Today we’d like to introduce you to McFloyd Nguyen.
McFloyd, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in Saigon, Vietnam and later moved to Fullerton, California at the age of 13. My journey as an artist is somewhat pre-determined as I am son to a well-known Vietnamese actress and with that, it brought me an early exposure (and love) to the world of arts and entertainment. But since I find myself enjoying a variety of art mediums such as acting, singing, and writing, my mind was not set onto anything just yet. My love for filmmaking did not begin until a semester at Fullerton College where I found myself into a number of film studies classes as electives. It completely changed my perspective of filmmaking, as I learned to appreciate the craft and it suddenly put me on a trajectory to strive and become filmmaker.
I started out making small video assignments and gradually improve myself as I progressed. The hard work paid off when I received the admission letter from Dodge College (a well-known film division of Chapman University with a very low acceptance rate) to enroll with a Directing Emphasis. It was then that I knew I had to pursue this craft and my passion for filmmaking only grew from there. I went on and worked on numerous Chapman student films as well as independent film projects both in the US and Vietnam as director, writer, and editor. My first recognition was Nostalgia (2021), a short narrative that won me a number of film awards and nominations internationally.
Now, I am a Dodge-alum director working on my first feature-length film and looking back, it has been a memorable journey to get to where I am today. But I look forward to the milestones ahead and what I can offer as a filmmaker. Having spent my time experiencing both the US and Vietnam, I am eager to bring my storytelling vision onto a more universal medium, connecting people across all borders and beliefs.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
To me, no roads come easy and I’m barely through the beginning. My biggest obstacle was to overcome myself and the legacy of my celebrity parents, whose reputations precede them. I strive to make a name for myself using my potential as a storyteller, instead of being known across Vietnam as the son of my famous actress mother. Because when you are in the shoes of a second-generation artist, whatever you do comes with doubts. For in my better days, people could simply say “what if it’s all because of his mom that he now where he is?” and when things go wrong, “so much for being the son of that person”. But I do not falter to this, for I see it as a challenge that I am eager to take on and eventually overcome.
Perhaps my road could have been bumpier, but I was lucky enough to meet many talented and like-minded collaborators who like me, has the will for success. Their work ethics and passion have motivated me tremendously along my filmmaking journey and they continue to do so in our current and future collaborations.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an independent filmmaker that specializes in film directing, screenwriting and film editing. My most notable work includes Nostalgia (2021) and Neo’s Cleaning Service (2022), and they are narrative short films that has won me a number of film awards and nominations internationally. Having spent half of my life in Saigon and now here in the US, I am fluent in both English and Vietnamese. I consider myself a hopeless romanticist with a big imagination. But perhaps the thing that sets me apart from the others is simple: I have many stories to tell from both sides of the Pacific.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Don’t hesitate to ask for help or advice from your peers and always show people your eagerness to learn and to improve. In my industry, connection is everything but maintaining good connections is everything else.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.floyd-visuals.com
- Instagram: @mcfloyd_n
