HIFF 2024 Closing Ceremony: Philippines Wins Golden Star Award, Song Lang Is Best Ho Chi Minh City Film

Bí thư Thành ủy TP.HCM Nguyễn Văn Nên (phải) và ông Jeremy Segay - Tuỳ viên nghe nhìn Đại sứ quán Pháp, trao giải cao nhất của HIFF 2024 - giải Ngôi sao vàng cho đạo diễn Sheron Dayoc, phim The gospel of the beast (Phúc âm thư của quái thú), phim Philippines - Ảnh: T.T.D. — Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen (right) and Mr. Jeremy Segay - Audiovisual Attaché of the French Embassy, presented the highest award of HIFF 2024 - the Golden Star Award to director Sheron Dayoc, film The Gospel of the Beast, a Philippine film - Photo: TTD

The Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival closed and presented awards on the evening of April 13 at the Ho Chi Minh City Theater.

Attending the closing ceremony were Mr. Nguyen Van Nen - Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Mr. Phan Van Mai - Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, Mr. Nguyen Minh Nhut - Head of the Department of Culture and Arts - Central Propaganda Department, Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Loc - Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Mr. Duong Anh Duc - Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, Mr. Tran The Thuan - Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, Mr. Nguyen Tho Truyen - Deputy Head of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee's Propaganda Department... along with leaders of central and Ho Chi Minh City agencies, representatives of diplomatic agencies, delegates and guests.

The highest award goes to a young Philippine director.

Director Nguyen Vo Nghiem Minh announced that the Golden Star Award for Best Southeast Asian Film went to The Gospel of the Beast. The award was presented by City Party Secretary Nguyen Van Nen to the film's director Sheron Dayoc.

Director Sheron Dayoc told Tuoi Tre Online that he is only 23 years old this year and is very excited to participate in HIFF 2024. When asked about his feelings about receiving the biggest award of the film festival in its first organization, he said:

"I know this award is very important because this is the first time the film festival has been held. I am very happy. I see this as a good platform and Vietnam is also a country with a developed film industry, so I want to attend the film festival and come to Ho Chi Minh City.

Đạo diễn Sheron Dayoc của phim The gospel of the beast giành giải cao nhất của HIFF năm đầu tiên - Ảnh: MI LY — Director Sheron Dayoc of The Gospel of the Beast won the top prize of the first year of HIFF - Photo: MI LY

I look forward to coming back to this film festival and hopefully next year. I don't know when or how yet. I'm also working on a new film in the Philippines."

People's Artist Dao Ba Son - Chairman of the jury of the Southeast Asian Film category - shared about the criteria of this category:

"Through the series of Southeast Asian films, we see the breath of life, see contemporary cinema with the vibrancy of new vitality, see local culture expanded through international cooperation in filmmaking.

There are films that depict reality to the point of being like a documentary, there are films that are poetic and extremely romantic, and are especially profound when expressing the soul of Southeast Asia.

Most of the film crew are very young, with a unique way of telling stories. They have a perspective that is not limited by familiar perspectives.

The jury worked fairly, frankly, and at times argued to find consensus in recognizing the value of individuals contributing to the success of a film."

Song Lang won the award for Outstanding Ho Chi Minh City Film

The Best First or Second Film category recognized two equally excellent films, with some judges even giving them exactly the same scores. The jury unanimously awarded two awards.

Director and judge Nguyen Thanh Van announced the two awards went to the films Night Courier from Saudi Arabia and City of Wind from France.

Giải Phim đầu tay hoặc phim thứ hai xuất sắc do ông Dương Anh Đức, phó chủ tịch UBND TP.HCM và ông Tom Cross - nhà dựng phim đoạt giải Oscar, cùng trao. Đạo diễn Aaron Toronton nhận thay - Ảnh: T.T.D. — The award for Best First or Second Film was presented by Mr. Duong Anh Duc, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, and Mr. Tom Cross, an Oscar-winning film editor. Director Aaron Toronton received the award on his behalf - Photo: TTD

The award for Best Short Film went to The Story of Leila ( Leila , Sweden). Through the award acceptance video , the film representative thanked everyone and wished everyone a wonderful awards night.

The Ho Chi Minh City Film Award - not part of the main awards system - went to the film Song Lang by director Leon Le. When receiving the award, he thanked co-screenwriter Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc.

Chủ tịch UBND TP.HCM Phan Văn Mãi và giám đốc Sở Văn hóa thể thao TP.HCM Trần Thế Thuận trao giải cho Song Lang - phim về TP.HCM cho đạo điễn Leon Lê - Ảnh: T.T.D. — Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai and Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports Tran The Thuan presented the award to Song Lang - a film about Ho Chi Minh City to director Leon Le - Photo: TTD

More than 10 individual awards for Southeast Asian cinema

The individual awards at HIFF were presented first on the awards night, including 12 categories including: outstanding director, leading and supporting actors and actresses, outstanding script, cinematography, editing...

The awards were given consecutively and the recipients had little opportunity to speak.

Unable to personally receive the award for Best Actress for the film Oasis of Now ( Malaysia), actress Ta Thi Diu expressed her feelings about receiving the award via video sent to the organizers:

"I was very happy and surprised to know that I received the Best Actress award. I would like to thank director Chee Sum Chia for trusting me to take on the lead role in the film, which has helped me achieve what I have today.

I thank the entire film crew for taking care of me during filming. I thank my parents, siblings and family. I thank everyone in Ho Chi Minh City, at the film festival."

HIFF will see you again at the next event.

Mr. Tran The Thuan, Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City, commented that the first Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival was well organized, and he promised that HIFF will return next time.

He said: "With the spirit of learning, listening, being receptive, and absorbing in a way that is appropriate to the reality of a first film festival that is still very new; with high determination, working urgently and responsibly, the steering committee, the organizing committee, the advisory board, the jury board in the film categories, the members of the secretariat, the support team and nearly 400 volunteers of the film festival;

In particular, the support and coordination in all aspects of the leaders of central agencies, diplomatic agencies, departments, branches and people of Ho Chi Minh City have contributed to creating the first International Film Festival with encouraging successes.

On behalf of the organizing committee, I would like to sincerely thank all of you for your valuable contributions to the success of the 1st Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival in 2024.

Wishing you good health and success. See you again at the next Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival."