HONOLULU (October 10) – Leading authors, filmmakers, and scholars of Vietnamese Cinema will speak at an EWC evening forum on Wednesday, October 17. The program is from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m., with a reception until 6:00 p.m. followed by the discussion. The venue is the East-West Center’s Art Gallery in Burns Hall (1601 East-West Rd., Honolulu). The forum is open to the public at a cost of $15 per person ($10 for co-sponsor members). RSVP deadline is Monday, October 15. Parking is available on the UH Manoa Campus for a cost of $3. For more information or to make reservations please call (808) 944-7111 or email: ewcinfo@EastWestCenter.org.

The panelists include the author, Ngo Phuong Lan, and co-editor, Philip Cheah, of "Modernity and Nationality in Vietnamese Cinema;" the Award-winning Vietnam filmmaker, Pham Nhue Giang; and Michael DiGregorio, PhD, Program Officer for Education, Media, Arts, and Culture with The Ford Foundation in Thailand and Vietnam.

This event showcases the USA book launching of "Modernity and Nationality in Vietnamese Cinema"mailto: (the English translation), which covers the history of Vietnam cinema and the roles that Vietnam's culture, politics, and history play in the making of Vietnam feature-films. Highlights from the upcoming Vietnam Film Symposium will also be shared.

The forum is sponsored by the East-West Center, Pacific and Asian Affairs Council, Friends of the East-West Center, Hawaii International Film Festival, and NETPAC/USA.

The EAST-WEST CENTER is an education and research organization established by the U.S. Congress in 1960 to strengthen relations and understanding among the peoples and nations of Asia, the Pacific, and the United States. The Center contributes to a peaceful, prosperous and just Asia Pacific community by serving as a vigorous hub for cooperative research, education and dialogue on critical issues of common concern to the Asia Pacific region and the United States. Funding for the Center comes from the U.S. government, with additional support provided by private agencies, individuals, foundations, corporations, and the governments of the region.

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For more information, contact:
Karen Knudsen, Director
Office of External Affairs
Phone: (808) 944-7195
Email: knudsenk@EastWestCenter.org