Linh Nga ( ; born 3 January 1982), is an American-Vietnamese
film director
A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...
,
film producer
A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...
,
actress
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a Character (arts), character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek ...
, and
screenwriter
A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based.
...
. Linh Nga's 2019 documentary "Inside this peace" won "Award Of Merit" at the Impact DOCS Awards, won "Best Feature Documentary" at the California Women's Film Festival, and nominated for "Best Feature Documentary" at the
Action On Film International Film Festival
The Action On Film International Film Festival, also known as the Action On Film Festival, was founded in 2004. It was held in California until 2017 when it moved to the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. As a hub for many returning filmmakers ...
. Her 2003 film ''
Up and Down the Dust Way'' (''Xuoi nguoc duong tran'') won "TV Best Series" at the
Vietnamese International Film Festival First started in 2003, the Vietnamese International Film Festival (also known as ViFF) is a biennial film festival organized by the non-profits Vietnamese-American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA) and University of California, Los Angeles, UCLAs V ...
. She is the founder of 9669 films.
Biography and career
Linh Nga was born in
Hanoi
Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi is ...
,
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
, on January 3, 1982, to Quang Duy Nguyen, a composer, and Thuy Bich Thi Le, an opera singer.
Nga began her career on stage at an early age. She often sang and performed at friends' and family's functions and was part of a local song and dance troupe. In 1990, she earned her first award for "Nam Dinh City's Best Young Voice". Two years later, she joined the Club of Love (Cau lac bo tinh thuong), a registered charity group formed by Tuong Vi. She began her professional dancing career at the age of ten. In 1992, she began attending the Vietnam Academy of Dance (Truong Cao Dang mua Viet Nam), where she achieved artistic and academic honors upon graduation.
In 2000, Nga began studying film directing at the Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema. She wrote, directed, and starred in the television series, ''
Xuoi nguoc duong tran'', in 2002. This earned a National Television Award at the
Vietnamese International Film Festival First started in 2003, the Vietnamese International Film Festival (also known as ViFF) is a biennial film festival organized by the non-profits Vietnamese-American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA) and University of California, Los Angeles, UCLAs V ...
for Best Television Series of the year. In 2006, Linh Nga graduated. During this time, she also worked for a
Vietnam Television
Vietnam Television ( vi, Đài Truyền hình Việt Nam), or VTV, is the national television broadcaster of Vietnam. As the state broadcaster under the direction of the government of Vietnam, VTV is tasked with "propagating the views of the ...
as an actress. Upon graduation, Nga went abroad and successfully applied to
Chapman University
Chapman University is a private research university in Orange, California. It encompasses ten schools and colleges, including Fowler School of Engineering, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Fowler School of Law, and Schmid College of Scie ...
in
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, pursuing her
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.)
is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admini ...
in film production and sound design.
In May 2014, Nga graduated from
Chapman University
Chapman University is a private research university in Orange, California. It encompasses ten schools and colleges, including Fowler School of Engineering, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Fowler School of Law, and Schmid College of Scie ...
. That same year, she founded 9669 Films. In November 2017, 9669 Films released the action comedy short ''What's the good of being good? (2017 film)''.
Documentary about Agent Orange
In January 2019, Linh Nga and 9669 films won "Best Feature Documentary" at the California Women's Film Festival 2019 and earned "Award Of Merit" at the Impact DOCS Awards for the film "Inside this peace", a documentary about an
Agent Orange
Agent Orange is a chemical herbicide and defoliant, one of the "tactical use" Rainbow Herbicides. It was used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971. It ...
victim struggling with life in
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
. "Inside this peace" is also nominated for "Best feature documentary" at the
Action On Film International Film Festival
The Action On Film International Film Festival, also known as the Action On Film Festival, was founded in 2004. It was held in California until 2017 when it moved to the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. As a hub for many returning filmmakers ...
Business ventures in Vietnam
In 2003, Nga helped found the Linh Nga Communication and Trading Company Lmt with her brother Linh Duy. The film company closed in 2010. Linh Nga also founded restaurants in Hanoi.
Personal life
Nga reportedly had a romantic relationship with Thuyet Tran, known as Thuyet Buon Vua in
Năm Cam
Trương Văn Cam, known by the sobriquet Năm Cam (April 22, 1947 – June 3, 2004) was a notorious Vietnamese mobster who is often called the "Godfather" of Vietnam. Known for building and running a criminal enterprise revolving around ga ...
case. The pair married in 2002. A week after, Thuyet was arrested and sentenced to 20 years in prison related to
Năm Cam
Trương Văn Cam, known by the sobriquet Năm Cam (April 22, 1947 – June 3, 2004) was a notorious Vietnamese mobster who is often called the "Godfather" of Vietnam. Known for building and running a criminal enterprise revolving around ga ...
. In 2007 she married Johnny K.P.; they were divorced in 2011.
She has two daughters.
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Filmography
Honours & Awards
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nga, Linh
1982 births
Living people
People from Hanoi
Film directors from California
Film producers from California
Businesspeople from California
Vietnamese women film directors
Vietnamese documentary film directors
American women film directors
American women documentary filmmakers
American women film producers
Action film directors
Vietnamese television actresses
Chapman University alumni
American people of Vietnamese descent
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
21st-century American businesswomen
21st-century American businesspeople