A Vietnamese film has “flapped its wings” to Hollywood to join the 2014 AFI FEST, which is running in Tinseltown in California from last Thursday until November 13.

At the 28th AFI FEST, “Dap Canh Giua Khong Trung,” (Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere), by Vietnamese director Nguyen Hoang Diep, was screened on Tuesday night (U.S. time) at the TCL Chinese 6 Theaters right on Hollywood Boulevard.

The film won a prize at the 2014 Venice International Film Festival in September.

AFI FEST is the American Film Institute's annual celebration of international cinema from modern masters and emerging filmmakers.

The Vietnamese flick’s director will join an exchange at 4:00 pm on Wednesday (U.S. time) at the same place.

“Dap Canh Giua Khong Trung” – Diep’s debut feature – competes in the festival’s New Auteurs category along with nine others from such countries as South Korea, Mexico, Norway, and Italy.

The awards ceremony, part of the festival’s closing day, will take place at 11:00 am on Thursday (U.S. time).

Diep’s 99-minute film was named the Best Film at the Venice film festival’s International Critics’ Week, a program for debut films.

The award is given annually by the Federation of European and Mediterranean Film Critics.

The film, which was also screened at this year’s Toronto and Busan international film festivals along with some others, has received considerable praise from foreign critics for its richly poetic cinematography and detailed, vivid depiction of urban life.

Produced by VBlock Media, a local company, in coordination with its French, German, and Norway partners, “Dap Canh Giua Khong Trung” was shown and earned critical acclaim at the 2014 Cannes International Film Festival.

Diep was first invited to the 2012 Cannes festival as the producer of internationally-winning film “Bi, Dung So!” (Bi, Don’t Be Afraid!), which garnered awards at Cannes Critics Week as well.

She also took her film project “Dap Canh Giua Khong Trung” to Cannes at the invitation of the Cannes’ La Fabrique des Cinemas du Monde (Filmmakers of the World) organizers, only aiming at seeking co-producers from Europe, particularly France.

Producer Thierry Lenouvel, of Paris-based Cine-Sud Promotion – one of Europe’s most prolific co-producers – agreed to be Diep’s partner on the condition that within one year, her film project would apply for four major European film funds and get sponsored by at least two of them – a far-fetched goal for a young director’s debut film.

To everyone’s surprise, within one year, Diep’s flick got sponsored by several international funds including the Berlinale International Film Festival’s World Cinema Fund of Germany, Cannes International Film Festival’s World Cinema Support of France, Norway’s Sorfund – the largest film fund in northern Europe – and France’s Fonds francophone de production audiovisuelle du Sud.

In August 2013, she began filming her project with a huge investment which her filmmaking friends joked would make an “art blockbuster.”

During her third trip to this year’s Cannes festival in May, Diep hosted an exchange with young film directors and producers selected by the Cannes “La Fabrique des Cinemas du Monde” category, which also chose her film project at the 2012 Cannes event.

One of her short films, “Hai – Tu – Sau” (Monday – Wednesday – Friday), was also selected for the Cannes Court Metrage (Cannes Short Film Corner) category in 2012.

Diep’s other works include well-loved teen TV dramas “Chit Va Pi” (Chit and Pi) and “Bo Tu 10A8” (The 10A8 Quartet).

AIF FEST features nightly red-carpet galas, special screenings, conversations, and tributes and presents a program of new international cinema from filmmakers from across the globe, according to its website.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI FEST as a qualifying festival for both Short Films categories of the annual Academy Awards.

AFI FEST is Los Angeles' longest running international film festival and has been bringing the best in world cinema to the film capital of the world since its launch as FILMEX in 1971, its website says.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!