I am honoured this year to have my one minute film in the Toronto Urban Film Festival this year (TUFF).
Vượt Biên: Voyage of a Diaspora is a metaphorical depiction of the Vietnamese Boat People’s journey for freedom, using photos from the United Nations’ Photo Library and a few from my past.
[December 2011 edit: I’m allowed to share it now that the festival is over]
My film was made as part of the One Minute Film program with the Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative in Halifax, in 2010. A silent, black and white, one minute film was the objective of the program. It was a great experience for me and I would highly recommend the experience in Halifax or other similar programs around the world. Thanks to all my classmates, instructors, mentors and AFCOOP staff who made the experience a memorable one.
Press Kit for Vượt Biên: Voyage of a Diaspora, a One Minute Film by Minh Tan (PDF)
The digitized version is a little over exposed compared to the original film, but that’s OK. I’m just honoured and happy to have an entry into the film festival. It’s not like I’m expecting to win anything! 🙂
Links to all films shown can be found on the TUFF website.
Offline, my film will be screened in Toronto’s subway system on September 11th, as well as at the Drake Hotel and other locations. Please click here for the TUFF programme for 2011 PDF to see all locations and films.
Be sure to check back on or soon after September 18th for award winners! Enjoy!
Digital Citizen 
An excellent reminder for all Canadians of that time, 30 years ago. Some of us made new friends at school, some of us saw a new family at church. We knew the new people had come through something terrible, and all wanted to comfort and help. A success story for the films, literature and businesses that have sprung from the refugees, and a sad reminder of lost potential for those who didn’t make it. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you very much for that kind comment, Teresa. It was people like you that made life better for us refugees. Getting away from what we fled was only half of the equation for a better life. The new people around us was the other half, and, unfortunately, a lot of us didn’t have that half. But for those that did, it was people like you who wanted to help and did that completed the equation.
love that you’re screening in the train system. we’ll be in nyc actually, but would have loved to see that
Thanks, Tracy. Much appreciated. Enjoy NYC! I love NY!