger was nominated for Breakthrough director at New York’s Gotham awards as well as the John Cassavetes awards at the Independent Spirit Awards. He is now in post-production on “Vietnam Overtures”, a documentary on Vietnam’s classical music scene.
Ham Tran Born in Vietnam, the youngest of first generation ethnic Chinese Vietnamese parents, Tran immigrated to America in 1982 as a refugee. A product of assimilation, Tran graduated from UCLA with a BA in English Literature, through what he considers a process of institutionalized amnesia. His works in poetry, prose, playwriting, and film are a reflection of his process to regain lost memories. His first two short films, “The Prescription” (1999) and “Pomegranate” (2000) were both semi-finalists for the Student Academy Awards. Tran graduated with an MFA from the UCLA School of Film and Television. His thesis film, “The Anniversary” (2003) won over 30 international film festival awards, and was short-listed as Best Live Action Short for the 2004 Academy Awards. His first feature film, “Journey From the Fall” (2006), was widely received by critics when it was released theatrically in 2007. “Journey from the Fall” has won over 16 international awards, and is currently available on DVD. 
Nghiem-Minh Nguyen-Vo Nguyen-Vo grew up in a small town in Vietnam during the war. To escape the fighting and atrocities, he spent a great deal of his youth in the only one-room movie theater in town that was managed by his parents. Except when there was fighting, he was able to watch at least one film every week from around the world. After high school, he was awarded a scholarship to Université de Poitiers, France. He continued his education in the US at UCLA and graduated with a Ph.D. in applied physics. Now living in the globalized Los Angeles and returning to Vietnam regularly, he is trying to transcend the differences in these two worlds. “Buffalo Boy” is Nguyen-Vo’s first feature. It has received many awards around the world: FIPRESCI Award for best foreign language submissions to the Academy Award, 2006, Palm Springs International Film Festival, US. Youth Prize, Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland, World Premier. Best Director award, Cape Town World Cinema Festival, South Africa. Best Director award, Vietnamese film festival, Hanoi, Vietnam Best New Director Award, Silver Hugo, Chicago International Film Festival, US. Grand Prize, Golden Unicorn Award, Amiens International Film Festival, France. Grand Prize, Asian Marine Film Festival, Makuhari, Japan. First Jury Prize, Amazonas International Film Festival, Brazil. Best Cinematography Award, 50th Asian Pacific Film Festival, Kula Lumpur, Malaysia. Best Film of 2005, Cultural Center, Hanoi, Vietnam Culture and Art Award in Cinema, Hochiminh City, Vietnam.
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