'Double' good news for Ly Hai

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

Ly Hai received double awards at the 2025 San Francisco New Ideas International Film Festival

Photo: NVCC

Ly Hai won 2 film awards from Lat mat 8

Ly Hai was named in the Best Director category, alongside many filmmakers from the US, India, China and European countries. In addition to the individual award, his film Lat mat 8: Vong tay nang also won the Best Vietnamese Feature Film award, marking a new milestone in the 10-year journey of the Lat mat film brand.

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

In 2025, the organizers said they received more than 100 films from 30 countries such as Ukraine, Australia, China, Chile, Canada, Puerto Rico, Israel, UK, US, Italy, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Nepal, India, Hong Kong, Poland, Vietnam, Ghana, Nigeria, Taiwan, Ireland, Norway, Mexico, Colombia, Germany, Thailand, Philippines, Iran, Spain, Brazil and Egypt.

Ly Hai and Minh Ha received awards in the US

Photo: NVCC

The series Lat mat earned more than 1,400 billion VND

Lat mat 8: Vong tay nang was written, directed and produced by Ly Hai, with Minh Ha as co-producer. The film premiered in Vietnam on April 30, becoming one of the most popular Vietnamese films of the summer. After that, the film continued to be released in North America, Europe, Australia and Japan, becoming the first Vietnamese film to be released simultaneously on 4 continents, expanding the influence of the Lat mat brand to the global market.

Not stopping at the familiar style of family affection, Ly Hai continues to show diverse changes in storytelling and theme selection, when Lat mat 8: Vong tay nang combines elements of music , youth and generational conflict. The film revolves around the character Tam (Doan The Vinh), a young man passionate about music but opposed by his father (Long Dep Trai). The story carries a message about understanding between generations, family love 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 and many young faces.

Launched in 2015, Ly Hai's Lat Mat series has affirmed its position in Vietnamese cinema by continuously setting many records in terms of revenue and influence. Up to now, eight films have brought in more than 1,400 billion VND, making Lat Mat the film series with the highest revenue in the history of Vietnamese cinema. Each part has made its own mark: Lat Mat 7: Mot Giau Uoc (2024) reached about 482 billion VND, ranking in the top 3 best-selling Vietnamese films. Previous parts such as Lat Mat 4: Nha Co Khach or Lat Mat 6: Tac Ve Dinh Menh also led the Vietnamese box office at the time of release, showing the stability and durability of this brand.

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