Ly Hai receives a double dose of good news.

Director Ly Hai has just been honored with the Best Film Director award at the San Francisco International New Concept Film Festival 2025 (SFNCFF 2025).

Ly Hai received a double award at the San Francisco International New Ideas Film Festival 2025.

Photo: Provided by the interviewee

Ly Hai won two film awards for "Lat Mat 8" (Face Off 8).

Ly Hai was named Best Director, alongside many filmmakers from the US, India, China, and European countries. In addition to his individual award, his film " Lat Mat 8: The Embrace of the Sun" also won Best Vietnamese Feature Film, marking a new milestone in the 10-year journey of the "Lat Mat " film franchise.

The San Francisco International New Concept Film Festival 2025 (SFNCFF 2025) is an annual film event celebrating innovative works and independent filmmakers from over 30 countries. SFNCFF is based in San Francisco, USA.

In 2025, the organizers announced they had received over 100 film submissions from 30 countries, including Ukraine, Australia, China, Chile, Canada, Puerto Rico, Israel, the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Nepal, India, Hong Kong, Poland, Vietnam, Ghana, Nigeria, Taiwan, Ireland, Norway, Mexico, Colombia, Germany, Thailand, the Philippines, Iran, Spain, Brazil, and Egypt.

Ly Hai and Minh Ha receive awards in the US.

Photo: Provided by the interviewee

The "Lật Mặt " series grossed over 1.4 trillion VND.

Lật Mặt 8: Vòng Tay Nắng (Face Off 8: The Embrace of the Sun) , written, directed, and produced by Lý Hải, with Minh Hà as co-producer, premiered in Vietnam on April 30th, becoming one of the highest-grossing Vietnamese films of the summer. Subsequently, the film was released in North America, Europe, Australia, and Japan, becoming the first Vietnamese film to be simultaneously released across four continents, expanding the reach of the Lật Mặt brand to the global market.

Not content with his familiar style of focusing on family relationships, Ly Hai continues to demonstrate diverse storytelling and thematic choices in " Flip Face 8: The Embrace of the Sun ," which combines elements of music , youth, and generational conflict. The film revolves around Tam (Doan The Vinh), a young man passionate about music but opposed by his father (Long Dep Trai). The story conveys a message about understanding between generations, family bonds, and dreams, expressed through the performances of veteran artists such as Meritorious Artist Huu Chau, Meritorious Artist Kim Phuong, Meritorious Artist Chieu Xuan, Meritorious Artist Tuyet Thu, Ngan Quynh, along with many young talents.

Launched in 2015, Ly Hai's "Lat Mat" (Face Off) series has solidified its position in Vietnamese cinema by continuously setting numerous records in terms of revenue and influence. To date, the eight films have grossed over 1.4 trillion VND, making "Lat Mat" the highest-grossing film series in Vietnamese cinematic history. Each installment has made its own mark: "Lat Mat 7: A Wish" (2024) grossed approximately 482 billion VND, ranking among the top 3 highest-grossing Vietnamese films. Previous installments such as "Lat Mat 4: A Guest in the House" and "Lat Mat 6: The Fateful Ticket" also topped the Vietnamese box office at the time of their release, demonstrating the stability and longevity of this brand.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cu-dup-tin-vui-cua-ly-hai-185251112120020827.htm