AWARD WINNERS OF HIFF 2024
The First Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival officially concluded on 13 April 2024. Behind the festival’s success, we cannot overlook the contributions from talented filmmakers both within and outside the country.
We extend our best wishes to the most outstanding films and individuals who received HIFF 2024 awards, including:
The Golden Star Award
The gospel of the beast
Director: Sheron Dayoc
Producer: Sheron Dayoc, Sonny Calvento, Arden Rod Condez
Synopsis:
“The Gospel of the Beast”” is a coming-of-age film about Mateo, a 15-year-old boy known for being a troublemaker in school but possessing a genuine heart for his two siblings. He assumed the role of man of the house after his father went missing, doing his best to care for them. However, a confrontation with his schoolmate Gerald escalates into violence when he accidentally kills his rival. With nowhere else to turn, Mateo seeks help from a man he barely knows, Berto, who persuades him to run away and introduces him to the world of the syndicate. As Mateo takes up residence in the old mansion where the syndicate operates, his world darkens as he slowly succumbs to despair and violence. Delivering drugs and disposing of dead bodies became part of his daily routine.
Over time, Berto evolves into a father figure for Mateo, and as their unique father-son relationship grows, Mateo gradually learns the harsh realities of life, death, and violence. After his best friend, Gudo,is killed by the same syndicate they work for, and he uncovers the truth about his father’s death, Mateo finally loses himself to violence and despair, falling into a trap on his ultimate journey into beasthood.
The Best First Or Second Film Award
City Of Wind
Director: Lkhagvadulam Purev Ochir
Synopsis:
A spiritual shaman is a crucial member of the community, the one who everyone depends on when in need of moral and spiritual guidance. What happens when that shaman is a 17-year-old high school student who must balance his profound Spiritual responsibilities while also juggling another life – that of a high school student – working hard to success in the cold, callous society of modern Mongolia. Introducing Ze, 17-year-old gentle Mongolian shaman…
Mandoob (Night Courier)
Director: Ali Kalthami
Synopsis:
In the heart of Riyadh, where desperation and opportunity collide, MANDOOB brings forth the gripping tale of Fahad Algadaani, a mentally fragile man racing against time to save his ailing father.
The Jury Prize Award
Last Shadow At First Light
Director: Nicole Midori Woodford
Producer: Tomohiko Seki, Shozo Ichiyama, Shao Yong Jeremy Christopher Chua
Synopsis:
Haunted by recurring apparitions, 16-year-old Ami embarks on a journey from Singapore to Japan in search for her missing mother. On arrival in Tokyo, a cynical taxi-driving uncle whom she meets for the first time becomes her custodian and reluctant guide to the family hometown with a dark past. The road, paved with hauntings and hallucinations, traces her mother’s footsteps into mental decline. As Ami’s eyes begin to open to the nether world, a bond is slowly forged between uncle and niece. Amidst the transforming landscapes, Ami’s enigmatic dreams and lost mother unveil their true nature.
The Best Ho Chi Minh City Film Award
Song Lang
Director: Leon Le
Synopsis:
In the Saigon of the 80’s, Dũng “Thunderbolt”, a taciturn and tough gangster meets Linh Phung, a young and naive performer of cải lương (a form of Vietnamese musical theatre).
The Best Short Film
Leila
Director: Fariba Haidari
Producer: Antonio Russo Merenda
Synopsis:
Poignant and touching slices of Leila’s life, a charming 64-year-old transgender who is permanently navigating and negotiating her place in an antagonistic world, just before the Taliban retake control of Afghanistan.
The Best Short Film – Jury Prize Award
Alien0089
Director: Fariba Haidari
Producer: Antonio Russo Merenda
Synopsis:
While a gamer uploads a testimonial video to denounce the harassment she suffers in a war video game, a stranger enters her home and hacks her computer, blurring the boundaries of the real and the virtual with chaotic consequences
The Best Director Award
Oasis Of Now
Director Chee Sum Chia
The Best Screenplay Award
Last Shadow At First Light
Screenwriter: Nicole Midori Woodford
The Best Actress Award
Oasis Of Now
Actress Tạ Thị Dịu
The Best Supporting Actress Award
Solids By The Seashore
Actress Rawipa Srisanguan
The Best Actor Award
Wonderland
Actor Mark Lee
The Best Supporting Actor Award
Wonderland
Actor Peter Yu
The Best Original Score Award
Blue Imagine
Musician: Yuji Wantanabe
The Best Editing Award
13 Bombs
Editor: Hendra Adhi Sussanto
The Best Cinematography Award
Last Shadow At First Light
DOP: Hideho Urata
The Best Sound Design Award
13 Bombs
Sound Design: Wahyu Tri Pournomo
The Best Production Design Award
Tenement
Production Design: Jean-Sien Kin Keico Katahira
The Best Visual Effects Award
Last Shadow At First Light
Laokoon VFX
Once again, we sincerely appreciate the filmmakers and production teams who accompanied us to create a visually stunning cinematic feast for all our fans. Your contributions have propelled Southeast Asian cinema forward. May you continue to shine in the days ahead!