AMIENS — Vietnamese film director Đặng Nhật Minh recently received an award from France, where cinema was born, at the 36th Amiens International Film Festival (FIFAM) 2016.

French officials awarded Minh  with the Golden Unicorn Award (Licorne d’Or d’honneur) for his life-long contribution to the cinema industry.

The award honours Minh’s important filmmaking career at this major film festival, taking place from November 11 to 19 in Amiens city, in the north of France. 

Parallel to the Awards ceremony, his eight most successful films, being the majority of the collection of his films, were screened at the festival.

Minh is the most well-known Vietnamese artist to take the global stage since the country’s reunification in 1975. He is also the first Vietnamese director to receive a retrospective programme at the international film festival for his filmography, which includes When The Tenth Month Comes (1984); The Return (1994); Season of Guavas (2000) and Don’t Burn (2009). 

Minh’s films were highly praised by the jury at the festival for their beauty and creativity, while reflecting the reality of Vietnamese society.

”I made movies to satisfy me,  but I am happy when I can satisfy audiences,” Minh said.

All the films presented at the festival were formatted digitally by Việt Nam’s Film Institute, with funding from the Việt Nam Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Created in 1980, the Amiens International Film Festival is one of five largest film festivals in France, welcoming 65,000 people and 350 cinema professionals each year from all throughout the world.  

During the festival, the Golden Unicorn Awards are given to major figures of cinema to honour their careers.  

Since its creation, the festival has issued awards and honoured three Vietnamese film directors, including Khương Mễ (in 1997), Lê Lâm ( in 2013) and Đặng Nhật Minh (in 2016). — VNS