“Bi, Don’t Be Afraid” by Phan Dang Di, the only Asian film at the Stockholm International Film Festival, won two prizes, Outstanding First Film and Best Cameraman, on November 27.
Earlier, the movie won two unofficial prizes at the Cannes Film Festival 2010, the Special Mention prize at the Vancouver Film Festival in Canada and the Best movie title at the Asia – Hong Kong Film Festival in November.
The film script won the Asia Outstanding Project at the Pusan Film Festival in 2007 and was selected for the L’Atelier competition for independent movies at the Cannes Film Festival the same year.
The Vietnamese movie defeated Russia’s “My Joy”, France-Australia’s “The Tree” or Rumania’s “If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle” to win the Outstanding First Film at the Stockholm Film Festival.
This is a great surprise because the rivals of “Bi, Don’t Be Afraid” are the movies that have won many international awards.
Cameraman Pham Quang Minh won the Best cameraman title for simple, romantic and perfect scenes.
Movie star Holly Hunter, head of the jury, was impressed by the Vietnamese movie. She talked with the Vietnamese delegation for half an hour after the awards ceremony.
Director Phan Dang Di, 34, became famous when his short film “Lotus” was presented at the Clermont Ferrand 2006 Short Film Festival.
“When I’m 20” is another short movie by Phan Dang Di introduced at the Venice Film Festival 2008.
Di is the script editor of “Lonely”, which was introduced at many international film festivals.
“Bi, Don’t Be Afraid” is his first feature film about a family in Hanoi, which shows the world through the eyes of a 6-year-old boy named Bi.
Bi will come out at Vietnamese cinemas in December 2010 or early 2011.
