The short film The Unseen Studio by young director Nguyễn Thiên Ân has been awarded an Honorable Mention in the Short Film category at the Golden Kite Awards 2025, held on January 15, 2026 in Hanoi.

A Story of Dreams Nurtured in the Dark

The Unseen Studio is set in an inclusive school where sighted and visually impaired students study side by side. There, twin brothers Phát and Nhân quietly nurture their passion for music inside a secret recording room tucked away in the school dormitory. Drawing on a theme that is both familiar and rarely explored, the film touches on the simple yet profound aspirations of youth, within a space that feels at once intimate and full of life.

Director Nguyễn Thiên Ân: From Self-Taught Beginnings to Direct Cinema

Nguyễn Thiên Ân began his filmmaking journey entirely self-taught, through short fiction films filled with color and imagination. He gradually found his way to real-life stories and the direct cinema approach through documentary work. This transformation did not close off his earlier path but opened a new creative direction: an intriguing interplay between reality and fiction, between observation and construction.

In 2024 – 2025, Nguyễn Thiên Ân completed training at Varan Vietnam’s Hanoi program, a course deeply rooted in the spirit of cinéma direct and the tradition of independent documentary filmmaking. The recognition at the Golden Kite Awards 2025 marks an early milestone in his still-forming journey.

A Golden Kite Edition That Honors the Young Generation

The Golden Kite Awards 2025 attracted 164 entries, with the Short Film category alone receiving 30 films from young filmmakers. The Golden Kite went to Mầm nhớ (director Bùi Đức Anh), while the Silver Kite was awarded to Mắt nhắm mắt mở (Lý Chí Vĩ) and Tận hưởng những gian truân (Trần Nhựt Long). Alongside The Unseen Studio, two other works, Gương xanh thẳm (Đặng Thị Hồng Anh) and Chào Tễu (Dương Phạm Đình Luân), also received Commendations.

The organizing committee additionally presented three special Commendations for this category, as a way of highlighting the growing strength of young creative voices in Vietnamese cinema.

Varan Vietnam congratulates trainee Nguyễn Thiên Ân and the film “The Unseen Studio” on this well-deserved recognition.