HÀ NỘI — Lý Hải has won Best Film Director at the San Francisco International New Concept Film Festival (SFINCFF) 2025, lighting up international attention for Vietnamese cinema in a win that also saw his film honoured as Best Vietnamese Feature Film.

His movie Lật Mặt 8: Vòng Tay Nắng (Face-Off 8: Embrace of Light) focuses on differences in perspective among generations, conveying heartfelt messages about being brave, living the life you want and the importance of love within the family.

When a son’s dream to dance to the beat of his own heart pits him against his father’s wishes, family strife boils over in a clash between youthful aspirations and parental expectations. Can father and son find their way back together before all is lost?

The movie also won the Best Vietnamese Feature Film.

"It is too surprising," Lý Hải said after the award ceremony. "I thank our crew who are always together for a long time and finally we achieved something happy.

"I don't think about the award when my film competes at an international festival. I just want the audience in the world to watch a Vietnamese film. Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to popular Vietnamese culture, country and people to the world through film."

Face Off 8 marks the 10-year anniversary of the longest and most successful film franchise of Việt Nam.

Lý Hải is a writer, director and actor who has appeared on-screen in every Face-Off series except for the third instalment. This absence was due to an injury he sustained while performing an action sequence in Face Off 2.

He started his entertainment career in the early 1990s as a singer. He moved into filmmaking, helming his first film, Face-Off, in 2015.

SFINCFF was founded in 2010 to inspire new creations of films and to encourage independent filmmakers to create originals and realise their dreams.

This year, over 100 films from 30 countries attended the festival, which was held from November 1 to 9. Last year, Lingering Memory by Vietnamese-American director Cường Ngô won Best Music Video and Dan Nguyen won Best Leading Action Actor. — VNS