Dong mau anh hung (the Rebel), directed by Vietnamese-American Charlie Nguyen, won the grand prize at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

Actor Jonhnny Tri Nguyen (R), actress Ngo Thanh Van and actor Dustin Nguyen took part in the festival to promote the film.

Among 150 entries, four were in Vietnamese including Dong mau anh hung (the Rebel), Saigon nhat thuc (Saigon Eclipse), Bolinao 52 and The story of spirit.

Saigon nhat thuc, directed by overseas Vietnamese Othello Khanh, won the jury’s special prize at the WorldFest Houston International Film Festival in April.

The Rebel, produced by HCM City-based Chanh Phuong Film Studios, has a leg up on other Vietnamese movies since its writer, director and actors have all been busy making movies in the U.S., especially Dustin Nguyen and Johnny Tri Nguyen who have achieved a good deal of success in Hollywood.

The film made its world debut last month at the Vietnamese International Film Festival (ViFF) in Los Angeles, California, leaving a strong impression on the audience, especially young Vietnamese-Americans. It has earned more than VND1 billion (US $62,000) in ticket sales here since its release three days ago in cinemas around the country.