HÀ NỘI — An 11-minute film produced by a team of 25 students at the University of Southern California, including Vietnamese student Đỗ Trang Linh, has won the InspirASIAN Student Film Award.

Linh, a third-year student at the university in Los Angeles, served as one of the short film’s main producers.

The award honours promising voices in Asian and Asian American media as part of CAAMFest, organised by the Center for Asian American Media from May 7 to 10, 2026.

Titled Sweet Farewell, the film tells the story of an elderly Vietnamese dessert shop owner named Tuấn and a teenage waitress named Kimmie as they try to save a small dessert shop that holds deep meaning for their community.

As the surrounding plaza undergoes redevelopment, the shop faces possible closure, forcing both characters to confront change, loss and the fear of letting go.

“The original idea came from our director and writer, Cynthia Nguyễn, who shared the script with us,” Linh told Việt Nam News via email. “After reading it, I immediately connected with the story because it felt both heartwarming and deeply emotional.”

Linh said one of the film’s most notable aspects was its portrayal of nostalgia within immigrant communities.

“A small Vietnamese dessert shop may seem simple on the surface, but for many people, spaces like these hold memories, culture and a sense of home,” she wrote. “I think many Vietnamese Americans can relate to the fear of seeing those familiar places slowly disappear over time.”

To create a nostalgic atmosphere, the production team used warm lighting, slower pacing and intimate framing.

“We also paid very close attention to the production design, especially the dessert shop itself, because we wanted it to feel authentic and familiar to Vietnamese audiences,” Linh said. “We also focused heavily on sound design and ambient noise, using everyday sounds from the shop and plaza to ground the story in realism and make the environment feel lived-in and genuine. These small details helped make the world feel authentic and rooted in the Vietnamese-American experience.”

The film previously won Best Film at the CSUN VSA Cinemania 2025, organised by the Vietnamese Student Association at California State University, Northridge, as well as the Audience Choice Award at the University of Southern California Cinema and Media Studies Festival 2025.

Commenting on the film, writer Lưu Nghiệp Quỳnh, chairman of the Arts Council of the Hanoi Cinematography Association, said: “Although only 11 minutes long, the film delivers a profound emotional impact. It tells the story of a Vietnamese-American family while conveying a fundamental message: culture is what enables a nation to endure and thrive.”

Quỳnh added that the film vividly portrays the enduring flow of Vietnamese culture within overseas Vietnamese communities.

“They integrate into other societies without losing their cultural identity,” he said.

“The film leaves a strong impression, particularly at a time when many young people are easily drawn to superficial social trends and risk forgetting their roots.”

Linh is majoring in Business of Cinematic Arts and serves as co-president of the Asian Cinema Student Association at the University of Southern California. VNS