FILMMAKER BIO: Van Minh Nguyen, a child of Vietnamese refugee parents, was born in Oceanside, California. Raised in the unique rhythm of her hometown city of San Marcos, California mixed with the essence of her sacred homeland roots Vietnam, Nguyen credits her artistic pathways to her ancestors’ and family’s told and untold stories. She currently resides in San Francisco, California, pursuing her soul’s passion as a media/art activist using film, poetry, dance and her spiritual studies as a Buddhist and Priestess of Yemaya, in the Lukumi Tradition, as tools of expressions and healing.

Nguyen has also been devoted to bringing instruments of filmmaking to youth in urban communities for the past seven years. Her goals as a filmmaker are to add another perspective in filmmaking that has been influenced by her diverse experience as a Vietnamese American woman, to encourage positive change/growth for the community and herself. Nguyen received her BA in Film and Video production from the University of California, Santa Cruz and is currently pursuing her Master of Fine Arts degree in Cinema Production at San Francisco State University and is currently working on her new film, OPENED.

She is also studying Afro-Cuban Folkloric dance under Cuban master instructors Susana Arenas Pedroso and Jose Borrroso. Nguyen joined Arenas Dance Company in 2004, being the first Asian American dancer in the company.