Lien Binh Phat has become the first Vietnamese actor to win a rookie award at the Tokyo International Film Fest (TIFF).
VnExpress reports that Phat won the Tokyo Gemstone Award in the Best Newcomer category for his role in Song Lang. However, this is not the first time Phat has appeared on-screen. He has hosted TV programs before; and, viewers might regconize him as one of the participants in the 2016 reality show Phai Manh Viet (Be The Man).
Known for his good looks and a charming, deep voice, Phat has the talent to back these attributes up, as proven through his performance in Song Lang. The film is centered around the relationship between a cải lương artist and a debt collector in the 1980s. Phat plays Dung, the debt collector whose family used to work as cải lương performers.
After the movie debuted, Phat received plenty of critical praise as he exceeded expectations as an MC-turned-actor.
According to the news source, upon receiving the prize, Phat expressed gratitude for the festival, audience members and the film crew. "I am very happy to join such a grand international film festival for the first time, and this will be the motivation for me to continue on the movie path," he said.
Also at TIFF, Song Lang was listed among eight films in the Asian Future category, in addition to being nominated for the Asian Best Film Award and The Spirit of Asia Award.
For those interested, the movie will be broadcast on K+ at 8pm on November 30, and will be available exclusively on Cliptv.vn in the following months.
[Photo via Dien Anh]
