Recently, the Inspiring Vietnam 2025 Film Screening & Awards Ceremony – a gathering of hundreds of young filmmakers, guests from social and educational organizations, and a wide audience of cinema lovers – officially concluded with much emotion. As part of the Inspiring Asia Film Festival, this annual event honors outstanding short films and young cinema projects with social impact, while creating a space for the creative community to connect.
Backed by the Vietnam Studies Center at Fulbright University Vietnam and organized, funded by the Nguyễn-Phương Family Foundation, Inspiring Vietnam has established itself as a stage for young filmmakers to amplify meaningful stories. This year, the spotlight turned to one of the most pressing issues of our time: youth mental health.
When Cinema Speaks for Youth Mental Health
The 2025 theme, Youth Mental Health, ran through more than 130 submissions, tying together diverse perspectives with a common urgency. Through intimate and unflinching frames, young directors brought to life struggles often left unspoken: the weight of family expectations, the friction between passion and societal norms, and the quiet battles of loneliness and inner chaos.
Mr. Nguyen Phuong Lam – Chairman of the Nguyen-Phuong Family Foundation, the main sponsor – shared that many films made him reflect on very ordinary conflicts that nonetheless leave psychological scars on young people. “Even more dangerously, many young people have to face prolonged inner chaos,” he emphasized, affirming that the courage of this new generation of filmmakers to confront reality head-on created the true value of this year’s films.
Nguyen Phuong Lam, Chairman of the Nguyễn-Phương Family Foundation, reflected on the raw honesty of the participants’works
Nominations such as These Girls’ Story, Behind the Door (Sau Cánh Cửa), and Voicenotes from the Circus impressed not only with their technical quality but also with their authentic storytelling, exploring deep psychological silences. Each film served as a cinematic “confession,” offering audiences the chance to confront emotions often difficult to name.
From the perspective of the younger generation, actress Nguyen Lam Thao Tam, MC of the awards night, expressed her empathy: “Mental health issues are no longer unfamiliar to young people today. Recently, both myself and those around me have been receiving much more information and witnessing social development. So feeling anxious about the world, about oneself, and about what one can contribute is something that comes on a ‘sunless day.’” For her, every entry was proof of the young generation’s need to be heard and to share – and cinema became the place where those stories could rise.
A Night of Recognition
After a stirring lineup of screenings, anticipation built for the most awaited moment: the awards. Beyond trophies and prize money, the evening was a celebration of persistence, creativity, and vision.
In the Best Short Film category, six works made the final cut: These Girls’ Story, Sau Cánh Cửa, Voicenotes from the Circus (Tin thoại từ rạp xiếc), HearCut, Camgurl và Soft Shield. The films reflected a wide spectrum of themes—from explorations of identity to bold experiments with sound and light.
These Girls’s Story wins the Best Short Film. Alongside the $5,000 prize, the film will represent Vietnam at the Asia Regional Finals, where the grand prize is worth up to $50,000.Sending advice to the Vietnamese representative at the Asia Regional Finals, director Trịnh Đình Lê Minh remarked: “The project is already good, but when presenting it to international audiences, it needs to be more structured, confident, and emphasize its theme and message more strongly. Also, with one of the largest short film prizes today, you will have the chance to reinvest in future projects and tell the stories you truly want to tell.”
Also in the Best Project category, the stage brought together six diverse nominates, each carrying a unique vision. Sowing Happiness – Nurturing Compassion, from Heart & Mind Education SEE Learning Vietnam, focused on planting seeds of empathy. Circles in the City and Through the Darkness both invited audiences to confront resilience amid life’s shadows. Meanwhile, HappyBiti’s spread joy with its vibrant take on the culture of happiness. And finally, Resilient, from the Inclusion and Development project, delivered a powerful message of strength and perseverance.
But it was Listening to Touch Points that ultimately captured the judges’ and audience’s hearts. With its sensitive storytelling and resonant message, the project rose above a talented field to claim the winning prize.
The team walked away with the $10,000 prize—and the chance to represent Vietnam on the regional stage, where a $100,000 award awaits.
In additional, all participating teams received certificates of recognition and additional cash awards of $1,000 (Best Short Film) and $2,000 (Best Project).
More than an awards ceremony, Inspiring Vietnam 2025 reaffirmed the role of cinema as a space where young voices can break silence and inspire change. It offered filmmakers not only the chance to showcase their work to the public and industry peers, but also to forge connections and collaborations that will shape the future of Vietnamese cinema.
Some pictures from the ceremony night.
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