Ysa Le
Executive Director
Ysa began her art activism with the Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA) since 2000, serving as the Board President from 2004-2008, and then as Executive Director from 2008 until now. She co-founded Viet Film Fest in 2003.
Prior to VAALA, Ysa was a radio host for the Viet Nam California Radio (VNCR), from 1995 to 2010. She hosted a weekly show called “Vòng Chân Trời Văn Học Nghệ Thuật” (“The Art Horizon”), which covered interviews with various artists and art events. Her show was syndicated for Voice of America (VOA), which broadcasted in Vietnam. In 2005, Ysa was chosen by the Orange County Register as one of the “30 Vietnamese Americans to Watch” in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Vietnamese American community in the United States. She received the Arts and Culture (In-Language) Award from New California Media in 2003 for her article on Mimi News, reporting the revival of the traditional performance art Cải Lương in the Vietnamese community. She was awarded with the “Service Award” from the USC (University of Southern California) Asian Pacific Alumni Association in 2012.
Ysa received her Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree from the University of Southern California (USC) in 1994. She currently works as a clinical pharmacist at Providence Home Infusion Pharmacy in Anaheim, California.
Eric Nong
Artistic Director, Viet Film Fest
Born and raised in Orange County, CA, Eric Nong is a self-taught classic film buff who, since 2012, maintains a blog dedicated to movie write-ups. In addition to his passion for film, he has served as a volunteer and writer for Viet Film Fest 2018. Eric was also a part of Viet Film Fest 2019’s Curatorial Committee and volunteered during the 3-day event. Eric has a BA in Political Science from UC Irvine (also attended UC Santa Cruz for the first two years of undergrad); MPP from UCI with a focus on education and poverty alleviation. In his spare time, Eric volunteers his time to teach English to Buddhist monks at Chùa Bát Nhã in Santa Ana, CA.
Tran Lee
Associate Director, Viet Film Fest
Coming to the United States from Vietnam in 2017, Tran has always been seeking after opportunities that allow her to promote her culture through the lenses of arts. Her passion for storytelling as well as her experience in event planning has led her to become involved with Viet Film Fest since 2022. As an Associate Director, she oversees the operations of the festival including sponsorships, finance, and Community Day outreach.
Tran graduates from University of Southern California (USC) as a Business Administration major with an emphasis in Cinematic Arts. During her college years, she was the Director for the USC Vietnamese Student Association’s annual Culture Night, which took place in an auditorium of 300 audience members. She was also the Chair of Programming for the USC International Student Assembly where she has planned many school-wide events, namely the Global Culture Night and GlobeFest.
Tony Nguyen
Digital Director, Viet Film Fest
Born in Des Moines and based in Dallas, Tony Nguyen received his BA in History at the University of Texas, Dallas. He previously worked at the Dallas International Film Festival as Programming Coordinator since 2018 and currently co-curates a queer film series, Pleasure Style Attitude (PSA), for Texas Theatre, a local art house theatre, showcasing motion pictures amplifying underrepresented voices and cultivating discussions of the intersections of queerness, politics, aesthetics, class, and race.
Corey Linh
Communication Specialist
Corey Linh holds the position of Communication Specialist at the Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association, where she facilitates communication efforts and contributes to the promotion of Vietnamese arts and literature. She was the Exhibition Coordinator for the “Yellow Submarine Rising: Currents in Asian American Arts,” an exhibition in response to the #StopAsianHate movement, as well as was the Program Coordinator for Viet Book Fest. Her most recent work has been facilitating digital communication for Viet Film Fest 2023. She graduated with honors from California State University, Long Beach, majoring in Psychology. Additionally, she is a classically trained actress, contributing to the portrayal of the Asian American experience, both on stage and in film.
Marissa Gavin
UCI H.O.T Fellow
Marissa Gavin is a History PhD student at the University of California – Irvine. She completed both her Bachelor’s cum laude and Master’s degrees in the at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. Marissa’s research interests focus on early modern France, Oceania, gender, and indigeneity and racialization. Marissa has presented work on the gendered nature of Aboriginal child removal in Australia through various HGSA conferences and will present her article, “Visions of Sovereignty and Kanak Women” at the American Historical Association’s Pacific Coast Branch conference in August of 2024. Marissa furthermore published her public-facing article “The Thirty Meter Telescope Project Exemplifies Scientific Progress and Indigenous Dispossession” in 2022 with the History News Network. She continues to combine her research interests with engaged activism to bring awareness to the ongoing challenges stemming from imperial intervention throughout the Pacific Ocean. Currently, she is a H.O.T Fellow at UC, Irvine, a program that supports community-focused projects through its partnerships with local arts and cultural institutions.
