Short film 'The Sweet Thing That Stays' by Duy Tan University won the Best Screenplay Award

Touching the hearts of viewers and completely conquering the Jury, the short film "The Sweetness That Stays" produced by Silver Swallows Studio (SSS), Duy Tan University was awarded the Best Screenwriter award at the Closing and Awarding Ceremony of the "Vietnamese Short Film - Vietnamese 2025" Contest season 2 co-organized by Thanh Nien Newspaper, Vietnam Cinema Promotion Association and Sandisk Vietnam on August 21, 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City.

Báo Tiền Phong•08/10/2025

*Representative of the film crew of Silver Swallow Film Studio, Duy Tan University received the award for Best Screenwriter*

Talented writer Ho Minh Hieu is the screenwriter of the short film “The Sweet Thing That Remains”. As someone who always cherishes family affection and always feels the deep love of loved ones, Ms. Minh Hieu cleverly incorporated the setting of a beloved Da Nang to clearly express the precious love between father and son.

Screenwriter Ho Minh Hieu said: “Family love is always sacred and an endless source of inspiration. Many works praising maternal love have become typical, bringing a lot of emotions to viewers. In this work, I want to broaden my perspective on the love of a father with many worries and silent sacrifices, which are rarely mentioned but are extremely important to build a happy family. My inspiration comes from everyday stories, small but authentic slices, which when 'collected' together will create an emotional picture to put into the film.

Although it is just a short film, 'The Sweet Thing That Stays' is truly a collective journey. After completing the script, my team and I agreed on the production plan, from image composition, camera angles to character psychology, in order to fully convey the spirit and story that the film wants to convey. I am lucky to have colleagues accompanying me, especially director Thai Bao Long - who devoted a lot of effort to listening, understanding the script and subtly translating it into cinematic language."

*Screenwriter Ho Minh Hieu during the filming of "The Sweet Thing That Remains"*

Devoting a lot of effort to making films, Silver Swallow Film Studio sent "The Sweet Thing Stays" to participate in the "Vietnamese Short Film - Vietnamese 2025" season 2 contest. The short film "The Sweet Thing Stays" entered the Top 20 best works in the Final round out of 128 submitted films.

Among the works that left the strongest echo, the short film “The Sweet Thing That Remains” by Duy Tan University truly touched the heart with the story of the last trip in the career of Mr. Kien - a driver in Da Nang. Before his retirement, he accepted to drive a special passenger, Mr. Thanh, who did not choose a specific destination but just wanted to go through every street corner to see the beloved city. That seemingly ordinary journey gradually became an emotional trip, a trip to reminisce about the love of a father for his daughter. When the trip ended, what remained was not only the blue sea, white sand and familiar streets of Da Nang, but also the warm memories of humanity, the connection and love that will always be the sweetest thing.

The humane and profound message of “The Sweet Thing That Remains” was conveyed by Director Thai Bao Long through delicate and emotional camera angles. He used the language of cinema to “breathe life” into the script, successfully conveying the story through each camera angle, through the way he captured each look and each gesture of the character. The resonance of the scriptwriter, director, sound, etc. created gentle and profound silences that follow us long after the screen closes.

Director Thai Bao Long shared: “I am extremely proud that Ms. Ho Minh Hieu won the Best Screenwriter award. This is a well-deserved recognition for her dedication. The emotional, truthful and detailed script is the solid foundation for the film's success. The award is not only Ms. Hieu's joy but also a great motivation, affirming the artistic value and humanistic message that the entire crew wants to convey.

When receiving ideas, my job is not only to 'transform' text into images but also to have an overall view from coming up with ideas for each camera angle, camera shot in harmony with the Director of Photography (DOP), at the same time focusing on building the 'atmosphere' of the film through light and color to highlight the character's mood. The empathy between the scriptwriter and the director is the core element, we always discuss frankly to keep the human spirit and human emotions at the root. As an amateur director, I faced many challenges in terms of process and budget. However, thanks to the great investment and support from Duy Tan University and the contribution of teachers and students of DTU Medicine and Pharmacy, students of Multimedia Communications, Graphic Design, we have completed a work with much satisfaction."

Silver Swallows Studio (SSS), Duy Tan University is known as the unit that has produced many quality award-winning films and shown in theaters such as:

- Top 5 Best Game Projects (no first, second, third, fourth) at GameHub 2025 with " Hoi An Kien Su " - a technology product that brings virtual reality experience on Oculus Quest glasses, recreating the ancient town of Hoi An with cultural depth of more than 400 years ago, especially including the wedding of Princess Ngoc Hoa with Japanese Merchant Araki Sotaro,

- The documentary " The First Swallows " was shown in theaters in 2019, recreating the battle at Ham Rong Bridge between the Vietnam People's Air Force and the US Air Force and Navy Air Force.

- Silver Prize at Digicon6 Competition with 3D animation film " Typo Master " in 2017,

- …

*The crew's dedication to have the best footage*

With the desire to promote the development of the Graphic Design and Filmmaking industry at the school, Swallow Studio is invested with a system of equipment that meets all technologies such as: recording, image processing, 3D, or the most modern filmmaking, ... in a high-class film studio, a professional sound recording and processing studio, a post-production room, a VFX room, ... The filmmaking team are experienced and always enthusiastic, ready to commit to each project to create quality film products, leaving a deep impression on viewers.

“I have spent 5 years working at Silver Swallow Film Studio, Duy Tan University. This is a time I cherish very much. This is a solid foundation that helps me grow in my career and confidently step into a new environment. The recognition of the University is also a great motivation for me to continue to create and strive on the artistic path. If talking about the working environment, the modern facilities of Duy Tan University are a special highlight that helps staff, lecturers and students maximize their abilities. In addition, the attachment and support from colleagues have given me the motivation to devote myself. Even now that I have changed jobs, I still feel lucky to have been a part of that wonderful group ,” shared screenwriter Ho Minh Hieu.