Bao Nguyen (filmmaker)

Last updated
Bao Nguyen
Born
Occupations
  • Director
  • cinematographer
  • producer
Years active2009 – present

Bao Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American documentary film director, cinematographer and producer. [1] [2] He is best known for his work on the documentary films Julian, Live from New York!, Be Water, and The Greatest Night in Pop . [3] [4]

Contents

Life and career

Nguyen was born in Silver Spring, Maryland. His parents left Vietnam for the United States as refugees of the Vietnam War. [5] He graduated his BA at New York University and his MFA at the School of Visual Arts. [6] His work has aired on HBO, NBC, Vice, and PBS.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleDirectorWriterNote
2015Rhino ManYesNoShort film
2015The Poll DanceYesNoShort film
2016The Future of Social SecurityYesNoShort film
2021TogetherYesYesShort film

As cinematographer

  • Killer Tranny (2011)
  • Saigon Electric (2011)


As producer

Documentary

YearTitleDirectorNote
2009MotooYesAlso editor
2010A Tree Falls in the ForestYesAlso editor
2011JulianYesAlso editor
2015Live from New York!Yes
2019Where Are You Really From?YesAlso writer
2020 Be Water Yes
2024 The Greatest Night in Pop Yes

As cinematographer

  • Motoo (2009)
  • A Tree Falls in the Forest (2010)
  • It's a lonely life - Lillian Schwartz (2010)
  • Julian (2011)
  • Mr. Cao Goes to Washington (2012)
  • Why Am I Still Alive (2012)
  • Half the Sky (2012)
  • Once in a Lullaby: PS 22 Chorus Documentary (2012)
  • Where Heaven Meets Hell (2013)
  • Monk by Blood (2013)
  • 2030 (2014)
  • Live from New York! (2015)
  • Grit (2018)
  • Broken Harmony (2019)

As producer

  • Motoo (2009)
  • A Tree Falls in the Forest (2010)
  • Julian (2011)
  • Once in a Lullaby: PS 22 Chorus Documentary (2012)
  • Where Heaven Meets Hell (2013)
  • Monk by Blood (2013)
  • 2030 (2014)
  • Be Water (2020)

Television

YearTitleDirectorNote
2015Employed IdentityYesTV series
2019We Gon' Be AlrightYes4 episodes

As cinematographer

  • Black Market: Dispatches (2016)

As producer

  • We Gon' Be Alright (2019)
  • See Us Unite for Change (2021)

Awards and nominations

YearResultAwardCategoryWorkRef.
2011Won CINE Golden Eagle Award Student Division: DocumentaryJulian
2012Won Doc NYC Special Jury Prize [7]
Won Palm Springs International ShortFest Best Documentary [8]
Nominated International Documentary Association Student Documentary Award [9]
Won VC FilmFest Best CinematographyWhere Heaven Meets Hell
2015Nominated Nashville Film Festival Best DocumentaryLive from New York! [10]
2020Nominated Sitges Film Festival Documenta Award Be Water
Nominated Sundance Film Festival Best Documentary [11]

References

  1. "'Be Water' Director Bao Nguyen Puts An Honest Lens On Bruce Lee's Trailblazing Impact And Struggles As An Asian American Icon – Sundance". Deadline Hollywood . 24 January 2020. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  2. "BAO NGUYEN SHOWS THE POTENTIAL OF STORY THROUGH FILMS". caamedia.org. 2 June 2020. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  3. "Watch: How Bao Nguyen Whittled Down 40 Years of 'SNL' Into the 82-Minute Doc 'Live From New York!'". indiewire.com. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  4. "In 'Be Water', Bao Nguyen looks at the giant shadow cast by Bruce Lee". espn.com. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  5. "Be Water". sundance.org. Archived from the original on 2021-12-09. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  6. "Film School Alumni Advice: Live From New York! Director Bao Nguyen". moviemaker.com. 31 July 2015. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  7. "DOC NYC ANNOUNCES AWARDS FOR 2012". docnyc.net. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  8. "2012 Palm Springs Short Fest announces Award Winners". filmfestivals.com. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  9. "The IDA Announces Nominations For the 2012 IDA Documentary Award" (PDF). documentary.org. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  10. "2015 Nashville Film Festival" (PDF). nashvillefilmfestival.org. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  11. "2020 Sundance Film Festival Panels". asiasociety.org. Retrieved 2022-01-07.