Chenglin Lee
UCI H.O.T Fellow
Chenglin Lee is a PhD student in comparative literature at UC Irvine. They are interested in Asian American studies, Asian Diasporas, film, and literature. Currently, he is a H.O.T Fellow at UC, Irvine, a program that supports community-focused projects through its partnerships with local arts and cultural institutions.
Ysa began her art activism with the Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA) since 2000, serving as the Board President from 2004-2008, and then as Executive Director from 2008 until now. She co-founded Viet Film Fest in 2003.
Prior to VAALA, Ysa was a radio host for the Viet Nam California Radio (VNCR), from 1995 to 2010. She hosted a weekly show called “Vòng Chân Trời Văn Học Nghệ Thuật” (“The Art Horizon”), which covered interviews with various artists and art events. Her show was syndicated for Voice of America (VOA), which broadcasted in Vietnam. In 2005, Ysa was chosen by the Orange County Register as one of the “30 Vietnamese Americans to Watch” in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Vietnamese American community in the United States. She received the Arts and Culture (In-Language) Award from New California Media in 2003 for her article on Mimi News, reporting the revival of the traditional performance art Cải Lương in the Vietnamese community. She was awarded with the “Service Award” from the USC (University of Southern California) Asian Pacific Alumni Association in 2012.
Ysa received her Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree from the University of Southern California (USC) in 1994. She currently works as a clinical pharmacist at Providence Home Infusion Pharmacy in Anaheim, California.
Born and raised in Orange County, CA, Eric Nong is a self-taught classic film buff who, since 2012, maintains a blog dedicated to movie write-ups. In addition to his passion for film, he has served as a volunteer and writer for Viet Film Fest 2018. Eric was also a part of Viet Film Fest 2019’s Curatorial Committee and volunteered during the 3-day event. Eric has a BA in Political Science from UC Irvine (also attended UC Santa Cruz for the first two years of undergrad); MPP from UCI with a focus on education and poverty alleviation. In his spare time, Eric volunteers his time to teach English to Buddhist monks at Chùa Bát Nhã in Santa Ana, CA.
Coming to the United States from Vietnam in 2017, Tran has always been seeking after opportunities that allow her to promote her culture through the lenses of arts. Her passion for storytelling as well as her experience in event planning has led her to become involved with Viet Film Fest since 2022. As an Associate Director, she oversees the operations of the festival including sponsorships, finance, and Community Day outreach.
Tran graduates from University of Southern California (USC) as a Business Administration major with an emphasis in Cinematic Arts. During her college years, she was the Director for the USC Vietnamese Student Association’s annual Culture Night, which took place in an auditorium of 300 audience members. She was also the Chair of Programming for the USC International Student Assembly where she has planned many school-wide events, namely the Global Culture Night and GlobeFest.
Born in Des Moines and based in Dallas, Tony Nguyen received his BA in History at the University of Texas, Dallas. He previously worked at the Dallas International Film Festival as Programming Coordinator since 2018 and currently co-curates a queer film series, Pleasure Style Attitude (PSA), for Texas Theatre, a local art house theatre, showcasing motion pictures amplifying underrepresented voices and cultivating discussions of the intersections of queerness, politics, aesthetics, class, and race.
Corey Linh holds the position of Communication Specialist at the Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association, where she facilitates communication efforts and contributes to the promotion of Vietnamese arts and literature. She was the Exhibition Coordinator for the “Yellow Submarine Rising: Currents in Asian American Arts,” an exhibition in response to the #StopAsianHate movement, as well as was the Program Coordinator for Viet Book Fest. Her most recent work has been facilitating digital communication for Viet Film Fest 2023. She graduated with honors from California State University, Long Beach, majoring in Psychology. Additionally, she is a classically trained actress, contributing to the portrayal of the Asian American experience, both on stage and in film.
Marissa Gavin is a History PhD student at the University of California – Irvine. She completed both her Bachelor’s cum laude and Master’s degrees in the at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. Marissa’s research interests focus on early modern France, Oceania, gender, and indigeneity and racialization. Marissa has presented work on the gendered nature of Aboriginal child removal in Australia through various HGSA conferences and will present her article, “Visions of Sovereignty and Kanak Women” at the American Historical Association’s Pacific Coast Branch conference in August of 2024. Marissa furthermore published her public-facing article “The Thirty Meter Telescope Project Exemplifies Scientific Progress and Indigenous Dispossession” in 2022 with the History News Network. She continues to combine her research interests with engaged activism to bring awareness to the ongoing challenges stemming from imperial intervention throughout the Pacific Ocean. Currently, she is a H.O.T Fellow at UC, Irvine, a program that supports community-focused projects through its partnerships with local arts and cultural institutions.
Chenglin Lee is a PhD student in comparative literature at UC Irvine. They are interested in Asian American studies, Asian Diasporas, film, and literature. Currently, he is a H.O.T Fellow at UC, Irvine, a program that supports community-focused projects through its partnerships with local arts and cultural institutions.