Highlights of VAALA’s past events include:Vietnamese International Film Festival – ViFF (since 2003): A biennial collaboration with University of California, Los Angeles’s (UCLA) VietNamese Language and Culture (VNLC) to create an eight-day film festival showcasing films made by Vietnamese and disporic filmmakers. ViFF takes place at University of California, Irvine (UCI), UCLA and Westminster, Orange County. ViFF attracts around 4,000 people coming from all over the world. Please visit www.VietFilmFest.com for more information. Moon Festival Children’s Art Contest (since 2003): Established in 2003 and co-presented annually by Nguoi Viet Daily News, Viet Nam California Radio (VNCR), and Thế Kỷ 21 Magazine, the art contest invites children ages 5 to 15 to use paints, crayons or color pencils to create their artworks. The contest drew around 300 contestants every year. The contest day ends with an Awards Night of musical performances, dragon dances and a lantern march for families to celebrate the Moon Festival together. Around The World (March 2008): Directed by Uyen Huynh, this play featured 12 young performers, ages 9 to 14: Angela Bùi, Ethan Khiêm Matsuda, Jasmine C. Nguyễn Minh Uyên, Jimmy Đại Nguyễn, Judy Nguyễn, John Phan Vinh Huy, Kevin Phan Vinh Khoa, Khoa Phan, Tố Tố Phan, Jennifer Trần, Helen Trần and Theodore Vũ. Around the World in 120 Minutes delves into the journey of the 12 children traveling the world to find an antidote that will cure their ill teacher. The play was choreographed by Sophie Bảo-Trân Trần and Jenni Trang Lê. Costumes were designed by Thái Nguyễn Couture. The play was a culmination of VAALA’s first Theatre for Youth class that was started in September 2006. (photos) Finding Home (May 2006): Curated by Tram Le and directed by Uyen Huynh, this performance-art piece is a culmination of the 15-week long workshop for community members of 50 years old and above. Finding Home gives voice to the participants, presenting their experiences of “home” and feelings of being lost and/or displaced after being uprooted from their homeland. The performance took place at California State University, Fullerton’s Grand Central Art Center located in Santa Ana. Love Stories (March 2004): Directed by Uyen Huynh of Club O’ Noodles, this performance art piece is a collection of nine personal stories written by the performers and is weaved together to create the many layers and flavors of love. The performance took place at the Huntington Beach Library Theater and marked the return in five years of Club O’ Noodles to the stage in Orange County. F.O.B.: A Multi-Art Show(2002): A two-week art exhibition, curated by Tram Le, featuring 40 visual and performing Vietnamese American artists (all under 40 years old) celebrating and reclaiming their identity and culture. Cinema Symposium (since 2002): A biennial collaboration with University of California, Los Angeles’s (UCLA) VietNamese Language & Culture (VNLC) started in April 2002 to provide a film showcase and panel discussion of prominent Vietnamese-American filmmakers and actors. Little Saigon Book Fair (2002): A three-week event featuring 200 prominent Vietnamese American writers, publishers and books, culminating the Festival of Music. The event was co-organized by Kicon Inc., World Wide Viet and Mimi Studio Art Gallery. Dang Thai Son Piano Recital (2001): This Chopin Competition winner enchanted his audience at La Mirada Performing Arts Theatre with a magical night of classical music. Project 20 (1995): A nationwide series of art exhibitions, literary symposiums and musical performances organized to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Vietnamese refugees’ arrival to the United States.
|