Check Out Duc Anh Nguyen’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Duc Anh Nguyen.

Hi Duc Anh, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in 1998 and was among the recent generations lucky enough to be exposed to Western pop culture at a young age. With the rise of cable TV and bootleg DVDs at the time, I would go home from elementary school every day, jumping back and forth between Disney Channel and HBO on the TV, consuming the great Hannah Montana, Phineas & Ferb, How I Met Your Mother, and Friday the 13th movie series.

I was also obsessed with mangas, collecting them, and having hearty discussions with friends at school. Gaming also became a powerful inspiration for storytelling, once I learned Grand Theft Auto: Vice City actually has a great single-player story mode. My childhood was all about media consumption. (and keeping my grades high enough so my parents did not become suspicious)

Looking back, I believe this was where my love for filmmaking began. The idea that many media content from around the world can be extremely relatable to a scrawny little kid from Vietnam impacts me unconsciously.

The biggest impact in my life so far comes when I was 16, beginning my journey in the United States as an international student.

My first destination? Auburndale, Wisconsin, where no one looks like me and vice versa, no one ever meets someone like me.

I would continue my educational journey at two more high schools in the more conservative parts of South Dakota and Pennsylvania. I then attended George Washington University in Washington, DC – which was completely different from all the areas I have lived in before in America.

Washington, DC was very liberal, politically active, and has a competitive market for digital journalism – something I thought would be a more sensible career than filmmaking at the time. I went on to work in a marketing agency in the area for a year.

During that five years, I was being in the most politically active town during a very tumultuous period – including Trump’s administration, COVID lockdown, and the capitol riot. As a result, after seven years, I experienced many different facets of American culture and politics. I took that with me to Los Angeles when I was accepted into the MFA Film Production program at the University of Southern California.

As a Vietnamese, my people’s history also intertwined heavily with recent American history. This plays heavily into my aspiration of changing the narrative around Vietnam in American media through my works.

Today, I am two months away from graduation, and just finished my USC thesis film named MIKE!

MIKE will be rolling out in festivals in 2024 as a proof-of-concept for one of my feature-length screenplays (with the same title), which I’m very excited about. (Follow us on IG at @mikeshortfilm for festival screening details)

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Moving to different areas and assimilating to many types of people for almost a decade definitely adds lots of bumps to my journey. However, they ALL played a vital part in curating my unique voice and sensibilities. Hence, I am rather thankful for the opportunity and feel very privileged to have this journey.

One of the struggles includes learning to live with ignorance and isolation, which stemmed from being the only Asian in more conservative parts of America for two years, and then being one of the few Vietnamese in the center of Washington, DC. I explored this in my coming-of-age thesis short, MIKE. (You can follow our Instagram at @mikeshortfilm for details of upcoming screenings)

Other bumps include being 10,000 miles away from my family during some of the more difficult periods of my life.

With all the bumps, however, It brings me closer to films as a haven. I realized how film can be so powerfully universal. You go to a theater and you are awestruck at how relatable some of the films can be. Then, you realize the people in the theaters are experiencing the exact same thing as you are, laughing and crying along the way with you. It’s therapeutic, magical, communal, and personal – all at the same time.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a filmmaker, and I deeply love telling stories with a heart.

I specialize in writing and directing as well as editing. As an editor, I have edited many USC thesis, assisted in editing a documentary feature, and also professionally edited various videos for corporate brands before I attended USC.

However, I also do script supervising, media wrangling, and on occasion, 2nd AC. I would wholeheartedly use my specialty to serve any story, as long as that story is captivating and has a giant heart on its sleeves.

Currently, I am very much an unknown. But you can check out my USC thesis short MIKE, rolling out in festivals in 2024! It’s my proudest work so far, alongside its full-length feature script, which MIKE is a proof-of-concept for (Shameless plug once again: you can find us on IG at @mikeshortfilm!)

I believe what sets me apart from others is my unique sensibilities and life experiences, which allow me to analyze any script from multiple perspectives in the search for the heart of the story. My life experiences of meeting various people from many different parts of America also allowed me to connect with others easily, put others at ease, and cultivate a safe zone for honest, respectful, and FUN collaboration.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
I’m only 25, so I hope everyone out there would take this with a grain of salt (sorry!!).

As a filmmaker, my experience so far has taught me that anything that elicits an emotional response from the audience requires vulnerability. Having the guts to be so specifically personal in anything you do. The more specific you get, the more universal your message becomes.

As a professional, I do not believe in the auteur concept. Film or any media content is expensive and difficult to make. You will rely on your collaborators, peers, support system, and financial backing to do anything. You can’t make a movie alone. I valued learning how to collaborate professionally and respectfully.

I think it all starts with being kind to everyone and believing each individual is a unique being with incredible life stories waiting to be heard. Treat others the way you want to be treated.

In addition – Strive to always improve, yes, but never stop being kind to yourself.

Lastly – have fun! Be friends with others, have some laughs, and cultivate a safe environment for everyone. You can be serious with your profession AND have a sense of humor.

Contact Info:

• Website: ducanhnguyen.net
• Instagram: instagram.com/ducanh_nguyen71
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duc-anh-nguyen-847694127/

Image Credits
Nobutaka Emura Mariam Zenilman Jui-en Ray Chang Justin Kimata Don John