Friday, May 23, 2025 at 8:00 pm Buñuel Theater, Palais des Festivals
Since 2018, Angénieux is committed to highlighting the work of young cinematographic talent at the Pierre Angénieux Tribute ceremony, which each year celebrates an internationally recognised cinematographer.
This year, Angénieux has chosen to put the spotlight on Nguyễn Phan Linh Đan, a young Vietnamese director of photography, alongside Japanese cinematographer Akiko Ashizawa (J.S.C.*), the recipient of the Pierre Angénieux Tribute 2026.
Born in 1996, Nguyễn Phan Linh Đan belongs to a new generation of Vietnamese filmmakers who seek to redefine the contours of a national cinema that is both rooted in its heritage and open to the world. As a cinematographer, director and screenwriter, she has established herself in a field still dominated by men, as a unique and promising figure in the Vietnamese audiovisual landscape.
Her work has been screened at festivals such as Berlinale, the Tribeca Film Festival, SXSW and the Busan International Film Festival, among others. From childhood, Nguyễn Phan Linh Đan stood out for her strong interest in visual arts and languages. Coming from a family deeply rooted in artistic and intellectual circles, she naturally developed an intellectual curiosity and an aesthetic sensibility. She was educated in a French-speaking environment in Hanoi, where she acquired proficiency in both French and English.
This multicultural education played a key role in her understanding of the world and her conception of cinema, which she sees as a universal language capable of transcending linguistic and cultural boundaries. She quickly distinguished herself in the field of photography, and at just sixteen, she appeared on the cover of Vogue. One of her photographs was also selected among the best images of Photo Vogue, revealing an early and assertive artistic vision.
Initially drawn to animation, Nguyễn Phan Linh Đan ultimately chose cinematography, which allowed her to combine painting, light, and visual storytelling. At 18, she enrolled at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, where she stood out in a highly competitive environment as the only woman in her field of study. She graduated with a BFA in Film & Television Production with a minor in Studio Arts. *JSC : Japanese Society of Cinematographers
Her years of study in the United States were a decisive stage in the development of her artistic identity and her approach to cinematography is highly influenced by her background in painting. She directed several short films that were noticed at international festivals. Lost, for which she worked as cinematographer, was presented at the Short Film Corner of the Cannes Film Festival in 2016. In 2017, she co-wrote and handled the cinematography of Vô diện, which received the Golden Kite Award from the Vietnam Cinema Association. She quickly confirmed her strong aesthetic sensibility through several projects, such as Bí mật của gió (Secrets of the Wind, 2020) by Phan Quang Binh Nguyen, whose poetic imagery resonated with audiences.
Alongside her work as a cinematographer, she has developed her own writing and directing projects, such as the short film Children of the Dust (2021), which received significant support in the United States. Returning to Vietnam in 2019, she has developed a personal visual language, seeking to translate emotions and narrative intentions through images. Her talent was recognized in 2023, when she became the first woman to win the award for Best Cinematography for a feature film at the Vietnamese Film Festival in Hanoi, for Cô gái từ quá khứ (The Girl from the Past) by Bảo Nhân and Nam Cito. In 2024, Cu Li không bao giờ khóc (Cu Li Never Cries), directed by Phạm Ngọc Lân – on which she served as director of photography – won the GWFF Best First Feature Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. During the same period, she continued her work as a director with her first independent feature film, Nếu gỗ có thể khóc, gỗ sẽ khóc ra máu (If Wood Could Cry, It Would Cry Blood), inspired by a novel by Mạc Can.
This film explores central themes in her work – childhood, memory, and identity – through a blend of poetry and realism and has received international recognition with: the ArteKino Award at the Busan International Film Festival in 2021. In 2024, she was invited to Kyrgyzstan to conduct a Masterclass in Cinematography for female filmmakers at the Bishkek International Film Festival where she also served as Jury for the Central Asia Competition.
During the tribute ceremony on May 22 dedicated to Akiko Ashizawa (J.S.C.*), Nguyễn Phan Linh Đan will be awarded a special endowment giving her the possibility to use the most up-to-date Angénieux technology for the images of her next project. Nguyễn Phan Linh Đan will benefit from Angénieux’s support throughout the year.
