Biography and Filmography

Biography and Filmography

After graduating from the Faculty of Screenwriting at Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema in 2000, Di worked as a public servant at Vietnam Cinema Department for 6 years before quitting work and started his career as an independent filmmaker.  His vision was to establish a team of young directors to create a “new wave” in Vietnamese cinema.

Di made two short feature films: Lotus (2005) and When I am 20 (2006).  When I am 20 was the first Vietnamese Film that selected in competition – Venice IFF 2008.

His long feature script entitled Adrift (Directed by Bui Thac Chuyen) won FIPRESCI Prize Venice IFF 2009. Nominated for Best Script-Writer at Asia Film Award 2010.

Bi, Don't Be Afraid - the first feature film in which Di works as producer, screenwriter and director in 2009. The film was selected for the Cannes L'ATELIER 2008. Funded by World Cinema Fund (Berlin IFF 2008), by Fond SUD and Arte Cinema 2009.

That film won two prizes at Cannes Critic’s Week 2010. It also won many other awards at some IFF such as Vancouver, Hongkong, Stockholm

Di’s second film Big father, small father and other stories… had it’s World Premiere in Official Competition- Berlinale 2015.

Di has been producing Cu Li Never Cries of Pham Ngoc Lan, the film project was selected for Cannes’ L’Atelier 2017, got funding from many film funds around the world and now is in pre-production.

Beside his career as an independent filmmaker, Di also taught Film History and Screen-Writing at Hanoi National University and organize Autumn Meeting, an annual international cinema event in Danang, Vietnam.