Amsterdam film festival funds landmark Vietnamese documentary
Work on a Vietnamese documentary about the possible legalization of the same-sex marriage in Vietnam has received funding from Amsterdam’s International Documentary Festival (IDFA).
The Vietnamese documentary Mieng Trau La Dau Cau Chuyen (The Betel Begins the Conversation) recently won the funding support from the IDFA, which will also help fund Vietnam’s online short film festival YxineFF.
Directed by Duong Xuan and Bao Nguyen, the feature length documentary follows the potential legalization of the same-sex marriage in Vietnam through the lives of several gay, lesbian and trans-gender people and their families.
The YxineFF, created in 2010, has also been in the spotlight for creating new opportunities for Vietnamese filmmakers.
“This is the first time YxineFF has been supported by a prestigious organization like the IDFA Bertha Fund,” said Vu Quynh Ha, representative of YxineFF. “The support is precious to us since we’ve just launched a new project focusing on documentaries.”
The IDFA Bertha Fund was found in 1988 with the goal to support both documentary filmmakers and organizations that promote documentaries in developing countries to help local filmmakers find their own unique voice.
This year, the fund considered about 330 projects from more than 40 countries. A total of US$300,000 was granted to 13 documentary projects and five documentary festivals.